Battousaiken's Weight Loss Log

[battousaiken]

Everyone has been truly helpful in these forums, I have nothing but good things to say about you guys/gals. I'll be starting a weight loss log here to share my experiences, and best case scenario, motivate myself and the readers.

For background info on myself, check this thread:

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/supplements/78895-help-noob-out.html

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Basic Stats: (As of Friday, November 9)


5'8
205 lbs (lost 15 lbs taking Hydroxycut Hardcore and shooting hoops)
26 years old
male
Smoker (I know I have to quit)

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Routine:

Basketball Drills by myself (1 hour Mondays and Wednesdays)

Basketball (3-on-3, half court, for 2 hours on Saturdays)

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Other activities: None (Law School, married, 2 kids)

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Goals:

I used to play organized basketball for many years, before I got plantar fasciitis, which sidelined me for almost 5 years. I recently started playing again. I want to weigh 155 lbs and regain my vertical leap of 32 inches. It is currently down to 23 inches. I am not interested in being cut, or buff, only athletic.



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As you can see from my pictures, 205 lbs with my height and frame is aesthetically disastrous, not to mention quite unhealthy, which is why I decided to get back into playing shape.

 

[battousaiken]

It was recommended to me by a few of you in the supplement forums to get:

Protein
BCAA's
Leviathan Reloaded

I bought protein shake powder (100% Whey Gold Standard) and protein bars (Met-RX Protein Plus).

I also noticed that the sport multivitamins I was taking contain 150mg of BCAA blend (L-Valine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine), so I'm not sure if I should get more, or if that's enough.

I haven't bought Leviathan Reloaded because I recently opened my last bottle of Hydroxycut Hardcore, so I'll finish it before getting the LR.


A few days before I started posting here, I actually went back up to 205 lbs, from 200 lbs. I was drinking too much beer and going out too much.

This past Friday I bought the protein and began eating 5 times a day (I truly can't do 6 times a day), but I noticed that from that day until yesterday, I had gained 1.6 lbs (I was up to 206.6 lbs). I have been keeping a log on fitday.com and realized that by eating 5 times a day I end up being more hungry all the time and eating more total calories, although at the same time I have more energy to play basketball.

This morning I woke up and weighed myself (I always do so at the same time every 3 days) and I was down to 204.4 lbs, meaning 0.6 lbs lighter than Friday, the day I started, but 2.2 lbs lighter than yesterday!!!

Question: Did I initially gain a little weight because my body was getting used to the new regimen, and now the weight loss will keep coming, or am I doing something wrong and my weight will just keep fluctuating without major improvements?

My caloric intake has been about 2,700 calories a day, in a 30% fat, 44% carbs, 26% protein ratio, while burning an average of 3,400 calories a day.


Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[battousaiken]

One more thing. I had my body fat estimated at 21.5%. That can't be right? Right? It seems low for my height and weight, unless I have a lot of lean mass underneath the fat from playing basketball all those years . . .

 

[battousaiken]

Friday, November 9: Starting weight: 205 lbs.

Wednesday, November 14 (today): 201.2 lbs.

That's 3.8 lbs. lost in 6 days so far.

I've heard about people always losing the first 5 lbs. quickly but in my case, these are not the first 5 lbs. I was 220lbs. in June and lost weight progressively using only Hydroxycut Hardcore. Could it be that the combo of HH, plus the 5-meal-per-day system and the increase in protein intake is this effective? My caloric intake hasn't decreased, and the amount of excercise I do hasn't increased, yet I'm losing faster than with HH and basketball alone.

 

[EasyEJL]

way way way way more BCAAs. for your pre/during game drink, i'd mix 64oz of water with something around 30g of bcaas....

Theres always some weight bounciness in either direction when eating + supplementation habits change. you really need to look at it more over the span of a few weeks, rather than a couple days. Its possible from hydration difference alone to make a 3-4 lb change. Couple one day being a little constipated and more heavily hydrated to waking up dehydrated and not being constipated and a 5-6 lb 1 day difference is realistic.

 

[battousaiken]

way way way way more BCAAs. for your pre/during game drink, i'd mix 64oz of water with something around 30g of bcaas....

Theres always some weight bounciness in either direction when eating + supplementation habits change. you really need to look at it more over the span of a few weeks, rather than a couple days. Its possible from hydration difference alone to make a 3-4 lb change. Couple one day being a little constipated and more heavily hydrated to waking up dehydrated and not being constipated and a 5-6 lb 1 day difference is realistic.

Ok, cool, thanks!

 

[Hank Vangut]

My caloric intake has been about 2,700 calories a day, in a 30% fat, 44% carbs, 26% protein ratio, while burning an average of 3,400 calories a day.

IMO. fitdays calorie expenditure estimates are high.
fitday is an excellent guide but don't make the mistake of thinking it is 100% accurate.
just be willing to adjust your calories based on results you are getting not just by what their screen says.

 

[battousaiken]

Sorry for not updating in a while, studying for law school finals is killing me.

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Friday, November 9: Starting weight: 205 lbs. (BF: 21.5%)

Wednesday, November 14: 201.2 lbs.

Wednesday, November 21: 206.8 lbs. (What the Hell?!?)

Wednesday, November 28: 204 lbs. (BF: 20.5%)

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Seriously,

I have no idea what is going on. If you look at it from my starting weight and BF% (205 lbs 21.5%) to today (204 lbs 20.5%), I have lost 1 lb and 1% BF in almost 3 weeks. At this pace, It'll take me three years to get to my desired weight.

I have been following recommendations and haven't altered my excercise routine, yet I'm not going anywhere.

Should I go on some kind of starvation diet or something? Does anyone have any advice for me here? I'd really appreciate it.

 

[EasyEJL]

have you been consistently tracking calories ? I hesitate to suggest going too much lower calorie wise, but I guess you could try another 200-300 lower (so 2400-2500) for a couple weeks

 

[battousaiken]

have you been consistently tracking calories ? I hesitate to suggest going too much lower calorie wise, but I guess you could try another 200-300 lower (so 2400-2500) for a couple weeks

I might have to do that. Maybe eating 5 times a day is better for metabolism, but it is possible that when I ate twice a day, I only put 2200 calories or so in my body, so maybe I'm just eating too much. The truth is, eating more times per day makes me hungrier, because I'm always thinking about the next time I have to eat, and thus, I have food in my mind all the time.

 

[EasyEJL]

I might have to do that. Maybe eating 5 times a day is better for metabolism, but it is possible that when I ate twice a day, I only put 2200 calories or so in my body, so maybe I'm just eating too much. The truth is, eating more times per day makes me hungrier, because I'm always thinking about the next time I have to eat, and thus, I have food in my mind all the time.

what i've found handy is prepackaged stuff. Like the south beach diet meals, they are from 240-300 cal, so they work pretty well as moderate to small meals. Add either a fruit or a bit of cottage cheese to one, and you get a pretty clean 400 cal meal. do that 3-4 times a day, have 1-2 bigger meals.

 

[Distilled Water]

I might have to do that. Maybe eating 5 times a day is better for metabolism, but it is possible that when I ate twice a day, I only put 2200 calories or so in my body, so maybe I'm just eating too much. The truth is, eating more times per day makes me hungrier, because I'm always thinking about the next time I have to eat, and thus, I have food in my mind all the time.

thats your metabloism speeding up bro. Thats what you want. It gets easier after you get into the swing of things but it'll take disapline.

 

[battousaiken]

I was thinking of cutting down to around 1800 calories this week, followed by 2300 next week (sticking to 5 meals a day), and repeating the process every two weeks. I think that could help my metabolism, and maybe help me lose about 2-3 lbs. a week. Any thoughts on this?

 

[EasyEJL]

I'd try the 2300 for a few weeks first, see how that goes. if you end up too low, and your body thinks starvation is impending it will start storing fat as soon as you raise cals

 

[battousaiken]

I'd try the 2300 for a few weeks first, see how that goes. if you end up too low, and your body thinks starvation is impending it will start storing fat as soon as you raise cals

In that case, how about 3 days low cal (1800) and 4 days higher (2300-2500), alternating each day? In this case my body would never go into starvation mode, right? Or do you still recommend 2300 for a few weeks?

 

[EasyEJL]

I'd go 2300 for a few weeks first. then if you still aren't doing what you'd like, try alternating the 1800 + 2300, doing 2300 workout days, 1800 non workout days, that sort of thing

 

[battousaiken]

I'd go 2300 for a few weeks first. then if you still aren't doing what you'd like, try alternating the 1800 + 2300, doing 2300 workout days, 1800 non workout days, that sort of thing

I'll go with that. Thanks.

 

[battousaiken]

Sorry for the long absence. I was in Japan for a long time, it was snowing all the time, I couldn't find a basketball court nearby, and the nearest gym was 1 hour away, so continuing the log would have been quite boring.

In any case, I learned something about myself. The only thing I could do while in Japan was to jog. I jogged in the snow for 1 hour each day and continued taking the supplements, and following the diet. What I learned was this: My body CANNOT lose weight if I eat more than 3 times a day, no matter what the portion size.

I am at 198 lbs. STILL!!!! I jogged 1 hour a day, kept taking the supps, and ate 2000-2200 calories per day during all this time, and NOTHING.

I finally gave up trying to do this by myself, so I went to a nutritionist. He said my metabolism is much slower than normal and that eating controlled portions many times a day is not helping. He recommended I eat only twice a day (breakfast and lunch) and to eat a small snack for dinner (before 8 p.m.). He also said that I can keep taking Leviathan Reloaded and maybe stack it with DCP during this time, but that I should NOT exercise, since eating so few calories will drain my energy quite quickly.

He said that after losing 10-15 lbs. (188-183 lbs), THEN I should begin eating more so that I could exercise again. He said at that weight my metabolism should be better and with the exercise I could expect the weight to keep going down.

He warned me, however, that if I lose the 10-15 lbs. and start eating more, without exercising, I could experience ballooning, therefore on the day I raise my caloric intake from 1900 a day (what he recommends for now), to 2300 a day, I MUST begin exercising again.

So, having heard his recommendations, I would like a second opinion. Do you guys think his plan will work? Is there any other way to raise my metabolism quickly and effectively?

Thanks in advance.

 

[EasyEJL]

he sounds like a quack to me. your metabolism will not magically go up just because you loose 10-15lbs.

 

[Hitstick]

If you lift weights and gain lean muscle mass then your metabolism will go up period. I dont understand how someone can tell you that the healthiest thing to do is not work out? This guy sounds like he didnt sleep at a holiday inn last night.

 

[snookl187]

I agree putting on muscle, exercise and eating aswell as supplementation are the best ways to raise basal metabolism.

 

[snookl187]

maybe you should search for a weight lifting routine that will help improve your basketball. I know Lebron James has a good one. Try that and there is no doubt the fat will go.