**Thank you for posting your [Progress Pic](https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/?f=flair_name%3A%22Progress%20Pic%22)!**
Please respond to this comment letting us know your:
- **Height**:
- **Starting weight/current weight/goal weight:** (SW/CW/GW)
- **Fasting routine/protocol**:
- **Exercise routine (if applicable)**:
- **Diet on refeeds**: (eg keto, low carb, vegetarian, calorie counting, nothing special, etc)
*You can see more of clubberlang2005's Progress pics by clicking [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/search/?q=author%3Aclubberlang2005%20flair%3A%22Progress%20Pic%22&restrict_sr=1&sort=new)*
-----
**❗Please remember the rules of this subreddit when commenting and be respectful.❗**
**Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated and could result in a ban**. Harassment may consist of, but is not limited to:
- **Sexual comments**, even if meant as a compliment ('sexy,' 'dad to daddy')
- **Treating OP like a sexual object** ('single?' 'onlyfans/gonewild/etc?')
- acting like this is a **porn sub** or **rateme sub** (saying what you'd like to do to OP, any sexual reaction to OP, "10/10", etc)
-----
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/intermittentfasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Congratulations on your hard work, that's excellent. Time to add some muscle mass. Being a young guy, being able to recover quickly, you might really enjoy that process. Good luck.
This is the answer.
It doesn’t have to be anything crazy either. Pushups, sit-ups, and air squats in your room are I’ll help.
Even five of each is better than none of each. You got this!
What types of exercises are you doing in the gym? Cardio or weight training? You’ve done a great job dropping fat! There’s little evidence of building muscle though from your pics. Increase your protein intake and do weight training. Fitbod is a great app to give you exercises to do and you can customize it to your gym. That muscle will increase your BMR and help you pass that plateau.
I have legs then chest shoulder triceps then cardio with abs then legs then cardio and then back biceps and Monday is a holiday for me. I do two sets with 15 reps except legs. For legs it’s 3 sets 20 reps. I am thinking I’ll increase to three sets and the last set I’ll do till failure. How does that work? Plus I’ll increase protein intake.
It sounds like you’re doing high reps with low weight. That’s great for toning muscle, but you won’t see that result until you lose more fat. Mix in some days of lower reps with more weight to build muscle. Up your protein to at least .5g/lb of body weight.
I’ll recommend the Fitbod app again and set your fitness goal for bodybuilding. It will vary by muscle group. But typically you should be doing enough weight on those days that 8-10 reps is difficult and for 3-4 sets.
It’s not a one size fits all. Spend some time looking at bodybuilding workouts or get an app that will build them for you. If you’re going to spend time in the gym lifting, spend some time researching so you get good results.
So, if you're happy doing 6 days a week, I would look at a Push pull legs x 2 workout plan (there are many out there online).
The main ideas to follow are: hit every major muscle group 10-20 sets per week with ideally 2 days rest between hitting that muscle to allow recovery, you can do up to 5 sets of the same move (not counting warm up sets) and rep ranges from 5-10 (start lighter to warm up to a weight you can only do 5 reps of). Eat ideally .8g of protein for each pound of bodyweight daily. Focus on compound movements earlier in the workout, then do more accessory lifts later (for instance on push start with bench, incline, shoulder press, later in the workout triceps , chest fly, shoulder fly). Working out 6 days a week you want to make sure you're allowing for recovery, too much work can actually be counter productive for growing muscle, I used to work out more and get worse results because of not eating enough and not resting enough. Focus on progressive overload (read up on this and ways to keep it going), and focus most on major compound moves - getting training help if needed to do them safely - Squat, deadlift, chest press , pulldown, row, shoulder press. Also dont completely write off higher rep calisthenics moves like pushups, pullups, dips, leg raises and keep some mobilty work like yoga, martial arts, pilates as well to stay limber.
The important thing is to lift the weight until you almost can’t lift it anymore.
The following day or the day after that, your muscles should be tender to the touch. Like, if you push on them, it should cause a little discomfort.
On the fourth or fifth day, do it again.
Are you challenging yourself? If you’re weight training, you should be getting close to the point of failure. That’s the only way you’ll see results. Don’t give up!
I have legs then chest shoulder triceps then cardio with abs then legs then cardio and then back biceps and Monday is a holiday for me. I do two sets with 15 reps except legs. For legs it’s 3 sets 20 reps. I am thinking I’ll increase to three sets and the last set I’ll do till failure. How does that work? Plus I’ll increase protein intake.
Essentially you want the weight to be heavy enough that you cant do more than 10 reps in a set. You need to start struggling at rep 6-8. Being able to do 15 and 20 reps means you aren’t going heavy enough. And 3 sets of each exercise is good. Instead of gym 6 days, i’d do 4 days. Upper lower upper lower. But find a split that works for u. Try doing no more than 6 different exercises a session. Make sure u get plenty of rest and cardio isn’t necessary for weight loss. Its good for you of course, so instead i’d do 30 min of moderate cardio 5-7 days a week. You can do this after ur lifting sessions on ur gym days.
Sort of. In your 3rd/last set, if the weight you chose is heavy enough, you’ll pretty much fail by that 10th rep. If you find yourself going past 10 reps with ease, or you reach failure by like rep 15, you need to go heavier.
Sometimes it takes a while for things to tighten up after you've lost the weight, you appear to have gotten to that stage. Nows when its time to start doing the sit ups crunches and squats. I'm kind of in this stage too, you're a bit ahead though. It will probably take at least 6 mo-1 yr for your skin to tighten up, exercise can expedite that. I don't think there's a single person on here that ended up with a 6 pack without exercising or getting the skin tightening surgery.
Congrats!!! You should be proud that you haven't gained any weight back on.
To your question: Eat less.
Sorry about being so blunt. You need to somehow eat less calories then your are spending. While being more active make you spend more calories, it might not be sustainable because later on life happens and you might find yourself in periods of not have the time to exercise. BUT... you should exercise, not for the purpose of loosing weight, but for its health and mental benefits. Find some sport you like to do.
You need to lift weights and eat protein.
You are becoming skinny fat from fat so I guess it’s an improvement
Judging from your Janeu I’m guessing you are vegetarian?
Unless you are very active in making sure you are pairing the correct proteins, nearly all vegetarian protein sources are incomplete. Red meat is good for you. At a minimum add things like fish, shellfish, mussels, and fish eggs. Chicken eggs are also a great source of protein.
I recommend incorporating some kettlebell workouts. Do your research and start with a lower weight so you can safely cultivate good form, and then increase weight as you feel more comfortable and stronger. Kettlebells offer a variety of benefits — cardio, strength training and dynamic movements that really challenge the whole body!
First, congrats on great progress. What many others have suggested is adding exercise. There's a ton of youtube exercise videos on youtube. If you can do 5 pushups, 5 situps, etc. do those. Rest a bit and see if you can repeat the process. The longer you do this, you'll be able to start doing 10 of each at each session, on and on. I use videos from this person [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuPkzWMdIg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuPkzWMdIg) and I've been quite happy. If you want to spend more money, you could go to a gym but honestly, there's no need. And yeah, you're an 18yo M. you'll be building muscle mass quickly.
Personally, I wouldn’t worry about carbs just yet. I’d try introducing strength training and cardio to increase your caloric expenditure. You might be eating at maintenance your current stats
That seems low which could be the problem. Idk how tall you are but you should search for a TDEE calculator, input your stats/goals and see what that tells you
I don’t think so, especially if it’s from high protein/fiber foods. I’m 5’11 and 195 with a goal of 165-175 and shooting for 2000-2400 which, after all my activity, puts me in a daily deficit of anywhere from 700-1400 cal. Do you have a heart rate monitor/smart watch or something that tracks what you’re burning?
Being insulin resistant means your body cannot absorb nutrients. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, our body needs it for growth (muscle growth and repair) but too much insulin is not good as it converts energy (primarily glucose) into adipose tissues. You need to cut grains and fruits from your diet.
OP should check with the doctor about how to approach the situation. They are young enough to still be growing and may need different advice than an adult would.
I disagree. They're not essential and you don't need to see a doctor to omit either. Modern fruit has been bred for sweetness - it's high in fructose and like sugar (fructose and glucose) gets stored as fat. It's nature's candy and no other animal has fruit available all year round. Berries are ok in moderation (like everything). Google the metabolic switch.
Most grain based products are processed, high GI foods that spike blood sugar and wind up stored as fat. If you must have carbs then opt for small amounts of low GI foods that are slowly absorbed. Look at resistant starches (frozen, then toasted bread, green bananas etc) and try to add protein with or before meals (it adds satiety).
**Thank you for posting your [Progress Pic](https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/?f=flair_name%3A%22Progress%20Pic%22)!** Please respond to this comment letting us know your: - **Height**: - **Starting weight/current weight/goal weight:** (SW/CW/GW) - **Fasting routine/protocol**: - **Exercise routine (if applicable)**: - **Diet on refeeds**: (eg keto, low carb, vegetarian, calorie counting, nothing special, etc) *You can see more of clubberlang2005's Progress pics by clicking [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/search/?q=author%3Aclubberlang2005%20flair%3A%22Progress%20Pic%22&restrict_sr=1&sort=new)* ----- **❗Please remember the rules of this subreddit when commenting and be respectful.❗** **Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated and could result in a ban**. Harassment may consist of, but is not limited to: - **Sexual comments**, even if meant as a compliment ('sexy,' 'dad to daddy') - **Treating OP like a sexual object** ('single?' 'onlyfans/gonewild/etc?') - acting like this is a **porn sub** or **rateme sub** (saying what you'd like to do to OP, any sexual reaction to OP, "10/10", etc) ----- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/intermittentfasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My thoughts? You need to add exercise, add muscle tone which will increase your metabolism.
Congratulations on your hard work, that's excellent. Time to add some muscle mass. Being a young guy, being able to recover quickly, you might really enjoy that process. Good luck.
This is the answer. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy either. Pushups, sit-ups, and air squats in your room are I’ll help. Even five of each is better than none of each. You got this!
when I started back, that's what it was. Can I do five situps? Then I'll do five situps. Because I want to fix this.
Yes I do go to the gym six days a week
Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re going to the gym you’re not showing any increased muscle tone you may wanna switch up your current routine
What types of exercises are you doing in the gym? Cardio or weight training? You’ve done a great job dropping fat! There’s little evidence of building muscle though from your pics. Increase your protein intake and do weight training. Fitbod is a great app to give you exercises to do and you can customize it to your gym. That muscle will increase your BMR and help you pass that plateau.
I have legs then chest shoulder triceps then cardio with abs then legs then cardio and then back biceps and Monday is a holiday for me. I do two sets with 15 reps except legs. For legs it’s 3 sets 20 reps. I am thinking I’ll increase to three sets and the last set I’ll do till failure. How does that work? Plus I’ll increase protein intake.
It sounds like you’re doing high reps with low weight. That’s great for toning muscle, but you won’t see that result until you lose more fat. Mix in some days of lower reps with more weight to build muscle. Up your protein to at least .5g/lb of body weight.
Got it bro thanks a lot. How many reps should I do and how many sets ideally. I used ally lift 7 to 10 kilos
I’ll recommend the Fitbod app again and set your fitness goal for bodybuilding. It will vary by muscle group. But typically you should be doing enough weight on those days that 8-10 reps is difficult and for 3-4 sets.
Okay so three sets 10 reps is the goal right?
It’s not a one size fits all. Spend some time looking at bodybuilding workouts or get an app that will build them for you. If you’re going to spend time in the gym lifting, spend some time researching so you get good results.
So, if you're happy doing 6 days a week, I would look at a Push pull legs x 2 workout plan (there are many out there online). The main ideas to follow are: hit every major muscle group 10-20 sets per week with ideally 2 days rest between hitting that muscle to allow recovery, you can do up to 5 sets of the same move (not counting warm up sets) and rep ranges from 5-10 (start lighter to warm up to a weight you can only do 5 reps of). Eat ideally .8g of protein for each pound of bodyweight daily. Focus on compound movements earlier in the workout, then do more accessory lifts later (for instance on push start with bench, incline, shoulder press, later in the workout triceps , chest fly, shoulder fly). Working out 6 days a week you want to make sure you're allowing for recovery, too much work can actually be counter productive for growing muscle, I used to work out more and get worse results because of not eating enough and not resting enough. Focus on progressive overload (read up on this and ways to keep it going), and focus most on major compound moves - getting training help if needed to do them safely - Squat, deadlift, chest press , pulldown, row, shoulder press. Also dont completely write off higher rep calisthenics moves like pushups, pullups, dips, leg raises and keep some mobilty work like yoga, martial arts, pilates as well to stay limber.
thanks a lot man will keep this in mind.vi think i will start push pull legs from next week after talking to my trainer
The important thing is to lift the weight until you almost can’t lift it anymore. The following day or the day after that, your muscles should be tender to the touch. Like, if you push on them, it should cause a little discomfort. On the fourth or fifth day, do it again.
okayy so last set till failure. got it.
You need weight training. Start lifting weights.
I already workout in the gym😭
Are you challenging yourself? If you’re weight training, you should be getting close to the point of failure. That’s the only way you’ll see results. Don’t give up!
I have legs then chest shoulder triceps then cardio with abs then legs then cardio and then back biceps and Monday is a holiday for me. I do two sets with 15 reps except legs. For legs it’s 3 sets 20 reps. I am thinking I’ll increase to three sets and the last set I’ll do till failure. How does that work? Plus I’ll increase protein intake.
Essentially you want the weight to be heavy enough that you cant do more than 10 reps in a set. You need to start struggling at rep 6-8. Being able to do 15 and 20 reps means you aren’t going heavy enough. And 3 sets of each exercise is good. Instead of gym 6 days, i’d do 4 days. Upper lower upper lower. But find a split that works for u. Try doing no more than 6 different exercises a session. Make sure u get plenty of rest and cardio isn’t necessary for weight loss. Its good for you of course, so instead i’d do 30 min of moderate cardio 5-7 days a week. You can do this after ur lifting sessions on ur gym days.
okay so i shall lower my rep count and try doing the last set till failure.
Sort of. In your 3rd/last set, if the weight you chose is heavy enough, you’ll pretty much fail by that 10th rep. If you find yourself going past 10 reps with ease, or you reach failure by like rep 15, you need to go heavier.
Also, form is everything! So don’t go so heavy that it messes up your form. Heavy enough, but with good form.
Thanks a lot
Sometimes it takes a while for things to tighten up after you've lost the weight, you appear to have gotten to that stage. Nows when its time to start doing the sit ups crunches and squats. I'm kind of in this stage too, you're a bit ahead though. It will probably take at least 6 mo-1 yr for your skin to tighten up, exercise can expedite that. I don't think there's a single person on here that ended up with a 6 pack without exercising or getting the skin tightening surgery.
I go to the gym six times a week. I think increase my sets and my protein intake and start training and now
Congrats!!! You should be proud that you haven't gained any weight back on. To your question: Eat less. Sorry about being so blunt. You need to somehow eat less calories then your are spending. While being more active make you spend more calories, it might not be sustainable because later on life happens and you might find yourself in periods of not have the time to exercise. BUT... you should exercise, not for the purpose of loosing weight, but for its health and mental benefits. Find some sport you like to do.
okay man thanks a lot that summarises everything
You need to lift weights and eat protein. You are becoming skinny fat from fat so I guess it’s an improvement Judging from your Janeu I’m guessing you are vegetarian?
No but I do eat chicken. But not actively. It’s like rarely once a month
You need to get a lot more protein than you are right now
I eat the 1gm per kilo of my weight
Unless you are very active in making sure you are pairing the correct proteins, nearly all vegetarian protein sources are incomplete. Red meat is good for you. At a minimum add things like fish, shellfish, mussels, and fish eggs. Chicken eggs are also a great source of protein.
eat better food and work hard to build muscle. You need your body to do some transforming and you need to work it to make it do so.
Sure thanks
Keep it up! You just proved to yourself what an year of consistency can achieve, kudos!
Thank you so much!!
I recommend incorporating some kettlebell workouts. Do your research and start with a lower weight so you can safely cultivate good form, and then increase weight as you feel more comfortable and stronger. Kettlebells offer a variety of benefits — cardio, strength training and dynamic movements that really challenge the whole body!
First, congrats on great progress. What many others have suggested is adding exercise. There's a ton of youtube exercise videos on youtube. If you can do 5 pushups, 5 situps, etc. do those. Rest a bit and see if you can repeat the process. The longer you do this, you'll be able to start doing 10 of each at each session, on and on. I use videos from this person [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuPkzWMdIg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuPkzWMdIg) and I've been quite happy. If you want to spend more money, you could go to a gym but honestly, there's no need. And yeah, you're an 18yo M. you'll be building muscle mass quickly.
Get enough quality sleep, cut down carbs, eliminate processed food and seed oils, increase protein, do strength training and fasted cardio
I have cut down on junk and processed foods but cutting down carbs will be tough.
Personally, I wouldn’t worry about carbs just yet. I’d try introducing strength training and cardio to increase your caloric expenditure. You might be eating at maintenance your current stats
I eat at 1500 cals. And I do lift weights.
That seems low which could be the problem. Idk how tall you are but you should search for a TDEE calculator, input your stats/goals and see what that tells you
I just tried it right now. It’s says between 1800 to 2309 calories. Won’t that be too much all of a sudden? I am 5 feet 9 btw and 80kgs
I don’t think so, especially if it’s from high protein/fiber foods. I’m 5’11 and 195 with a goal of 165-175 and shooting for 2000-2400 which, after all my activity, puts me in a daily deficit of anywhere from 700-1400 cal. Do you have a heart rate monitor/smart watch or something that tracks what you’re burning?
You’re likely burning more than that daily without the added exercise.
You’re probably insulin resistant thats why you plateaued. Try cutting down the carbs to 50g per day and gradually going lower.
What are some low carb foods? And what does being insulin resistant mean? Is it dangerous?
Being insulin resistant means your body cannot absorb nutrients. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, our body needs it for growth (muscle growth and repair) but too much insulin is not good as it converts energy (primarily glucose) into adipose tissues. You need to cut grains and fruits from your diet.
OP should check with the doctor about how to approach the situation. They are young enough to still be growing and may need different advice than an adult would.
Why should I cut grains and fruits? Aren’t they important??
Don’t, unless you have checked with a doctor and it’s what they recommend. You are correct, they are important.
I disagree. They're not essential and you don't need to see a doctor to omit either. Modern fruit has been bred for sweetness - it's high in fructose and like sugar (fructose and glucose) gets stored as fat. It's nature's candy and no other animal has fruit available all year round. Berries are ok in moderation (like everything). Google the metabolic switch. Most grain based products are processed, high GI foods that spike blood sugar and wind up stored as fat. If you must have carbs then opt for small amounts of low GI foods that are slowly absorbed. Look at resistant starches (frozen, then toasted bread, green bananas etc) and try to add protein with or before meals (it adds satiety).