Thyroid Problems?

[JeffFran]

HERE Is where your problem lies. Your thyroid could be just fine. At 160 and close to 15% bf you cannot get away with eating those amounts of calories, trust me. My very first cut I dropped to 155 at 7% bf. I was eating no more than 1600 calories a day. If I came even close to 1900 cals it would bloat me and I would gain weight overnight. Your body becomes so depleted in this state from dieting so long almost ANY extra calories even brown rice will bloat you can cause weight gain. Even 200 cals over in my experience. I'd stop cycling carbs/calories at this point and just keep your diet the exact same everyday. Cardio and workouts the same every single week. Then after 2-3 weeks make adjustments as needed. You are basically eating a maintenance wondering why you aren't losing weight. You gotta drop cals lower or increase cardio. Your maintenance calories change with every pound you lose, and it only gets lower. Also at 160 lbs and 15% you don't have a lot of muscle there. Maybe you have an underlying problem like low T. When natural athletes deplete calories for long periods of time it can lower test and raise cortisol. Just something to consider as well. Maybe give a full blown keto diet a chance.

Very helpful experience. But I think my testosterone is kinda high actually
But here's the problem .. Some say to raise calories to maintenance and reverse dieting ... I think my decision will be after my bloodwork test and I'll post it right here for you guys to see and analyze since you are experts in this
I will continue my diet and training for a week more until the results and see if I lost any weight comparing with last week
Then after cutting I was thinking doing reverse dieting before starting to put on muscle mass


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[SdBronco]

Very helpful experience. But I think my testosterone is kinda high actually
But here's the problem .. Some say to raise calories to maintenance and reverse dieting ... I think my decision will be after my bloodwork test and I'll post it right here for you guys to see and analyze since you are experts in this
I will continue my diet and training for a week more until the results and see if I lost any weight comparing with last week
Then after cutting I was thinking doing reverse dieting before starting to put on muscle mass


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My best bet is that you are already at maintenance calories...which is why you aren't losing anymore just maintaining which makes perfect sense. But yea that blood test tells all.

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[JeffFran]

I personally don't think anyone your size should ever need to be below 1800 calories, let alone 1600. At that calorie intake it becomes a struggle to get the micronutrients your body needs. I honestly haven't read through the thread, but if you're doing any cardio and your calories are this low and you're not losing weight, then I wonder if you've been cutting for too long. Reverse dieting can work if implemented correctly.

I'm not on 1600kcal, non training days around 1700-1800 and training days 1900-2100... Cardio four times a week ( 180minutes )
I'm dieting since May 1st, and my carb intake deceased dramatically around 50-120g


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[JeffFran]

My best bet is that you are already at maintenance calories...which is why you aren't losing anymore just maintaining which makes perfect sense. But yea that blood test tells all.

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Could be a possibility , but doing my maintenance calories it says 2800kcal


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[Montgomery]

I'm 5' 10"..167...15% BF I was at 1850 for a long time and bumped it up to 2150...lost 2.5 pounds in one week

 

[ironlifter36]

I learned the hard way but I'll do what you said .. Doing a plan in order to have a sustainable weight loss.. I measure myself every Saturday and I will wait until this one to check if I lost weight and fat and the bloodwork will be next week.. And then I'll reverse diet after seeing my results
I started lifting when I was 143lbs 1 year and a half ago not when i started dieting bro
Reverse dieting is slowly increasing calories week after week isn't it?


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I know you started 1 1/2 years ago at 143 and 25% BF; not on this diet. The point I was trying to make is that over the past year and half you have made good progress...you should be proud of that. Unfortunately, like most of us, you have hit a wall and your progress has stalled. Same thing happened to me until I started doing my cuts in increments as mentioned above. Cut, reverse diet, repeat...took me 3 cutting cycles to get down to 10%. Was it the MOST effective method....maybe not, but it worked for me. Yes, reverse dieting is slowly increasing calories week after week. Actually, I tend to lean out and fill out better reverse dieting out of a cut. Meaning I continue to loose weight as I reverse diet back up. As SdBronco mentioned, prolonged cuts can lower test and raise cortisol...both of which are highly undesirable when trying to loose weight.

 

[JeffFran]

I'm 5' 10"..167...15% BF I was at 1850 for a long time and bumped it up to 2150...lost 2.5 pounds in one week

We are kind similar bro! I'm 5ft11 .. 160lbs.. 15% bf ( How can I measure my bf correctly? ) .. But how did you lost 2.5 pounds in one week bumping up your kcal's?

 

[JeffFran]

I know you started 1 1/2 years ago at 143 and 25% BF; not on this diet. The point I was trying to make is that over the past year and half you have made good progress...you should be proud of that. Unfortunately, like most of us, you have hit a wall and your progress has stalled. Same thing happened to me until I started doing my cuts in increments as mentioned above. Cut, reverse diet, repeat...took me 3 cutting cycles to get down to 10%. Was it the MOST effective method....maybe not, but it worked for me. Yes, reverse dieting is slowly increasing calories week after week. Actually, I tend to lean out and fill out better reverse dieting out of a cut. Meaning I continue to loose weight as I reverse diet back up. As SdBronco mentioned, prolonged cuts can lower test and raise cortisol...both of which are highly undesirable when trying to loose weight.

I didn't know that being on a cut so long could lower test production and raise cortisol.. That's really not good, but maybe it depends individual to individual? I have a friend of mine that is a bodybuilding and he said that I cut down calories and carbs way too fast and after some weeks my body adapted and I should have never low from 2800-3000kcal to 1800-2000kcal that fast... But thanks so much for your compliment.. It means the world.. I have never had a good body and now my passion is working out, dieting and working hard to develop the body I desire.. It's a long long marathon, we all have steps back but it's hard sometimes dealing with them alone.. If it's ok I will post my bloodwork tests when I have them and then you guys could help me out , better than guessing what the problem really is

 

[mickc1965]

We are kind similar bro! I'm 5ft11 .. 160lbs.. 15% bf ( How can I measure my bf?)

The best method is a dexa scan followed by hydrostatic weighing or a bodpod but in saying that last year I was 170 and bodpod had me ~8% but I would have said I was nearer 12% maybe more (see pic below) so that is not completely accurate either

You could always buy a set of body fat calipers that would at least give you a guide of whether you are losing fat or not

 

[ironlifter36]

I didn't know that being on a cut so long could lower test production and raise cortisol.. That's really not good, but maybe it depends individual to individual? I have a friend of mine that is a bodybuilding and he said that I cut down calories and carbs way too fast and after some weeks my body adapted and I should have never low from 2800-3000kcal to 1800-2000kcal that fast... But thanks so much for your compliment.. It means the world.. I have never had a good body and now my passion is working out, dieting and working hard to develop the body I desire.. It's a long long marathon, we all have steps back but it's hard sometimes dealing with them alone.. If it's ok I will post my bloodwork tests when I have them and then you guys could help me out , better than guessing what the problem really is

Your buddy is right, you probably cut calories and carbs way to fast and your body adapted. I feel like I'm on rations at 150 carb per day, I don't see how people go lower and maintain their energy and sanity. Yes, post bloods when you get them.

 

[JeffFran]

The best method is a dexa scan followed by hydrostatic weighing or a bodpod but in saying that last year I was 170 and bodpod had me ~8% but I would have said I was nearer 12% maybe more (see pic below) so that is not completely accurate either
View attachment 2066
You could always buy a set of body fat calipers that would at least give you a guide of whether you are losing fat or not

Are they expensive ? I've a buddy of mine that he measures his bf with calipers I will try to ask him if he can help me out


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[JeffFran]

Your buddy is right, you probably cut calories and carbs way to fast and your body adapted. I feel like I'm on rations at 150 carb per day, I don't see how people go lower and maintain their energy and sanity. Yes, post bloods when you get them.

When you say 150g carbs are you only taking into account starchy carbs?


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[mickc1965]

Are they expensive ? I've a buddy of mine that he measures his bf with calipers I will try to ask him if he can help me out


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You can get cheap ones on Amazon that you can do yourself, the expensive ones like the Harpenden have to done by someone else. I will check what ones I bought when I get home.

 

[ironlifter36]

When you say 150g carbs are you only taking into account starchy carbs?


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Yes, that includes all carbs-starchy, vegetables to even the trace carbs in my whey protein and non-fat greek yogurt. All carbs together totaled 150g. I don't understand how people go lower than that and still have the energy to lift and do cardio. Hell, by week 4 on 150g of carbs I looked like Private Pile from the movie full Metal Jacket....I was barely hanging on doing my cardio. As far as measuring body fat, as mentioned above, fat calipers are the easiest and less expensive method. They aren't 100% accurate, but will provide you with a general idea. Also, if you consistently measure yourself the same way each week, it will provide you with a trend-meaning you will see skin folds either increase, decrease or stay the same.