Could i get some advice please Kerry?

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Hi Kerry & everone....all opinions and constructive criticism welcome..

Just wondered if I could have some advice on loosing that last stone or so...
In 6 Months I managed to to get my weight down from 15st of fat to a trim 13st (I'm 5'10 - 27year old male)...As well as doing that I managed to get my upper body quite ripped and toned. Saying this it seems as though my metabolism has slowed down due to my dieting or something because for a few months or so now I'm not shifting from that 13st mark!..and my BMI still says im overweight for my size!...Recently lost my job due to this damn recession so Ive decided to go away traveling at the start of feb, and thus really now want to dedicate my time till then to trying to get down a stone (or even half a stone would do!) in time for the start of feb. Im carrying absolutely all my weight on my stomach. So much so, its laughable. Stood up straight I look quite ripped and in good shape but for example when i sit down shirtless, I can grab a mass handfull of fat from around my stomach ,due to the fat deposits im carrying around my mid riff!..

I have all day to exercise and would very much appreciate some advice on the best way to attack this stubborn stomach fat that currently seems impossible to shift. I used to be an apprentice footballer & have always been a good runner..so running comes quite easy to me and I can still run long distances quite comfortably..Ive tired to adapt my training to fit that some what of a boxers where the running is done in the morining, gym in the afternoon and the much needed rest in the evenings.

Current Exercise week goes as Follows :

Mon - (Morning) - 6.7mile Run (afternoon) Gym 1 Hr weights + 30mins cardio +Abs
Tues - (Morning) - 6.7mile Run (afternoon) Gym 1 Hr weights + 30mins cardio +Abs
Wed - (Morning) - REST (afternoon) Gym 1 Hr weights + 30mins cardio +Abs
Thur - (Morning) - 6.7mile Run (afternoon) Gym 1 Hr weights + 30mins cardio +Abs
Fri - (Morning) - 6.7mile Run (afternoon) Gym 1 Hr weights + 30mins cardio +Abs
Sat - (Morning) - REST (afternoon) - 6.7mile Run
Sun - (Morning) - 6.7mile Run (afternoon) Gym 1 Hr weights + 30mins cardio +Abs

In the gym I train on weights, 1 bodypart per day and carido is usually the treadmill. do HIIT on alternate days, and as you can see i tend to stay away from running or gym at night as the gym is far too busy & prefer to run in the morning as it means i can relax a little at night

I will typically eat something like this -

9am Porrige w/ organic honey + Banana + 1 Cup Coffe (w/ red top milk)
12pm - Toasted Tuna sandwich (on wholemeal bown)
3pm - Pro MR + Banana
6pm - Chicken/Fish/Steak + Veg, + Sweet Potato
9pm - Protien Shake
(Also drink a minimum of 2 litres, if not more a day)

I certainly find that i didnt have to do as much exercise than im doing now to loose the initial 2 stone. I was probably eating a little less and doing just the gym sessions at around 5pm after work. 8am - 5pm sat on my arse all day in an office as well!...So why is it so much harder now to reduce that final extra weight of my stomach?

Just want some advice so i can see some gains by the start of Feb and not look at myself and feel I havent improved!..Maybe i should be eating more Cals but im scared to do so in case I dont get the fat off in time for Feb

my god sorry i do apologise, this has seemed to turn out to be quite a large post!...ah well feel its better I have explained all apects of my diet and excercise I suppose

Thanks to all who reply in advance!

Ruddy

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kk - I think your metabolism has gone into emergency mode, it has to protect itself, you were losing a rapid amount of weight (which means you were on a kcalorie restricted diet) with an incredible workload.

Look at your workout, you are doing 6 hours of cardio a week, 6 hours weighlifting a week and running about 40 miles a week. I have not calculated your kcalories (energy in) but off the top of my head (as i don't know your portions) you are only on about 1500kcals a day. The government estimate you need 2500 just to be sedate.

In 6 months you have lost about 30lbs, body fat is very precious to your body as it is reserves of energy, money in the bank and the rate in which you are spending you energy, you would be bankrupt (dead) in no time at all so because you are doing it so severely, your body has to slow the process down by closing down your metabolism to tick over as it does not know that in February you are goin back to a normal nutritional intake and probably moderate exercise. Another thing I have noticed is that you are only having 2 pieces of fruit and 1 veg per day, again the government tell us we need 5 fruit and veg per day and with your workload, I would suggest you would need 10 to get the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that you require, remember, vitamins and minerals are chemicals derived from food that are responsible for all the metabolic reactions in the body.

My suggestion is you do a bit of both, increase your kcalories, eat more fruit and veg and cut back on your training a little bit. This will trick your body into thinking the famine is over, your metabolism will relax and speed itself up, then go back on your diet and workload but not as severe.

Don't be frightened about doing this as what you are doing now has stopped working.

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Thanks Kerry very much appreciated your advice is invaluable as ever...Can ask you then please as a rough idea what kind of routine roughly then you would set up for a person in my position order to get the best results by feb whilst not allowing myself to do too much or too little?

Ie how much cardio should i do bearing in mind I have all day to do it?...and what kind of eating plan roughly should i be looking at to keep my metabolism ticking over nicely whilst burning that stuborn fat?..Also weights-wise i have read a few of your atricles and for example with Ricky Hatton and Scott Wright you advise only 25 mins on the weights yet get stunning results!..

Have just ordered and recieved my Pro Lean & Sida Cordifolia which I will be incorporating into my diet along with my Pro Mr's to up my calorie intake.

Cheers again Kerry

All the best

Ruddy

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kk - I have posted this before an include several previous answers that may be helpful, the weight training regime I suggest is a 4 day split as follows:-

On all 4 days you must stretch and properly warm up. Here are examples:-

Quads -

Leg Extensions (warm up) 3 sets 10-12 reps

45 Degree Leg Press 3 sets 8-10 reps 1st set 50% - 60%, 2nd set 80%, final set 100%

Hack Squat - 2 Sets (your already warm) so same as above, 2nd and 3rd set.

Lunges - 2 Sets as hack squat

Calves -

3 sets 12 reps standing calf raises 50%, 80% and 100% efforts.

2 sets 12 reps seated calf raises, 80%, 100% effort.

Chest -

3 sets of flying 8-10 reps(dumbells) again 50%, 80%, 100%.

3 sets of presssing 8-10 (dumbell or barbell) flat or incline, again 50%, 80%, 100%

2 sets of pressing 8-10 (opposite to above if using barbell, use dumbell) if flat, go incline, 80% and 100% efforts.

Flat bench dumbell pullovers 2 sets 10-12 reps, 80% and 100%.

Biceps -

3 sets dumbell curls 6-8 reps 50%, 80%, 100%

2 sets cable curls 8-10 reps, 80%, 100%

Back -

3 sets Close grip pull downs to the front 8-10 reps 50%, 80%, 100%.

2 sets (some form of machine rowing) 8-10 reps, 80%, 100% effort.

2 sets Dumbell one arm rowing 8-10 reps 80%,100%.

2 Sets bent over barbell rowing underarm grip 8-10, 80%, 100%.

1 set hyperextensions 10-12 reps.

Hamstrings -

3 sets 8-10 reps lying down hamstring curls, 50%, 80%, 100%

2 set 10-12 reps stiff leg deadlifts, 70%, 90% (do not go to maximum)

Shoulders -

3 sets 8-10 reps dumbell side lateral raises, 50%, 80%, 100%

2 sets 8-10 reps rear delts machine or dumbells, 80%, 100%

3 sets shoulder press 8-10 reps, 70%, 90%, 100%

2 sets barbell front rowing 8-10 reps, 80%, 100% effort

Triceps -

3 sets, 10 reps Lying down close grip french press to below the chest 50%, 80%, 100%

3 sets 10 reps tricep pushdowns 60%, 80%, 100%.

Do abdominals when you like, or when you have the most left in the tank.

I have also posted a lot about metabolism before both on here and on Ricky Hattons Forum:-

You train a lot yet your words "I need to lose some weight", "difficulty losing weight" and "not seeing any noticable difference" and "little chubby". This means that you are obviously eating too many kcalories. Kcalories are not nutrients they are units of energy of nutrients. Protein and Carbs contain 4 kcalories per gram (units of energy) fat contain 9 kcalories per gram and alcohol 7 kcalories per gram. Although we would not call alcohol a nutrient, the kcalories from alcohol we call empty kcalories.

Your metabolism (how many kcalories you need) is not how many kcalories you can metabolise per day, it it how many kcalories you can metabolise per meal, often people who are overweight and train, normally eat too many kcalories per not, not per day.

Imagine if you had a jug of perfect nutrition for your metabolism, and you had some glasses on a table. These glasses represent your meals (how many kcalories you can fit in a glass). You only have 2 or 3 glasses on the table and you pour this perfect jug of nutrition into those glasses, it doesn't all fit in, and the overflow is 1) Nutrients you have wasted (as they've not fitted into the glass, you've not metabolised them) but as your body will not waste anything it converts those nutrients to body fat.

Do the same, but put 5 or 6 glasses on the table (representing 5 or 6 small meals every 3 hours), all that perfect jug of nutrition now fits in, you have metabolised it all, more nutrients and no body fat.

A lady once came into Betta Bodies, she told me she wanted to lose weight but I realised that she did not want to train or count her kcalories. She told me she did not eat all day and cooked a big meal for herself and her husband when he came home from work. I told her to carry on, once she had put her food on her plate, I asked her to get an extra 3 plates, cut her meal into 4 quarters, eat the first quarter with her husband, the second quarter 9pm, third quarter early next day and the fourth quarter in the afternoon. She came to my gym 2 or 3 weeks later and she had lost about half a stone, yet she was eating the same amount of food but she was now pouring it into 4 glasses as opposed to one.

I have posted numerous times about fat loss, so have a look here
http://www.cnpprofessional.co.uk/forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=26893

and I have also posted about vitamins and minerals:-

kk - The government tell us that we need 5 fruit and veg a day, but that is for the sedate man in the street who doesn't train, if the average man need 5 fruit and veg a day then a hard training athlete needs a minimum of 10, how many out there can honestly say hand on heart they have that many plus some athletes are in weight catagories and even though micronutrients are low in kcalories, they are programmed not to eat too much. We all pay attention to macronutrients (carbs, fat and protein) and obviously these are very important but none of this will be assimilated/metabolised properly without the body functioning to its full capacity. Vitamins and minerals are responsible for all chemical reactions and processes in the body. They are procursors to a lot of antioxidant which are also very important to rid the body of all the waste materials (free radicals) from hard training.

The fact of the matter is if you are a hard training athlete and you do not take a good/strong vitamin and mineral supplement, you are almost certainly deficient in micronutrients.

There are numerous studies that supplementing vitamins/minerals to athletes, clinically unheathly and even people who smoke and drink a lot of alcohol will support the processes in the body that create all the metabolic reactions. If you are worried about some of the vitamins and minerals being excreted in the urine (which would be minimal) take them on a full stomach with your food. When you eat, your body is working at its most efficient in extracting nutrients (including your vitamin/mineral supplements), this is the most efficient way to take them.

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Cheers for the advice and taking the time out to answer Kerry

Much Appreciated & valued advice.