Belly fat wont go away

[Brettski99]

Been following keto/ low carb for a year working out doing strong lifts 5x5. Been getting more definition in my arms/ shoulders/ legs but this gut will not shrink. My tsh was 3.41 in NOV, e2 sensitive was 25, test was 722, free t was 30. Don't do much / any cardio. Calories in the 1800 a day range of keto. Guys, what am I missing? I am super frustrated with lack of gut disappearing, I weight and track all my food and follow ketogains macro calculator, that from their ******** page works for 70000+ people but not for me. I have a half month of phentermine from way back im going to finish off to see if that helps. Have even bought metformin when overseas as the pharmacies there will sell you whatever you want in an attempt to maybe that was the issue but hasn't made any diff. Any and all help appreciated here gents. Thanks.

 

[FabFred]

I would start incorporating cardio at some point, maybe 20 min hiit 3x a week and see what happens after a month or so and adjust from there

 

[FeelingLost]

Been following keto/ low carb for a year working out doing strong lifts 5x5. Been getting more definition in my arms/ shoulders/ legs but this gut will not shrink. My tsh was 3.41 in NOV, e2 sensitive was 25, test was 722, free t was 30. Don't do much / any cardio. Calories in the 1800 a day range of keto. Guys, what am I missing? I am super frustrated with lack of gut disappearing, I weight and track all my food and follow ketogains macro calculator, that from their ******** page works for 70000+ people but not for me. I have a half month of phentermine from way back im going to finish off to see if that helps. Have even bought metformin when overseas as the pharmacies there will sell you whatever you want in an attempt to maybe that was the issue but hasn't made any diff. Any and all help appreciated here gents. Thanks.

Go old school listen to Arnold. Man I luv this guy.

hth

 

[Matt Leiser]

Been following keto/ low carb for a year working out doing strong lifts 5x5. Been getting more definition in my arms/ shoulders/ legs but this gut will not shrink. My tsh was 3.41 in NOV, e2 sensitive was 25, test was 722, free t was 30. Don't do much / any cardio. Calories in the 1800 a day range of keto. Guys, what am I missing? I am super frustrated with lack of gut disappearing, I weight and track all my food and follow ketogains macro calculator, that from their ******** page works for 70000+ people but not for me. I have a half month of phentermine from way back im going to finish off to see if that helps. Have even bought metformin when overseas as the pharmacies there will sell you whatever you want in an attempt to maybe that was the issue but hasn't made any diff. Any and all help appreciated here gents. Thanks.

TSH is a bit high. Have you had any further thyroid labs done?

 

[LTChris]

what is your protein intake, many on keto overdo protein

 

[lcvl]

Many on keto/paleo/low carb diets think calories don't matter. They still do. I'd double check your basal metabolic rate and make sure to create an adecuate caloric deficit throughout the week.

 

[Vince]

You need about 80% diet and 20% exercise to lose weight. To many people think it's all about exercising.

 

[Brettski99]

TSH is a bit high. Have you had any further thyroid labs done?

Only the tsh in NOV, i am due in a few more months for more labs and will ask for further thyroid labs.

 

[Brettski99]

what is your protein intake, many on keto overdo protein

I have my macros set P-132g, F-112, C- net 25. I have used 2 different macro calculators in the past only thing really changed was the fat dropped with the one.

 

[captain]

Your trying to put on muscle to increase your metabolism. Metformin inhibits you from gaining muscle. Your using an insulin sensitizer on a keto diet. If your wanting more muscle this is probably the wrong method. Women use Metformin as a antiandrogen. I would guess it may work in males the same. Insulin spike after you workout would be a benefit. Insulin spike sitting on your backside all day would be no good. Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result not going to happen. I am no expert but I said it anyway.

 

[Saul]

lower your calories, increase your cardio/calorie burn rate. I also like sit-up or ab work outs to tone up the stomach. Part of it is fat and part of it is sag.

 

[Whatzup]

lower your calories, increase your cardio/calorie burn rate. I also like sit-up or ab work outs to tone up the stomach. Part of it is fat and part of it is sag.

How many times a week should one do abs?

 

[Saul]

How many times a week should one do abs?

I don't know. I do them when I have extra time, maybe 3 times per week. There are others on here who know way more than me about lifting. I will also comment though based on what I was told, to try to lift free weights or lift unsupported (safely) by not always using a machine with the idea to build core strength and work the ab and back muscles. this will help with the sag but not remove fat. I have been trying to do that. Some of it is just genetics too. Some people are thin waisted and some or barrel shaped. It's all good. Fat is fat though so belly fat should drop with other fat loss, but it may be the last to go.

 

[Keepgoing]

Medical Ketosis is the only version that has peer reviewed research behind it. More than likely your doing the diet wrong. Most people I talked to that say keto did not work for them were not doing it right. Just because some ripped person on YouTube saids their version works means nothing. It might work for some, but it’s not medical keto. Research keto on PubMed. No Caffinee, no direct carbs, vary your fat sources.
On abs, read Dr Sturt McGills book on the Back training or one of his clients book @the gift of injury”, or YouTube him.

 

[Milad Zadeh]

I’m sorry to tell you this but working abs ain’t gonna solve ur problem. Now I’m not saying U shouldn’t work them but as long as fat covers the area they won’t be visible.
Your calories at 1800 are prob too low! I don’t know your specific stats (height, weight, etc) but I would suggest you reevaluate them.
I’m currently on TRT/HCG and thyroid meds just like you. I went from 155lbs to 172lbs in about 6 months. How?
Nutrition and hard training!!
The low carb/keto won’t get you far. You NEED energy in the form of a fast accessible source which are best through carbs to push through those hard work out sessions.why? So that you can build more muscle. The muscle in return acts as a free fat burner because it requires energy to maintain itself and that will come with protein synthesis.
I’m currently at about 2800 calories and consume about 1.3-1.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight and about 378 grams of carbs.
I’m around 12-11% body fat (abs are visible) and yes most of that is also around my waist area that’s how some of us hold fat genetically (sorry but it’s the truth) but I can easily get rid of it by slightly lowering my caloric intake. However I won’t because I wanna continue building muscle and that requires a caloric surplus.
You’ve tried your method for 6 months now switch to a new method. But if u do don’t be aggressive and jump straight to high amounts.
Every 3-4 weeks increase by about another 100-200 calories and watch the mirror and scale. We call this a lean bulk and it takes time. As you get more advanced it becomes even slower. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Weigh yourself in the mornings after u take a shit and preferably before u eat to keep track of ur progress.
Also time to properly brake down the muscle. Train at least 5 days a week maybe even 6 if u have time. High volume works great for ME. About 6 excersices per muscle each at 4-5 sets. Stick with hypertrophy rep range 8-12.
Use everything in ur arsenal to burn the muscle. Heavy weights/ slow eccentric / metabolic brake down (hold muscle in concentric portion to contain blood supply) etc. look them up on YouTube.
I should mention I do 0000 cardio. I maintain my body fat levels through ligting weights with medium to high intensity. So around 60-90 seconds rest between sets. If you wanna do cardio do high intensity (HIIT) and slow paste they both serve a purpose, but no more then 15min max.
Alright my fingers r getting tired from typing

Good luck

 

[RobK]

The answer period.

Google bulletproof intermittent fasting
and bulletproof rapid fat loss protocol.

Also read the book carb night and google carb backloading.

 

[Style]

Get some keto test strips from the pharmacy and see if you actually are in ketosis or not.

 

[madman]

Been following keto/ low carb for a year working out doing strong lifts 5x5. Been getting more definition in my arms/ shoulders/ legs but this gut will not shrink. My tsh was 3.41 in NOV, e2 sensitive was 25, test was 722, free t was 30. Don't do much / any cardio. Calories in the 1800 a day range of keto. Guys, what am I missing? I am super frustrated with lack of gut disappearing, I weight and track all my food and follow ketogains macro calculator, that from their ******** page works for 70000+ people but not for me. I have a half month of phentermine from way back im going to finish off to see if that helps. Have even bought metformin when overseas as the pharmacies there will sell you whatever you want in an attempt to maybe that was the issue but hasn't made any diff. Any and all help appreciated here gents. Thanks.

Put money on it that your calories are too low so your basically in starvation mode.

No way one could train heavy 5x5 on 1800 cal/day let alone no carb..........complete disaster.

You will always have a hard time building muscle mass on a low carb diet. When one is in a calorie deficit fat loss/muscle maintenance should be the goal as building muscle mass requires slightly more calories (200-500 cal/day) above maintenance and moderate-high complex carbs are needed to pack on mass.

The midsection/love handles is usually the most stubborn and last to go.

Your calories are more than likely too low and your body is almost in a preservation mode holding on to that extra adipose.

will comment further when I have time.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Lower volume,up walking 30 minutes per day and lower calories to bw x 12

 

[Another Great Day]

Put money on it that your calories are too low so your basically in starvation mode.

No way one could train heavy 5x5 on 1800 cal/day let alone no carb..........complete disaster.

You will always have a hard time building muscle mass on a low carb diet. When one is in a calorie deficit fat loss/muscle maintenance should be the goal as building muscle mass requires slightly more calories (200-500 cal/day) above maintenance and moderate-high complex carbs are needed to pack on mass.

The midsection/love handles is usually the most stubborn and last to go.

Your calories are more than likely too low and your body is almost in a preservation mode holding on to that extra adipose.

will comment further when I have time.

Hello,

How would I determine if I am in starvation mode vs. low cortisol levels, adrenal exhaustion ? I have many similarities to Matt's example. I am 59 years of age have been lifting for 25 years. Lifting 5 days per week and get get about 10,000 - 20,000 walking steps per day (FitBit). My entire life I have struggled with my weight and have "dieted" for the past 30 years. Current caloric intake is 1,540 daily, 175 protein, 55 grams of carbs. I have had resting metabolism rate tested which indicated I have a fast metabolism. My body composition on 3-11-19 was body fat 28%, Total mass, 241 lb, Fat tissue, 70 lb, Lean tissue, 163, MBC, 8,9%, visceral fat 4.58 lbs.

My fear of increasing calories is that I will gain weight and not be able to lose it.
I am a Defy patient. On 1-2-19 my RT3 was 20. Began liothyronine and titrated up to 50mcg. My RT3 it now 5.6. No change in weight. HRT patient my testosterone serum average 550 ng/dl. I have thought my inability to lose weight was due to low cortisol levels?

1-2-19

8:00 am 0.237 Range 0.025-0.600
Noon 0.132 Range 0.010-.0330
4:00 pm 0.140 Range 0.010-0.200
9:00 pm 0.045 Range 0.010-0.090