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Anonymous
What am I doing wrong? Why am I making no progress?

me: skinny fat, so look like shit despite being at healthy weight. Need to lose maybe 10 pounds of fat.
TDEE: 2200 calories
for past month and a half: 1800 calories a day, going by Tom Venuto's food guidelines. 1 cheat meal a week--usually a slice of cake or a couple pieces of pizza or something that size.
Running 30 minutes a day 7 days a week, doing 5x5 3 days a week. doing a second half hour of cardio 2 days a week.

The only difference now is that I weigh 1.5 pounds MORE than I did before (I look exactly the same as I did before, or maybe worse, so it's not a "muscle weighs more" thing), and I am exhausted. Like my calves start getting really painful just halfway through runs now, and I can't keep up doing all this exercise. But I'm making NO PROGRESS. How is it possible that I need to step back because my body is too weak, when the only way I have any hope of getting anywhere is by doing even more work than I am now? I don't know what I'm supposed to do because I feel like I'm working my ass off all the time and doing things right, but I never look any better and it's starting to take a toll on me.
>> Anonymous
If you really read Venuto, you'd have read his chapter on breaking plateaus.
>> Anonymous
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>>199160

Um, yeah. He says firstly, if things stay the same, to do more cardio. I just said that my whole problem is that my legs are getting fucked doing cardio every day (sometimes twice) and I don't know how I'm supposed to do more. The other thing he suggests is to lower calories, however, he's already previously stated NOT to go under 1800, so I can't lower my intake anymore. If you really read my POST maybe you would've understood that.
>> Anonymous
How muscular were you before? Did you lift at all before you started? If not remember muscle weighs more than fat, that may be your problem, it was mine when I first started, I gained a pound or two then plateau'd for a week and after that I've lost 5 pounds really quickly.
>> Anonymous
Missed the part about staggering your diet and rest days.
>> Anonymous
>>199172

I've been lifting seriously only about 3 months, and was lifting half-assedly (lighter weights) for a few months before that.
>> Anonymous
>>199181
You should be passed the inital muscle shock then
>> Anonymous
zig-zig nigger, does you know it..
>> Anonymous
OP, I had a similar problem. For the first three-four weeks of weight lifting and cardio, I wasn't getting anywhere, despite a proper calorie deficit and following proper rules.

I found the problem was two main parts. A) Nutrition. I wasn't getting enough protein, especially right after my workouts. B) Overworking.

I switched to going to the gym twice a week, doing my core body workout then. (Chest, Back, Traps, Stomach, Lower Back, Obliques, Shoulders, Bi/Triceps) I also did proper HIIT sprinting/running 4 times a week. My workout looked like:

HIIT - Gym - HIIT - HIIT - Gym - HIIT - Rest day

After I made these changes, I started getting really quick results. I went from 132-128 in three weeks, and I haven't lost much muscle. I went from being able to do 1 pullup to being able to do 10 in the same time. So, just step back and re-examine what you are doing. And don't work out if your muscles are sore.