venomancer
New member
I'm angry.
Here are my specs:
Age: 19
Height: 6' exact
Weight: 190lbs
BF: 13-14%
Fat percentage is estimated based on pics (which put me just above 12%) and caliper tests (which put me at almost exactly 12%.) I pad it by 1% to account for any bias
The diet was 2200kcal/day (TDEE estimates 3000kcal maintenance.) Only about 100g of carbs, a little over 200g+ protein, and ~80g fat. All from good, whole foods (chicken, beef, eggs, almonds, oats, veggies.) I may throw in a scoop of whey protein if I'm running short on time, but I'm definitely not cheating when it comes to eating right. I measure all of my food with a scale. I'm definitely taking in only what I am aware of.
Refeeds were once per week. I'd eat the exact stuff, but up carbs to where I take in about 2600kcal.
For supplementation:
I lift 5x a week and do about 30 minutes of cardio once a week. One day of rest. My training is relatively high volume, but the core of each session rarely lasts longer than one hour. My lifts consists of primarily compound movements (deadlifts, bench, squats, overhead, rows, etc.)
Literally there has been no change in weight and virtually no change in visual appearance after five weeks. The miniscule visual changes are mostly attributable to an increase in muscle mass, and not a decrease in fat. Caliper tests also indicate basically zero change. What's even stranger is my strength is increasing! I'm sure this has more to do with the CNS and less to do with diet.
I could post my progress pics, but my camera sucks. Plus I think the zero change in quantifiable measurements is enough to warrant suspicion.
An important note:
I have thyroid issues, so I very, very closely monitor my T3, T4, and rT3 levels. I take a cumulative total of 150mg of Armour thyroid (which is mostly T4, but contains some T3) every day to regulate thyroid levels. In my opinion, it's safe to rule out thyroid issues because all of my recent blood tests come back healthy. Also, I know that thyroid hormones are only one part of the equation when it comes to fat loss. So I'm not too worried about it. I'm considering switching over to pure T3 because I know I risk rT3 issues when my thyroid starts to downregulate.
My theory:
Something hormonal is wrong. I think it could be testosterone, cortisol, or something else.
What I'm going to do next:
This next week, I'm going to drop to just over 1600kcal (almost just protein and fat) and try intermittent fasting with a 20 hour fast. Every day I'll document my weight and take a progress photo. If nothing changes, then shit is really, really wrong. I'll be looking at getting some blood work done.
I'll post more info if needed, but that should cover it.
What do you think, friends?
Here are my specs:
Age: 19
Height: 6' exact
Weight: 190lbs
BF: 13-14%
Fat percentage is estimated based on pics (which put me just above 12%) and caliper tests (which put me at almost exactly 12%.) I pad it by 1% to account for any bias
The diet was 2200kcal/day (TDEE estimates 3000kcal maintenance.) Only about 100g of carbs, a little over 200g+ protein, and ~80g fat. All from good, whole foods (chicken, beef, eggs, almonds, oats, veggies.) I may throw in a scoop of whey protein if I'm running short on time, but I'm definitely not cheating when it comes to eating right. I measure all of my food with a scale. I'm definitely taking in only what I am aware of.
Refeeds were once per week. I'd eat the exact stuff, but up carbs to where I take in about 2600kcal.
For supplementation:
- EC (25e/200c) 2x a day (3x induces insomnia)
- CLA 2g in the morning
- l-Tyrosine 2g about 40 minutes prior to exercise
- And of course a multivitamin and a few things which shouldn't matter too much like melatonin and vitamin C. Basically my supplementation is "in-check."
I lift 5x a week and do about 30 minutes of cardio once a week. One day of rest. My training is relatively high volume, but the core of each session rarely lasts longer than one hour. My lifts consists of primarily compound movements (deadlifts, bench, squats, overhead, rows, etc.)
Literally there has been no change in weight and virtually no change in visual appearance after five weeks. The miniscule visual changes are mostly attributable to an increase in muscle mass, and not a decrease in fat. Caliper tests also indicate basically zero change. What's even stranger is my strength is increasing! I'm sure this has more to do with the CNS and less to do with diet.
I could post my progress pics, but my camera sucks. Plus I think the zero change in quantifiable measurements is enough to warrant suspicion.
An important note:
I have thyroid issues, so I very, very closely monitor my T3, T4, and rT3 levels. I take a cumulative total of 150mg of Armour thyroid (which is mostly T4, but contains some T3) every day to regulate thyroid levels. In my opinion, it's safe to rule out thyroid issues because all of my recent blood tests come back healthy. Also, I know that thyroid hormones are only one part of the equation when it comes to fat loss. So I'm not too worried about it. I'm considering switching over to pure T3 because I know I risk rT3 issues when my thyroid starts to downregulate.
My theory:
Something hormonal is wrong. I think it could be testosterone, cortisol, or something else.
What I'm going to do next:
This next week, I'm going to drop to just over 1600kcal (almost just protein and fat) and try intermittent fasting with a 20 hour fast. Every day I'll document my weight and take a progress photo. If nothing changes, then shit is really, really wrong. I'll be looking at getting some blood work done.
I'll post more info if needed, but that should cover it.
What do you think, friends?
