[ChrisDUS]

Originally Posted by mmahany

At the risk of sounding rude (and I don’t mean to), I think that’s more of “fashion” advice than it is fitness and health. The way you stand and your posture only change how you are perceived. A fat is still a fat guy no matter how good his posture is.

I know you had good intentions with your advice. I've also learned a lot of “tricks” to making myself look thinner than I truly am. Even when I was around 10% body fat, I would look "soft" with the wrong clothes on.

I don't mean to sound rude either, but I don't agree.

Good posture is everything and walking like ) does not exactly stabilize the back.

Of course, if the bodyfat is like 12+%, there is something left to get rid of.

A nice exercise for getting the belly flat is in my opinion the "cat vomit exercise" https://www.google.de/#hl=de&q=vomit...w=1680&bih=894

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by ChrisDUS

I don't mean to sound rude either, but I don't agree.

Good posture is everything and walking like ) does not exactly stabilize the back.

Of course, if the bodyfat is like 12+%, there is something left to get rid of.

A nice exercise for getting the belly flat is in my opinion the "cat vomit exercise" https://www.google.de/#hl=de&q=vomit...w=1680&bih=894

Again, there is no such thing as spot treatment. You can't just do ab exercises and burn fat in that area.

And for the record, that's not my personal opinion. That's a widely accepted scientific fact.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

OP:

Until you drop your BF to 12% or less your abs are going to be hard to see.

When I was at peak physique I was 172 LBS, 6-7% Body Fat, 5Ft 10. (305 Max Bench)

I'm now about 163-165 lbs, 10% Body Fat. (275 Max Bench maybe a bit more but I'll be honest I'm not really a power lifter).
I still have the same abs but they looked a lot more defined at the lower BF % by no accident.

(I never did cardio either).

Your caloric intake does have a lot to do with your body, but so does what you eat and at what times you eat. Avoid late night snacks and especially ones with Carbs. Just eliminating the snacking at night (chips, ice cream, whatever) has helped me a bunch. If I really need something to eat, I'll just have a protein shake, or a salad with non fat dressing. Or atleast something with a minimal amount of carbs.

The best way to trim up is to eat more often but very small portions. Don't eat carbs after 8 PM (or very little).

Some people will just stop eating or eat once or twice a day. That is really not good to boost your metabolism.

If you eat more often but very small portions, I'm talking the size of your palm every 2-3 hrs you will notice a boost in your metabolism.

By no accident hitting the gym consistently atleast 3 times a week will help. As I mentioned above, I dont do cardio. By packing on lean muscle, you boost your metabolism. The more muscle you have on you the more calories your body can take. Since I have a low percentage of body fat my body burns more calories a day just to feed them (so to speak).

For every 1LB of Lean Muscle you burn an extra 50 calories (at rest).

I'll be honest, I do abs maybe a couple times a week, and I don't really train them hard. However, I've been a healthy eater CONSISTENTLY for the past 10 or so years, and that includes going the gym regularly at least 3-4 times a week for those 10 or so years. I also dont drink much, hardly ever. When I do it's only a couple drinks maybe once a week at most.

Minimize your soda and sugar intake, and try to drink a gallon of water a day. (It's hard to do).

If you want to figure out how to get abs you need to watch your food intake in detail so you can understand what you are doing wrong.

Compile a list of what you ate, at what time, your caloric, protein, Carb and fat intake.

Someone your weight should shoot for about 2500 calories a day. 50G fat MAX per day and 250 G carbs max. You will realize very fast it's hard to achieve any of those numbers. Especially if you frequent any franchise restaurants.

[dr.mba]

I agree with Jeff 100% on almost everything he pointed out with the exception of fat intake. There is a reason why there is a saying "Abs are made in the kitchen". My only thing is if you are going to limit carbs you are going to have to replace the calorie source somehow and typically this is a mixture of fats/protein. Good fats obviously is what you want to add (nuts and olive oil). I know it does not make a lot of sense to many people how you could lose fat if you are taking it in your diet but this is something that has been proven over and over again so long as you maintain a caloric deficit and limit carbs you are on your way to a better definition of your abs. This has to do with augmenting your body's hormonal state in which by limiting carbs you are forcing your body to go to fat as a source of energy since suppressed insulin levels lead to lipolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver and peripherally. But otherwise I feel Jeff has made important pointers. I also like doing cardio (not to the point of exertion but just to warm up) prior to hitting the weights. Hope this helps.

MBA

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by dr.mba

I agree with Jeff 100% on almost everything he pointed out with the exception of fat intake. There is a reason why there is a saying "Abs are made in the kitchen". My only thing is if you are going to limit carbs you are going to have to replace the calorie source somehow and typically this is a mixture of fats/protein. Good fats obviously is what you want to add (nuts and olive oil). I know it does not make a lot of sense to many people how you could lose fat if you are taking it in your diet but this is something that has been proven over and over again so long as you maintain a caloric deficit and limit carbs you are on your way to a better definition of your abs. This has to do with augmenting your body's hormonal state in which by limiting carbs you are forcing your body to go to fat as a source of energy since suppressed insulin levels lead to lipolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver and peripherally. But otherwise I feel Jeff has made important pointers. I also like doing cardio (not to the point of exertion but just to warm up) prior to hitting the weights. Hope this helps.

MBA

Yes. I'm very familiar with this methodology. In regards to fat intake; It's necessary but my main point about "limiting fat" was because many people dont realize how an appeptizer at TGIF or Applesbees for instance can be your so called "daily limit". At any rate I wanted the OP to realize that the first step is to watch what he's eating, how often, when, and to see where all that foods stacks up in terms of Fat, Carb, Protein.

I tried the no carb diet, under 30G a day. It was very difficult trying to train your body to live without carbs. Actually it was my brain! Pounding head aches.

Supposedly if you can fight through them first the first 7-10 days you can retrain your body into using fat for energy. Crazy stuff.

If I were to do it again, I wouldn't go cold turkey. I would instead try limiting carbs slowly over the course of a week or so.

Supposedly this methodology known as "Carb back loading" allows your brain to then use fat as energy and then after about 10 days of nearly zero carbs, you can start eating Carbs on the days you dont work out.

I'll have to find the article if anyone is interested.

[954Stealth]

If you still have "A Gut" and your goal is ~10% BF then keep dieting. You can't control where the fat is lost from first but eventually that last bit will go away. When your down to the last bit it becomes even more important to have your diet in check and as clean as possible. Just remember you can never out train a bad diet.

[amanda hor$t]

^ pretty much true, though i came close one summer. but that's because i was working out like 4 hrs a day.

when it comes to diet... i think a dry turkey on wheat is about as good as it gets. and it's bland enough where you won't get tired of it. eat that for 2 months lol

[ZStig]

Originally Posted by shah269

I'll have a bear at dinner....
Most dinners are lean grilled meats with veggies.
cheat yeah a bit of sugar here a bit there.....but not much.
my issue seems to be pulling the muscle in right now it's bowed out.
what work outs help tighten your gut because right now just weight lifting is just pushing it out.

aren't bears expensive?

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by speddmn

if you cant kill it, catch it or 'gather' it you shouldn't eat it... it's the lazy man's paleo diet

Those fucking cheerios never saw it coming!!!!!

[RandomHero]

I'm willing to bet that the no-carb diets a few of you mentioned are based around your body entering into Ketosis (using fat instead of carbs as the immediate source of energy). I've done a cycle of the Keto diet and it's good for short term dieting, but I would not recommend anyone do it longer than 2-3 months.

As far as eating late at night, eating periodically, or other food portion management techniques,I disagree... FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON. Obviously, when your body fat gets into the single digits, you really have to fine tune your diet, but he's not a fitness model.

In regards to losing weight: Eat whenever, and technically whatever you want as long as you maintain a caloric deficit. Eating carbs at night isn't the best thing because they basically become empty calories, but it's not going to stop you from losing weight.

Also, there's plenty of debate on eating many small meals a day or eating only 1-2 very large meals. Again, for the average person, it's not going to make any difference. Eating periodically will help curb your appetite, but eating one very large meal can help raise your metabolism. Your body has to work very hard to process a huge meal. That's why you feel tired after eating Thanksgiving dinner (Turkey actually has fairly low Tryptophan levels).

My theory: Change it up. Some days you can eat 5-6 small meals. Other days eat maybe 1-2 big meals. It will help maintain your sanity and the change in eating habits will help keep your body from getting used to your new calorie intake levels.

You can put gas in your car ever 50 miles or you can fill up only when the low fuel light comes on. Similarly, you can put 87 octane or 93 octane in your tank. Either way, you're still filling your tank up and the car will run.

I use that reference because calories are simply a measurement of energy. It's cheesy, but it's true. If you eat healthy food (93 octane) you will naturally feel better, get sick less, and your body will make the most out of the calories in your food.

If you eat like crap (87 octane), your body will still function and you can still lose weight, but it isn't optimal and it's a dirtier way to diet.

There are certain advantages to eating periodically or eating once a day. One may be slightly better, but there is no proof that either method makes a SIGNIFICANT difference in your results.

Either way will work. I agree that there are "best practices" when it comes to dieting. However, he wouldn't have to diet if he already had those kinds of eating habits.

I could write volumes on this stuff. I'm not saying that I'm right and everyone else is wrong, but I think many of the recommendations you hear on the internet are not as important as people make them out to be.

[amanda hor$t]

^ agree

stick to the simple stuff everyone knows: exercise, eat well, and eat less overall. when you're going for 5% body fat then you can get really technical and fancy with nutrition. for nearly everyone else, stick to the basics.

and the thing about eating less, your body gets used to it pretty quickly. this coming from a guy who basically scarfed 2 big macs at a time when he was 10. i'll pretty much eat whatever's in front of me. i've been dieting all year, and what works is when you set a portion before you start eating, eat it, and be done.

[954Stealth]

I agree with that. Simply create a calorie deficit, move around each day and drink water.
Overcomplicating things will overwhelm most people and make a plan much harder to stick with

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by R Grubba Balls

^ agree

stick to the simple stuff everyone knows: exercise, eat well, and eat less overall. when you're going for 5% body fat then you can get really technical and fancy with nutrition. for nearly everyone else, stick to the basics.

and the thing about eating less, your body gets used to it pretty quickly. this coming from a guy who basically scarfed 2 big macs at a time when he was 10. i'll pretty much eat whatever's in front of me. i've been dieting all year, and what works is when you set a portion before you start eating, eat it, and be done.

Exactly, in fact, I could argue that worrying about the minutia too much can actually hurt you.

Case in point- A family member of mine has been over weight her entire life. However, she is the weight-loss “guru.” She has read every Jillian Michaels and Atkins book out there. To this day, she still tries to give me advice on my dieting/exercise even after I’ve lost 50 lbs and she’s stayed the same. In fact, she’s read so much that she has actually convinced herself that she can’t lose weight and has a thyroid issue. This is a person who never exercises, has a pantry full of junk food, and wonders why she can’t lose weight.

My father (the two are blood related) is the complete opposite. My grandfather died about 4 years ago from emphysema. He decided that he wanted to live long enough to become a grandfather and one day got off the couch and walked up the street and back (about 2 miles). Eventually, he started jogging and those 2 miles turned into 4, then 6, then 10, and about a month ago he ran his first marathon at 52 years old. Last year he ran over 1500 miles and I think this year he’s on pace to break 2000. This is a man who drinks a beer or two a day, eats whatever he wants, and “dieting” is not in his vocabulary. I’m damn proud of him so forgive me for the boring story.

My point is this: look at farmers, ranchers, or oil men that are actually doing hard physical labor. Many of them eat whatever they want, probably drink 6 beers a day, but they’re in damn good shape. You don’t have to consume yourself with maintaining a perfect diet. You need to consume yourself with maintaining an active lifestyle, using moderation with food intake, and eating as healthy as you can. Sure, a strict diet is the best, but if it were that easy to do, you wouldn’t have gained all that weight in the first place.

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

I agree with that. Simply create a calorie deficit, move around each day and drink water.
Overcomplicating things will overwhelm most people and make a plan much harder to stick with

Again, very true. Here are a few things I used to do that helped me enjoy my life, satisfy cravings, but stay on track with my weight loss goals:

Drinking

-Crystal Light and Vodka- When I’d go to a bar, I’d order a vodka/water on the rocks. I’d bring some of the individual crystal light packets and put them in my drinks. It makes for a decent tasting drink, but with no extra calories.

-Drinks with minimal calories- Scotch, Whiskey, Vodka, Tequila, and Rum are all very low in calories. If it’s good stuff you can drink it straight (I prefer scotch). If it’s crappy stuff you can throw in some diet soda or zero-calorie flavoring. Bloody Mary’s can also be very low in calories and they’ll fill you up too.

-Things not to drink- liqueurs such as Baileys are high in calories. Avoid margaritas, sugary mixers, or anything with extra calories.

When you have a craving for sweets

-Healthy Milkshake- I’d put a scoop of protein powder (ON Chocolate Mint is amazing), 8 ounces of milk, a bit of splenda, and some ice in a blender. It makes for a full sized milk shake that tastes very good but has about 300 calories (the majority of them from protein)

-Healthy candy bars- Mix some protein powder with oats and a bit of milk (enough to give it a peanut butter consistency). Stir it all up and separate them into cupcake sized portions. Then put them in the freezer. If you keep your freezer at a low setting they’ll come out like a frozen candy bar. Again, a very healthy snack that has no empty calories.

-Cereal- I used to LOVE Lucky Charms. I’d buy a 5 pound bag every few weeks. 2 cups of cereal and a minimal amount of milk will satisfy your sweet tooth. Even lucky charms only have about 120 calories per serving. 2 cups with milk is around 300-350 calories
When you’re hungry as hell and your stomach feels empty

-Broccoli and chicken- My dad always jokes that I should have wrote a book about my “Broccoli and Chicken Diet.” I’d eat about 5 pounds of chicken and 3 pounds of broccoli a week. Those are two foods that will fill you up fast, are very cheap, and you can eat as much as you want of them without worrying about gaining weight.

-Any lean protein or green veggies are things you can eat as much as you want and not have to worry about it turning into fat. Protein has a natural tendency to fill you up faster and it is extremely hard for your body to convert it into fat.
Other little things I did:
-Swap out mayo and salad dressings for mustard. I would mix Dijon mustard with tobasco sauce as a salad dressing. It actually doesn’t taste that bad
-Swap out Sugar with Splenda
-Use non-stick cooking spray or extra-virgin olive oil to cook with
-Invest in a variety of different spices and seasonings (give your food more flavor)
-Buy a food scale or at least some measuring cups (they help until you learn to eyeball what a portion looks like)
-Buy Sara Lee 45 calorie bread- If you like sandwiches as much as I do

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by mmahany

I'm willing to bet that the no-carb diets a few of you mentioned are based around your body entering into Ketosis (using fat instead of carbs as the immediate source of energy). I've done a cycle of the Keto diet and it's good for short term dieting, but I would not recommend anyone do it longer than 2-3 months.

As far as eating late at night, eating periodically, or other food portion management techniques,I disagree... FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON. Obviously, when your body fat gets into the single digits, you really have to fine tune your diet, but he's not a fitness model.

In regards to losing weight: Eat whenever, and technically whatever you want as long as you maintain a caloric deficit. Eating carbs at night isn't the best thing because they basically become empty calories, but it's not going to stop you from losing weight.

Also, there's plenty of debate on eating many small meals a day or eating only 1-2 very large meals. Again, for the average person, it's not going to make any difference. Eating periodically will help curb your appetite, but eating one very large meal can help raise your metabolism. Your body has to work very hard to process a huge meal. That's why you feel tired after eating Thanksgiving dinner (Turkey actually has fairly low Tryptophan levels).

My theory: Change it up. Some days you can eat 5-6 small meals. Other days eat maybe 1-2 big meals. It will help maintain your sanity and the change in eating habits will help keep your body from getting used to your new calorie intake levels.

You can put gas in your car ever 50 miles or you can fill up only when the low fuel light comes on. Similarly, you can put 87 octane or 93 octane in your tank. Either way, you're still filling your tank up and the car will run.

I use that reference because calories are simply a measurement of energy. It's cheesy, but it's true. If you eat healthy food (93 octane) you will naturally feel better, get sick less, and your body will make the most out of the calories in your food.

If you eat like crap (87 octane), your body will still function and you can still lose weight, but it isn't optimal and it's a dirtier way to diet.

There are certain advantages to eating periodically or eating once a day. One may be slightly better, but there is no proof that either method makes a SIGNIFICANT difference in your results.

Either way will work. I agree that there are "best practices" when it comes to dieting. However, he wouldn't have to diet if he already had those kinds of eating habits.

I could write volumes on this stuff. I'm not saying that I'm right and everyone else is wrong, but I think many of the recommendations you hear on the internet are not as important as people make them out to be.

I consider myself pretty average but I have lived a healthy lifestyle and workout route for quite a long time so then again it's not that average to most.

I dont like to voice opinions, but facts based on personal experience and real world results I have. There are so many articles and theories and suggestions. Most have some truths and others may be unrealistic. It's really important that the individual decides what will work best for them and their lifestyle.

I agree on the short term for no carbs. Like I said, I could barely go a week! I also forgot to mention my immune system went down the tubes and I got very sick.
Everyones body is different. I think one of the hardest things is learning how your body responds to different foods and eating habits. Not to mention work out routines too.

Eating every 3 hrs is tough. But I personally try to not exceed 4. Even a quick snack if I can't get to something right away will suffice. I'm still learning my own body and sometimes I have to think back to when I was at peak physique and what I was doing different.

Part of it was just being younger and in college. However, I was eating pretty health. My meals basically consisted of oat meal or cereal, turkey sandwiches or grilled chicken, and pasta on the off days. I would snack on something light like pretzels. Everyone once in a while I would splurge. There was some fruit in their too like banana, oranges and applies. Broccoli or mixed vegetables with the chicken. Otherwise the diet was very boring and an average joe would find it very difficult.

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by Jeff@TopGearSolutions

I consider myself pretty average but I have lived a healthy lifestyle and workout route for quite a long time so then again it's not that average to most.

I dont like to voice opinions, but facts based on personal experience and real world results I have. There are so many articles and theories and suggestions. Most have some truths and others may be unrealistic. It's really important that the individual decides what will work best for them and their lifestyle.

I agree on the short term for no carbs. Like I said, I could barely go a week! I also forgot to mention my immune system went down the tubes and I got very sick.
Everyones body is different. I think one of the hardest things is learning how your body responds to different foods and eating habits. Not to mention work out routines too.

Eating every 3 hrs is tough. But I personally try to not exceed 4. Even a quick snack if I can't get to something right away will suffice. I'm still learning my own body and sometimes I have to think back to when I was at peak physique and what I was doing different.

Part of it was just being younger and in college. However, I was eating pretty health. My meals basically consisted of oat meal or cereal, turkey sandwiches or grilled chicken, and pasta on the off days. I would snack on something light like pretzels. Everyone once in a while I would splurge. There was some fruit in their too like banana, oranges and applies. Broccoli or mixed vegetables with the chicken. Otherwise the diet was very boring and an average joe would find it very difficult.

You didn't say anything that was incorrect. I simply wanted to add that the things you mentioned can be very hard for someone who has let themselves go for a long period of time. If you’ve been eating taco bell and mcdonalds for the last 10 years, it can be very hard to suddenly try and maintain a perfect diet.

I'm much like you. I use a culmination of my personal experience, the experience of others, and scientific evidence. Like you said, everyone is different and will respond differently. As far as your diet: I ate literally the exact same things (except pasta). I know probably 20 different ways to prepare chicken.

A bit further on the no-carbs diet. You really have to give it at least a month for it to benefit you. It takes most people between 4-7 days just to enter ketosis and even one slip up with eating carbs can cause it to take longer. You can buy keto sticks at most pharmacies. It sounds gross but they’re basically little strips of paper you pee on that measure the level of ketones in your urine. That’s the easiest way to tell if your body is in ketosis or not. Keto diets are very effective, but it’s a very tough diet to maintain and you can’t sway from the diet in the least bit. Like you said, the first few days when you begin are TERRIBLE. I was angry, moody, and lethargic for about 2-3 days and my roommates back then hated me. Until your body enters ketosis, you’re basically starving it of energy.

I’m far from an expert on this topic, but I have a decent resume of success (and failures) in regards to dieting, fitness, and overall health.
A timeline of my life (some good, some bad)
-Competitive powerlifter (squatted 675 pounds at 211 pounds when I was 17 years old)
-I once cut 10.5 pounds in 24 hours to make weight for a meet
-Received a full baseball scholarship out of high school (junior college)
-Herniated my L4/L5 vertebrae which started my weight gain
-Gained 40 pounds in a little over a year (my highest point was around 250lbs)
-Girlfriend of 4 years broke up with me (my motivation to change myself)
-Lost almost 60 pounds in 15 weeks (Usually those kind of results are considered unhealthy, but I had a near perfect diet and worked out 4+ hours a day)
-Lost even more weight a few months later (my lowest point was around 179 pounds)
-Re-signed with a University and finished up my baseball career
-Currently, I’ve kept off the bad weight for 3 years now. My weight now fluctuates at around 195-200 lbs which I’ve decided is the best weight for my height and build.

That’s not meant to come off as bragging, but I’ve had many experiences that helped me understand what it takes to overcome many personal and physical challenges. I know others have as well (including yourself). But for the people that have always been thin their entire life, your advice will change drastically when you go through similar struggles.

[ussoldierforhire]

Go to the doc and check for low testosterone. Bulging belly is one of the signs of low-T. I use a testosterone replacement therapy gel every day. Feel like i'm 20 again.

Originally Posted by shah269

I don't eat out much. I drink maybe half a can of soda a day and I cook lean.
It's "hard" but not flabby....if i flex it flattens but when i relax....it just falls...
should i just come to terms with the fact that I'm 36 and this is how life is or what?
A friend suggested doing sit ups with weights...

[amanda hor$t]

i'm trying something... the german sausage diet. yeah they're fairly fatty (like 250 calories each), but even a big guy like me can eat maybe 3-4 a day. and i'm exercising too. wrapped on double wheat bread, pickles and kraut don't contribute. dude, i'm gonna get ripped... heehee "ripped"

[954Stealth]

I've been trying the Intermittent Fasting thing for a couple weeks now. So far, good results. It's worth at least reading up on to consider if it'll fit your lifestyle and goals or not.

[ZStig]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Those fucking cheerios never saw it coming!!!!!

cereal killer

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by mmahany

You didn't say anything that was incorrect. I simply wanted to add that the things you mentioned can be very hard for someone who has let themselves go for a long period of time. If you’ve been eating taco bell and mcdonalds for the last 10 years, it can be very hard to suddenly try and maintain a perfect diet.

I'm much like you. I use a culmination of my personal experience, the experience of others, and scientific evidence. Like you said, everyone is different and will respond differently. As far as your diet: I ate literally the exact same things (except pasta). I know probably 20 different ways to prepare chicken.

A bit further on the no-carbs diet. You really have to give it at least a month for it to benefit you. It takes most people between 4-7 days just to enter ketosis and even one slip up with eating carbs can cause it to take longer. You can buy keto sticks at most pharmacies. It sounds gross but they’re basically little strips of paper you pee on that measure the level of ketones in your urine. That’s the easiest way to tell if your body is in ketosis or not. Keto diets are very effective, but it’s a very tough diet to maintain and you can’t sway from the diet in the least bit. Like you said, the first few days when you begin are TERRIBLE. I was angry, moody, and lethargic for about 2-3 days and my roommates back then hated me. Until your body enters ketosis, you’re basically starving it of energy.

I’m far from an expert on this topic, but I have a decent resume of success (and failures) in regards to dieting, fitness, and overall health.
A timeline of my life (some good, some bad)
-Competitive powerlifter (squatted 675 pounds at 211 pounds when I was 17 years old)
-I once cut 10.5 pounds in 24 hours to make weight for a meet
-Received a full baseball scholarship out of high school (junior college)
-Herniated my L4/L5 vertebrae which started my weight gain
-Gained 40 pounds in a little over a year (my highest point was around 250lbs)
-Girlfriend of 4 years broke up with me (my motivation to change myself)
-Lost almost 60 pounds in 15 weeks (Usually those kind of results are considered unhealthy, but I had a near perfect diet and worked out 4+ hours a day)
-Lost even more weight a few months later (my lowest point was around 179 pounds)
-Re-signed with a University and finished up my baseball career
-Currently, I’ve kept off the bad weight for 3 years now. My weight now fluctuates at around 195-200 lbs which I’ve decided is the best weight for my height and build.

That’s not meant to come off as bragging, but I’ve had many experiences that helped me understand what it takes to overcome many personal and physical challenges. I know others have as well (including yourself). But for the people that have always been thin their entire life, your advice will change drastically when you go through similar struggles.

I hear that. Good stuff.

I dont think I'll try the no carb diet. It's not a lifestyle I want to have to deal with.

Yes, the many ways of eating chicken. I forgot sometimes I changed it up with some plain ground beef, tuna, and white fish or salmon here and there.

[lsmkr01]

Originally Posted by v_bimmer

love beer much?

A flat stomach/fat free is ALL about your diet. No matter how strong your abs are, you need to get rid of the blanket, in order to see them.

This! 89% of abs are built in the kitchen.

[Das_Stig]

as said, nothing but diet.. could have the hardest abs under a thin layer of fat, butif you don't eat right they always gonna be in hiding..
eating right sucks.