Unexplained Weight Loss

Training Bodybuilding
1

Hi everyone,

I wasn’t sure if I should post this here or in the Nutrition forum because of the confusion I’m going through with this problem.

First off I’m 18 years old, very active never had any type of weight issues and always active in sports. I’ve also had a full physical and checkup with the doctor and everything is fine. I also feel strong and healthy.

Back around September I was on a full body strength/hypertrophy program that consisted of 6 exercises per session, 3 times a week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) with no cardio inbetween. I was also eating 5-7 times a day and was gaining weight pretty well and eventually reached 183lbs. I was definitely happy with this weight but not with my overall fitness (bad cardio which was a problem as I train BJJ/Muay Thai I plan to compete in MMA eventually).

I then ordered the book, “Infinite Intensity” by Ross Enamait and started the 50 day program which I’m still on and modified it a little bit to where I have a strength day monday and an explosive/power weight session on Friday with 2 days off on the weekend because of work.

That brings the program to this:

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Strength Training
Tuesday - GPP + Core Training
Wednesday - Warrior Challenge (HIIT)
Thursday - Interval Training + Core Training
Friday - Strength/Explosive Strength training
Saturday - Off

Also note: Most of the core training days and some of the warrior challenges have weighted resistance exercises included.

At first my weight rapidly dropped from 180 to 171 in the matter of a week. This didn’t seem normal to me at all (or was it?).

My weight has continued to drop and I’m now at 165lbs despite a calorie increase (+600kcal), proper pre-workout and PWO nutrition on top of eating 7 meals a day, creatine supplement and 2-3 multivitamins a day.

So after all this my idea was that it was obviously fat loss because of the large cardio increase. Now I’m not so sure. When I was at my peak weight of 183lbs I took my measurements of my back/arms/legs/waist and bodyfat (with callipers) to track progress. I’m now 165lbs and my measurements haven’t changed at all except my waist measurement dropped by a mere 0.10" and my arms GAINED (Wtf?) 0.50".

Where exactly is this weight loss coming from if it isn’t fat? Could it be visceral fat? Bone density? Other tissue?

I’m completely lost at this point as to what is going on and no one else seems to know either (including my doctor).

My diet consists of 7 meals a day, 1 meal every 3 hours with a serving of veggies, protein, and fruit. I also take 2-3 multivitamins spread throughout the day as stated earlier and 2-3g of creatine a day. I sleep 9-10 hours a night. My goal is/was to stay around 175lbs but I haven’t been able to keep a stable weight anywhere, it just keeps going down despite calorie and protein/carb increase.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

2

i’m no expert, but wheres your carbs??? your only eating veggies and meats and your not trying to cut??? also in your workout regimen you do not list your cardio, but you say your doing it.

if your reading ross enemait’s stuff (i too have infinite intensity and ross is the man) he states that cardio should probably only be done once a week. steady state cardio promotes muscle loss, but it does have it’s benefits.

try sprints or hill sprints for endurance or some other form of high intensity training. where did the weight loss come from??? i have no idea. maybe one of the experts can tell ya that one. what i would suggest is giving a sample daily diet and explain how much cardio your doing…

3

[quote]XKawN wrote:
i’m no expert, but wheres your carbs??? your only eating veggies and meats and your not trying to cut??? also in your workout regimen you do not list your cardio, but you say your doing it.

if your reading ross enemait’s stuff (i too have infinite intensity and ross is the man) he states that cardio should probably only be done once a week. steady state cardio promotes muscle loss, but it does have it’s benefits.

try sprints or hill sprints for endurance or some other form of high intensity training. where did the weight loss come from??? i have no idea. maybe one of the experts can tell ya that one. what i would suggest is giving a sample daily diet and explain how much cardio your doing…[/quote]

Hey thanks for the reply,

I listed my training routine up there in my post and have been basically following his 50 day plan just with an added weight day. All of my cardio is HIIT pretty much.

I also said I eat a serving ( or 2) of fruit with every meal and usually a good amount of carbs in my PWO meals. I also sip on a carb/protein/BCAA drink throughout my workouts and before.

4

Sounds like you’ve lost muscle or water. You seem like you’ve got a got head on your shoulders, so I’d suggest you get a Myotape to properly track your measurements if you can’t tell by looking in a mirror.

Also, maybe try one of your old workouts to see if your strength has decreased.

Do you have cheat meals a 1-2x per week? At your age, I’m thinking at least 3 plates at a buffet e.g. OCB.

Check out everything that Berardi’s written, as well as Waterbury’s MMA stuff (Click over there <--------)

5

[quote]scream wrote:
XKawN wrote:
i’m no expert, but wheres your carbs??? your only eating veggies and meats and your not trying to cut??? also in your workout regimen you do not list your cardio, but you say your doing it.

if your reading ross enemait’s stuff (i too have infinite intensity and ross is the man) he states that cardio should probably only be done once a week. steady state cardio promotes muscle loss, but it does have it’s benefits.

try sprints or hill sprints for endurance or some other form of high intensity training. where did the weight loss come from??? i have no idea. maybe one of the experts can tell ya that one. what i would suggest is giving a sample daily diet and explain how much cardio your doing…

Hey thanks for the reply,

I listed my training routine up there in my post and have been basically following his 50 day plan just with an added weight day. All of my cardio is HIIT pretty much.

I also said I eat a serving ( or 2) of fruit with every meal and usually a good amount of carbs in my PWO meals. I also sip on a carb/protein/BCAA drink throughout my workouts and before.

[/quote]

OKay, I’m not 100% sure exactly what your workout entails, but if you’re doing MMA training you probably need alot more carbs than just pre and post workout and fruit. You have to fine tune your diet to fit your specific needs.

For example I do weight training 6 days a training 6 days a week and MMA training 5-6 days a week, which means ALOT of time spent in the gym, and A LOT of time eating. Before I started doing the MMA I had my carbs really low, but once I started all the extra conditioning I really had to take in a lot more, and it is definitely not hurting me(like some might think).

I am still losing 1 lb. a week and all of my lifts have gone up, on top of that I’m able to see some abs (which I’ve never seen in my life) and I still haven’t dropped below 205. I am not wanting to go below 200, so as I get closer I’ll just eat more. It’s really pretty funny. I eat lots of fats, lots of carbs, lots of fruit, lots of meat, and I’m fine.lol.

Not so much here, but out in the real world alot of “health gurus” will tell you how wrong that is, but what’s right for a 250lb. guy isn’t right for a 175lb. guy. Figure out what works for you.

Gauge your progress by WEEKLY only trips to the scale, what you see in the mirror, and eat more when you’re doing more. Don’t worry so much about your carbs, eat more, and I don’t see how you’re going to lose more weight.

6

You’re an active 18 year old male and your metabolism is at its peak–enjoy it while it lasts!

Adding 600 calories means nothing; adding it to what? What’s your total daily intake? If it’s not at least 3,000 cals, then it’s no surprise that you’re losing weight.

You’re putting me into mother-mode: “Eat, eat, you’re getting so skinny!”

7

Your workout is the changing variable. That is the reason. A little cardio on a little guy can make him vanish.

8

Thanks for the replies everyone,

Right now my total calorie intake is roughly 5,300kcal.

I’ll definitely figure out a new diet plan to add more carbs into my diet as I had a feeling my carb intake might be to low.