Calories dilemma

[LindenGarcia18]

Originally Posted by jslep

Also something worth noting is abs can be hidden in other ways other than body fat.

1. Your skin could be too pale

2. You can be standing in an unflattering ab position ( anterior pelvic tilt )

3. Your intestines could be full of crap and giving you a bloated look

4. Your stomach is full after a large meal giving you a bloated look

list goes on but i think you get the idea

Yeah good point, I need to think of the other factors

[jslep]

Originally Posted by LindenGarcia18

So its pancake day today, and i've been doing great with my food recently.
Nothing bad at all, just good, clean food.
Today though, I couldn't resist Ice Cream and pancakes, and I feel really bad for eating them.
It also then dawned on me how much I was eating throughout the day.
3000 calories.
I looked in the mirror, and I defiantly looked like i'd put weight on. Not loads, but a bit.
My goal is to be strong, big, and ripped. I feel now that i've started in the wrong way and should've cut.
I dont have a six pack, and my abs are becoming less visible now that I've started working out.

I feel as though I should cut back, shed some of the fat, and get own to a low body fat percentage, and THEN do a clean bulk.
If not I feel as though when I look at myself at the end of the year, Im going to be pleased that i've made good gains, but displeased that they're covered by a load of fat, that I then have to spend ages cutting off.
Were also going on holiday for 2 weeks, which makes it impossible for me to do my 5x5, and means the only thing I could do is cardio.
It seems a good opportunity, to cut back a bit, so that when the years over, I might be able to see my abs.

What do you think?
I'll try post a picture later, not working right now.

Originally Posted by LindenGarcia18

Abs are the least of my concerns really, I was just thinking ahead to my overall physique, and wondering how I was going to get there, and get a ripped body, if I just kept consuming calories above maintenance. Could you explain it?

I kinda got the idea you were worried about abs from the above......

.....either way if you want a physique of a 185lb shredded guy you need to eat his diet in my opinion. If he needs to eat 4000 cals to maintain that size then it only stands to reason that you would need to eat that as well to get there. You could start with a little less at first but my recomendation at your size is over will be more beneficial than under to reach your goal.

[LindenGarcia18]

Originally Posted by jslep

I kinda got the idea you were worried about abs from the above......

.....either way if you want a physique of a 185lb shredded guy you need to eat his diet in my opinion. If he needs to eat 4000 cals to maintain that size then it only stands to reason that you would need to eat that as well to get there. You could start with a little less at first but my recomendation at your size is over will be more beneficial than under to reach your goal.

No, I mentioned my abs, because that was how I thought I could tell I was getting fatter. Abs really arn't that much of a worry for me at the moment.
Its not that I'm worried about my abs, its that them disappearing was what I thought was telling me I was getting fatter.
I understand what your saying, but say at 122 lbs I started to eat 4000 calories, how could I not get fat when thats way over maintenance. I can't really get my head round this.

Also I understand I need to eat over my maintenance to build muscle, its just how much thats the question

[jslep]

Originally Posted by LindenGarcia18

Also I understand I need to eat over my maintenance to build muscle, its just how much thats the question

again for a good honest answer i need more info

how much do you currently eat
has that been adding weight to you and how much
how much training do you do
what else do you do with your day....couch or sports
what is your true goal for size/strength/appearence

[LindenGarcia18]

Originally Posted by jslep

again for a good honest answer i need more info

how much do you currently eat
has that been adding weight to you and how much
how much training do you do
what else do you do with your day....couch or sports
what is your true goal for size/strength/appearence

3000 calories a day, thats apparently how much I should be eating to build muscle.
I put on about 8 pounds in 2 weeks from starting this new routine and diet, but I've been told this is mostly water. However, I feel fatter somehow.
I do a full body 5x5 3 times a week
I used to do cardio and go running, but figured i'd just be burning the calories I was eating and needed to build muscle, so I stopped. I dont do anything apart from lift weights and go for lots of walks, I'm always outside.
my ultimate goal is to look like Taylor Lautner, Hes an actor, and I really admire his body. (my G5 wont let me upload pics atm for some reason so I cant show you unless you have a look on google images.)
I dont really have a goal for strength, just as strong as I can be, lifting heavier and heavier weight.

[Off Road]

I let my workouts control my food intake, in other words, I train the appetite.

On Bench or Press days, I can eat pretty strict. I don't get that hungry and I have enough energy the next time I go into the gym. Those workouts don't tax me that much.

On some squat or deadlift days, I feel like absolute garbage until I get enough calories in my system. It's a feeling of a shadow over your head, you have the shakes, you are grumpy, you can't concentrate. It's hard to explain if you haven't gone that deep before. But these are the days to turn up the eating.

When you first start training, they are all bench press days. You aren't lifting that heavy yet and you can recover pretty quick. But as your strength grow you'll find those days when you feel like the flu is coming on after an intense session. Those are the days to pound the food.

Let your workouts guide your eating.

And don't sweat a few cheat meals every once in a while.

[SCStrong]

Originally Posted by MC

You are extremely underweight for your height. The reason you can't see your abs is that they aren't big enough or developed enough for them to show. You should not cut; you have nothing to cut.

Instead, you should spend the next 2 years working on getting stronger and eating healthy so that you can add muscle. You HAVE to eat to add muscle. There is no other way to gain muscle.

THIS!!! For the love of God, Eat and lift!!! Do not stop untill you have gained at least 50 lbs... then maybe you ca worry about abs. At 120 ish you do not have abs to unveil. Eat clean(ish) and lift heavy. Good luck.