Bloat, abs and basket case!

[Lugar]

Am I the only one with the mental problems coping with losing the abs on a bulk??  Damn it....I feel and look good in the am, but after my pm training, I look at my abs and theyt are faded, I feel bloated, and then I dont eat very much the rest of the night cause I feel like shit.  I step on the scale and although it only has moed 6-7 pounds, I get depressed when it goes up on one side and then the other side I want to put on mass, so the scale has to go up.  Oh, and I weigh myself in the am and I'm 160, then I weigh myself at night and I'm like 169.....that's when I really get depressed.  Any help would be much appreciated?  How do you cope?  How do you know if the weight is clean mass, water, or fat?  Man.....this sucks.......btw, I moved from cutting at 6'2, 155 and 6% and 2,500 cals to over 4,000 cals and I'm 165 now.  Clean until Sept.....thoughts?

[Luv2Hurt]

I hate to say it dude but I'm starting to think you have psych. issues.  160 at 6'2" !!

I would also have to say without seeing pics of you that you probally have absolutely no potential to be big............not trying to be a dick.  But thats just the way it is..........some got it, some don't.  I'm sure your body type would help you excel at other endeavors, that a BB type could not.  But try to chill and accept this.  Cool you want to put on some size keep at it but don't think you will attain a high caliber BB type body.....not gonna happen.  Some people have the propensity to build big muscles and some don't.


God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

 

[Lugar]

It's true...I beginning to think the same....maybe I am not cut out for this......maybe I should just turn back and be content at 160...not what I really want to do, but at least then, I ate and didn't hae to worry about slamming the calories and feeling bloated....it's not easy to overcome this sickness...and it's not easy to stay out of the mirror!

[ZEEK]

everyday is a different day.theres times i feel bloated and I feel like i havnt accomplished shit but then the next day I feel awsome and ready to lift again.

alot of its in your head, if you really wanted to you get rid of the scale,as long as you know your busting your ass at the gym and doing what you do then you should be OK.

[Overload]

everyday is a different day.theres times i feel bloated and I feel like i havnt accomplished shit but then the next day I feel awsome and ready to lift again.

alot of its in your head, if you really wanted to you get rid of the scale,as long as you know your busting your ass at the gym and doing what you do then you should be OK.

Good post...

i only weigh myself once a week...as long as i'm busting ass and making strength gains i'm always happy and content.

 

[mem]

It IS totally natural - very common to weight heavy at night
and light in the morning. Think of it you eat and drink all day
and ARE volumized in the evening. No food intake and going
to the bathroom you *depleat* throughout the night.

For me it IS typical to fluctuate 3 to 4 lbs. (7 to 9 seems alot)

I am ALWAYS (muscle) full and vascular as hell in the evening.
AND totally flat with nearly NO visable vascularity in the AM.

Consider this, it takes 2.7 grams of water to *uptake* 1 gram
of carbohydrate of a given meal, so by eating an average sized
baked potatoe you could *gain* 1 to 1.5 lbs (for that alone),
of weight on the scales. Sodium and other factors further
influence this . . .

Forget the scales on a daily basis - weight weekly or less frequently
it WILL be far better for you psyche (sp?) and more meaningful
as to the actual result. I often combine scale weight with
the tape measure to gauge my *REAL* status . . .

Figures can lie and liars can figure, it IS NOT all in the numbers.

[Lugar]

what do u think of hs layout? pretty damn clean...

530am - Height 6'2. Weight 160lbs, 7-8%bf

BCAAS (NO TIME FOR A SHAKE PRE) - USUALLY 2 SCOOPS CASEIN, 1TB PB

530AM BIS
7 SET (2 WARMS) 6-12REPS, STRAIGHT BAR CURLS
3 SETS SEATED DBELL CURLS - SUPERSET W/ SINGLE DBELL PREACHERS 3 SETS
1 SET (DROP SET) - ROPE CURLS, 20, 15, 10,10
4 SETS STANDING AB CRUNCH
15 MINUTES COOLDOWN, 2.5 SPEED - 11.0 INCLINE (HAM, GLUTE WORK)

715
3/4 CUP OATS
1 CUP BLUBERIES
12 EGG WHITES
1 SCOOP DYNMATIZE PROTEIN
CREATINE, B-6, BCOMPLEX, ARGENINE, GLUTAMINE,
LARGE COFFEE

930
1 CUP OATS
12 EGG WHITES
1 SCOOP ISS CASEIN

PLAN:
11:30-NOON
6OZ COOKED WW PASTA
8 OZ CHICKEN
LARGE LARGE SALAD

2PM (MISSED THIS MEAL, CLIENT MEETING + I'M TRAINING AT 430) WILL GET IT IN TOMORROW!!!
8OZ FLANK STEAK AND SALMON
HANDFULL OF ALMONDS

3PM (FROZEN)
2 SCOOPS CASEIN PROTEIN
1TB PB, HANDFUL OF ALMONDS

TRAIN 5:30PM (5PM TODAY) CHEST - 50 MINUTES INTENSE

6:30/post (6PM)
1 scoop whey
50 g dextrose
50 gram from musselmans pie filling(chocolate, banana, or vanilla)


7:15 (7PM)
50 grams dextrose
1 cup oats
1 scoops whey

8:30 (8PM)
3 whole eggs, 9 egg whites (4 OZ SALMON INSTEAD OF WHOLE EGGS)
½ CUP DRY MEASURED BROWN RICE

10 pm (9:30PM)
1 scoop blend ½ cup almonds, 5OZ DRY CURD COTTAGE CHEESE.

BED = IMMIDIATELY AFTER - DAMN THAT'S A TON OF CALORIES IN 3 HOURS!!

[Luv2Hurt]

It's true...I beginning to think the same....maybe I am not cut out for this......maybe I should just turn back and be content at 160...not what I really want to do, but at least then, I ate and didn't hae to worry about slamming the calories and feeling bloated....it's not easy to overcome this sickness...and it's not easy to stay out of the mirror!

And dont be discouraged you can make gains, just dont expect miracles.

[whitewidow]

I always look alot dryer in the mornings- my nips look alot crisper and hard- then at night they look puffier than in the morning- not sure whats causing this-

[BigIronMike25]

Am I the only one with the mental problems coping with losing the abs on a bulk??  Damn it....I feel and look good in the am, but after my pm training, I look at my abs and theyt are faded, I feel bloated, and then I dont eat very much the rest of the night cause I feel like shit.  I step on the scale and although it only has moed 6-7 pounds, I get depressed when it goes up on one side and then the other side I want to put on mass, so the scale has to go up.  Oh, and I weigh myself in the am and I'm 160, then I weigh myself at night and I'm like 169.....that's when I really get depressed.  Any help would be much appreciated?  How do you cope?  How do you know if the weight is clean mass, water, or fat?  Man.....this sucks.......btw, I moved from cutting at 6'2, 155 and 6% and 2,500 cals to over 4,000 cals and I'm 165 now.  Clean until Sept.....thoughts?

sure it sucks to see the sharpness in my abs disappear while bulking and after doing a show you gain so much water weight that it can mess with your head..

..i hate to sound like a broken record bro,  but DEAL WITH IT, its all part of the plan, all part of the game....you cant have it both ways, you cannot gain muscle and lose fat at the same time....you're either bulking or cutting, one or the other....Both roads have their pros and cons just like anything....while cutting you look sharper and more defined but you lose strength / size.....while bulking you get bigger and stronger but lose some sharpness due to added fat and water....

Tom Prince said in a post one time  "it takes years and years to gain the mass needed to compete, and only WEEKS to diet and refine it, you've gotta concentrate on the YEARS part first".....i know it sucks to see the abs disapper bro , but think LONGTERM you will be better off and thats what you gotta realize and focus on....youve got to learn how to turn your mind off bro...all this worryin aint doing nothin but raising Cortisol, the one thing you dont want!!

[wes mantooth]

- my nips look alot crisper and hard-  

that post might haunt you mr. widow!!!

everytime i see a post of yours im gonna think of potato chip nipples....gross LOL



lugar...these guys have very valid points. alot of whats going on is mental. throw the scale out the window...you dont need it. now, if you are having problems with losing your abs at 6' 2" 160-170...then you are not cut out to bulk. PERIOD!!!!. your diet is clean.....i would consider siplifying it just a tad, but all in all it is ok. might want to add some more simple carbs and some green vegetables. you have no vegetables in there...you might lock up!!!LOL

bulk is bulk...dont worry about abs. if your 6-2 160 and dont have abs...we have trouble. get your head right....figure out what YOU want...then we can all divise a plan to help

[BigIronMike25]

that post might haunt you mr. widow!!!

everytime i see a post of yours im gonna think of potato chip nipples....gross LOL



lugar...these guys have very valid points. alot of whats going on is mental. throw the scale out the window...you dont need it. now, if you are having problems with losing your abs at 6' 2" 160-170...then you are not cut out to bulk. PERIOD!!!!. your diet is clean.....i would consider siplifying it just a tad, but all in all it is ok. might want to add some more simple carbs and some green vegetables. you have no vegetables in there...you might lock up!!!LOL

bulk is bulk...dont worry about abs. if your 6-2 160 and dont have abs...we have trouble. get your head right....figure out what YOU want...then we can all divise a plan to help

hell yeh bro how can we help???

[bigjohn_bluesfan]

that post might haunt you mr. widow!!!

everytime i see a post of yours im gonna think of potato chip nipples....gross LOL



lugar...these guys have very valid points. alot of whats going on is mental. throw the scale out the window...you dont need it. now, if you are having problems with losing your abs at 6' 2" 160-170...then you are not cut out to bulk. PERIOD!!!!. your diet is clean.....i would consider siplifying it just a tad, but all in all it is ok. might want to add some more simple carbs and some green vegetables. you have no vegetables in there...you might lock up!!!LOL

bulk is bulk...dont worry about abs. if your 6-2 160 and dont have abs...we have trouble. get your head right....figure out what YOU want...then we can all divise a plan to help

no doubt and I think you are miscalculating about your diet. Bro, if you are eating 4000 calories plus--and training properly and sleeping--there is no way your staying around 160----thats just bullshit--and arent you on a cycle?    bro--ramp up your calories

**** eat good clean low glycemic carbs like brown rice, brown pasta, oatmeal, stone ground wheat bread, yams
**** eat proteins that are highly absorbable-- ie. eggs, fish, turkey, chicken
**** dont be afraid to eat a huge steak--- you need the calories and the creatine it contains

ALWAYS EAT BEFORE BED

**** dont become dependant on whey protein shakes for the bulk of your protein-- you need SOLID foods
** TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN

throw your scale in the garbage and postt pictures of arnold on your fridge



sleep sleep sleep

[coolioni]

Am I the only one with the mental problems coping with losing the abs on a bulk??  Damn it....I feel and look good in the am, but after my pm training, I look at my abs and theyt are faded, I feel bloated, and then I dont eat very much the rest of the night cause I feel like shit.  I step on the scale and although it only has moed 6-7 pounds, I get depressed when it goes up on one side and then the other side I want to put on mass, so the scale has to go up.  Oh, and I weigh myself in the am and I'm 160, then I weigh myself at night and I'm like 169.....that's when I really get depressed.  Any help would be much appreciated?  How do you cope?  How do you know if the weight is clean mass, water, or fat?  Man.....this sucks.......btw, I moved from cutting at 6'2, 155 and 6% and 2,500 cals to over 4,000 cals and I'm 165 now.  Clean until Sept.....thoughts?

It sounds like you are super skinny at that weight and height.
 You really need to get on a good bulking cycle, eat lots of protein , and your drug selection should include mass building steriods.

[Luv2Hurt]

I always look alot dryer in the mornings- my nips look alot crisper and hard- then at night they look puffier than in the morning- not sure whats causing this-

Sorry but one of the gayest things I have ever read on hear.

What the hell do your "nips" have to do with being in shape.  Ichh I didnt even like typing that.

[Arnold jr]

sure it sucks to see the sharpness in my abs disappear while bulking and after doing a show you gain so much water weight that it can mess with your head..

..i hate to sound like a broken record bro,  but DEAL WITH IT, its all part of the plan, all part of the game....you cant have it both ways, you cannot gain muscle and lose fat at the same time....you're either bulking or cutting, one or the other....Both roads have their pros and cons just like anything....while cutting you look sharper and more defined but you lose strength / size.....while bulking you get bigger and stronger but lose some sharpness due to added fat and water....

Tom Prince said in a post one time  "it takes years and years to gain the mass needed to compete, and only WEEKS to diet and refine it, you've gotta concentrate on the YEARS part first".....i know it sucks to see the abs disapper bro , but think LONGTERM you will be better off and thats what you gotta realize and focus on....youve got to learn how to turn your mind off bro...all this worryin aint doing nothin but raising Cortisol, the one thing you dont want!!

Big Mike speaks truth

Sorry but one of the gayest things I have ever read on hear.

What the hell do your "nips" have to do with being in shape.  Ichh I didnt even like typing that.

That one cracked me up too

[mem]

At least you guys (AJr and L2H)
have the spirit to mention it . . .

I did NOT know what to do
with the comment . . .

**No flame intended

[Rimbaud]

I don't even know where to begin with this thread. Lugar I'm not trying to mess with you but I seriously think you have some serious body image issues. I also think you need to seek out some professional help. If you don't want to go that route at least consider something for anxiety.

[Luv2Hurt]

I also think you need to seek out some professional help. If you don't want to go that route at least consider something for anxiety.

Yes I agree.  Just reading Lugar's posts, the anxiety is palpable.

[Lugar]

Well, last night my bro and I took a drive out to this gym to pick up a 10lbs bag of dextrose.  Met up with the owner who seems pretty knowledgeable in all training aspects and also competes in the Npc level.  He’s 31, prob. About 5’6, and a jacked 195.  He described my history to a tee.  He said one day he was benching 365 for 4-6 and then noticed a decline.  Then a few weeks later, he was struggling was 275 and so on. 

He went to his doc and they put him on 100mg of cyp a week or 225 every 2 weeks.  He claims all this as done was put him in the normal range at around 600, but his strength, feelings, etc are all back up and full peak.  No bloat no nothing, just enough to keep him normal ( I think he tested around 200 went he went in) but he’s on for life.

He said the androderm I was prescribed could be my problem.  I haven’t used them for a good 6 months, but could I still be shut down from the use?  All I did was stop cold turkey.  I am sure it’s because my caloric intake was so low for so long, but who really knows.  I want to talk to you guys about this.  If I took his advice, would that be ridiculous?  Would it just shut me down completely forever?  Could I ever come off?  My diet right now is around the 4k mark, a big change from my previous 2,500 cals.  Mt training is more intense now, but I am not doing am cardio, or anything more than 10 minutes.  I eat every 2-3 hours, 40g Protein, 60 carbs, 7-8 times increasing them pw and decreasing prebed…..If I did what he said and took the 100mg/week for say 10 weeks, kept my calories at the very high end, kept my training intense 4x a week, will this allow me to make some nice clean gains, then come off with a proper pct of clomid and nolva, continue the diet and just keep growing?  I am just afraid that I am not going to make any gains right now no matter how much I eat or how hard I train because I have ZERO test production.

[wes mantooth]

Well, last night my bro and I took a drive out to this gym to pick up a 10lbs bag of dextrose.  Met up with the owner who seems pretty knowledgeable in all training aspects and also competes in the Npc level.  He’s 31, prob. About 5’6, and a jacked 195.  He described my history to a tee.  He said one day he was benching 365 for 4-6 and then noticed a decline.  Then a few weeks later, he was struggling was 275 and so on. 

He went to his doc and they put him on 100mg of cyp a week or 225 every 2 weeks.  He claims all this as done was put him in the normal range at around 600, but his strength, feelings, etc are all back up and full peak.  No bloat no nothing, just enough to keep him normal ( I think he tested around 200 went he went in) but he’s on for life.

He said the androderm I was prescribed could be my problem.  I haven’t used them for a good 6 months, but could I still be shut down from the use?  All I did was stop cold turkey.  I am sure it’s because my caloric intake was so low for so long, but who really knows.  I want to talk to you guys about this.  If I took his advice, would that be ridiculous?  Would it just shut me down completely forever?  Could I ever come off?  My diet right now is around the 4k mark, a big change from my previous 2,500 cals.  Mt training is more intense now, but I am not doing am cardio, or anything more than 10 minutes.  I eat every 2-3 hours, 40g Protein, 60 carbs, 7-8 times increasing them pw and decreasing prebed…..If I did what he said and took the 100mg/week for say 10 weeks, kept my calories at the very high end, kept my training intense 4x a week, will this allow me to make some nice clean gains, then come off with a proper pct of clomid and nolva, continue the diet and just keep growing?  I am just afraid that I am not going to make any gains right now no matter how much I eat or how hard I train because I have ZERO test production.

lugs...read my post on your other thread. get a new hrt regimen and stay on it. low test like that cant be "fixed"....think of yourself as a diabetic. this is something that you have to deal with forever...

[Lugar]

Before I go therre...I just wonder if it's because my cals were so damn low, off the charts low, so my body strted to shut down.....I dont wanna be on forever......if it for sure?

[Lugar]

- Low fat diet. Low fat consumption causes increase of the SHGB, which means one thing – less free testosterone. It is considered that monounsaturated fats play an important role in testosterone levels and bioavailability.

- Overtraining can contribute to as much as 40 per cent drop in testosterone levels. That is why it’s important to notice early the signs of overtraining and give the body a week or two well-deserved rest.

- Not enough sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep the body is not recuperating well, which causes less testosterone and more corticosteroids to be released. Just to mention corticosteroids like cortisol are in fact catabolic hormones meaning they use up muscle tissue to provide the brain and the heart with energy.