Okay, this is getting rediculous

[Yoshi]

Summer before 9th grade, lost a substantial amount of weight and grew taller yet I still do not have those washboard abs and fear I have gynecomastia(partly because my doctor said it would take 1-2 years to go away and I'm on my 3rd year of having it). My doctor told me if it did not go away then I'd have to get surgery but she told me to lose more weight (I was shocked because I was in the normal BMI range even with weightlifting...but I knew I still have some flab).

I am around 5'8-5'9 150 lbs. My BMI is around 22-23. I also took up weightlifting and have been lifting 2.5 years now (I am 16  now) so I contribute some of my weight to that. I have been trying to lose flab around my waist and stomach.

I wasn't losing weight so here was what I did:

limited myself to 1400 calories and constantly was active except when at work....nothing happened for a month (didn't lose a pound, infact I started gaining).

Limited myself to 1200 calories with same intense amount of excercise. I usually weightlift 1.5 hours everyday, and run for 20 minutes 2-4 times a day, then play tennis 2 hours a day in between my workout days...same results when I went to 1400 calories.

I now try to limit myself to 1000 calories with my activities and have noticed a slow weight loss (only by a weight scale, and only a tiny bit of aesthetic difference). The problem is I've done a lot of nutritional recommending to people and done my research and I'm pretty sure 1000 calories a day or less is unhealthy with my active lifestyle.

My friends look toward me for their weight loss and I've helped them...but the advice I give to them does not work with me. I'm thinking maybe there is something hormonal going on? When I was younger I had a heart condition which prompted me to take 6 500mg pills right before a dentist appointment or any situation in which internal or severe bleeding can happen. I heard heart medication pills can also contribute to gynocomastia.  However, the doctor told me this condition healed itself, and when my pediatrician found out she was so baffled that she wanted me to go to a cardiologist...he found the exact same thing...my condition cured itself on its own. Also, when my asthma was bad, and even today, I sometimes have to take a steroid inhaler prescribed by my doctor. I know one of the side effects to this inhaler is weight gain but I haven't taken this inhaler for about 8 months now....and I'm not sure if thats the same kind of steroid that can contribute to gynocomastia.


Anybody think there is a hormonal reason I have trouble losing weight? Any other tips for losing weight? If it helps I don't drink soda with sugar in it or anything with high fructose corn syrup in it, anything oily or greasy like potato chips, and most food I eat is organic. All help would be greatly appreciated.

[KryptoKnight]

Woah man, 1000 cals is too low.  I'm kinda like you though, my body isn't exactly the type that can have that ripped look to it.  But dropping your calories that low is too dangerous.  darn I'm taking ~3k cals a day and im not gianing weight but steadily maintaining.  Bump your calories up before you cause some injury to your body.  Do you see yourself gaining strength in the weight room when you go lift?  If not you can lead that to ur crap amount of calories.  I'm sure you aren't overweight so there is nothing to wrory about, surgery IS the only answer however.  Nothing is going to change that.  I'm 5'6" and 158 and IM not even fat.  I suggest not to go below 2k cals.  Doctors are dumb when they tell you that you are overweight because they fail to include the muscle you might be packing.  My doctor called me a fat ass (not exact words) but I basically told him to darn off cuz I knew i wasnt fat.  They're jsut ignorant.  Surgery is the only way, GL

[Yoshi]

Oh, I know 1000 is really low...however 2000 and 3000 is extremley high for me. Even when I don't diet I eat less than 2000...I don't even know how somebody can eat 3000. And my body is different than yours, you maintain weight at 2000+,I gain weight at 1600+.

As for weightlifting, I haven't noticed a decrease in my strength, infact I'm still getting stronger.

[Worrier]

I have gone from eighteen and al half stones to fourteen and a half and Iam six foot three.

Iam doing weight training three times a week ,circuit training twice a week and I run three times a week.In my experience when I just did weight training I did not loose a huge amount of weight , but when I added in circuits and running due to a job Iam going for the weight dropped off.

I think it depends how hard you are working as well. When I first started the circuits I used to vomit during them beacuse I was so unfit.  I don't now ;DI have around two thousand cals a day maybe more if I have a few beers. apart from the beer I no longer eat any thing that could be considered junk food. I do at least fortyfive minutes three times a week of running.Now I have added interval training which really is a killer.

And I still have some fat left and my stomach and chest although now I am not doing it for cosmetic reasons as such. a;though it would be nice to get rid of it.

If you haven't already get your hormones checked out .Although if you are doing what you say you are doing I doubt there is a problem in that area. If the docs can't find anything maybe extend the time you run for and add in circuit training maybe. The calories you are getting does not sound much and I would think it is unwise to carry on with that regime esp if you are doing a lot of exercise.

ps I have a steroid nasal spray for hayfever and I have been told by my doc that it would not effect my gyne as it is such a small dose and it is a different type of steroid than what juice heads use .I have not noticed anyweight gain either.

[Yoshi]

Well I've been improving my running for a long time and now I can hold 7mph at a 7.0 incline on my treadmill for 20 minutes. That usually gets me 300+ calories alone. Now with school I have less workout time even. Isn't there a hormone that controls the storing of fat? because I just can't seem to lose this weight.

[KryptoKnight]

Well I've been improving my running for a long time and now I can hold 7mph at a 7.0 incline on my treadmill for 20 minutes. That usually gets me 300+ calories alone. Now with school I have less workout time even. Isn't there a hormone that controls the storing of fat? because I just can't seem to lose this weight.

Try something new.  I found the cardio I do now is MUCH better than that regular 20 minute jogging, and I don't even run consistantly for 20 minutes, more like 15.  It's called HIIT.    http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/justin6.htm

It basically incorporated high intensity into your workout so instead of running constant for 20 minutes you jog normally then start to sprint, and repeat.  It has worked great for me and I only do it for 15 mins.

[atm311]

Man, unless you want to lose all your muscle, you need at LEAST (minimum) 1850 calories per day!

2000-2200 is optimal if you are active, just stay away from large amounts of fat (fast food, etc) and sugars.

[Yoshi]

What don't you guys understand? I'm eating less than 1500, continuing to gain muscle, and I never usually eat more than 1800 calories a day (even when not dieting).

I need to know why this is.

[opkcz]

I'm no expert but isn't "5'8-5'9 150 lbs" like super light weight?  Seems like that height with a muscely build should be like 165 or something.

Maybe you're having trouble losing weight, b/c you don't have that much to lose?

Are you still growing?  Maybe you're putting on weight from that?

[Yoshi]

Yeah my friends find my weight/height thing completly off. I've been lifting 2.5 weeks and I have this cheap body fat percentage thing I got from radioshack which puts my body fat percentage at 20.7% My friends do find my build contradicts my weight (as they are like 160 and 5'9 and look skinnier than me) but I do have fat on me. I figure the only explanation is that I have light bones but I drink lots o' milk

I'm not sure if I've stopped growing, but I haven't been getting taller much but I think I'm still going through puberty.

[atm311]

Those radioshack things are completely inaccurate. They simply measure the conductivity...if you drink more water, the more conductive you'll be....if you're dehydrated the less conductive you'll be.

As far as predicting body fat, they have a 10-13% margin of error.

They really aren't worth the bother.
If you want to get a true body fat percentage, ask a doctor, or check at an upper scale gym.

[KaRdoN]

wow, im 6'4 and 260lbs, im strong, but i have some flab and gyne, but i eat around 2600cals a day, the only workout i do is a 5 mile bike ride, and hit the weights every so often. cant lose any weight, but im not gaining either.

[Yoshi]

Probably because you're eating too much, cut it down to 2200 or 2000. Isn't like 3500 calories a pound?

[brother_gyne]

try using a tape measure - check your waist and your neck. If building muscle and getting rid of fat the ratio will go down. Your weight will change as your muscle density changes .

Getting rid of fat is like a removing butter from a tub. You have to really scrape to get those last  bits out.

[Yoshi]

Okay I think I figured this out, I think my body just wasn't getting enough protein. I always noticed as soon as I ate meat my body became 10X hungrier. So I ate and ate and ate, about 180g worth and I noticed my muscles getting bigger the next day! I also got stronger so now I think that I thought I was getting stronger, which I may have been, but at  amuch slower pase.