Warning Fat guy inside!

So I have made some wonderful progress (in my eye) over the last 5 months and was looking for some advice as the results have started to slow down.
 
I have lost nearly 3 stone in bodyweight and dropped 6 inches of my waist since I started and have gone from the first picture which was taken in august/septmeber time to the one under which was just before my 2 week break in december. I have seen a little of the IF diet and it sounds like something that may be easier to follow initially than trying to get 6-7 meals in in one day all the time. Sometimes my work means I am working for 8-9hrs straight with only a 20min break so eating all those meals just isnt feasible, I even struggle to get a nice protien shake at times!
 
I know I am no where near the level of most on here, and am probably opening myself up to lots of comments I would rather not like, but if you dont ask...you dont get seems to apply to the advice I am looking for.
 
My goal is to reach a more respectable 18stone and hve the appearence of a muscular lifter although I apreciate I will probably never take it into single digit bodyfats, mid teens would be nice :)
 


This was me at start
 

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And this is me at end of december.
 
Any advice apreciated guys.
 

You got to think how long it took to get to the size you were - it will not come off 20x faster.
 
Have you been training with weights throughout the last 5 months and if so how has strength on lifts been a the weight has come off as often this sort of plateau when someone is carrying too much weight and suddenly decides to go for it there is to much emphasis on the scales and losing actual weight as apposed concentrating on losing fat and the bulk of weight loss occurs from muscle loss and reduced water retention in the body.
 
Weight loss is one thing but what you ultimately want to achieve I should think is to drop your bodyfat level.
 
Work and nutrition is not too much of a problem you can always fall back on tuppaware containers with pritein powder, a big bottle of water and shaker. You can add fine oat powder to the protein which mixes in a shaker to provide a little more energy and balance likewise things like flaxseed powder etc to hit all macros.
 
Have foods which can be eaten quickly and easily. Nuts for snacks, tub of cottage cheese etc.
 
What sort of regime do you have now for training - weights and cardio wise and a sample days diet for when you are working non-stop and when you are not?
 
Also what is your height and weight?

ok, here goes,
 
Training = Stronghold 5x5 3 times a week. Boxercise 1hr class once a week, ! other session, was cardio/core work however after a recent physio session its more working on some weaknes like rear delts, shoulder blade alignment.
 
Stronghold Psuh day = 2x12 squat (40-45%)+ 5x5 squat (80-85%), Bench press 5x5, military press 5x5
Stronghold pull day = 2x12 squat (as above) +5x5, Deadlift 5x5 (80%) either barbell high pulls, or bentover dumbell rows 5x5
 
Cardio session = 1mile run 30sec sprints, 30 jog, normally around 7minutes, 3-4km bike ride, again 30sec sprints (over 100 roations per min) then 1-2km row. Core work is mix of russian twists, leg raises, crunches, planks.
 
Work day diet
 
start 1x shake (40g protien) with added chia seeds
Break meal normally a tin of soup and a wholewheat roll or a grilled chicken wrap with tomatoe puree sauce with lettuce/onion/cucumber + 1 protien shake with chia seeds (around 80g protien)
If I am going to gym then I will have a few coffee's across my shift, 2-3 at most.
After gym within 10min, 1 x protien shake (40g protien)
Night time meal = 1 x oven cooked meal, normally meat beans and potaote/rice/pasta(wholewheat)
Bed = ZMA tabs plus Protien shake if hungry
 
Non work day
 
Breakfast - 4-6 eggs with 1 spoon of olive oil (2 yolks)
Gym
Protien shake with chia seeds
Lunch either soup or some plain meat (lean pork chop/Chicken breast x2, Steak)
Tea same as other days
Night Protien shake
 
Supplements used
Creatine (mono at mo normally gluconate)
Monster pump (find a pre-workout helps especially on tough days)
Multi-vit
Vitamin D
 
Height = 6ft 3
Weight = 21st 3lb
 
I do watch my scales, but watch my measurements more and the mirror. I can see I have made significant changes in such a short time, but my goal is 18st which is still 3 stone away, and a 38" waist would be nice. Currently 42-44, was 48!!
 
I like the idea of fine oat powder, Always struggle with normal oats as I think they taste foul. My strength has gone through the roof since I started, Dealift has gone from 70kg struggle to pb of 160kg at moment, Squat I dont normally go much beyond 100kg, and last bench was 80kg, but i regular do 70kg on 5x5 np.
 
I understand that muscle weights more than fat, so never get too concerned on what the scales say, but i do listen to my measurements. I have managed to stay within the 50-52" region on my chest, and waist has dropped as mentioned above from 48 to 42-44 (bad day)
 
The damage with my weight was really done over 6-7 years and I know it will take time, but I have always been what people call 'a big fella'
 
Hope that creates a better image. Progress wise its all gong well apart from a slight problem with a elbow/shoulder injury at present.
 
    Oh and I do try and stay away from masses of carbs cause I do notice significant weight increases on them!
 

Like stronglifts, good solid programme and a good choice for your goals as most people have this notion of higher rep stuff for fta loss which is nonsense it is essential to preserve muscle on a calorie defecit and this is best achieved with heavy weights and no marathon sessions of 15 sets etc so you are spot on here for me and the cardio is adequate too.
 
Your pciture suggests you have a good frame underneath the unwanted weight which is good.
 
For me it is a case of adressing diet. You say you limit carbs but for me your carb intake is much higher then I would recommend and you are low in fats (good fats).
 
I think the best way to eat for fat loss without going extreme in sense of keto style diets etc is to consume your calories with a 40/30/30 macro split, 40%protein then 30% for both carbs and fats.
 
Your dinner with beans and potato, rice etc for me is a no and the soup and bread with wrap etc - I would predict you eat more carbs then me on your fat loss then I do on a maintenance/lean bulk.
 
It is hard to judge calorie intake not knowing your portion sizes etc but I strongly recommend filling out your day in myfitnesspal (a calorie tracker - free and really simple to use plus has smartphone apps too) and see what you are actually taking in.
 
See what sort of cals you are eating and your macro split and I (assuming you want it ) am happy to offer some food suggestions etc to help achieve goals.

Thankas bud, Will try and see if the myfitnesspal has a blackberry app and get it sorted, I have changed again since the december pic so will try and get a better picture up soon, having some interweb issues with BT at the moment....along the lines of I wont sign a 18month contract :)
 
Will post back once I ahve the app and the findings, hopefully not all bad!
 

bigredmonkey


Thankas bud, Will try and see if the myfitnesspal has a blackberry app and get it sorted, I have changed again since the december pic so will try and get a better picture up soon, having some interweb issues with BT at the moment....along the lines of I wont sign a 18month contract :)

Will post back once I ahve the app and the findings, hopefully not all bad!

You can do it on a pc/mac via the website - the app is a bonus if on the move.

ok so latest update, have switched my shakes around slightly, have moved to fine oat powder and adding wheat germ to them. I will also add chai seeds as previously stated as I do find that helps with saitey.m I have been trying to log my calories more accuratley and was surprised to find I was hitting around the 3500 mark most days and up to 5000 on a bad day!
 
I have been looking to control my diet more and more after your last advice and as suggested I was very surprised just how much carbs I was taking in. explains why I put on so much weight if I tried to carb up a little after5-6 weeks of what I thought was a low carb diet!!!
 
Its always a learning curve in this game, and I am finding with strongholds that my joints are taking a battering, gonna switch to a more HIIT style regime in next few days, along the liines of fst-7 or y3t, trying to leave the go at the door and bringning more intensity to the workouts should hopefully aid in the diet goals, as in burning more calories.
 
Will also be stopping creatine mono as it is really effecting my appearence through the bloating I experience, will be creatine free until I get some more gluconate from BBW.
 
Will post up an updated picture in a few weeks once I have changed over.
 

OK so sunday, my birthday, I completed some 1rm attempts as I came off the strongholds program.
 
New lifts as follows
 
Push/press = 85kg
Deadlift = 170kg
 
Will do squat and bench sometime this week.
 

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Latest pic taken just this morning. 
 
Suffered recently with some injuries, just waiting for the doctor to get the ok and I should be able to get back to the bigger weights. Turns out my shoulder/elbow pain is down to a injured tendon where my bi-cep meets my forearm. At the moment just using NSAID's for the pain and have to be careful when training. took 2 weeks completley off to try and give it some time to heal but to no avail, been told cortisol injection is only real cure.
 
Bodyfat was measured by skinfold test before my 2 weeks off, about 3 weeks ago, and came out at 26%. Now I know this is still high, but thats roughly 14% decrease in 8 months, that is something I am very happy with!
 
Current measurements 
Weight = 135kg
Chest = 50.5 inches
Waist = 43 inches
Arms = 17.5 inches
 
All going well, looking forward to summer for first time in a long time!