Nashtide is gonna lean bulk...

[DragonBits]

Interesting. I haven’t tested thyroid in years. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember the results. They were normal whatever that means. I guess I should check again. I take a lot of supps, but nothing unusual.

Almost all doctors test TSH yearly, so I first noticed TSH went up from 1.7>2.99.

IMO as long as your TSH hasn't changed year to year, it's more than likely nothing else has changed. You could add in a T3 test in an abundance of caution.

 

[Nashtide]

I’m down to 13%bf. A very modest decrease from a few weeks ago, however my lbm is up a tad. So, although I’m not dropping fat at the rate I’d like, I am hanging on to muscle. I’m at a crossroads. Either I stay the course and lose the fat at a very slow pace or I up my game and restrict my caloric intake some more.

 

[Nashtide]

I made my own protein peanut butter. The only food I’ve been craving since starting this new diet is peanut butter! So rather than just give in, I made a high protein peanut butter that I can eat without breaking all the rules. So I mixed organic natural peanut butter with 0% fat plain Greek yogurt at about a 1:1 ratio. Then I added a scoop of unflavored whey protein and mixed. Obviously, this reduces fat and increases protein. It’s actually pretty good.

 

[DragonBits]

My weight loss seems to be picking up now, and my FT3 moved up from 2.1 > 3.4. Because I am taking t3/t4 meds. IMO I could probably stop and my FT3 "should" move down to what is normal for me, 2.7-2.8.

Now I am ~138, down from 142 a month ago.

Now sure, but is seems like loose skin is more of a problem, and there isn't anything I can do about that, even if you are young it can take two years for your skin to shrink.

It certainly an odd feeling, I can feel my rib cage and my iliac crest, veins in my arms and legs stick out, most of my jeans are unwearable. Even my wedding ring slips off more easily.

Since I was at 19.7% body fat when I was 142, now I must be lower body fat. I could go even lower than 131, my wife really doesn't want me to. According to BMI charts, I would still be normal weight even at 108. In my profile pic, I was 150.

Only once in my life at age 40 or so was I at this low a weight. Actually twice, I must have been lighter in my early teens.

@Nashtide Have you noticed, when you get hungry and eat more, that is when I tend to lose more weight.

I sometimes mix up some 2% milk with whey protein and it slacks any hunger I have. I also eat peanut butter, but I don't try and enhance it. But Fisher Nuts is close by and I could make my own peanut butter with a grinder they have on site and use peanuts to make my own, maybe I will give that a try.

 

[Nashtide]

The only time I get hungry is around 3:30pm. I will have a high protein snack at that time so I don’t over eat at dinner time. I will either have a scoop of protein in some plain almond milk or a scoop of protein in a low carb yogurt or a protein bar if I have the urge to chew something.

My jeans are also a little loose, so I picked up a few new pairs. BTW, I highly recommend the AE slim straight jeans. They are super cheap but look great and have a nice amount of stretch. I can also get them in a few different washes and they carry 31/34 which can be tough to find.

I’m hoping I can get down to where I want to be without dropping too much more weight.

 

[DragonBits]

The only time I get hungry is around 3:30pm. I will have a high protein snack at that time so I don’t over eat at dinner time. I will either have a scoop of protein in some plain almond milk or a scoop of protein in a low carb yogurt or a protein bar if I have the urge to chew something.

My jeans are also a little loose, so I picked up a few new pairs. BTW, I highly recommend the AE slim straight jeans. They are super cheap but look great and have a nice amount of stretch. I can also get them in a few different washes and they carry 31/34 which can be tough to find.

I’m hoping I can get down to where I want to be without dropping too much more weight.

It's impossible for me to find men's pants that will fit off the rack. Because I have a 28-29 inseam, men's pants never get shorter than 30 inch inseam no matter the waist size.

But the good news is I can fit into teen wear or boy's size 20, which are always cheaper than men's wear. Though sometimes like baggies the style is a little too hip hoppy for a guy over 65.

Actually, I can wear a lot of women's jeans, they often fit well, but .. women usually have really short front and back pockets and the zippers don't go down far enough for a man. And once in a while they are so tight on my legs it looks like I am wearing leggings.

I have an old pair of slacks from when I was 130 lbs, they are 29/28, I can get them on and they look OK with a loose shirt, but any kind of tight fitting shirt I will still look like a stuffed sausage.

I am still thinking regardless of my BF, I will stop if i get to 130 lbs. Maybe try and bulk muscle after that.

The real thing I need to buy is swim trunks, the one's I currently have are when I had a 35 in waist.

 

[Nashtide]

It's impossible for me to find men's pants that will fit off the rack. Because I have a 28-29 inseam, men's pants never get shorter than 30 inch inseam no matter the waist size.

But the good news is I can fit into teen wear or boy's size 20, which are always cheaper than men's wear. Though sometimes like baggies the style is a little too hip hoppy for a guy over 65.

Actually, I can wear a lot of women's jeans, they often fit well, but .. women usually have really short front and back pockets and the zippers don't go down far enough for a man. And once in a while they are so tight on my legs it looks like I am wearing leggings.

I have an old pair of slacks from when I was 130 lbs, they are 29/28, I can get them on and they look OK with a loose shirt, but any kind of tight fitting shirt I will still look like a stuffed sausage.

I am still thinking regardless of my BF, I will stop if i get to 130 lbs. Maybe try and bulk muscle after that.

The real thing I need to buy is swim trunks, the one's I currently have are when I had a 35 in waist.

The brand Peter Manning is supposed to have jeans in those lengths. I also love Dearborn Denim. Fabulous jeans and they hem to any length. They are also priced well.

 

[DragonBits]

The brand Peter Manning is supposed to have jeans in those lengths. I also love Dearborn Denim. Fabulous jeans and they hem to any length. They are also priced well.

Thanks!

This morning I came in at 135 lbs, down from 138 on April 20th. Soon I will get another BF% and BMI from a tanita machine they have down at the senior center.

Better body shape, but IMO my face looks older with more wrinkles. I always had a sort of baby face look even at 66. Maybe after a while my skin will tighten up, but maybe not.

 

[Nashtide]

Thanks!

This morning I came in at 135 lbs, down from 138 on April 20th. Soon I will get another BF% and BMI from a tanita machine they have down at the senior center.

Better body shape, but IMO my face looks older with more wrinkles. I always had a sort of baby face look even at 66. Maybe after a while my skin will tighten up, but maybe not.

Yes, being older and thin makes ones face appear more wrinkled. Fat helps fill out wrinkles. However, the natural aging process causes loss of fat in our faces anyway.

 

[Nashtide]

I appear to be stuck at 13%bf. Any suggestions? I really don’t want to cut my carbs any further, so my only choice might be to try to reduce overall calories a little more?!? I also started a different workout plan as of May 1st. I’m following the 40-30-5 routine I saw on T-nation. So basically you pick a weight that is like light enough to allow you to do the reps for 40 seconds but heavy enough to be really challenging. Then rest 30 seconds and complete 5 rounds. This was a killer. Hopefully I will maintain muscle mass and burn more calories with this new routine. Between the high reps and the low dose cialis, I was as pumped as I’ve ever been.

 

[bkb33]

I really don’t want to cut my carbs any further, so my only choice might be to try to reduce overall calories a little more?!?

As I see it, you have a few options:
1. The most obvious: decrease total calories
2. Increase movement (do more cardio or NEAT)
3. Increase protein (which has a more thermogenic effect than the other two macros)

I'd be interested in your results if you went with No. 3.

 

[DragonBits]

I appear to be stuck at 13%bf. Any suggestions? I really don’t want to cut my carbs any further, so my only choice might be to try to reduce overall calories a little more?!? I also started a different workout plan as of May 1st. I’m following the 40-30-5 routine I saw on T-nation. So basically you pick a weight that is like light enough to allow you to do the reps for 40 seconds but heavy enough to be really challenging. Then rest 30 seconds and complete 5 rounds. This was a killer. Hopefully I will maintain muscle mass and burn more calories with this new routine. Between the high reps and the low dose cialis, I was as pumped as I’ve ever been.

Not sure how long you have plateaued, typically it need to be at least 4 weeks before you can concluded you have plateaued. Maybe it give 67 weeks.

You could stay at this level for a while, kind of reach a new set point, then make an effort to push to a lower %BF.

Change your routine is the only solution. What to change is the question.

In addition to the three choices bkb33 offered, you could also.

Focus on increasing your muscular strength/size. More muscle with the same weight = lower %BF.

Once in a while I change weight lifting to a Tabata style.

I do this by rapidly moving with no rest between different weight machines. The only real rest is the time it takes me to walk to another machine. I use ~50-60% of my 1 rep max, do a quick 7-10 reps, move to the next machine, complete a full body work out, then go through that cycle again. Maybe only do 2-2 total sets.

My heart rate gets up to pretty high, and it seem to set my metabolism to a higher rate for a time afterwards.

Have you given thought as to your long term maintenance program?

If you do get down to less than 12% BF, I doubt you can maintain that for many years to come. I think but am not sure that being very lean (or less than 13% BF) just isn't that natural and it's difficult to maintain as you age.

Very lean being under 18.5 BMI without really large muscle development. Because having large muscle will change how lean you really are even at a 18.5+ BMI.

Do you currently feel it is easy to maintain your 13% BF?

 

[Nashtide]

As I see it, you have a few options:
1. The most obvious: decrease total calories
2. Increase movement (do more cardio or NEAT)
3. Increase protein (which has a more thermogenic effect than the other two macros)

I'd be interested in your results if you went with No. 3.

Thanks for the reply. So are you saying increase protein and decrease overall calories? Or maintain calories and just increase protein and decrease the other macros?

 

[Nashtide]

Not sure how long you have plateaued, typically it need to be at least 4 weeks before you can concluded you have plateaued. Maybe it give 67 weeks.

You could stay at this level for a while, kind of reach a new set point, then make an effort to push to a lower %BF.

Change your routine is the only solution. What to change is the question.

In addition to the three choices bkb33 offered, you could also.

Focus on increasing your muscular strength/size. More muscle with the same weight = lower %BF.

Once in a while I change weight lifting to a Tabata style.

I do this by rapidly moving with no rest between different weight machines. The only real rest is the time it takes me to walk to another machine. I use ~50-60% of my 1 rep max, do a quick 7-10 reps, move to the next machine, complete a full body work out, then go through that cycle again. Maybe only do 2-2 total sets.

My heart rate gets up to pretty high, and it seem to set my metabolism to a higher rate for a time afterwards.

Have you given thought as to your long term maintenance program?

If you do get down to less than 12% BF, I doubt you can maintain that for many years to come. I think but am not sure that being very lean (or less than 13% BF) just isn't that natural and it's difficult to maintain as you age.

Very lean being under 18.5 BMI without really large muscle development. Because having large muscle will change how lean you really are even at a 18.5+ BMI.

Do you currently feel it is easy to maintain your 13% BF?

I have not given any thought to long term leanness. I just wanna he lean all summer. After that I’ll probably go back to regular routine.

 

[Nashtide]

Not sure how long you have plateaued, typically it need to be at least 4 weeks before you can concluded you have plateaued. Maybe it give 67 weeks.

You could stay at this level for a while, kind of reach a new set point, then make an effort to push to a lower %BF.

Change your routine is the only solution. What to change is the question.

In addition to the three choices bkb33 offered, you could also.

Focus on increasing your muscular strength/size. More muscle with the same weight = lower %BF.

Once in a while I change weight lifting to a Tabata style.

I do this by rapidly moving with no rest between different weight machines. The only real rest is the time it takes me to walk to another machine. I use ~50-60% of my 1 rep max, do a quick 7-10 reps, move to the next machine, complete a full body work out, then go through that cycle again. Maybe only do 2-2 total sets.

My heart rate gets up to pretty high, and it seem to set my metabolism to a higher rate for a time afterwards.

Have you given thought as to your long term maintenance program?

If you do get down to less than 12% BF, I doubt you can maintain that for many years to come. I think but am not sure that being very lean (or less than 13% BF) just isn't that natural and it's difficult to maintain as you age.

Very lean being under 18.5 BMI without really large muscle development. Because having large muscle will change how lean you really are even at a 18.5+ BMI.

Do you currently feel it is easy to maintain your 13% BF?

I have not given any thought to long term leanness. I just set this goal and hope to maintain that level of leanness for the summer. After that, I’ll probably return to my old eating habits. What would you consider a healthy and maintainable bf% for guys in our age group?

 

[DragonBits]

I have not given any thought to long term leanness. I just set this goal and hope to maintain that level of leanness for the summer. After that, I’ll probably return to my old eating habits. What would you consider a healthy and maintainable bf% for guys in our age group?

It's always been a moot subject for me, since I have never been below about 15% BF. And that's just a guess, my lightest weight as an adult 130 lbs.

Looking at the internet, below 8% generally isn't healthy, and 2-5% body fat is considered essential.

For men age 55, 20.9% BF is good, or between 9-19% BF, just depends on where you look and what assumptions you make about body density.

Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart 2019: How Lean Should You Be?

I have read numerous studies that indicate past 65 being a little overweight is healthier. Mostly it seems because if you do get really sick/injured, you have fat reserves to fall back on.

IMO it's a debatable subject.

I would like to get a dexa scan if I reach my target, somewhere consistently between 130-135. Even though I touched 135, it could have been because I was a bit dehydrated.

 

[bkb33]

Thanks for the reply. So are you saying increase protein and decrease overall calories? Or maintain calories and just increase protein and decrease the other macros?

No, in the case of option 3, you would keep the overall calories the same and just increase protein (by decreasing carbs or fat).

 

[Nashtide]

It's always been a moot subject for me, since I have never been below about 15% BF. And that's just a guess, my lightest weight as an adult 130 lbs.

Looking at the internet, below 8% generally isn't healthy, and 2-5% body fat is considered essential.

For men age 55, 20.9% BF is good, or between 9-19% BF, just depends on where you look and what assumptions you make about body density.

Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart 2019: How Lean Should You Be?

I have read numerous studies that indicate past 65 being a little overweight is healthier. Mostly it seems because if you do get really sick/injured, you have fat reserves to fall back on.

IMO it's a debatable subject.

I would like to get a dexa scan if I reach my target, somewhere consistently between 130-135. Even though I touched 135, it could have been because I was a bit dehydrated.

I think I could comfortably stay at around 15% without difficulty. I’m finding that I miss carbs more than just calories.

 

[bkb33]

I think I could comfortably stay at around 15% without difficulty. I’m finding that I miss carbs more than just calories.

It's all a matter of priorities. You can be perfectly healthy at 15%. Personally, I still feel chubby at that BF%, which negatively affects my confidence. When I get down to 11ish, I feel unstoppable.

I am now working on cutting from 12-8%, with the aim of having clearly defined abs year-round (even when in a slight surplus). But there are inevitable sacrifices (both food and lifestyle-wise) that go along with single-digit BF, for sure.

 

[Nashtide]

It's all a matter of priorities. You can be perfectly healthy at 15%. Personally, I still feel chubby at that BF%, which negatively affects my confidence. When I get down to 11ish, I feel unstoppable.

I am now working on cutting from 12-8%, with the aim of having clearly defined abs year-round (even when in a slight surplus). But there are inevitable sacrifices (both food and lifestyle-wise) that go along with single-digit BF, for sure.

I’ve been lean most of my life with the exception of about 5 years when I gained 40lbs. My inspiration for getting to a low enough bf was simply the challenge of it. I will say I’m surprised how different 13% is compared to 16%. I’m motivated to get to around 11%. I really want visible abs this summer. After the summer, I’ll reevaluate.