Namelessme
11-17-2008, 04:35 AM
Hi, I started working out about 6 months ago, I was approximately 140 pounds at 5'9 and a half inches tall. So I was already fairly thin to begin with. Since I began my workout I lost approximately 7% body fat and gained a few pounds in muscle, that is not very visible, but obviously is there because my weight is now 147 pounds, 2 pounds heavier than I was prior to starting my exercise regimen.
My question is twofold. First of all is it normal to see so much of your rib cage when you drop body fat? I showed my girlfriend and she was afraid I was becoming anorexic. At the same time when she saw the increase in my pectoral muscles and the tightening of my abdominal region she agreed that it might be worth 'seeing a little skeleton'. Is this normal? Also, directly below my rib cage there are belly pits, not inordinately deep, but there nontheless. is this also normal when one begins serious fat reduction?
I apologize for the vagueness of this description, but 'belly pits' is the only term I can come up with as I am unfamiliar with the anatomical name for this region between the abs and oblique ab muscles. Maybe I can refer to it as an incline or a down slope? Anyway any assistance would be appreciated, and to be complete I will give you a sampling of what my diet consists of throughout the weeks and months since I began my regimen.
At first I was a pure vegan surviving on mostly tofu for protein, but I noticed something, I was not increasing muscle definition, or, if I was it would not remain, and I was experiencing major mood swings. the culprit not being that tofu lacks a sufficient amount of protein but that it is full of phytoestrogens which increases serum estrogen levels in men. I noticed that I was getting quite moody as a result of this also. So I did some further research on my diet and realized that the tofu and soy milk I was consuming in large quantities daily was the culprit of my mood swings. See unfermented soy products that contain so many phytoestrogens cause serious hormone imbalance in some men.
Since I discovered this, approximately one month ago, my diet has consisted of the following (and this is just an example week).
Monday, morning I will eat one organic egg with a piece of whole grain toast, a banana and a handful of mixed nuts. No lunch. Dinner, I will eat one cup of rice, half a cup of lentils, steamed mixed vegetables and another piece of whole grain bread with almond butter as well as one 8 oz glass of 2% organic milk.
Tuesday, breakfast I will have essentially the same thing as the previous day but with a bowl of organic kashi 'autumn wheat' cereal added, with raisins added for extra flavour. Lunch I will have one cup of rice with steamed broccoli and a can of tuna. Dinner, I will have approximately two servings of whole wheat, high protein pasta with a baked potato and a veggie burger on the side.
Wednesday, breakfast will consist of one and a half cups of oatmeal with banana slices added. Lunch will consist of two servings of medium size steamed shrimp with steamed vegetables added. Dinner, basically rice with lentils again.
I will often alternate this meal plan every couple days. Some days I will eat two cans of tuna, as opposed to one, and sometimes I will eat lentils twice a day, as opposed to once, both for the same purpose of increasing protein intake. I just want to be clear that I do not add any dressing to any of my food, no condiments other than pure habanero pepper sauce sometimes on my rice. I pretty much limit my fat intake to approximately 15-20 grams at the very most any given day, and I do not eat anything containing artificial sweeteners or a high degree of preservatives.
And for a sample of what my exercise regimen is like.
Monday, I will do three sets of 30 push ups, 4 sets of 20 ab crunches, but upper and lower, and 4 sets of 15 squats, then I will do about 17 minutes of cardio, and I mean real cardio that makes me sweat hard all over. I take a 10 minute break with stretching before entering 20 minutes of pilates which consists of a combination of strength and stretching exercises.
Tuesday, I will do 3 sets of bicep, tricep, forearm, chest and deltoid exercises using a heavy resistance band. This will last about a half hour. Then I will do my 17 minutes of cardio with a 10 minute break before entering a 20 minute power yoga session which is similar to the pilates but different in that it works the lower body more, whereas the pilates work out consists mostly of mat work.
The following day I take a break, then I repeat this sequence the following two days. Sometimes I take two day break because I need more recuperation time, but I try not to. I am opened to as much advise as possible. I am frustrated because, while my body fat is reducing at a steady pace, and my abdominal region is tight, I still cannot see my abdominal muscles, yet I can see my rib cage and this 'belly pit' directly below either of them. I need to know what I can do to reduce this belly pit and/or if it is normal to see so much of my rib cage and yet so little of my ab muscles. well NONE of my ab muscles. Thanks.
Sorry I had to repost this but I tried changing the title name after a typo and it wouldn't show up.
My question is twofold. First of all is it normal to see so much of your rib cage when you drop body fat? I showed my girlfriend and she was afraid I was becoming anorexic. At the same time when she saw the increase in my pectoral muscles and the tightening of my abdominal region she agreed that it might be worth 'seeing a little skeleton'. Is this normal? Also, directly below my rib cage there are belly pits, not inordinately deep, but there nontheless. is this also normal when one begins serious fat reduction?
I apologize for the vagueness of this description, but 'belly pits' is the only term I can come up with as I am unfamiliar with the anatomical name for this region between the abs and oblique ab muscles. Maybe I can refer to it as an incline or a down slope? Anyway any assistance would be appreciated, and to be complete I will give you a sampling of what my diet consists of throughout the weeks and months since I began my regimen.
At first I was a pure vegan surviving on mostly tofu for protein, but I noticed something, I was not increasing muscle definition, or, if I was it would not remain, and I was experiencing major mood swings. the culprit not being that tofu lacks a sufficient amount of protein but that it is full of phytoestrogens which increases serum estrogen levels in men. I noticed that I was getting quite moody as a result of this also. So I did some further research on my diet and realized that the tofu and soy milk I was consuming in large quantities daily was the culprit of my mood swings. See unfermented soy products that contain so many phytoestrogens cause serious hormone imbalance in some men.
Since I discovered this, approximately one month ago, my diet has consisted of the following (and this is just an example week).
Monday, morning I will eat one organic egg with a piece of whole grain toast, a banana and a handful of mixed nuts. No lunch. Dinner, I will eat one cup of rice, half a cup of lentils, steamed mixed vegetables and another piece of whole grain bread with almond butter as well as one 8 oz glass of 2% organic milk.
Tuesday, breakfast I will have essentially the same thing as the previous day but with a bowl of organic kashi 'autumn wheat' cereal added, with raisins added for extra flavour. Lunch I will have one cup of rice with steamed broccoli and a can of tuna. Dinner, I will have approximately two servings of whole wheat, high protein pasta with a baked potato and a veggie burger on the side.
Wednesday, breakfast will consist of one and a half cups of oatmeal with banana slices added. Lunch will consist of two servings of medium size steamed shrimp with steamed vegetables added. Dinner, basically rice with lentils again.
I will often alternate this meal plan every couple days. Some days I will eat two cans of tuna, as opposed to one, and sometimes I will eat lentils twice a day, as opposed to once, both for the same purpose of increasing protein intake. I just want to be clear that I do not add any dressing to any of my food, no condiments other than pure habanero pepper sauce sometimes on my rice. I pretty much limit my fat intake to approximately 15-20 grams at the very most any given day, and I do not eat anything containing artificial sweeteners or a high degree of preservatives.
And for a sample of what my exercise regimen is like.
Monday, I will do three sets of 30 push ups, 4 sets of 20 ab crunches, but upper and lower, and 4 sets of 15 squats, then I will do about 17 minutes of cardio, and I mean real cardio that makes me sweat hard all over. I take a 10 minute break with stretching before entering 20 minutes of pilates which consists of a combination of strength and stretching exercises.
Tuesday, I will do 3 sets of bicep, tricep, forearm, chest and deltoid exercises using a heavy resistance band. This will last about a half hour. Then I will do my 17 minutes of cardio with a 10 minute break before entering a 20 minute power yoga session which is similar to the pilates but different in that it works the lower body more, whereas the pilates work out consists mostly of mat work.
The following day I take a break, then I repeat this sequence the following two days. Sometimes I take two day break because I need more recuperation time, but I try not to. I am opened to as much advise as possible. I am frustrated because, while my body fat is reducing at a steady pace, and my abdominal region is tight, I still cannot see my abdominal muscles, yet I can see my rib cage and this 'belly pit' directly below either of them. I need to know what I can do to reduce this belly pit and/or if it is normal to see so much of my rib cage and yet so little of my ab muscles. well NONE of my ab muscles. Thanks.
Sorry I had to repost this but I tried changing the title name after a typo and it wouldn't show up.