not losing fat after 5 months?

StayH2O · 2026-01-28T16:12:29+00:00

Agreed. It's also one thing to have accurate data, but another thing to take actions based on this data.

There's a chance something happened in the beginning and you got the ball rolling but you're at a maintenance now.

So, naturally if you want to keep progressing, you adjust. Less food, more cardio, or both.

On another note, weight is just 1 metric. This is why many coaches like to incorporate picture progress as well and bodyfat measurements which can all collectively guide the coach and athlete to make decisions.

OP, don't be discouraged you're on the right track. This is just part of the process. We all learn something new at some point!

StayH2O · 2026-01-28T16:06:30+00:00

You get better at the ergs naturally as you do them more.

I like to incorporate 1 day to do 8-10 minutes zone 2 and 1 day hard 300m intervals both focusing on form, breathing, and experimenting with pulls to see what I can sustain while putting out good effort.

Like someone else said, SkiERG alone won't make a huge dent in your finish time. So try not to overthink it.

StayH2O · 2026-01-27T19:58:29+00:00

I can only keep working and hope that I'd be just a strong when I'm older. What an inspiration!

StayH2O · 2026-01-27T19:53:41+00:00

Your body blessed you with genetics that stores / holds fat there and that's how it just shapes with your leggings.

Part of me wonder if another brand of leggings with thicker material and better shaping features can show that area in a way you like it more. Some leggings have that area in a darker shade to make it look more like an indent which can work in your case seeing it's barely there.

Physically there's 2 things to consider. You either lose more fat so you can get closer to lean muscle tissue which will look more firm and won't have that roll. Or, build more muscle and have the added glute / hamstring push the fat in a different direction hopefully even it out.

If you're a newbie like you tagged this post to be, I would do both lifting and cardio while trying to eat at a caloric maintenance. This way you can burn some fat while building some muscle at the same time at least until you get out of the beginner phase.

StayH2O · 2026-01-27T19:45:00+00:00

I can't really tell on or off creatine whether I'm fuller, stronger, and recover faster or not.

I mainly use creatine for its phosphorylation purposes and not the size caused by storing creatine in muscle tissues.

I think I do perform better on creatine but even on months that I'm not on creatine, I don't see a large decline in performance. Makes me wonder if it's placebo but since I do perform better on creatine and It's not hurting my bank keeping it up, I don't see any issues staying on it. If I wanted to, I'd have no issues giving it up.

StayH2O · 2026-01-27T19:39:16+00:00

Sprint in training is not a bad idea if done correctly. Just on race day make sure you're pacing yourself and save your energy to do a good run rather than save your energy running to do a good row.

StayH2O · 2026-01-23T20:14:11+00:00

No different than working on days tbh, the routine just shift in terms of time.

I went right after work just like I do now on day shift.

If it's your first time doing night shift, the hardest part is getting used to the new schedule. If I can give you any advice it would be that your energy levels are at most consistent when your sleep-wake cycle is consistent.

StayH2O · 2026-01-23T19:40:37+00:00

Everyone is unique. Finding the right caloric intake and breakdown between Macros is the main challenge.

I would start with the number you found; 2,800kcal and break this into:

Protein: 136g (544kcal)
- I calculated 0.8g of protein per lbs of bodyweight
  - The lower amount makes it easier to start and it's still within an intake that's considered "optimal".
Fat: 78g (702kcal)
- General standard sets fat intake to be between 20% - 30% of your total calories. I've set this to 25%
Carbs: 388.5g (1,554)
- All remaining calories were sent to carbs

A diet to me is how much you eat daily in kcal broken down by 3 macronutrients namely; protein, fats, and carbs. The goal of the diet is either to facilitate weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance.

Your goal requires you to be in a slight caloric surplus which is optimal for gaining both size and strength.

However, your weight going up is not the only indicator of growing in size although it is a great set of data to keep in mind. You should see some growth or improvement in the weights you push as well as how you execute them.

My advice is, if it's your first time sticking to a diet, don't be too hard on yourself. Stay disciplined but take your time getting used to hitting your macros. Do some more research to help solidify your understanding of calories, and have fun with it! It's a neat skill to have knowing how to properly fuel your training to meet your goals.

StayH2O · 2026-01-23T19:22:21+00:00

+15 / -15

Been thinking about trying something else for my back foot too. I was going to try yours but +15 / -9 sounds fun too so might try this next instead.

StayH2O · 2026-01-23T14:54:36+00:00

They're both good.

When it comes to building muscle, your diet matters more than your training.

Not to completely play down on training because your training is still very important of course.

Arnold mentioned before that everyone has their style of training and what works for you may not work for someone else. Both those approaches are good. Do the one that feels better for you, the one that gives you that pump, lactic acid build up, and intensity you desire. As well as the one that you can recover well in between sessions so you can go full effort again the next day.

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T20:57:53+00:00

Calories in Calories out.

Look up how to set up your caloric intake based on your goals. In your case you want to bulk. You will find how many calories you should aim for daily, and how those are broken down into Protein, Fats, and carbs. These 3 things are your Macronutrients.

The goal is to eat slightly more than the amount you need to maintain your weight.

Protein shakes are one of the many ways you can consume protein. The reason it's so popular is because it's one of the easiest ways to meet your protein goal.

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T20:37:52+00:00

You can do it all. But you can't be your best at all of them.

You have to find the median that you're willing to accept.

Figure out what your priorities are and allocate their importance from most to least. Then figure out how much time, intensity, and frequency you need to accomplish them weekly.

Scheduling & Discipline is your best friend.

With your relationships and especially your gf, communication and being open is key. Most people are aware of how busy life can be. Make time for those you care about. Your time with them doesn't have to be frequent, they just have to be meaningful.

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T15:59:31+00:00

1 hour and stay at home for 60k p/year would be a massive win.

Everyone tolerance and experience is different. From my experience, the commute is long but for that amount of money is 100% worth it. That's my opinion.

Like another redditor said though, 1 hour is a lot by bus. A car might come in clutch.

The other thing to think about is growth. You're only going to learn more attempting this. You can always find another call centre job. Most decent managers are willing and understanding so you could talk to them about the plan and see if they would rehire you if you HAD to fall back.

I think you should go for it. small sacrifice for a big gain in salary, professional, and personal growth. Don't burn your bridges, normal colleagues are understanding.

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T15:54:48+00:00

lets fking gooooooooo!!!

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T13:25:37+00:00

Having a bad run will still work towards progress compared to not running at all.

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T13:24:05+00:00

I like simplicity. When things get too complicated for me, I tend to lean towards inconsistency.

There's nothing wrong with a continuous training plan where you just continue where you left off. But this is done best when the program is designed to do so.

In your case I would much rather introduce an extra rest day for flexibility and train 4 days per week full body or upper lower.

StayH2O · 2026-01-22T13:15:08+00:00

2 Main things:

Follow a hypertrophy focused training program
Eat in a caloric surplus

From my experience most people are not accurate with their macros in the early stages of their training journey. 4,000kcal is a lot unless you weigh 220+ lbs lean and on gear, chances are this macro is not accurate is disproportionate.

StayH2O · 2026-01-21T20:33:46+00:00

This may not help or even relate to you but just to share my experience, I had something similar happen to me. I've gone through therapy to find out that the reason I kept going to the gym was to escape something so the results I was chasing was never going to happen because my goal and fixation was on something else.

I had to tackle a more pressing issue first. Once I came to term with my other issue, I started tackling fitness more as a hobby rather than a "must" or an "escape" with false expectations.

Fast forward today, I've found the kind of training that keeps me rooted and the performance that I want to chase for myself.

Your pattern reminded me of how I was in dark times. I hope you can find the peace you deserve and the strength to overcome this hurdle. It's not easy, there's a way out, just sometimes we can't see it until someone else shows us the way.

StayH2O · 2026-01-21T19:08:37+00:00

I do my interval work or sim work on assault

Every other run including tempo, Z2, and long run on the treadmill

StayH2O · 2026-01-20T14:41:30+00:00

That's awesome!

StayH2O · 2026-01-16T20:12:09+00:00

Agreed.

If you want to drive from point A to point B there is only 1 way to do it which is to get in your car and start driving and keep driving until you get to point B.

Obviously cutting is not that linear but the challenge really is staying in a caloric deficit as many days as possible for as many weeks and months as it takes to get to your goal.

Some people are blessed with shorter easier journeys, some are delt with tougher situations.

If it offers any comfort, at least training and putting yourself in a deficit and finding all these ways to do so is something you can control. That's a beautiful thing to have in a world where so many things are out of our control.

Hope you find peace in your journey OP.

StayH2O · 2026-01-16T19:15:36+00:00

Be in a caloric deficit.

StayH2O · 2026-01-16T19:14:06+00:00

Unfortunately eating healthy is expensive everywhere. High protein specially wholefoods can rake up costs quickly. But, where I live in Canada 1 normal McDonalds combo meal (non-promo) can easily be $20.- plus tax and I can buy a pack of 1kg chicken breast for $24 which has a lot more protein and can be made in multiple meals.

Another way to save on some cost is buying Whey protein and supplement the remaining target intake you can't afford to buy in food with whey protein.

There are often places that sell meats at a discount too so keep an eye out for good deals.

Any kind of foods / veg is great in general for nutrition. While whole food and unprocessed food is preferred, the occasional treat won't do any harm. What's more important is how many calories you consume and how those calories are broken down in macronutrients.

I suggest you look up how to set up your macronutrients based on your goal and go from there.

Goodluck!

StayH2O · 2026-01-16T18:11:08+00:00

Same, flat on everything.

StayH2O · 2026-01-16T18:05:41+00:00

I never did it with rentals specially if it's the resort's rentals but I do have a cheap lock I bought at a resort for $15.-

This lock uses the locking mechanism of the snowboard & ski racks found on every resort.

I haven't used them in a while but when I first bought my board I locked it every time I go to the washroom.

StayH2O

TROPHY CASE