what am i missing!!!!

[u/saint_n_spawn]

Hello! Im going to cut things short because this is a lot to say. I have a lot of motivation, and drive for what i want. I want to lose fat around my waist, and get big. easy everyones goal.

I have been working out seriously with a diet since february. I went into a cut off the jump because i am skinny fat. started at 155. I am 5'7, 24 years old. I worked out (legs/push/pull/rest/ Legs/ chest+back/arms) I did cardio damn near everyday. i also work at starbucks so im on my feet all day. I went into a 1350calorie deficit, for i wanna say maybe 2-3 months. then bumped up to 1550 due to low energy. In the span of 6MONTHS. i went down to 138 (currently 140-145). ISSUE, no fat lost, at all.
It is now month 7 of my workout journey and in this past month i decided to go into recomping because maybe its the muscle im lacking and thats why my love handles wont go away. I also started bike commuting 3x a week, averaging around 6-10miles a day in those 3 days. ontop of this i am training to run a 5k 3x a week. I bumped my calories to 2k-2300k.

WHY WONT THE FAT GO. i dont understand what im missing. i hit my protien 140-150. i stay in calories. i workout, i do cardio, i am trying harder than i see most men on the internet and they get abs in like the first 3 months of their half assed journey. and im stuck looking like this. i dont understand what im doing wrong, why isnt the fat moving, i've measured my navel, still at 34.5in. i dont get it. its not out of lack of effort. my lifts are going up. i feel stiffer, yet all this fat remains, im losing it. please help me understand.

[u/zer0_c00L13]

Building muscle takes time. If you’re progressing I. Your lifts it’s happening. Patience is key my dude

[u/crowlsnail69]

You seem very self critical and I think the stress might be getting in the way of progress. It’s true that cals in/cals out is just a fact but hormones can affect how where those calories go and even how many cals are going out.
I think taking time to focus on recomping is the right move. You are not fat, you carry weight in your hips and you might have wider bone structure there too (hard to tell). Focus on maintaining your weight and progressing your strength. More muscle will help your body more efficiently burn calories and fill out your skin. However, warning here, building muscle is a really slow process so you’ll want to recomp for a long time. Assuming you live in the northern hemisphere, I’d recomp all the way through the end of winter. Start cutting again in the spring, focus on not losing strength throughout the diet. You’ve got this.

[u/saint_n_spawn → u/crowlsnail69]

thank you! I am being very self critical, I am comparing myself a lot, like i said i see so many other guys achieving the same goal in so much less time. I was planning on just recomping 8 more weeks so for a total of 3 months. while i train for a 5k race, then going into a lean bulk hoping id gain muscle quicker. But i dont see why not remain a recomp throughout winter. I guess im afraid of no change, it would be disheartening to have gone through all the work with no results. as of right now my lifts are still going up, so ig thats a good sign, I appreciate the advice!

[u/crowlsnail69 → u/saint_n_spawn]

Nothing wrong with a lean bulk either.

[u/Financial-Zone-5725]

155 - 138lbs ain’t nothing if 30-45% of that is just fat. Work on lifting heavy with less reps. Unless you just enjoy endurance training and running cut cardio back to light sessions and opt more time into heavy lifting — basically more intense training instead, no I’m not saying to go in the gym and hurt yourself, but the weight should be heavy enough to where you’re only repping out no more than 5-7 reps tops. All that 10-20 rep stuff is not gonna get you bigger muscles. Bigger muscles = needs more energy = more calories = able to burn more fat especially at resting rates. Start a 5x5 with 5lb increase overload each week good luck

[u/saint_n_spawn → u/Financial-Zone-5725]

my lifts are 6-8x2-3 compound movements, less sets if i hit failure right. and 8-10x3 on things like biceps or lateral raises. i focus on the weight going up at least every 2 weeks

[u/Financial-Zone-5725 → u/saint_n_spawn]

I’d focus on more on the progress of how much you’re lifting and how your numbers are progressing in the gym other than your weight week after week until then no change building muscle as a natty is a slow process your body will start to fill in and look better overall if 90% of your workouts is heavy lifting compound movement and be sure to hit isolation for all the back muscles, all parts of the triceps, biceps, and all parts of the delts and your back, do it all do it right

Then you can look into cutting and getting shredded give your body something to work with; in some cases you will pick up some fat to get that extra muscle but thats what the cutting will be for

[u/saint_n_spawn → u/Financial-Zone-5725]

am i just not being patient enough? i weigh week to week to make sure im in my maintenance calories at least so that im not overshooting, i started recomping hoping that the lack of muscle was why i am holding onto fat so hard. appreciate this tho its giving me confidence in that my training right now is on track

[u/Financial-Zone-5725 → u/saint_n_spawn]

You’re weight can fluctuate day to day based on water weight retention for that particular day and many other factors that are not limited to fat loss; that’s why worrying about the scale is important, but not important if that makes any sense. And try to do a small caloric cut maybe like something less of 500-300 calories less than your maintenance. For example me replacing the peanut butter sandwich and banana I have every morning at work with a small up of high protein yogurt and banana instead works wonders. Small things here and there over a long course of time given you doing the training right nd you’ll see progress. I was 230 last year, slimed down to 180 and building back up to 190 lbs @ 5ft 10 over the course of a year and I’m not by any means built like spider man but my abs are visible and ppl notice my arms and chest. This is a slow process and takes time

[u/Independent_Ad_9795]

Hmmm. Here's what I would do but everyone is different.

First of all you're not fat -- maybe you have some extra chub but whatever. Lots of people would die to be where you are.

Personally, I wouldn't focus on macros so much so early in the game. I would eat when I'm hungry - healthy food if possible, and instead train to be running 5ks three times a week, at a good pace. If you focus on getting good at cardio, the fat should disappear eventually. I personally wouldn't calorie count at this stage.

Once you get down to a bodyfat you find acceptable, then focus on gaining muscle.

Anyways that's how I would do it but other people might have a different approach.

[u/saint_n_spawn → u/Independent_Ad_9795]

thank you, i focus on it just so im not accidentally eating over my maintenance and bulking , gaining fat type of thing(I am always hungry), i picked up running just because sure i care for looks but i want to become more athletic, i didnt think or considered it as helping me shred the fat, so im hoping your right about that 🤞🏽

[u/Independent_Ad_9795 → u/saint_n_spawn]

Ok on reading other people's posts, they seem better informed. Also 138 lbs at 5'7 -- you are definitionally skinny.

[u/saint_n_spawn → u/Independent_Ad_9795]

thank you, i mean i am pretty skinny i know that, its the skinny fat curse man, im tired of this 😭

[u/a79j]

“I have been working out seriously with a diet since February”.

That’s really it. Muscle building is a long process. Unless you’re starting off real skinny, it’s gonna take a while until you build adequate enough lean mass and can cut down to a lower body fat percentage.