cortisol and fat under the skin, how to rid of it?

[thealfa]

I have no problem dropping weight, the problem is staying at the same weight and cutting fat. I want to stay at the same weight but I want the fat replaced with muscles is what I'm trying to get at. I can easily drop 5 pounds in a week if I need to. If I change my diet to no sugar and no bun on my burger (similar to my ketogenic diet of less than 20 g of carb daily), I could drop weight but seem to keep fat on my belly area. Not sure why. I end up looking so frail if I drop back to 140. I'm 160 now. Arturo Gatti looks thick for his weight class of 147. I wonder how he did it? So since I'm at 160 and if I decide to drop to 147, this would make me look so frail yet have belly fat. Not sure if it's because I was formerly close to 200 pounds and had that "bodybuilder" physique. My chest is developed due to the bench press that somehow I look awkward having dropped weight? Imagine Schwarzenegger coming from 220 dropping to 160, he might look so frail as his body just came from that heavyweight class dropping to middleweight. I guess the opposite would be when James Toney came from middleweight and blew up to heavyweight that he just didn't look right.

[Syf]

My thing is actually 100%, no sugar added fruit juice. I held the argument that since there is no added sugar, it was ok to drink it anytime. Not so apparently. I've had a healthcare professional and a health buff point out to me that sugar is sugar, naturally occurring or added. I finally listened to their suggestion to cut the juice @ night with successful results. Since the body's rate of metabolism slows in the evening hours leading up to bedtime, it makes since to reduce the consumption of food/drinks which may be converted into fat. I agree that a cut of anything unhealthy is beneficial. The 6pm rule isn't a compromise if one doesn't "stock up" on fattening foods earlier in the day to make up for the cut in the evening hours.

Ah..I misunderstood. So in addition to not drinking anything that doesn't only have naturally occurring sugars, you cut out all sugary snacks and drinks...natural or not..after 6?

Interesting...I'll try that. When are you going to sleep? Like around how long after 6? The reason I ask is my sleep schedule can vary..so I assume this practice must be implemented a certain amount of time prior to your major block of sleep..which varies from person to person. As to when that is. Would that, in effect, change the after six rule to a certain amount of time b4 you sleep rule?

[SUBZER0ED]

Ah..I misunderstood. So in addition to not drinking anything that doesn't only have naturally occurring sugars, you cut out all sugary snacks and drinks...natural or not..after 6?

Interesting...I'll try that. When are you going to sleep? Like around how long after 6? The reason I ask is my sleep schedule can vary..so I assume this practice must be implemented a certain amount of time prior to your major block of sleep..which varies from person to person. As to when that is. Would that, in effect, change the after six rule to a certain amount of time b4 you sleep rule?

I usually cut out all sugary drinks and snacks after 8pm actually (except for this holiday season). I used the 6pm rule, because that's a common dinner time for many people. I'm in the gym from 4-6:30pm on average, so I'm not having any sugary drinks or snacks during that period anyway. Instead of having my usual glass of 100% fruit juice with dinner, I drink water. It has definitely made a difference. I go to bed pretty late, 11-11:30, sometimes midnight. The main thing is to not consume fattening food or drinks during the hours which your metabolism slows, which is typically in the evening hours as you become less active. Also, as I mentioned before, try NOW's Digest Ultimate, available on bodybuilding.com. It contains a wide spectrum of enzymes that help your body better utilize the food that you eat. It contains fat and sugar enzymes too.

[SUBZER0ED]

It might have worked for you but the fact that you are the type of person who looks after their body and would cut out snacks after 6pm probably helps you more than actually cutting out snacks after 6pm, there was actually a study on this phenomenon where people don't realize that the fact they care enough about their fitness and body to try these things is actually what helps them rather than these little tricks. It wasn't a dig at you (although you sure took it that way) but some of the stuff that floats around fitness forums that people read and take as truth without reading the science behind it.

Yeah, Clen can really mess you up but it's like anything, read the science take a safe dose and you'll be fine. I agree with you, HGH and steroids can really, really **** you up permanently, I remember a gym buddy I used to have started doing HGH and he started to get distended abs because his stomach had to grow in order to fit the new size from growth of his organs, put off completely after that.

I know what you mean. there's this guy in my gym who looks like he's near 60. He's extremely large (@ times), and unusually vascular. I knew he was on something, but wasn't sure what. He actually confessed that he uses HGH. I saw him on the incline bench once and was shocked @ how much his stomach was distended. People are so blind when it comes to that stuff. It makes EVERYTHING grow, including major organs. I know a guy who's wife works in the cardiology department. She sees juicers all of the time come in with heart problems. Their hearts are enlarged, the doc's stress tests show evidence of steroid abuse, yet these fools deny using! It's like, ok, then why did you come see the doc @ the cardiology department? You're 30!

[thealfa]

Guys, the poison is in the dose. I have tried HGH before and I did follow the instructions stating 5-8 IUs daily for muscle mass, and 2 IUS daily just for general well being. Those guys ABUSING it on steroid forums I know are taking twice or more that amount or whatever their income allows. I knew a few who takes 10-20 IUS daily. Sometimes what those guys are taking aren't even pharma grade HGH which are more expensive but what their taking are some underground lab products which makes the products cheaper but sketchy. Sometimes those guys take research chemicals because they want to be a "monster" (lol). Sometimes the combo of every drug they ever take is what's causing their problems, not just HGH by itself. Even over training can be abused thinking more is better when it's not. Again, the poison is in the dose.

Anyway, I have been using ZMA for the past week and I notice that I been having night sweats while sleeping. My bed would be soaked that the wetness wakes me up. I'm not sure if ZMA's way of making one drop weight or fat is through nightsweats. LOL.

[Angularau]

okay, let's get some stats. you are currently:

Sex: Male
Age: ?
Height: ?
Weight: 160

we need more info to help you out. assuming your 5'9" and 20 years old and work out 1-3 days a week, your TDEE is 2373. so, in order for you to lose fat and keep as much muscle mass as possible, you should be eating 72g of fat, 116g of carbohydrates, and 186g of protein. that should amount to 1861 calories per day.

that's pretty much all there is to it...assuming you are working out, of course.

[thealfa]

Age: 32

Height: 5'7"

I work out 4 days a week sometimes 5.

Is there catch-22 involved here? "Can't have my cake and eat it too"? Unless I was on steroids. So for me to stay at 160 without getting fat but muscles (no belly fat), what do I do? I admit my sleep habits do suck. I mentioned that. I mentioned I came from 140 and upped my weight by choice to 160. I could drop weight but I end up looking like I came out of a concentration camp and even at 140, I had belly fat. Is it cortisol? I read corticosteroids fight cortisol, these are antiinflammatory drugs. One I could think of is a steroid called Dexamethasone.

[thealfa]

anyone here tried ZMK? I believe it is like a ZMA but with other things as well. I'm trying a different ZMA brand with theanine included.

[El-blanco]

Have you looked into creatine? Either hci or monohydrate? I've just tuned in on this page so forgive me if its been mentioned prior, but I think that will give you what you are looking for. Working out 4-5 days a week and taking 5 grams of creatine post workout should give you that fuller look in three weeks. Start there and just be patient and you will see results. Also, your sleep needs to get better. It's critical to muscle growth.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

Your Daily caloric needs is 2679. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Up your protein, and lower you carbs while being in a caloric deficit. If you want to cut fat then you have to lose weight. After you lose the fat start bulking back up the few pounds that you lost in lean muscle mass which will take a few months if you want pure muscle.