It's been so long since i've made a post. Im almost 6 years post op, and about a year ago i decided to get into powerlifting. i've gotten some gains, muscles AND fat. now im trying to lose the fat, and keep the muscle. i also dont eat a ton of meat. in fact, i prefer not to. i know one person who started bodybuilding after wls, however they eat meat. They also told me that they take in a lot of calories.

is there anyone else here who powerlifts and understand my dilemma? i feel like i have to go back to the very basics and watch every single thing that i eat. that is so annoying and time consuming.

I'm not sure you're going to be able to get the kind of advice you need for your situation here. You're looking at bariatric quantities PLUS vegetarian diet PLUS powerlifting specific needs to build muscle and burn fat. I'd look to a nutritionist and perhaps a personal trainer to get specifics on what you need.

All I do know however is PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN. You need a lot of it and if you aren't supplementing your food with protein drinks - be it plant or whey based - you aren't going to get the results you want.

Edited July 8, 20197 yr by KCgirl061

i know...it's a lot. kind of an anomaly. i may have to write my own guide, if im successful! lol

Also I hate to say it because it may be insulting but you never know who could use the reminder:

You cannot out exercise a bad diet.

If you are indulging in sweets, breads, pasta, rice, potatoes and the like it will affect whether or not you see results. You need clean eating in combination with exercise.

Edited July 8, 20197 yr by KCgirl061

1 minute ago, KCgirl061 said:

Also I hate to say it because it may be insulting but you never know who could use the reminder:

You cannot out exercise a bad diet.

If you are indulging in sweets, breads, Pasta, rice, potatoes and the like it will affect whether or not you see results. You need clean eating in combination with exercise.

you're right. i used to indulge in sweets when i first started lifting, but have since given that up. especially since i started to pack on the pounds. i brought that to a cold stop. now, im just trying to find what works for me in terms of lifting heavy and losing weight. there is definitely a science to it. since my case seems to be unique, i'll have to figure this one out on my own.

2 minutes ago, qnz234 said:

you're right. i used to indulge in sweets when i first started lifting, but have since given that up. especially since i started to pack on the pounds. i brought that to a cold stop. now, im just trying to find what works for me in terms of lifting heavy and losing weight. there is definitely a science to it. since my case seems to be unique, i'll have to figure this one out on my own.

Why do you think you began gaining? What were you eating when the weight loss stopped and the gains started. How many times per day were you eating, what quantities? Were you logging your food daily into something like MFP? Are you vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescatarian? All quite different situations.

4 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Why do you think you began gaining? What were you eating when the weight loss stopped and the gains started. How many times per day were you eating, what quantities? Were you logging your food daily into something like MFP? Are you vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescatarian? All quite different situations.

cuz i was eating whatever i felt like eating, whenever i wanted. i didnt track anything. i hate tracking. i also stopped doing cardio. powerlifters are not big on cardio, so it wasnt a part of my program. however, i have since added it back to my program, because im not the average powerlifter. i need cardio. and as annoying and tedious as it is...i realize i have to start tracking again. i really hate that sh!t tho.

10 minutes ago, qnz234 said:

cuz i was eating whatever i felt like eating, whenever i wanted. i didnt track anything. i hate tracking. i also stopped doing cardio. powerlifters are not big on cardio, so it wasnt a part of my program. however, i have since added it back to my program, because im not the average powerlifter. i need cardio. and as annoying and tedious as it is...i realize i have to start tracking again. i really hate that sh!t tho.

I'm glad you can clearly identify the culprits/behaviors and choices that contributed. I think it makes it easier if you know, then you know what to change. You know?

I wish I knew more about lifting. I think @Healthy_life2, @BigViffer, @BlueCrush and a few others whom I'm drawing a blank on can help you! They are so awesome about stepping in and mentoring! I will be excited to learn more from them with you.

I know if you do YouTube on Lyle Mcdonald (a body building pro of old), he talks quite in depth about women building and cutting and the hormonal things that have to be accounted for that make cutting and building quite different for women than men.

Edited July 8, 20197 yr by FluffyChix

On 07/08/2019 at 11:52, qnz234 said:

cuz i was eating whatever i felt like eating, whenever i wanted. i didnt track anything. i hate tracking. i also stopped doing cardio. powerlifters are not big on cardio, so it wasnt a part of my program. however, i have since added it back to my program, because im not the average powerlifter. i need cardio. and as annoying and tedious as it is...i realize i have to start tracking again. i really hate that sh!t tho.

Girl- I feel you. I hate tracking. But I do recognize that when I do it I am more mindful of what and how much I’m eating.

52 minutes ago, KCgirl061 said:

Girl- I feel you. I hate tracking. But I do recognize that when I do it I am more mindful of what and how much I’m eating.

indeed...there is definitely more accountability...

I’m 5 months out and am also powerlifting, which I was doing before surgery. I think going back to cardio is a good idea. Also you can add protein to your diet without eating meat. Try dairy, oats, legumes...

My problem right now is keeping muscle. As soon as I make some gains my body gobbles up the muscle. I can’t take in enough protein from any source. Also, I noticed long plateaus and slow weight loss. I attribute it to the powerlifting which is why I think the cardio is so important.

4 hours ago, qnz234 said:

It's been so long since i've made a post. Im almost 6 years post op, and about a year ago i decided to get into powerlifting. i've gotten some gains, muscles AND fat. now im trying to lose the fat, and keep the muscle. i also dont eat a ton of meat. in fact, i prefer not to. i know one person who started bodybuilding after wls, however they eat meat. They also told me that they take in a lot of calories.

is there anyone else here who powerlifts and understand my dilemma? i feel like i have to go back to the very basics and watch every single thing that i eat. that is so annoying and time consuming.

There is a lot going on here and I will do my best to address it. You said that you have gained muscle and fat, good news is that is exactly how it is supposed to work. True increase in strength cannot happen without an increase in body fat. The good news is that the increase muscle mass makes it easier to burn that fat when you decide to do a what is called a cut.

I purposefully said increase in strength and not size. Hypertrophy is not the same as "swole" Increased muscle size from high rep & low weight will really only increase the volume of the existing muscle tissue (1). High weight, low volume will strengthen existing muscle tissue (2). Hypertrophy is the tearing and healing from high weight and high volume. (3)

1 does not require much of a calorie surplus. 2 & 3 do require a surplus, and usually the more the better. That is where the increase in fat comes from. That is the reserve the body calls upon to do the work.

If you are powerlifting, strength is the primary concern. If you are bodybuilding, aesthetics are the primary. There is nothing wrong with either, but they require different approach. However, either approach will require that you have protein as high as you can manage. If you prefer not to eat meat, whey is king of the protein supplements, or dairy as a real food. Plant based protein has a very low bioavalability compared to whey or any meat. Soy is about the best plant based protein, but it is at best 70% bioavalable compared to whey's 90-ish. So you will need to eat more to get the same benefit. However, the calories are still there. So more calories are necessary for the same protein.

As for tracking, Last I looked, I have logged every single bite I have eaten for the last 1500+ days. It just became a habit and something that takes the place of the ritual I had with food. I have a incredible detailed log. There is an example in my images on my profile page if you are interested.