Crap, my waist is getting bigger...please help!

[rubinglen]

Hello gentlemen and women. I am a 36 year old 5'9'' male 210 lb novice lifter doing starting strength for a couple months now. As you can imagine from the above info I am already quite the porker and am not looking to increase my waist size, which is too big to start (approx 40''). From reading Starting Strength I gathered the program would help promote waist thinning while adding muscle. Unfortunately, I am finding that my pants are getting tighter in the waste, some slacks that were wearable just a couple weeks ago are now too tight. This has me very upset. I eat pretty healthy and was consuming in the 3500-4000 calorie range below what was recommended in the book, so now I am considering cutting back further on calories. Like I said, I am far too fat already and not looking to put more inches on my tummy. Appreciate any helpful input on my dilemma. Thanks!!

[Carlos Daniel]

Just to make sure, you sure the pants are getting tighter on the waist? because they will get tight on the legs pretty quickly (upper legs too), which could in theory confuse you. If you're getting fatter, reduce carbs (probably fat too) and increase protein. This should result in reduced caloric intake too.

[MikeC1]

Well what does a typical day look like for you?

[utexas61]

I eat pretty healthy and was consuming in the 3500-4000 calorie range below what was recommended in the book, so now I am considering cutting back further on calories.

That many calories are recommended for someone who already considers themselves a porker?

[rubinglen]

Pants are definitely getting tighter in the waist. Usually, in the morning i have a 3-4 egg cheese omlette and coffee. Snacks till lunch include several handfuls of cashews and possibly some fruit and milk. Lunch could be something like a piece of steak with vegetable and fruit. Probably another snack before dinner...like a cliff bar or something and a glass of milk. Dinner will include a good helping of protein (e.g. chicken and some vegetables and fruit as well). That's a typical day for me.

[Carlos Daniel]

Then there's something wrong, because that doesn't look like 4000 kcal.

[melody]

Then there's something wrong, because that doesn't look like 4000 kcal.

It does not look like 4k calories. How big are those glasses of milk? Are you sitting most of the day? Are you gaining muscle in your waist?

[Patrick]

Yeah, that seems like a pretty sparse diet for someone claiming 4000 calories. It's actually the kind of diet I would recommend for someone looking to lose weight. Unless you go all Flintstones on your cuts of meat and eat a brontosaurus burger every time, I can't see that being 4000 cal.

[rubinglen]

i'm probably eating somewhat shy of 4000. but oftentimes i will eat the brontosaurus burger or a 1/2 slab or ribs or something big like that. milkwise i kind of chug it repeatedly throughout the day, but end up drinking only a quart and a half or so. snacking on things like nuts i probably end up eating 3 cups. I guess I just have an awful metabolism. Can I cut back on food to the point where my waistline isn't getting bigger, but still building muscle..even if that means going to like 3000 calories or a little less?

[melody]

i'm probably eating somewhat shy of 4000. but oftentimes i will eat the brontosaurus burger or a 1/2 slab or ribs or something big like that. milkwise i kind of chug it repeatedly throughout the day, but end up drinking only a quart and a half or so. snacking on things like nuts i probably end up eating 3 cups. I guess I just have an awful metabolism. Can I cut back on food to the point where my waistline isn't getting bigger, but still building muscle..even if that means going to like 3000 calories or a little less?

3 cups of nuts is A LOT of nuts. Stop chugging milk and eating nuts, and add whey protein into your diet. put fats on your veggies to keep your calories up and skip the nighttime fruit.