Stalling After 1 Month.

[Rodolfo E.]

Hi guys! I am new here and was not sure about posting because I do not want to waste your time with such a long post but since I have nothing to lose and think I messed up my LP I rather give it a shot.

Age: 34 years (35 in a month), Heigt: 182 cm. (Close to 6’ but not quite) Weight: 85.7 kilos (188.93 pounds) Waist size at naval: 98.5 cm. (38.78 inches) in the morning.
Approx. calorie intake: 1,200 - 1,400 a day. (Give or take 200 to those 1,400).

Body fat % 23.5, BMI: 25.9 according to an OMRON fat loss monitor HBF-306C
(I have heard they are not reliable and even useless though).

Starting Date Loads and current:
Oct/18/2017 - Nov/18/2017 (one month)
Squat: 105 lbs. - 210 lbs. (+105 lbs.)
Bench Press: 85 lbs. - 110 lbs. (+ 25 lbs.)
OH Press: 75 lbs. - 105 lbs. (+25 lbs.)
Deadlift: 135 lbs. - 250 lbs. (+115 lbs.)

BACK ROUND:
English is not my native language so I apologize for spelling and grammar beforehand.

I am new to the site and to the program; this is my first post and went longer than I intended. I’m sorry for that.

I was diagnosed with fatty liver, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gallbladder sludge, high cholesterol and almost prediabetes (borderline diabetes) level; almost, but thankfully, not there. among other things related to rapid weight gain and gallbladder issues coming from very bad alimentary habits, sleep disorders and highly stressful work life.
I mention all this, perhaps unnecessary things, so you guys understand that to me, losing excess body fat (not weight) was, and still is, a health goal and why I’m a bit worried about keeping my weight under control.

On July 2 of 2017 my weight was 118 kg. (260.145 pounds). on that morning I began the Atkins diet which is a low carb, high fat and protein diet of the many out there. I am not allowed to drink milk at all, let alone GOMAD. My calorie intake has varied from the beginning of the dieting but at this point I estimate it must be between 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day. Fatty food and protein is very, very satiating.

By October 17, 3 months and half later, I had lost 70 pounds and felt great! I could put on socks and lace up my shoes again. but realized that, besides fat, I had lost muscle (or perhaps it was all fat and I had nearly non existent muscle mass). At that point I still needed to shed 18 pounds more but did not want to lose more muscle mass so I figured I should lift weighs while on the diet and picked Starting Strength as my program (and I’m still happy I did and I’m sure this is the program I want to do). After reading some posts on this site and others I quickly realized that my fat loss regime, mainly my current calorie consumption and sleep disorder, counterposes Starting Strength’s principles and recommendations.

Since day one on the gym I went up about 5 lbs on weight, probably liquids, and lost them in the following 15 or 20 days and then went back to 190 pounds but haven’t been able to lose anymore weight in spite of keeping diet and same calorie intake. Just one pound of weight lost in the entire month (I was losing an average of two pounds per week). My waist has decreased in size notably though; going from around 42.5 inches + down to present 38.8 in spite of insignificant weight loss. Before dieting my waist at the navel measures around 51-52 inches.
Besides all the above I drink too much Diet Coke and smoke cigarettes, which I’m seriously planning on quitting (I did quit smoking for two years which played a some roll in my rapid weight gain).

THE PROBLEM:
Till last Monday I was adding 10 pounds to the squat and deadlift and 5 to bench and press every workout and was feeling great. I have missed some workouts which messed up some gains in bench and press dew to interruption of sequence. If you miss bench on Monday and do it on Wednesday, then Press on Wednesday goes to Friday and you miss bench on Friday or goes to next Monday which turns it into a two bench week instead of a two press. Either way you lose a bench or a press workout, LoL, but you still squat and deadlift everyday. you know what I mean.
To this day I still deadlift every workout.

Three workouts ago (las Monday), after only one month, I think I stalled or I’m about to. My rest periods went from 5-8 minutes to 10 minutes and lately even 15.
I do 5 minutes of cardio before workout as part of warm up and my heart beats have gone up from 147-157 at the end of the 5 minutes up to 168.
That Monday I missed the fifth rep of both the second and third sets on the squat (205 lbs.) on the second set I did try the fifth but was unable to lift it and dropped the bar behind me, on the third set I didn’t even try the fifth rep as the fourth was very, very hard to complete.
I repeated the same load for the squat next workout on Wednesday and barely made the 3 x 5 with less than desirable form my back tilted forward on the last rep of all sets.
Missed workout Friday due to tiredness and lack of sleep and did it on Saturday.

On last Saturday’s workout I only added 5 lbs and tried a new grip for the squat. 1st set went ok and on the second set, I did one terrible rep and racked the barbell due to some form issues that I tried to correct while bearing the weight. The bar was sliding down ‘cause I tried a different grip as suggested on one of Rip’s videos to correct my form but forgot to keep my elbows up in good position, plus just standing there fighting the sliding bar and breeding with the weight on my back drained me and broke my concentration. Besides, I could not break parallel on all the reps.
YouTube

Rested for about 2 or three minutes and squatted 3 mores reps for that set (if I’m allowed to consider them in the same set).
Rested 10 or 11 minutes and did the third set just fine and the squatted a 4th set of two reps tow “make for the rep missed in the 2nd set”.

On the deadlift I had been struggling with my grip strength for about two or three workouts. On Wednesday I incorporated the mixed grip alternating hands each lift. Last Saturday I only added 5 lbs as well and dropped the barbell half way up the second rep because my fingers just can’t hold the weight anymore. Then quickly and in a rather messy and hurried manner I picked it up again with a mixed grip, alternating hands trying to give the muscles involved an even workout but just managed to do 3 more reps and because I was in a hurry and not paying much attention to my form I may have hurt myself since For that day I felt a slight clack accompanied with minor pain on the upper left side of my hip or lower back. I feel fine today, no clack, no pain.

It’s getting VERY HARD to do the initial lifting of the deadlifts. The first 6 to 8 inches from the ground are hell and by switching hands on the mixed grip every lift I’m having to start from zero every lift. Big mistake maybe.
I am not sure how to explain it but it is harder, at least to me, to end the deadlift, release the bar and then start it all over again immediately than to just touch the ground at the end and lift it again in the set sequence.
Other thing I noticed is that because of my lack of grip strength, the hurry and lack of concentration (the gym was closing for the day) this last work out on the deadlift I was dropping the weight down rather than driving it down. I am not sure if I gave you a clear idea.
I am not realizing the bar from the standing position, but on the way down it was more as is if I was dropping the weight by its gravity while holding the bar rather than slowly putting it down.

So, as I said, I messed up.
I have not read the book yet and it’s clear to me that it is a must before posting questions here but I ordered it already on amazon, should have ordered it before. I should have ordered chalk, and some micro plates too but didn’t. I live in north Mexico 1 hour and half away from the border with Texas so I have to wait till it gets to my P.O. Box and then go and pick it up.

I’ve read many old and newer posts on this site and I know my calorie intake and sleep habits are a Joke. A bad one for the purpose of Starting Strength.

On top of that, I’m also wondering and/or concerned that I may have added too much weight, too fast and my body Isn’t recovering.
I’m also working on some details of my form (like the example above and widening my stance, breaking parallel deeper, etc.) as I go a long.

THE QUESTION;
So Assuming I correct my sleep habits and increase my calorie intake by increasing the amount of food allowed in my diet program rather than adopting another if possible, my question is:
What now?

A) should I keep trying hard to add weight.

B) should I deload? and if so, how much?

C) Should I stop SS until I’m done with my weight loss and stabilize my diet to avoid bouncing back by integrating milk and other foods?

D) Should I rest a week and wait till the better sleep habits and increased calorie intake have an effect on me.

E) Should I just keep lifting the same weight without adding until I reach my weight goal and I’m done dieting then start increasing calorie intake carefully?

This post went longer than I intended but I wanted to give all the facts to give you guys a better idea of what may be going wrong, the more I review it, the more I want to add, so. I thank you in advance for your advice.

[Tom Campitelli]

Oh, dear lord. I need something shorter. There are almost 1,800 words here. Too much. Too much, I say. Pick one thing, something reasonable, and give me something short that I can answer without reading a full short story.

[Brian Sloan]

Next time start off the post with "Call me ishmael."

[Tom Campitelli]

Next time start off the post with "Call me ishmael."

This was good.

[m_sporkboy]

I seriously doubt it is possible to run a serious linear program on 1400 kcal, especially a low-carb 1400.

You should probably post a much shorter version of this in Jordan’s nutrition forum, and maybe pay him for a consult.

[Rodolfo E.]

This was good.

Lol, and you wouldn’t believe how long it took me to write it. As I said, I’m not a native english speaker; I had to grammar and spell check it thrice, plus editing and read it about 4. But if I hadn’t and I had write it short, then you would ask for more background.

So, what do you think? Should I stop SS for the time being until I teach my fat loss goal?

Or should should I increase my calorie intake and keep going?

And how do I keep the deadlifts going up if My fingers are failing to hold on to the weight.

Thanks.

[Rodolfo E.]

i posted this a week or so ago. I thought it wasn’t even going to get posted.

[Tom Campitelli]

But if I hadn’t and I had write it short, then you would ask for more background.

I still haven't read it because I just cannot bring myself to do so. However, I do need a little background to answer your questions. For the sake of preserving my sanity, I cannot go digging through the ocean of text above. If you are only taking in 1,400 calories, as the sporkboy suggested, that is not enough to make much progress.

[Rodolfo E.]

Thanks Sporkboy, I will re-edit it and ask for help in Jordan’s forum. I really want to increase calorie intake carefully since I dread bouncing back to 260 pounds.

[Rodolfo E.]

Tom, you are right. In fact while I was writing the post, I did think that it was all pointless if I knew that my calorie intake is below mantaince and my sleeping habits a mess, but decided to give it a shot.
After posting it I realized I was asking questions to which I Knew the answer. My bad.

Thanks guys.