Trying to do it right, but seem to f* it up. ;)
I've been a member of this forum for a long time and tend to read many of the posts. For some reason, initially, I was unable to post for a while myself, but that is finally fixed. Anyway, I take lots of animal supplements: Nitro, M-Stak, Pump, Rage, and Flex. I also eat clean all the time. I'm very disciplined with my diet. I basically look at unhealthy food the same way I would look at a cigarette: I wouldn't touch either one.
I started out very unhealthy. I was one of those skinny kids that could eat whatever I wanted and never gain an ounce, until my metabolism slowed down as I got older, and I ended up with around 26% body fat before I knew I needed to do something. I've gotten my body fat down to 8%, can't seem to get lower than that for some reason.
I was: 27 years old, slightly under 5'9" tall, 170lbs, 26% body fat.
My current stats are: 29 years old, slightly under 5'9" tall, 142lbs, 8% body fat.
I'm allergic to nearly all fruits and non-starchy vegetables, got tested, and there's nothing that can be done about that. So, I would say my diet is mainly healthy fats. I eat at least a cup of walnuts a day, 800 calories from that, 20 grams of protein. I get more protein from a whey and health shake, 40 grams there. And, I eat lean chicken breast or shrimp for more protein. I only eat whole grain carbs, usually from sprouted wheat bread. I also make sure to always keep my insulin levels from spiking.
Aside from diet, I train hard lifting heavy (well, heavy for me anyway; so far I can only bench about 105lbs) 3 times a week, working core on the other 3 days, with one day off. I warm up each routine with a bit of cardio, and that's about all the cardio I get at the moment.
My goal is to get to 180lbs, with 4-8% body fat. I used to be very vigorous about my calorie count, but now that I've got a better idea of how many calories are in the foods I eat, I take in around 2000 calories daily.
I know I need to increase my calorie intake to gain weight and muscle; however, every time I increase my calorie intake, I can't seem to keep the body fat down and end up just looking bloated and unhealthy again, even with only eating clean foods.
Is there anything I'm doing wrong, and is there something more I can do that will help me achieve my goals? As I said, I admire you guys.
Any advice would truly be appreciated.
--Chad