Not sure if this is the right place, but I need some help.

[Vultanus]

Ok so I'm about 20 years old, 5'8, 160lbs. I've been off and on working out, currently trying to get serious about it. [Quite hard without a buddy, and what little equipment I have.]

Now to my problem:

http://oi55.tinypic.com/119qo3p.jpg

Probably laughing right now but this is an issue that I've been contending with for a few years now. I had hoped working on my chest three times a week and weight loss would remove this horrible droop. So far I've dropped 20 pounds and its still there.

I'm frustrated and have no idea what I'm doing. If anyone can offer suggestions and tips on how to tone myself up better and such, please help.

[CMoney]

Do you eat soy products? I mean ANYTHING with soy or soy ingredients (do some research and start reading labels to check for foods with soy/soy derivatives)? It's crazy how many processed items and junk foodss contains soy. Many protein bars and some powders contain soy.

If the answer is yes, get this garbage out of your diet NOW. And it wouldn't hurt to avoid white sugar, white flour products, all commercial baked products, and as much animal fat (drink skim mile, eat lean cuts of meat, etc.) as you can, but that's just for overall health, not for the gyno problem. Men's Health covered this a few issues ago, and I think Entourage star Jeremy Piven has also talked about quitting soy milk for this very reason.

No, I'm not laughing. I have a son and would advise him the same thing if he experienced this in adulthood (very normal in adolescence, of course; my son is 9).

Good luck.

BTW, you cannot spot reduce. Train your entire body and clean up your diet and you'll lose fat all over. Everyone's body drops the fat from different areas in a different sequence and to differing degrees.

[Vultanus]

In recent years I've had alot less soy, but growing up my mother[whose overboard against any animal products] fed the soy milk and other stuff with it to me like crazy. Staying away from it now should be easy, for the most part my diet consists of semi vegetarian dishes. White sugar is something I barely consume.

I'm assuming from what you said I should avoid bread, pasta and the like?

[CMoney]

I'm assuming from what you said I should avoid bread, pasta and the like?

Just the very refined stuff. Whole grains are the best choice...

[Sandwiches]

i would say it's water retention and fat.. judging by your pic it looks like you have some "droop" around the lower half of your belly as well.. i could be wrong do to the pic being cut off, how ever these parts of the body are the last places to lose fat.. so keep at it and listen to Crystol.. maybe post up your daily food intake and we can pick away at it

[Vultanus]

You're correct about the slight 'droop' with the belly sandwich.

As for daily food intake, it varies. I'll give you the basic commons though.

Breakfast is often one of the following:

1: A bowl of oatmeal[probably no more then 1 cup of oatmeal], with added raisins, brown sugar/honey and cinnamon.
2: A fruit smoothie consisting of a banana, various berries[about 1 cup] 2-5 dates and sometimes 1/3 a cup of almonds.
3: Apples, like four of them... [When I have no food in the house 8D]
4: Whole wheat toast with butter.

Lunch is often one of the following:

1: Sandwiches with mayo, some lettuce an- Well I'll be damned the simulated meat slices are made of soy [Thank you mother D8]

2: Leftover soup, god knows what it's made off.

3: White rice with a blend of spices. Not instant and often lots... I love rice

Supper:

1: Pasta, more often not whole wheat, no meat in the sauce.

2: Soup, again God Knows, but I think it sometimes has something called veggie ground round and various veggies.

3: RICE, love it ><



Thats all I can think of right now?

Oh and I eat the most during lunch and supper if that has any barring on any of this.

Thanks in advance.

Ps: Now before you go thinking I'm a vegetarian I'm not, but I don't have meat very often, as the rest of the family is vegetarians.

[Big D]

from the looks of your diet your consuming too many carbs and not enough protein.

eggs and fish are your freinds :)

there's guys in this board that are way more helpful then I am, read Praetorians thread, the info in there is worth more then gold.

oh ya and dont get discourage man, keep up the good work dont give up :)

[CMoney]

I yoinked the list below from here:
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/soyallergies/a/List-Of-Soy-Ingredients-To-Avoid-When-Following-A-Soy-Free-Diet.htm

This is why we eat so flippin' clean when dieting for cosmetic reasons. Anything you don't prepare yourself from groceries that only contain one-three ingredients (e.g., tuna, water, salt! heehee) can cause problems. Most competitors avoid soy anything like the plague.

Check your labels. Maybe try replacing some of that white rice with brown rice or quinoa or even another serving of oatmeal. I am definitely loving the quinoa cooked in chicken broth.

Here's the list from about.com (this is written for people with allergies):

Soy Ingredients

Ingredients on a label are not always recognizable as soy. These ingredients are created from soy that has been processed in some way:

Hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP)
Mono- and di-glycerides
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Soy (albumin, cheese, fiber, grits, milk, nuts, sprouts, yogurt, ice cream, pasta)
Soy lecithin (see above)
Soy protein (concentrate, hydrolyzed, isolate)
Soybean oil (see above)
Teriyaki sauce
Textured vegetable protein (TVP)

Possible Soy Ingredients

These ingredients may or may not contain soy. Call the manufacturer of the product of interest to find out the source of the ingredient.

Bulking agent
Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP) or hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Gum arabic
Guar gum
Lecithin
Mixed tocopherols
Natural flavoring
Stabilizer
Thickener
Vegetable gum, starch, shortening, or oil
Vitamin E

Foods That May Contain Soy

These foods often contain soy. You should be extra cautious about eating these foods if you are unable to get a complete ingredient list.

Asian cuisine (Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, etc.)
Baked goods and baking mixes
Bouillon cubes
Candy
Cereal
Chicken (raw or cooked) that is processed with chicken broth
Chicken broth
Chocolate
Deli meats
Energy bars, nutrition bars
Imitation dairy foods, such as soy milks, vegan cheese, or vegan ice cream
Infant formula
Margarine
Mayonnaise
Meat products with fillers, for example, burgers or sausages
Nutrition supplements (vitamins)
Peanut butter and peanut butter substitutes
Protein powders
Sauces, gravies, and soups
Smoothies
Vegetable broth
Vegetarian meat substitutes: veggie burgers, imitation chicken patties, imitation lunch meats, imitation bacon bits, etc.