Newb to dieting would love some advice!

[Allimony]

What's up folks. A friend of mine pointed me towards these forums and said that this would be the BEST place to get advice on beginning bodybuilding. I don't have vast experience lifting, only 6 years or so. I am very dedicated to it though and really want to get on a precise schedule with my food intake. I read several of the articles on cutting and think I get the gist of how it should work. Before I ask my questions I'll let everyone know that I'm 21 yers old, I'm 6'4 and 230lbs and my body fat is between 8-10%. Also my goal right now is to cut down to get the toned look I have been really striving for. I have always been able to put on weight very easily (both muscle and fat) but I have personally felt like losing weight has been very difficult. about 6 months ago I finally finished losing alot of fat I gained. This quick weight loss seems to have come from everywhere but my abdomen which is obviously where I really want it to come from. Okay now on to my questions and I appreciate any input, thanks folks.

(1) Groceries: My goal is to cut first (because I really want to) and would love to know what I should buy from the grocery store! I have the basics like oatmeal, rice, chicken, tuna, steak. Beyond that I'm like a monkey with a rubix cube in there! Any suggestions on what to buy and how to keep the cost down would be great, because as a college student I do have to factor the price in.

(2) Cardio: Okay so 70% of my max heart rate i get, 45-60 minutes a day sounds good too. Okay so does it need to be done on an empty stomach? How long do I need to wait between my running and my training in the evening? I can't always make it to a very early cardio session so I want to make sure I still get the timing right. Also, is an eliptical machine the best general type of cardio equipment to use?

(3) Supplements: Whey: Check, Glutamine: check (though not sure when or how much to take honestly), GAbA: Check, Redline (thermogenic that I have thought about using but am not sure about it since I believe I have had massive headaches that were a direct result of this product) Anything else that I'm missing that would be nessicary for a good cutting cycle?

(4) Headaches: I may just be unlucky but I have always gotten them if I train very heavy. My blood pressure is not high and I measure it regularly. I have narrowed it down to two things that I believe may be the cause of these headaches. They are either the result of using a thermogenic product like Redline, taking more than 1 capsule seems to give me that headache. Is this something that happens if you have a caffeine sensitivity? The other possibility is they are food related headaches. I have heard things like cheeses can cause a hormone release in some folks that can cause headaches, if anyone has any info about that stuff I'd really appreciate it since I don't want to take any types of risks like that.

That about does it for round 1 for me. I know y'all are going to be alot of help. If you don't feel like posting here but would still like to help me out please e-mail me at [email protected]! Thanks folks!

[LeanMeOut]

First off welcome to AR and the diet section.

(1) Groceries: My goal is to cut first (because I really want to) and would love to know what I should buy from the grocery store! I have the basics like oatmeal, rice, chicken, tuna, steak. Beyond that I'm like a monkey with a rubix cube in there! Any suggestions on what to buy and how to keep the cost down would be great, because as a college student I do have to factor the price in.

Buy in bulk....... much much cheaper. Try places like Sams Club/Costco and Walmart

(2) Cardio: Okay so 70% of my max heart rate i get, 45-60 minutes a day sounds good too. Okay so does it need to be done on an empty stomach? How long do I need to wait between my running and my training in the evening? I can't always make it to a very early cardio session so I want to make sure I still get the timing right. Also, is an eliptical machine the best general type of cardio equipment to use?

Cardio should be done in the morning on empty... or atleast 2.5-3 hours after a pro/fat meal. Any type of cardio equipment will be fine, but I would stick with eliptical/bike machines as they offer less stress on the legs/shins.

(3) Supplements: Whey: Check, Glutamine: check (though not sure when or how much to take honestly), GAbA: Check, Redline (thermogenic that I have thought about using but am not sure about it since I believe I have had massive headaches that were a direct result of this product) Anything else that I'm missing that would be nessicary for a good cutting cycle?

Supplements are not necessary to cut, but definitely help. I would just stick to Glutamine, and ECA stack, and focus on diet. Any product that gives you a headache I would ditch.

(4) Headaches: I may just be unlucky but I have always gotten them if I train very heavy. My blood pressure is not high and I measure it regularly. I have narrowed it down to two things that I believe may be the cause of these headaches. They are either the result of using a thermogenic product like Redline, taking more than 1 capsule seems to give me that headache. Is this something that happens if you have a caffeine sensitivity? The other possibility is they are food related headaches. I have heard things like cheeses can cause a hormone release in some folks that can cause headaches, if anyone has any info about that stuff I'd really appreciate it since I don't want to take any types of risks like that.

I doubt foods are causing your headaches, it may either be mental or possibly one of the supplements you are using. Try to cut something out to eliminate the headaches, or you may want to visit a doctor.

I hope this helped you a little bit

[Allimony]

ECA stack? Not clear on that one friend. Also, I still need to be eating 5 or so meals a day right? I think I may end up ditching the Redline because I think it has to be the caffiene. Here's my biggest problem I think, meal prep! Do you guys tend to cook and weigh your chicken for a couple days at a time and just tupperware them in teh fridge or something? If I can conquer the meal prep hurdle and my horrible spelling I should be fine.

[LeanMeOut]

ECA stack? Not clear on that one friend. Also, I still need to be eating 5 or so meals a day right? I think I may end up ditching the Redline because I think it has to be the caffiene. Here's my biggest problem I think, meal prep! Do you guys tend to cook and weigh your chicken for a couple days at a time and just tupperware them in teh fridge or something? If I can conquer the meal prep hurdle and my horrible spelling I should be fine.

I eat 6-7 times a day.....


ECA stack is a fat burner stack you can make at home consisting of Ephedrine (25mg), Caffeine (200mg) & Asprin (81mg)


I cook my food a week at a time, and put them in tupperware.

[Allimony]

On average if I'm trying to cut how many calories should I subtract at first? 500 since I'm new to dieting? Oh and about how many calories should I be taking in at my size? around 2,000 maybe? OH and should I be taking the glutamine about an hour before my training? thanks again