Cutting diet are my cals too low??

[Shrad6]

Ok I'm back at it (cutting) and not sure if my cals are ok. My stats are 5'8 184lb BF I'd say between 15%-20%.

All my meals are seperated by 2-3 hours

Cardio an hour @ 60%-70% HRT

1. 5 eggs (1 whole, 4 whites) and a protein shake 20g protein

2. Can and half of tuna with a tablespoon of mayo

3. 7.oz of cooked grilled chicken salad

4. Can and half of tuna with a tablespoon of mayo

Work out

4. 80g dex and 40g protein

5. 7.oz of cooked grilled chicken, 1 cup of mixed vegi's and 1/2 cup of brown rice


Total 33 grams of fat, 139 grams of carbs and 255 grams of protein= 1576 cals

Now I'm looking to lean out so I can start bulking with a clean base. I get the feeling my cals are too low and I'm going to do more harm then good am I right? Should I add a pro/fat shake after meal number 5??

[Panzerfaust]

Off the top of my head i would say yes your kCals are to low, but what stuck out the most was your workout first thing.

Are you weight training or doing cardio first thing in the morning? I would highly suggest you do cardio in the AM on an empty stomach and then weight train later at least 2-3 meals later or 6 hours at the least.

I also do not see any EFA's incorporated in your dietary approach.

[Kärnfysikern]

if anything your fat is to low. You should realy add some olive and flax oil to your diet. Start at around 1900kcal instead and lower from there if you dont lose weight. Starting the diet with to low kcal isnt a good idea.

[usualsuspect]

As suggested above, I'd bump up your EFA's and switch around cardio and weight training. I'd also put the carb/protein meal into a post-workout meal.

[FranKieC]

Meal 2 lose the eggyoke because that is your pwwo and you dont want mr insulin transporting fat to your muscles

[xtinaunasty]

oh my god your calories are way too low! 1500 is how many i eat a day and i weigh 70lbs less and 5" shorter. here is a link to calculate (its just an estimate) your calorie needs...

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

[IronFreakX]

actually guys , his calories arent low...his LBM is 148Lbs (approx)

[usualsuspect]

Calories are extremely low. I'd start with at least 2500 calories (185 X 14) and then slowly (weekly) work my way down.

Calories in vs calories out is one tiny piece of the equation. Based on his food selection, combinations, timing of his meals, his muscle mass, his energy expeditures, his calorie output, etc...he needs more calories (of course we're not just talking any kind of calories, but rather muscle building, fat-burning foods....so yeah calories are very important and in this case I'd say he can afford to bump them up (just going off his current stats).

[IronFreakX]

Calories are extremely low. I'd start with at least 2500 calories (185 X 14) and then slowly (weekly) work my way down.

Calories in vs calories out is one tiny piece of the equation. Based on his food selection, combinations, timing of his meals, his muscle mass, his energy expeditures, his calorie output, etc...he needs more calories (of course we're not just talking any kind of calories, but rather muscle building, fat-burning foods....so yeah calories are very important and in this case I'd say he can afford to bump them up (just going off his current stats).

yeah , Id rather he increase his calories and activity level to keep his metabolism elevated rather than starving himself...

ur equation might work for some1 with a low bf...who aint muscualr...but he aint...hes 185..20% bf...the calculations are too vague....

[Shrad6]

Ok I knew my cals were too low, but just wanted to make sure. Last time I tried a cutting diet I weighed roughly 195lb and my cals were at 2700 and the fat loss was EXTREMELY slow if any. So I thought maybe this time I would try starting off lower then others would go. Right now I'm probably closer to 15% bf then 20%. Here is it revised

All my meals are seperated by 2-3 hours

Cardio an hour @ 60%-70% HRT

1. 5 eggs (1 whole, 4 whites) and a protein shake 20g protein

2. Can and half of tuna with a tablespoon of mayo

3. 7.oz of cooked grilled chicken salad

4. Can and half of tuna with a tablespoon of mayo

Work out

4. 80g dex and 40g protein

5. 7.oz of cooked grilled chicken, 1 cup of mixed vegi's and 1/2 cup of brown rice


Total 33 grams of fat, 139 grams of carbs and 310 grams of protein= 2093 cals

Ok it's probably a no brainer, but how would you go about measuring when making a salad??? My salad is basically going to consist of romaine lettuce, cucumbers and grilled chicken. I'm not much of a salad person so I don't have a clue as to measure how much lettuce & cucumbers I would need use or if it would even matter.

[xtinaunasty]

nah...veggies are minimal cals, mostly water and fiber. i just throw a bunch in a big bowl and just measure the chicken. calories are much better. you may want to think about throwing in a cheat day or carb up day once a week.

[Shrad6]

nah...veggies are minimal cals, mostly water and fiber. i just throw a bunch in a big bowl and just measure the chicken. calories are much better. you may want to think about throwing in a cheat day or carb up day once a week.

LOL... ohhhhh trust me I know about the one cheat day. I have it all planned out the week before almost. I look foward to it so bad in my head I have a count down of how many days are left.