Gaining on my cutting diet?

[noitnes]

Ok guys need a little help here. I started cutting about 4 weeks ago thanks to some great advice from beast and whipped up what I thought looked like a pretty good cutting diet. Been following it pretty good. I must admit I havent been 100% on the weekends but overall I follow it to 100% weekdays.

I am doing cardio every day 30 mins after my workout and working out 5 days a week. Problem is I am gaining about one pound every week when I should be losing that much instead... I really dont know what i'm doing wrong. I notice a great increase in strength and energy ever since I started 4 weeks ago but I seem to be putting on weight instead of losing it.

I am 5'9 165lbs and about 20-25% (just guessing) bf%.

Heres the diet:

8:00 Meal 1: Pro/Carb
4 egg white (12 / 0 / 0)
2 egg w/ yolk (12 / 1 / 10)
2 wheat english muffins (10 / 46 / 2)
- Totals: (34 / 47 / 12)

12:00 Meal 2: Pro/Fat
8 oz chicken breast 32 / 0 / 6
Veggies
- Totals: (32 / 0 / 6)

3:00 Meal 3: Pro/Fat
5 oz tuna (30 / 0 / 0)
- Totals: (30 / 0 / 14)

6:00 Meal 4: Pro/Carb
8 oz chicken breast 32 / 0 / 6
3/4 cup cooked brown rice (3 / 32 / 1)
Veggies
- Totals: (33 / 32 / 1)

Workout

9:00 Meal 5: PWO
PWO shake (32 / 85 / 12)
- Totals: (32 / 85 / 12)

11:00 Meal 6: Pro/Fat
5 oz tuna (30 / 0 / 0)
1 tbsp olive oil (0 / 0 / 14)
- Totals: (30 / 0 / 14)

Total: 2005 cals, 193g protein, 180g carb, 57g fat

Anyways, let me know if the diet looks odd or if you have any idea why im going backwards. I think I am going to start cardio 2x a day tomorrow morning and PWO in order to increase my fat burning.

[200byjune]

your gaining muscle

[TheArtist]

first, don't go by the scales... go by what you see in the mirror.
if it looks like you're getting fat, then you need to adjust your diet...

[noitnes]

Well I have noticed my belly going down, I do feel great, and I do look a tiny bit stockier but I just didnt think it was possible to be gaining 1 lb of muscle a week on a cutting diet. Can I be wrong?

[Ajc330]

meal 3 you listed 5 oz of tuna but it says 14g of fat, did you forget to include your oil?

[soulstealer]

Heres closer to what your really eating dude:

240g of protein 200g of carbs and 80g of fat or:

2480 calories...

Your BMR being roughly 1550 calories.... with an activity modifier... assuming you bust your ass in the gym of 1.5 making your maintenance calories around 2300-2400 a day.... so yes your gaining weight and thats if you eat that same diet everyday and nothing else with any calories in it... and this calculation was done with a bodyweght of 165 should be lower because your 20% bodyfat... as fat has very little influence on basal metabolitic rate...

So your doing a lean bulk

[noitnes]

meal 3 you listed 5 oz of tuna but it says 14g of fat, did you forget to include your oil?

Yes, I forgot to write that in. Thanks for noticing.

[noitnes]

Heres closer to what your really eating dude:

240g of protein 200g of carbs and 80g of fat or:

2480 calories...

Your BMR being roughly 1550 calories.... with an activity modifier... assuming you bust your ass in the gym of 1.5 making your maintenance calories around 2300-2400 a day.... so yes your gaining weight and thats if you eat that same diet everyday and nothing else with any calories in it... and this calculation was done with a bodyweght of 165 should be lower because your 20% bodyfat... as fat has very little influence on basal metabolitic rate...

So your doing a lean bulk

Hmm i guess that explains whats going on. I was wondering why the heck i am gaining on a cutting diet but seems i got the numbers all wrong.

Now what to do... continue lean bulk or cut properly? Tough decision I guess.

[soulstealer]

I would suggest you cut your chicken servings to 5oz cut yolks from breakfast..... drop the fat in your PWO shake make it pro/carb meal.... and drop the oliveoil from your pre bed snack and switch to natty PB... and bump your cardio to 40min.... and you should cut up pretty quick...

[noitnes]

I would suggest you cut your chicken servings to 5oz cut yolks from breakfast..... drop the fat in your PWO shake make it pro/carb meal.... and drop the oliveoil from your pre bed snack and switch to natty PB... and bump your cardio to 40min.... and you should cut up pretty quick...

Good suggestions. I will revise my diet with those in mind.

Just one question, the natty pb is peanuts or actual peanut butter? I know theres a bunch of different kinds of peanutes/pb on the shelfs and am not really sure which one to purchase.

[soulstealer]

Good suggestions. I will revise my diet with those in mind.

Just one question, the natty pb is peanuts or actual peanut butter? I know theres a bunch of different kinds of peanutes/pb on the shelfs and am not really sure which one to purchase.

Actual peanut butter look for smuckers or something that has nothing more then peanuts and salt as ingredients... and will be labeled natural...

[ChuckLee]

You're gaining muscle and burning fat. Remember, muscles are heavier than fat on the scale.

CL

[soulstealer]

You're gaining muscle and burning fat. Remember, muscles are heavier than fat on the scale.

CL

Hey chuck if thats true then whats heavier a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

[noitnes]

Hey chuck if thats true then whats heavier a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

I google'd the answer. Both the same... go me!

[noitnes]

Ohh and another question... you guys think eating tuna 2x a day is unhealthy due to the mercury?

[JC2007]

Ohh and another question... you guys think eating tuna 2x a day is unhealthy due to the mercury?

No. Don't use albacore.

[noitnes]

Nah I use regular tuna since I heard albacore has increased mercury. Just wanted to make sure I wasnt killing myself or something lol.

[noitnes]

Ok here is my revised diet:

8:00 Meal 1: Pro/Carb
4 egg white (12 / 0 / 0)
2 english muffins (10 / 46 / 2)
- Totals: (22 / 46 / 2)

12:00 Meal 2: Pro/Fat
5 oz chicken breast (35 / 0 / 3)
Veggies
- Totals: (35 / 0 / 3)

3:00 Meal 3: Pro/Fat
5 oz tuna (30 / 0 / 0)
1 tbsp olive oil (0 / 0 / 14)
- Totals: (30 / 0 / 14)

6:00 Meal 4: Pro/Carb
5 oz chicken breast (35 / 0 / 3)
3/4 cup cooked brown rice (3 / 32 / 1)
Veggies
- Totals: (38 / 32 / 4)

Workout

9:00 Meal 5: PWO
PWO shake (32 / 85 / 12)
- Totals: (32 / 85 / 12)

11:30 Meal 6: Pro/Fat
5 oz tuna (30 / 0 / 0)
2 tbsp natty pb (8 / 6 / 16)
- Totals: (38 / 6 / 16)


Totals: 1915 cals, 195 pro, 169 carb, 51 fat


Bought the natty pb tonight so i'll be using that in the diet starting tomorrow. The only thing I wasnt able to change was the fat in the PWO shake as the shake im using atm, muscle milk, has the fat in it and I dont really have the money to go and buy a new one until this one runs out. How does it look now? I think it could be 100+ cals lower but I am not sure.

I'll be bumping the PWO cardio to 40 mins and also doing cardio in the AM as well on an empty stomach. Hope this starts getting the results im looking for.

[soulstealer]

Bro your missing the point veggies have carbs in them drop the oliveoil from your tuna meal and add some veggies instead, also your cans of tuna have something like 5g of fat in them and chicken skinless boneless is about 1g of fat per oz so factor that in...and I dont know what kind of PWO shake your taking in but 85g of carbs for your bodyweight is too much I would put you around 50-60 PWO and drop the 12g of fat from it...

If your natural and you do double sessions 5 days a week @ 40minutes a clip your going to over train in no time...

[Narkissos]

SoulStealer... The quality of your diet advice has increased significantly.

Nark-approved contributions mate.

Keep it up.

-CNS

[ChuckLee]

Hey chuck if thats true then whats heavier a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

A pound of bricks fix in a way smaller area than a pound of feathers.

CL

[ChuckLee]

Hey chuck if thats true then whats heavier a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

It simply means that if your body looks to keep the same size but your weight is heavier, so you've burned fat and added some more muscle. Muscle density is major than fat density.
Everybody can understand the meaning of this. Can you SS?

[soulstealer]

It simply means that if your body looks to keep the same size but your weight is heavier, so you've burned fat and added some more muscle. Muscle density is major than fat density.
Everybody can understand the meaning of this. Can you SS?

The point I was making is that the guy said

Problem is I am gaining about one pound every week when I should be losing that much instead...

and you stated

You're gaining muscle and burning fat. Remember, muscles are heavier than fat on the scale.

CL

So the point being "muscles are heavier than fat" but a pound is still a pound and at a 1 pound gain a week naturally one can come to the logical conclusion that hes either eating too much to be cutting or he's lying about his workout routine... and assuming noitnes has no reason to lie... I further broke down his macros and activity modified BMR to prove my point... that a pound is a pound is a pound and gaining one a week will be both muscle and most likely fat...

[soulstealer]

SoulStealer... The quality of your diet advice has increased significantly.

Nark-approved contributions mate.

Keep it up.

-CNS

Thanks Nark... Learned alot from you actually

[Narkissos]

Thanks Nark... Learned alot from you actually

No doubt

Good to see guys assimilating...consciously discarding...and relaying, as opposed to regurgitating advice.

You, like me, live it.

I'm proud of your evolution.

-CNS

[noitnes]

Bro your missing the point veggies have carbs in them drop the oliveoil from your tuna meal and add some veggies instead,

Done. Removed the olive oil and added some broccoli

also your cans of tuna have something like 5g of fat in them and chicken skinless boneless is about 1g of fat per oz so factor that in...

Yup i accounted for that in the new numbers. My tuna can lists no fat though per serving... is it maybe because I got them in water instead of oil? If so, should i get the oil cans instead?

and I dont know what kind of PWO shake your taking in but 85g of carbs for your bodyweight is too much I would put you around 50-60 PWO and drop the 12g of fat from it...

I was using muscle milk which has 12g fat per serving but I just went out and bought another shake just regular whey. I was mixing a seperate carb powder in with the protein so ill lower it down to 55 or so like you suggested.

If your natural and you do double sessions 5 days a week @ 40minutes a clip your going to over train in no time...

Ok ill keep cardio at 40 mins PWO then rather then twice a day. I wasnt aware cardio could cause overtraining.

Heres the diet with your revisions:

8:00 Meal 1: Pro/Carb
4 egg white (12 / 0 / 0)
2 english muffins (10 / 46 / 2)
- Totals: (22 / 46 / 2)

12:00 Meal 2: Pro/Fat
5 oz chicken breast (35 / 0 / 3)
Veggies
- Totals: (35 / 0 / 3)

3:00 Meal 3: Pro
5 oz tuna (30 / 0 / 0)
Veggies
- Totals: (30 / 0 / 0)

6:00 Meal 4: Pro/Carb
5 oz chicken breast (35 / 0 / 3)
3/4 cup cooked brown rice (3 / 32 / 1)
Veggies
- Totals: (38 / 32 / 4)

Workout

9:00 Meal 5: PWO
PWO shake (35 / 55 / 0)
- Totals: (35 / 55 / 0)

11:30 Meal 6: Pro/Fat
5 oz tuna (30 / 0 / 0)
2 tbsp natty pb (8 / 6 / 16)
- Totals: (38 / 6 / 16)

Totals: 1591 cals, 198 pro, 139 carb, 27 fat


Hows it look now?

Thanks for your help and input I appreciate it btw.

[soulstealer]

Even tuna in water has fat in it I know that for a fact and your underestimating some of the fat content of other stuff so your macros are about

198pro 139carbs and 40 fat and your calories are coming in around 1700 I think thats just about perfect bro.... but you might want to set up one carb up day where you eat everything the same except 275g of carbs low GI stuff just to give your metabolism a kick in the pants.... and the weight should come off nicely...good luck...

[noitnes]

Ok bud thanks a ton ill keep you posted as to the results

[FallenWyvern]

This thread is a good read.