Help need advice on my spring cutting diet

[jonesy1981]

Age: 28
Height: 6’1
Weight: 225-230lbs
Bodyfat Percentage: 18-19%
TDEE: ?
BMR: ?
Goals: 15 weeks to drop, to 200lbs maintaining muscle mass and dropping to 7% bodyfat (give or take)
Diet Plan
Meal 1 (6am) plus 1 provit pack
5 eggwhites = 18g protein, 1g carbohydrates, 0g Fat
1 whole egg = 6g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 5g Fat
50g oats = 8g protein, 35g carbohydrates, 3g Fat
Total macros = 32g protein, 36g carbohydrates, 8g Fat

Meal 2 (10am)
can tuna = 26g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 3.5g Fat
20 almonds= 6g protein, 6g carbohydrates, 15g Fat
Total Macros = 32g protein, 6g carbohydrates,18.5 g Fat

Meal 3 (1pm)
6oz chicken breast= 51g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 6g Fat
1 cup broccoli = 2g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 0g Fat
1 cup cooked brownrice = 5g protein, 44g carbohydrates, 2g Fat
Total Macros = 58g protein, 50g carbohydrates, 8g Fat

Meal 4 (4-5 pm preworkout)
1 scoop quattro protein powder 180 cal 0g fat 0g carb 30 gram protein plus scoop of superpump
45minutes – 1 hour of weights followed by 30 minutes of cardio interval training

Meal 5 (pwo)(6:30-7)
2 scoop of quattro 260 cal 60 gram protein plus teaspoon ***** 3 oil

Meal 6 (730-800)
white fish or chicken 6oz= 51g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 6g Fat
mixed green salad about 1 cup 5g carbs
Total Macros = 50g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 6g Fat

Total Macros for the Whole Day
262g protein, 97g carbohydrates, 40g Fat, TOTAL CALORIES 1760(probably off I just went with the 1g=4cal formula for protein and carbs and 1g=9cal for fat)

I have a job in construction which is very physical and I work 10 hours a day therefore I can only eat at certain times do to my breaks I also go to the gym an hour and a half at lesat 5 days a week so my calorie expenditure is probably quite high but I could not really venture a guess at what it is.

[Turkey]

Age: 28
Height: 6’1
Weight: 225-230lbs
Bodyfat Percentage: 18-19%
TDEE: ?
BMR: ?
Goals: 15 weeks to drop, to 200lbs maintaining muscle mass and dropping to 7% bodyfat (give or take)
Diet Plan
Meal 1 (6am) plus 1 provit pack
5 eggwhites = 18g protein, 1g carbohydrates, 0g Fat
1 whole egg = 6g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 5g Fat
50g oats = 8g protein, 35g carbohydrates, 3g Fat
Total macros = 32g protein, 36g carbohydrates, 8g Fat

Meal 2 (10am)
can tuna = 26g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 3.5g Fat
20 almonds= 6g protein, 6g carbohydrates, 15g Fat
Total Macros = 32g protein, 6g carbohydrates,18.5 g Fat

Meal 3 (1pm)
6oz chicken breast= 51g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 6g Fat
1 cup broccoli = 2g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 0g Fat
1 cup cooked brownrice = 5g protein, 44g carbohydrates, 2g Fat
Total Macros = 58g protein, 50g carbohydrates, 8g Fat

Meal 4 (4-5 pm preworkout)
1 scoop quattro protein powder 180 cal 0g fat 0g carb 30 gram protein plus scoop of superpump
45minutes – 1 hour of weights followed by 30 minutes of cardio interval training

Meal 5 (pwo)(6:30-7)
2 scoop of quattro 260 cal 60 gram protein plus teaspoon ***** 3 oil

Meal 6 (730-800)
white fish or chicken 6oz= 51g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 6g Fat
mixed green salad about 1 cup 5g carbs
Total Macros = 50g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 6g Fat

Total Macros for the Whole Day
262g protein, 97g carbohydrates, 40g Fat, TOTAL CALORIES 1760(probably off I just went with the 1g=4cal formula for protein and carbs and 1g=9cal for fat)

I have a job in construction which is very physical and I work 10 hours a day therefore I can only eat at certain times do to my breaks I also go to the gym an hour and a half at lesat 5 days a week so my calorie expenditure is probably quite high but I could not really venture a guess at what it is.

macros are def. a bit off: pro is ok, but could be slightly higher; carbs and fat are too low

meal 1: maybe add a citrus fruit here or some berries

meal 2: let's either bump up the # of almonds to about 30, or even better, switch to peanut butter

meals 3 & 4: switch them...sorta; chicken breast, broccoli, plus some o-m-e-g-as, or some nuts for meal 3; aim for a 4pm feeding for meal 4, which will be the whey shake with the brown rice; you could half the amount of brown rice and add a piece of fruit as an alternative

meal 5: remove the oil, replace with carbs; since you have a physically demanding job, and you workout 5 days a week, you need to keep those glycogen stores high; go for a simple carb here, about 1-1.5:1 ratio carb-to-fat

meal 6: add carbs here; something like oats again, or beans, or peas

see if you can determine your TDEE, b/c you may be flying thru calories, and have simply not been eating enough to replenish what you're losing; make sure your carbs and fat intake remains high, so your body can better utilize pro for muscle repair and synthesis, and not as an energy source

IMO, depending on the nature of your job, you may be working out too much; 5 days a week at 1.5 hours seems like a bit too much for someone working construction 10 hours a day; it seems you have the motivation and energy to almost hit the gym everyday, which is great, but maybe you would benefit from either shorter workouts or splitting your cardio and weights;

if I were you, I would aim for no more than 35-45 minutes of weights, focusing entirely on compound movements, followed by 30 minutes of cardio; alternatively, I might only lift 3-4 times a week, yet do cardio 5-6 times a week, with a couple cardio-only days of about 45 minutes;

ultimately, this will be up to you to determine, but you need to give your body adequate rest and not over-tax your CNS, as well as have enough gas in your tank at all times since you're so active

[Spartans09]

Your not getting as much protein as you think. 6oz of chicken breast does'nt equal 51 g of protein for example. Closer to 40g.

[jonesy1981]

TURKEY:
Thanks for the advice I'll make some of the adjustments you have recomended, it also seems like you are recomending a higher carb intake than protein? I understand the principle behind it but would it not be wise to maybe start low then adjust accordingly after seeing what my energy levels are at?

Spartan: I'm getting my macro's from fitday.com

[jonesy1981]

Also citrus fruit or berries in meal #1 why?

[KnowHope]

Also citrus fruit or berries in meal #1 why?

They have more sugar and are not slow acting carbs. Having them in the morning only gives you time to burn them off throughout the day. Berries [especially blueberries] are great for anti-oxidation. The reason you have them in the morning though is because they have natural sugars [fructose] which will help kickstart your system in the morning from state of rest to a state of play.

Hope this helps Jonesy!

[jonesy1981]

Thanks for the tip New hope also wondering a good simple carb for post workout

[KnowHope]

Thanks for the tip New hope also wondering a good simple carb for post workout

I always keep my Post-Workout carbs to a minimum, as I workout usually close to when I go to bed. If you are looking for simple carbs, I usually try and have either an apple or maybe a little bowl of jell-o depending if I have been really clean that day and killed it in the gym.

I just really focus on getting most of my carbs Pre-Workout and in the morning. Post workout is mainly for really getting that much needed protein in. If you aren't on a creaine [which would have the simple carbs you are looking for] I feel an apple would be a good addition for you if you are really looking to keep it clean and classy.

Hope that helps.

[Turkey]

Also citrus fruit or berries in meal #1 why?

I like citrus and berries for cuts b/c they are low GI fruit. Since fruit contains a lot of simple sugars, they are usually minimized in cutting diets. So, if you're going to have some fruit, make sure it's vitamin and anti-oxidant packed, as well very fibrous, to reap the most out of your 2-3 servings a day.

Bananas are a popular fruit, mostly for their convenience and (brief) satiety. Yet when compared to say, strawberries or oranges, their nutritional profile isn't as great, and are one of the "emptier" fruits. That being said, bananas are still a very healthy food, but as I always say, if there are better options (esp. on a cut), take it.

[Turkey]

TURKEY:
Thanks for the advice I'll make some of the adjustments you have recomended, it also seems like you are recomending a higher carb intake than protein? I understand the principle behind it but would it not be wise to maybe start low then adjust accordingly after seeing what my energy levels are at?

Spartan: I'm getting my macro's from fitday.com

DO NOT FEAR CARBS

it's been my opinion for years now, that it's better to keep carbs moderate to high and ramp up the intensity of your workouts, than slow-go boring cardio with a restrictive diet see-sawing between flax oil and almonds every meal

since you have a very active lifestyle, you need the energy from starchy carbs to refuel you, keep you going for longer, and make gains in your capacity for work

the trick about carbs on a cut is eating the right ones (fibrous, complex) at the right times (first meal of the day, in fat-less meals paired only with lean pro, and esp. before and after workouts)

I'm not belittling the importance of fat in the diet, but I think the restrictions of a mostly pro/fat diet are unrealistic, and generally unhealthy since so many carb-y foods are loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants; ketogenic-type diets are best reserved for those with lots of training/dieting experience, and are only realistic approaches for short-term goals -- not to mention, they're kinda boring and therefore tough to follow

i don't know your TDEE, but I can tell you from the info above, you should be consuming 150+ grams carbs daily (probably in the 175-200 range); watch your energy levels rise and stay high throughout the day, and see your workout intensity and gains improve as well

[jonesy1981]

Thanks for the help, I'm gonna adjust my diet accordingly probably up the carb intake in my preworkout shake and my breakfast meal. also up the protein in my second meal and add a simple carb postworkout (probably cup or more of berries) and add some citrus or berries to breakfast. I'm gonna try to post monthly pics to show my progress and probably change the diet in 6 to 8 weeks depending on how it is going. So hopefully that sounds good and I'm gonna be stoked to see the results.

[jonesy1981]

So just measured my body fat and weight I'm a little less body fat than I thought sitting around 15% at 226 6'1 so hopefully my goal of getting down to 6-7% wil come sooner than expected=)