Help with Cutting Diet (first time cutting)

[deucefan]

Been reading the forum a while and thanks a lot for all the help you guys give. It has been a big help. I would like to post my stats/diet and also a few questions I have and see what you guys think I could do to make it better. Based diet mainly off Milos videos. Here goes..

Age:31
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 224
BF: 25%(guessed by looking at pics in BF thread)
TDEE: 2500 (Calculated by formulas posted on here and used lowest activity level)
Goal: Lose Body Fat while maintaining muscle the best I can

Target Macros: 2000 cals and using 60/20/20 (300pr/100c/44f)
(My body adds fat very easy so based off what Milos said I am trying to restrict my carb intake even lower so went with that instead of 40/40/20 but dont know if that is correct or not)

Workout: Fasted Cardio(Insanity)(5-6 times a week) and Lift weights(4-5 times a week).
-I used to lift a lot back in college so I know how just have always hated cardio and diet and have been too lazy to really get serious about it.

Typical Day/Diet:
Wakeup: Fasted Cardio(Insanity)
Meal 1:whey/oats
Meal 2:Tilapia/Green Beans
Meal 3:Chicken/Brown Rice
Workout- lift weights
Meal 4:whey/Dextrose
Meal 5:Chicken/Green Beans

Usually end up around 270-300g pro/100c/40f

Try to get about 50 grams of protein per meal and carbs at Meal 1/pre and post workout at about 33 grams at a time. Get fat in my meats. Usually will change up types of meat(fish/chicken/turkey) types of carbs(oats/brown rice/sweet potato) and vegetables with other green types for variety but usually end up with the same amount of macros.

I am about 4 weeks in and I started at 235 and have lost about 11 pounds which mostly came in the first 2 weeks. Lost about a pound in week 3 and a pound in week 4. I started adding the lifting at the end of week 2. I can tell I am losing BF by looking in the mirror and in the way my clothes fit even though the past couple weeks the scale really has not moved much. I am also progressing in my strength workouts as well. I just want to make sure I am doing this the best way possible. Here are a few questions that I have..

1. Sometimes I may end the day about 300 cals or so short of the 2000 cal target which normally is due to me lacking around 30g of protein and/or 10g or so of fat(from maybe not eating enough in my meals throughout the day). If my main goal is to lose BF should I really worry about that? Just feels kind of wrong for me at the end of the night to go eat a spoon full of natural PB or something just to get to that fat number. Is it OK if I end up about 30g or so short on protein sometimes if my main goal is to lose body fat?

2. I am using Myfitnesspal(great by the way) and if I add my cals burning during exercise it acually has me eating about 2500 cals throughout the day to reach that 2000 cal goal. Should I eat more or just keep my current cal intake. Using the "use more cals than you intake to burn fat" reasoning, it seems to me like I would want the increased cal deficit would be even better for losing fat

3. I usually have a cheat meal once a week that is usually the amount of cals of 2 of my normal meals. On those days should I skip one of my normal meals to try and stay within my macros for the day total or should I just replace one normal meal with cheat meal and go over for the day.

4. I try to usually eat each meal 3 hours apart. If for some reason I have to go a longer stretch before I can eat again(like 5 hours) is it ok to eat my last couple meals maybe an hour apart or should I try to stay up longer at night to get the time in between. Or if at the end of the night I find myself short of my macros because I had to miss a meal can I eat the amount of macros in two meals combined into one meal or do I need to stay up and keep them split up.

5. I am not strength training legs due do insanity being tough on legs. Is this ok

6. On days that I dont lift weights when should I intake my carbs. In the morning and then what meals throughout the day or does it matter. Trying to keep the cardio fasted cardio so dont want to do the pre/post thing with my cardio on the days that I only do cardio.

Sorry for the long post but just wanted to see what you guys thought or if you could provide any advice. If you need anymore info from me to help let me know. Thanks again for the help.

[Ajc330]

Been reading the forum a while and thanks a lot for all the help you guys give. It has been a big help. I would like to post my stats/diet and also a few questions I have and see what you guys think I could do to make it better. Based diet mainly off Milos videos. Here goes..

Age:31
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 224
BF: 25%(guessed by looking at pics in BF thread)
TDEE: 2500 (Calculated by formulas posted on here and used lowest activity level)
Goal: Lose Body Fat while maintaining muscle the best I can

Target Macros: 2000 cals and using 60/20/20 (300pr/100c/44f)
(My body adds fat very easy so based off what Milos said I am trying to restrict my carb intake even lower so went with that instead of 40/40/20 but dont know if that is correct or not)

Workout: Fasted Cardio(Insanity)(5-6 times a week) and Lift weights(4-5 times a week).
-I used to lift a lot back in college so I know how just have always hated cardio and diet and have been too lazy to really get serious about it.

Typical Day/Diet:
Wakeup: Fasted Cardio(Insanity) How Long are you doin your cardio sessions for, and what exactly are you doing
Meal 1:whey/oats would substitue whey for an actual meat protein source, its fine to use whey as a protein source right after ur done liftingMeal 2:Tilapia/Green Beans
Meal 3:Chicken/Brown Rice
Workout- lift weights
Meal 4:whey/Dextrose if you are cutting,m you might want to cut the dextrose out and save it for when you want to builk again
Meal 5:Chicken/Green Beans
Overall i think you have a good diet, stick to this for a good amount of time, you should be at your target goal
Usually end up around 270-300g pro/100c/40f

Try to get about 50 grams of protein per meal and carbs at Meal 1/pre and post workout at about 33 grams at a time. Get fat in my meats. Usually will change up types of meat(fish/chicken/turkey) types of carbs(oats/brown rice/sweet potato) and vegetables with other green types for variety but usually end up with the same amount of macros.

I am about 4 weeks in and I started at 235 and have lost about 11 pounds which mostly came in the first 2 weeks. Lost about a pound in week 3 and a pound in week 4. I started adding the lifting at the end of week 2. I can tell I am losing BF by looking in the mirror and in the way my clothes fit even though the past couple weeks the scale really has not moved much. I am also progressing in my strength workouts as well. I just want to make sure I am doing this the best way possible. Here are a few questions that I have..

1. Sometimes I may end the day about 300 cals or so short of the 2000 cal target which normally is due to me lacking around 30g of protein and/or 10g or so of fat(from maybe not eating enough in my meals throughout the day). If my main goal is to lose BF should I really worry about that? Just feels kind of wrong for me at the end of the night to go eat a spoon full of natural PB or something just to get to that fat number. Is it OK if I end up about 30g or so short on protein sometimes if my main goal is to lose body fat?i would skip the peanut butter, and go to sleep even though you are under your calories for the day, you will be that closer to your target weight and BF%

2. I am using Myfitnesspal(great by the way) and if I add my cals burning during exercise it acually has me eating about 2500 cals throughout the day to reach that 2000 cal goal. Should I eat more or just keep my current cal intake. Using the "use more cals than you intake to burn fat" reasoning, it seems to me like I would want the increased cal deficit would be even better for losing fatI dont use any fancy gadgets :P

3. I usually have a cheat meal once a week that is usually the amount of cals of 2 of my normal meals. On those days should I skip one of my normal meals to try and stay within my macros for the day total or should I just replace one normal meal with cheat meal and go over for the day.I would skip one of your normal meals

4. I try to usually eat each meal 3 hours apart. If for some reason I have to go a longer stretch before I can eat again(like 5 hours) is it ok to eat my last couple meals maybe an hour apart or should I try to stay up longer at night to get the time in between. Or if at the end of the night I find myself short of my macros because I had to miss a meal can I eat the amount of macros in two meals combined into one meal or do I need to stay up and keep them split up. missing a meal wont kill you, I wouldnt eat two meals in one sitting, and i wouldnt eat every hour, your best bet is to just skip a meal, dont worry your muscle wont melt off

5. I am not strength training legs due do insanity being tough on legs. Is this okthis is fine, you just wont have massive wheels

6. On days that I dont lift weights when should I intake my carbs. In the morning and then what meals throughout the day or does it matter. Trying to keep the cardio fasted cardio so dont want to do the pre/post thing with my cardio on the days that I only do cardio.its fine if you eat your carbs early in the day, but i wouldnt eat carbs past dinner time for your non training days

Sorry for the long post but just wanted to see what you guys thought or if you could provide any advice. If you need anymore info from me to help let me know. Thanks again for the help.

All in bold, hope i could help , good luck!

[deucefan]

Hey thanks for the reply. The cardio that I am doing is HIIT at about 75% heart rate for about 45 minutes. If I remove the dextrose from the PWO shake on the days I lift, should I replace it with another carb like oats? Even if I lift in the evening? Also, is it OK to eat a meal about an hour after my PWO shake since all the whey is absorbed rather quickly. Thanks again

[--->>405<<---]

hey man at 25% bf u could increase ur carbs to 30% and drop ur protein to 50% and be fine IMO. u have a fair amount of fat to drop and this will give u more room in the future to make adjustments when ur progress slows.

u dont want to throw a whole bunch of stuff at ur diet in the beginning cuz it leaves less room for tweaks, and u will need to have room to tweak. might as well take advantage of being able to lose fat relatively easily right now IMO..

i used to be of the opinion 60/20/20 right out the gate but my philosophy has changed with experience..

just a thought..

agree with the dextrose being replaced, also later down the road (way later) keep in the back of ur mind those green beans and be ready to switch em for broc, or spinach or something like that,, but later not now..

good job nailing down the right numbers as well.. u could probably increase ur cals to 2150.. (for now)

[deucefan]

OK thanks. I would love to up the carbs because I love to eat carbs and I hate restricting them. When I do that at what point should I drop it back down? When my progress slows? And with the dextrose just replace it with oats or just straight whey after workout. Thanks

[--->>405<<---]

OK thanks. I would love to up the carbs because I love to eat carbs and I hate restricting them. When I do that at what point should I drop it back down? When my progress slows? And with the dextrose just replace it with oats or just straight whey after workout. Thanks

for now id go with oats PWO or any complex carb will be fine. if u want fruit or a simple carb at all id suggest it the meal before ur workout.

dont make any changes until ur progress slows, during which time id suggestv coming back here so we can evaluate the situation..

[Ajc330]

hey i just looked at myfitnesspal, im a believer now haha, its pretty awesome, and yes replace the dextrose with another source of carbs definately, youll need some type of carb right after ur workout

[deucefan]

yeah myfitnesspal is good stuff. I have been using it for a couple weeks now. Looks like I will drop the dextrose and add in the oats. Thanks for the help guys.