How to loose 40 lbs of fat, with minimal strength loss, fast.

[BIGO181979]

I really want to loose/cut about 40 lbs of fat but I have a hard time with sticking to long drawn out diets. What would be the best diet, workout program, and compounds (peptides, anabolics, thermogenics, etc.) to loose 40 lbs of fat and maintain muscle mass and strength.

I am 34
6'4" tall
Weight 250
BF 18%

[kronik420]

if you're really 18%bf then you don't have 40lbs of fat to lose.. (that would put you at like 1-2%bf..)

but to give some sort of answer to your question..
diet: should consist of mostly lean protein + veggies
workout: weights + cardio
compounds: not needed

[BIGO181979]

I was at 270 and fat was measured at 29% on a dexa scan, minus 7% for essential organ fat put me at a 23% according to the doctor. So I was guessing 18%, guess it was a bit wishful thinking lol.

As for diet I'm already on the high protein, lots of veggies thing. I eat chicken, pork, fish, and eggs for the large majority of my protein with a little lean ground beef from time to time.

My work outs have been mostly power lifting (cube method) and crossfit one to two days a week.

I have been stuck in the 240's for over a month now, and because of that I have let my diet slip over the last few weeks. I am frustrated because I want to cut more body fat but I don't want to loose the strength gains I have put on over the last year.

[mockery]

Take your maintenance level from your dexa scan, eat at maintenance at 2 weeks, adjust calories by -300 from maintaince and start eating at that with increased cardio added to your week. Getting more macro from protein then fats at 65g and rest from carbs

do this for 4 weeks with 1 refeed every 10 days, go in get a dexa scan get your new maintenance eat at that for 2 weeks,then lower your calories by -500 from maintenance for 6 weeks, with refeeds every 7 days. Dexa scan and eat at maintenance for 2 weeks and decide what to do next.

That will be $365.00 USD thanks!

[Lunk1]

Its virtually impossible to cut fat without at least some strength loss IMO. You can take efforts to minimize by upping protein, cutting very slowly and use of androgens but there is always some muscle lost when cutting calories below maintenance.

[mockery]

Its virtually impossible to cut fat without at least some strength loss IMO. You can take efforts to minimize by upping protein, cutting very slowly and use of androgens but there is always some muscle lost when cutting calories below maintenance.

Strength loss from water loss is different from strength loss from lean body mass loss.

Hence why a good diet coach helps to understand this.

[AD]

Strength loss from water loss is different from strength loss from lean body mass loss.

Hence why a good diet coach helps to understand this.

How about strength loss simply from caloric deficit?

[mockery]

How about strength loss simply from caloric deficit?

if you have spent the 2-3 week dropping all excess water weight before dieting down and are now in a deficit,,, if dieting down slow enough ie: 1lb a week/454 grams and heavy resistance training is still taking place. Strength should hold up even in a deficit. Diet coaches will use the loss of strength or rapid loss of strength as a indication that too much mass is being lost and clearly lbm is being wasted. IF you are still worried, make less of a deficit in food and increase the cardio to make up the deficit you need to be at to lose 1lbs a week. Eating not starving will promote weight loss if done correctly, cardio will promote weight loss. My take on the topic, do light cardio especially in the scheme of reserving LBM.

coming off cycle = loss of strength
dropping excess water = loss of strength
Dieting through pct or right after pct = loss of strength
Dieting too aggressively = loss of strength
deficit set too low and no cardio = loss of strength
Not enough rest between heavy sets = loss of strength
not enough rest at home = loss of strength


And the list can go on.

[gbrice75]

I really want to loose/cut about 40 lbs of fat but I have a hard time with sticking to long drawn out diets.

This is your problem right off the bat. You (and the majority of others) need to stop looking at it as a short term fix (i.e. "diet") but rather, a change in your lifestyle. Sure you may make changes here and there, e.g. a 3 month all out effort to get shredded. But what's the point if you're only going to go back to eating like you were before, and as a result, get fat again? Yo-yo dieting is the devil and has beaten many a good man who would have otherwise reached his goals.

I don't mean to digress, but before you change your diet, you need to change your mindset, IMO.

[AD]

if you have spent the 2-3 week dropping all excess water weight before dieting down and are now in a deficit,,, if dieting down slow enough ie: 1lb a week/454 grams and heavy resistance training is still taking place. Strength should hold up even in a deficit. Diet coaches will use the loss of strength or rapid loss of strength as a indication that too much mass is being lost and clearly lbm is being wasted. IF you are still worried, make less of a deficit in food and increase the cardio to make up the deficit you need to be at to lose 1lbs a week. Eating not starving will promote weight loss if done correctly, cardio will promote weight loss. My take on the topic, do light cardio especially in the scheme of reserving LBM.

coming off cycle = loss of strength
dropping excess water = loss of strength
Dieting through pct or right after pct = loss of strength
Dieting too aggressively = loss of strength
deficit set too low and no cardio = loss of strength
Not enough rest between heavy sets = loss of strength
not enough rest at home = loss of strength

And the list can go on.

For any sort of meaningful deficit that can result in fat loss, there will certainly be strength loss, simply from the deficit alone. I've never heard of anyone who can lift as much when cutting compared to when bulking.

[BIGO181979]

Ugh, well that sucks lol. So basically its back to what I was doing. God I get so bored grinding away only loosing 1-2 lbs a week. Seems like the end is never in sight. I know their are no short cuts but god I wish their was something to help me get there faster!

[gbrice75]

only loosing 1-2 lbs a week

ONLY? Man, I wouldn't even *want* to lose 2lbs a week. I'd be very happy with a consistent .5lbs loss per week, 1lb tops. Anything more and I'd be on a mindfcuk about LBM loss.

[DontTaseMeBro]

just be patient and keep at it. Many of us are in the same boat. We want to bulk, but then feel like we are putting on too much fat (probably because we started with too much). We decide to cut, but can't stand the thought of losing any of the hard-earned mass and / or strength. Moderation over the long haul seems to be the key. Any time I get over about 400 calories above or below maintenance, I get into trouble. shoot for a 300 calorie deficit and concentrate on your macro's like mockery suggested and give it a couple of weeks or even a month. if you've dropped 4 or 5 pounds in a month without losing strength, you've found the sweet spot. If you've lost much more than that or if you have significant loss of strength or constant fatigue, you need to bump up your consumption. Its a constant challenge for most of us. Best wishes.

[mockery]

For any sort of meaningful deficit that can result in fat loss, there will certainly be strength loss, simply from the deficit alone. I've never heard of anyone who can lift as much when cutting compared to when bulking.

IF you have removed the water weight first that allows you to tackle fat loss properly from that point onward you can maintain your strength. People tend to stop lifting heavy when they cut, so yes you will have strength loss. People who have depleted muscles will have strength loss, so with a proper approach to weight loss your strength in a deficit can still be there if slow dieting is applied, if carb refeeds are applied, if diet breaks are applied. if proper dxa scans or body pod testing is applied. When cutting give your CNS more time to rest and you wont need the same amount of food to help it recover sooner to help with serious lifts.

Too many people have the wrong RMR or body fat percentage to start out with cause they guess... or use calipers. in doing so they may have way to big of a deficit to begin with.

Disclaimer** the above obviously changes for those athletes that are steping up on stage and approach sub 6% BF, whose diet coach doesn't have them on carb backloading up until the show.

[gbrice75]

People tend to stop lifting heavy when they cut, so yes you will have strength loss.

Very true. ALL of the top guys I've talked to have agreed on one thing: they DO NOT reduce their efforts in the gym just because they start a cut. The approach/routine might change, but the effort should remain all out, balls to the wall. If you're leaving with gas in the tank... you're shortchanging yourself.

[Back In Black]

IF you have removed the water weight first that allows you to tackle fat loss properly from that point onward you can maintain your strength. People tend to stop lifting heavy when they cut, so yes you will have strength loss. People who have depleted muscles will have strength loss, so with a proper approach to weight loss your strength in a deficit can still be there if slow dieting is applied, if carb refeeds are applied, if diet breaks are applied. if proper dxa scans or body pod testing is applied. When cutting give your CNS more time to rest and you wont need the same amount of food to help it recover sooner to help with serious lifts.

Too many people have the wrong RMR or body fat percentage to start out with cause they guess... or use calipers. in doing so they may have way to big of a deficit to begin with.

Disclaimer** the above obviously changes for those athletes that are steping up on stage and approach sub 6% BF, whose diet coach doesn't have them on carb backloading up until the show.

Great post

Very true. ALL of the top guys I've talked to have agreed on one thing: they DO NOT reduce their efforts in the gym just because they start a cut. The approach/routine might change, but the effort should remain all out, balls to the wall. If you're leaving with gas in the tank... you're shortchanging yourself.

Can you imagine being on reduced cals and still not being knackered after your session?!?! There'd be something very wrong. No matter where you strategically place your carbs.

[BIGO181979]

Thanks for all the advice, even if I am still wishing for that magic pill or recipe for fat loss lol.

At least I was on the right track before. Now I am just going to have to get over my own mental issues with long term dieting and really hold my self accountable for what I eat.

Typing that made me feel like a damn junky trying to cope with drug addiction O_o anyway cheers to another 3-4 months of dieting, this is gonna be a long winter!

[mockery]

Thanks for all the advice, even if I am still wishing for that magic pill or recipe for fat loss lol.

At least I was on the right track before. Now I am just going to have to get over my own mental issues with long term dieting and really hold my self accountable for what I eat.

Typing that made me feel like a damn junky trying to cope with drug addiction O_o anyway cheers to another 3-4 months of dieting, this is gonna be a long winter!

There are magic pills (DNP) but you have to weigh the risk VS. the reward for yourself.

If you can lose weight over 12-16 weeks with little to no health risk wouldn't you want this?

or

Gamble with your life or a life time of side effects for quick(er) fat loss.

[AD]

who here does the exact same routine in the gym, whether during a cut or on a bulk? exact same weight, reps, sets, rest time between sets?

[mockery]

who here does the exact same routine in the gym, whether during a cut or on a bulk? exact same weight, reps, sets, rest time between sets?

why wouldn't you?

The pro's i train with would open palm slap me in the face, head fake me with the tri kick back ribbon and then probably take turns sodomizing me with liquid chalk as lube.

when you train with less intensity and weight through a cut, diet, pct post pct you are only hurting yourself.

Volume can go down yes, but intensity has to stay high and you have to keep working hard, even harder!

[AD]

why wouldn't you?

The pro's i train with would open palm slap me in the face, head fake me with the tri kick back ribbon and then probably take turns sodomizing me with liquid chalk as lube.

when you train with less intensity and weight through a cut, diet, pct post pct you are only hurting yourself.

Volume can go down yes, but intensity has to stay high and you have to keep working hard, even harder!

if you can lift as heavy while cutting as when you're bulking, then your bulk wasn't 100%. if on a deficit, you're lifting as much as when you're on a surplus, then you're not pushing hard enough.

[mockery]

if you can lift as heavy while cutting as when you're bulking, then your bulk wasn't 100%. if on a deficit, you're lifting as much as when you're on a surplus, then you're not pushing hard enough.

Im going to take a stab in teh dark and just say that you probably have no idea what you are typing.

People can use linear progression while cutting to increase strength

Training with 1rm is not a feat of strength

U keep wanting to compare bulk pre water loss to cut post water loss

People who fast daily, weekly , bi weekly still can all lift heavy wights while in a deficit and a fasted state.

muscle memory isn't based off cheeseburgers

Im going to take another stab in teh dark, yourself or your mates or random bbdotcom u go read "no homo" Has pages and pages of literature of people dieting down too fast and reporting my lifts all suck balls now. Going off this data would explain why you think the way you do.

Also! u cant lift properly if you are depleted, so again if you are not having proper refeeds to replenish your depleted muscles while you cut, and u are not strong.. i wonder why!

and lets be honest 100% bulk has to do with strength because of how or why?

[AD]

hey you're right, i'm new here. what is water loss? what is refeed? what is intensity?

[mockery]

hey you're right, i'm new here. what is water loss? what is refeed? what is intensity?

[AD]

Cmon. Share some of your expert know-how

[mockery]

I have to man up and say that im sorry i let my pride and mirin bro science get the better of me. I wanna thank you mockery for taking the time to set me straight and help me learn something new today, This has changed my out look on dieting and i think i need to reevaluate what im doing to maximize my gains.

fixed

[AD]

fixed

Teach me

[AD]

hey you're right, i'm new here. what is water loss? what is refeed? what is intensity?

Teach me

[gbrice75]

who here does the exact same routine in the gym, whether during a cut or on a bulk? exact same weight, reps, sets, rest time between sets?

I do. Granted, I have some routines I prefer during a cut vs. a 'mass adding' phase, but I generally rotate the same regimens regardless of bulk/cut.

if you can lift as heavy while cutting as when you're bulking, then your bulk wasn't 100%. if on a deficit, you're lifting as much as when you're on a surplus, then you're not pushing hard enough.

I don't think it's a matter of lifting as heavy. It's a matter of exerting the same effort, hence, keeping intensity maximal.

[BIGO181979]

There are magic pills (DNP) but you have to weigh the risk VS. the reward for yourself.

If you can lose weight over 12-16 weeks with little to no health risk wouldn't you want this?

or

Gamble with your life or a life time of side effects for quick(er) fat loss.

Ok a safe magic pill lol.

[mockery]

Ok a safe magic pill lol.

that would be increasing your cardio