cutting diet, no energy when i workout!

[bpm1]

right now im cutting and im doing quite well, started @238 and im down to 206 right now.i just lowered my cals to compensate for what ive lost and also to keep the fat loss going, so now im eating;
non workout days;prots/228- fats/50- carbs/123- cals/1842
workout days;prots/264- fats/52 -carbs/202 -cals/2326

anyway i feel DEAD! no energy and my strength has started to decrease, so is this just part of the game of cutting or is there something i can do to help the situation.im not stopping till i see ab cuts and then ill be ready for a clean
bulk anyway help if u can or tell me to buck up and shut the f*** up!

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

lookin at your profile..your food intake is low (even for cutting) for someone of your stats... my stats are similar to yours and i was cutting on 2700 kcals last time...that would explain your lack of energy i would say...

[bpm1]

lookin at your profile..your food intake is low (even for cutting) for someone of your stats... my stats are similar to yours and i was cutting on 2700 kcals last time...that would explain your lack of energy i would say...

yea i started at 2900 cals a day but i figured with the 30lbs i lost i could cut it lower due to my lower weight and i wanted to speed up the process a little faster.anyway im no diet expert by any means this is the first one ive ever been on ,so diet newbie

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

Using a weight scale is actually very inaccurate when you are trying to measure fat loss during a cycle. You need to invest in a caliper to measure body fat or if not, a measuring tape to measure your waist. Other than that, use a mirror to see your progress. Don't worry what the scale says...water fluctuations can have you yo-yoing up and down 2-4lbs week to week...use the scale sparingly, once a week, same day same time (for example every monday morning) to get the most consistent read-out.

secondly, don't try to "hasten" fat loss bro...losing more than 2lbs of fat per week is unwise because u would be sacrificing muscle as well...slow and steady is the name of the game! As long as you eat clean, do regular cardio and cut at a healthy 2600-2800 kcal range (for your stats), you should be gold.

Post your diet plan so we all can help u tweak it... we're here to help (include meal to meal breakdown, macros and stats)

cheers

[bpm1]

Using a weight scale is actually very inaccurate when you are trying to measure fat loss during a cycle. You need to invest in a caliper to measure body fat or if not, a measuring tape to measure your waist. Other than that, use a mirror to see your progress. Don't worry what the scale says...water fluctuations can have you yo-yoing up and down 2-4lbs week to week...use the scale sparingly, once a week, same day same time (for example every monday morning) to get the most consistent read-out.

secondly, don't try to "hasten" fat loss bro...losing more than 2lbs of fat per week is unwise because u would be sacrificing muscle as well...slow and steady is the name of the game! As long as you eat clean, do regular cardio and cut at a healthy 2600-2800 kcal range (for your stats), you should be gold.

Post your diet plan so we all can help u tweak it... we're here to help (include meal to meal breakdown, macros and stats)

cheers

yeah i will kick it back up to what it was, and i already had it checked out and tweeked by 1**mfkr who knows his shit.i appreciate the input bro and i have been losing aprox 1-2lbs a wk.i keep my salt intake to a min therefore i have very little flux in my weight. its all going good, ive lost 6 inchs in my waist which is nuts cause i didnt "look fat" before but apparently i was, ive almost got abs!

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

If you have no energy. Just a thought now, instead of changing your diet. How bout some Amplify 02? or caffeine pills?

[bpm1]

If you have no energy. Just a thought now, instead of changing your diet. How bout some Amplify 02? or caffeine pills?

yea ive tried it all, i start the day w/an energy drink and have a diet pepsi for lunch .i cant take caffeine too close to bed or i dont sleep.its pretty much all the time even after i drink the drinks

[MFT81]

Did 1b-dmfkr start having you cycle carbs?

also id do a baseline of 300 grams of pro everyday, Your essential fats are prob to low too.

I usually do like 2-3 high carbs days then do one low carb day and repeat, keeps metabolizm stoked higher and keeps you from getting to full.

[bpm1]

Did 1b-dmfkr start having you cycle carbs?

also id do a baseline of 300 grams of pro everyday, Your essential fats are prob to low too.

I usually do like 2-3 high carbs days then do one low carb day and repeat, keeps metabolizm stoked higher and keeps you from getting to full.

no he diidnt, when u say high carb days what do you mean macro wise, cause im eating 220gms of carbs a day now. what do u suggest for fats

[godkilla]

this is when i start using caffeine and ephedrine. sugar free energy drinks work well also, i really like dynamatize liquid speed.

[collar]

how much cardio and weight training you doing?

[bpm1]

how much cardio and weight training you doing?

i dont do cardio because my job is very physical.i wear a 40lb toolbag all day and im squatting and up and down ladders all day not only that its 100degrees plus everyday and i normally work 10hr days outside folloed by 1-2 hrs of office work. ive only been able to lift 2-3 times a wk lately as ive been very busy w/work.i ive consistently lost 1-2lbs a wk so ive done well i think. im just cashed out all the time even when i dont lift. i guess u call it cronic fatigue. it got real bad last wk when i cut my carbs down to 123gms and total cals to 1842, it was deffinately a mistake. i weigh 205 and i think at 195 ill be satisfied

[IBdmfkr]

I didn't write his diet.. I'd never have anyone drop to 50carbs/day..
There is no point in this. It has more to do with total calorie consumption IMO.

Agreed 2300calories/day is too low and you will probably slow your metabolism by doing this. Add 100carbs/day back into your diet and you should be o.k.

[RoadToRecovery]

My job is extremely high on the physical demand... but nothing substitutes cardio man. I work on planes and all i do is lug heavy shit around all day up and down ladders and i am dripping by the end of the day.

45 minutes of cardio EOD or ED if you prefer... at 70% max heart rate. For me this is a fast walk.

[bpm1]

I didn't write his diet.. I'd never have anyone drop to 50carbs/day..
There is no point in this. It has more to do with total calorie consumption IMO.

Agreed 2300calories/day is too low and you will probably slow your metabolism by doing this. Add 100carbs/day back into your diet and you should be o.k.

no this isnt what u helped me with.i adjusted that diet myself but i have repented and im back to the one u helped me with. i know big mistake , its worked wonders i just wanted to speed it up.ive now learned u cant do that, thanks for all your help!u r one **mfkr! and i didnt drop it to 50gms of carbs that was the fats they kinda ran together so it kinda looked like that

[IBdmfkr]

Ahh I see, carbs are around 200g/day.

Yea stick to what you originally PM'd to me or something similar.. you have to take it slow and steady, you were quite a bit overweight so you gotta understand it will take some time to get into great condition.

Keep at it and update us on how things are going.

Jack your protein back up, spread your meals out and eat whole-healthy foods in the right combinations, you can't go wrong.

[collar]

then that explain it. your work is very physical.
lift the carbs up just abit see how you feel

[max2extreme]

There are many ways to assess how many calories your body needs. Some are only used in hospital settings due to the cost and the equipment used. Regression equations are practical methods which are commonly used in clinical and training settings to estimate daily energy requirements.

Equation (Body Weight in KG):.................................Activity Factor
Males, 18-30 years old: REE=(15.3 x BW) + 679..........1.6-2.4
Males, 30-60 years old: REE=(11.6 x BW) + 870..........1.6-2.4

The above equation is the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) Calculations and Activity Factors from a World Health Organization report. The activity factor changes daily based on the intensity of your workouts. On light days or days without workouts, you should use a low activity factor. On days where you are working hard and expending a lot of energy, you should be on the high end of the activity factor.

So an example: A male triathlete, age 30 that weighs 80KG.
REE=(15.3 x 80) + 679 = 1903.
1903 x 1.6 = 3045
1903 x 2.4 = 4567
So, on days when he has low intensity workouts, he should consume around 3050-3500 calories. On days when he does long, intense workouts, he wants to consume around 4200-4600 calories.

*Remember, the above formula is an estimate. Everyone is different and one formula will not work for all athletes. It is a good place to start. Pay attention to your body, and tweak your calories as needed. Also, the above formula is used for energy balance, meaning energy intake is equal to energy expenditure. If your goal is to lose weight, you should try to attain an energy deficit of around 500-1000 calories a day via exercise and calorie restriction. If your goal is to gain weight, a mere 300-500 extra calories should provide for a weight gain rate of 1/2 to 1 pound per week. Remember, you can eat a lot more, but instead of putting on lean muscle mass, you'll be putting on pounds of fat.

(PS: Why can we not use spaces to line up everything nice and neat? That gets annoying)

[bpm1]

Ahh I see, carbs are around 200g/day.

Yea stick to what you originally PM'd to me or something similar.. you have to take it slow and steady, you were quite a bit overweight so you gotta understand it will take some time to get into great condition.

Keep at it and update us on how things are going.

Jack your protein back up, spread your meals out and eat whole-healthy foods in the right combinations, you can't go wrong.

as of today i was 205 on the scale so thats 33lbs lost.ive lost 5.5 inchs in my waist so ive deff made progress.its a little discouraging i dont have as much muscle as i thought. i figured that if i got down to 205 id have abs, now im thinkin more like 195 or less, man that sucks! it is what it is, and in the future at least ill know what i gained on cycle and what i kept as my bf will be in check.anyways thats about it for now thanks for all your help ill be putting a clean bulk diet together very soon so hopefully ill see u then!

[PROTEINSHAKE]

great work man....this is where you become a man...its GRUELING at this point... stick with it & listen to the good advice these guys are giving. I B D knows what works... keep up the hard work bro..

[RoadToRecovery]

going by weight is tricky... you really need to find your bf percentage.

Abs dont start showing on an average person until around 10-12%... how ever, I do know of a few people with 15% bf with abs.

[bpm1]

great work man....this is where you become a man...its GRUELING at this point... stick with it & listen to the good advice these guys are giving. I B D knows what works... keep up the hard work bro..

thanks bro, yea ill keep at it nobody has steared me wrong yet, im getting closer...

[bpm1]

going by weight is tricky... you really need to find your bf percentage.

Abs dont start showing on an average person until around 10-12%... how ever, I do know of a few people with 15% bf with abs.

id guess im about 12% the top four are starting to creep out but im not sure, we'll see how i look at 195 ehh?!!

[IBdmfkr]

Keep it up and take it slow.. the lower your bodyfat gets the longer it takes, plus your body has probably never seen under 10% so it will be a challenge the first time around, after this it'll be a cinch.

At 8% start your Lean bulk IMO. Give it another 4-6wks of dieting and you'll be very close.