Cutting Diet Help

[A790]

I'm struggling with the low-carb/no-carb diet. I'm trying to get at least 220g/protein per day into me. Right now I want to cut, so I'm going to reduce my caloric intake to roughly 2,500 calories or so.

Anyone care to share their cutting diet tips? Thanks in advance!

[lint]

Lyle McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss, you can drop ~3lbs of fat/week. But if you're having a hard time with low/no carbs, you won't like it.

[A790]

Originally posted by lint
Lyle McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss, you can drop ~3lbs of fat/week. But if you're having a hard time with low/no carbs, you won't like it.

If I can shed 3lbs fat/wk and maintain most, or all, of my muscle mass I'll learn to deal

[A790]

Okay, I have worked out my cutting diet as a split to attempt to follow this TCD. Here's what I got:

Gym days (Mon/Wed/Fri):
600g Beef Steak (1,510 cals/90.1g fat/34.3g carbs/24.2g protein)
2 protein shake (550 cals/9g fat/29g carbs/80g protein)
2 cup mixed vegetables (160 cals/0.8g fat/30.2g carbs/8.4g protein)
3 large eggs (262 cals/20.3g fat/1.3g carbs/18.7g protein)
1 cup cheese (395 cals/30.4g fat/5.3g carbs/25.1g protein)
3 cup milk (366 cals/14.4g fat/34.3g carbs/24.2g protein)

Total macros: 3,243 cals/165g fat/100g carbs/320.2g protein

Both protein shakes are post workout. 2 cups milk immediately post workout (within 10 minutes), 1 protein shake within 30 minutes. Second protein shake appx 1 hour after post workout meal (250g beef steak, 2 cup mixed veggies, 1 cup milk).

Almost 0 carbs prior to gym.

Non-Gym/Non-Carb days (Tues/Thurs):
600g chicken breast (1,172 cals/46.3g fat/177.3g protein)
1 can tuna (150 cals/4g fat/30g protein)
4 cup broccoli (410 cals/20.3g fat/52.8g carbs/17.4g protein)
1 cup cheese (395 calories/30.4g fat/5.3g carbs/25.1g protein)
1 cup milk before bed (122 cals/4.8g fat/11.4g carbs/8.1g protein)

Total macros: 2,240 cals/105.8g fat/69.5g carbs/257.9
Plus a low-carb protein shake (~150 cals/2g carb/25g protein) to stave off hunger.

Meals/carbs split up evenly throughout day. Will also do HIIT training on two of these days, and light intensity cardio on another.

Carb-Up Days (Sat/Sun):
** Whatever I want, within reason, so long as my protein hits 250g and under 3,250 calories.
May do light intensity cardio on one day, but more than likely will just chill/relax on these days.

Total weekly caloric intake: 20,709 calories
Weekly BMR: 19,600
Estimated calories burned during cardio: 1,050 calories
Estimated calories burned during lifting: 900
Total weekly deficit: 840 calories

These figures were calculated with an assumed BMR of 2,800, it is likely a little higher given my activity level, and with carb-up days calculated at 3,250 (very unlikely I'll hit that number). I'm hoping to shed 1lb of fat every two weeks, and will likely increase low intensity cardio if I'm unable to meet that goal. I plan on sticking to this diet for at least 3 months.

Insight?

[lint]

Originally posted by A790

If I can shed 3lbs fat/wk and maintain most, or all, of my muscle mass I'll learn to deal

very possible. you'd be looking at a caloric deficit in the range of 12000+ / week. it's dead simple, but it ain't easy

[wintonyk]

I was just taking a quick look through your estimates... how is there carb in your beef steak? Are you eating chicken breast or thigh, because breast should be alot leaner than that, even when you are having over 1 lb per day.

If i were you I would up the vegetable intake. Get like 9 cups in per day. Its a challenge but will help with your bodies fat burning efficiency.

Also if i were you I would cut out some of the cheese, 1 cup is alot of saturated fat. Get it in as monounsaturated. Almonds, walnuts whatever. On a salad use 2 tbsp olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. This will give ya 240 cal pretty easily. Monounsaturated fats too are great because they give us a vessel to transport your A, D, E, K.

During university, they greatly stressed against getting into ketosis. Although I disagree with the practice myself, a temporary thing to cut, it definitely works.

I think you may have confused BMR with EER. BMR is your basal metabolic rate (the energy required to sustain basic body function ie. you are a vegetable). EER takes into account exercise, thermic effect of food, etc.

If you are trying to cut I would likely suggest having 1600-1800 on your off days. Then 2800 on your active days. You could do that with the right carbs, maintain muscle and lose fat.

Is this for a competition or just trying to lean out for summer?

[A790]

Originally posted by wintonyk
I was just taking a quick look through your estimates... how is there carb in your beef steak? Are you eating chicken breast or thigh, because breast should be alot leaner than that, even when you are having over 1 lb per day.

If i were you I would up the vegetable intake. Get like 9 cups in per day. Its a challenge but will help with your bodies fat burning efficiency.

Also if i were you I would cut out some of the cheese, 1 cup is alot of saturated fat. Get it in as monounsaturated. Almonds, walnuts whatever. On a salad use 2 tbsp olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. This will give ya 240 cal pretty easily. Monounsaturated fats too are great because they give us a vessel to transport your A, D, E, K.

During university, they greatly stressed against getting into ketosis. Although I disagree with the practice myself, a temporary thing to cut, it definitely works.

I think you may have confused BMR with EER. BMR is your basal metabolic rate (the energy required to sustain basic body function ie. you are a vegetable). EER takes into account exercise, thermic effect of food, etc.

If you are trying to cut I would likely suggest having 1600-1800 on your off days. Then 2800 on your active days. You could do that with the right carbs, maintain muscle and lose fat.

Is this for a competition or just trying to lean out for summer?

The macro's all came from fitday.com. It seems pretty accurate so far.

I'm going to see how the current caloric levels do in terms of cutting. I don't want to lose any muscle mass that I've worked hard to put on. I will reduce my intake by 250 cals/day if I don't see weight coming off in a couple weeks.

One thing about almonds: don't they have a fair amount of carbs in them? I chose cheese because of the relatively high fat/protein to carb ratio.

Any specific foods you'd suggest, or maybe a reference to a meal plan somewhere?

Thanks for your advise

[wintonyk]

That got me thinking. Although I knew that almonds were a little higher in carbs I was unsure how much... out come the Canadian Nutrient Database

Almond for 100g or Approx (4 ounces) I would recommend 1.5-2 ounces
Carbs - 20
Fat - 50 sat-3 mu - 32 pu - 12
Pro - 21

Fibre - 12

Cals 578

Walnuts (which I think are better and have more omega 3 with anti inflammatory benefits)
carbs - 14
fat - 65 sat - 6 mu -9 pu 47
pro - 15

fibre - 6

cal 654

Cheddar (i chose this because its most common)
carbs - 1
fat - 33 sat 21 mu- 9 pu- 1
pro - 25

fibre - 0

cal 403

Here is a lean cut steak (porterhouse) (this is for 100 g again so roughly 4 oz)

Protein g 30.98
Total Fat g 15.02
Carbohydrate g 0.00

cal 267

As for specific foods, hard to say. I would start throwing in cottage cheese for a cheese for yourself.

The big thing I notice though is lack of fibre. Dr. Atkins called this the dieters complex or something like that. Constipation. You system will get mega clogged up with you have no bulk. So the carbs IMHO that you take in however little should be primarily fibre. Maybe just doing it as wheat germ or ground flax seed.