cutting diet finally sorted out

[BIGPHILL1984]

Meal 1: 2 eggs, 2 slices ezekiel bread, chicken or turkey breast, 1/2 cup ff cottage cheese(420 calories, 28 grams carbs, 53 grams protein)
Meal 2: protein shake( 220 cals, 20 grams carbs, 32 grams protein)
Meal 3: 2 cans tuna, veggies, 1/2 cup ff cottage cheese( 455 calories, 4 grams carbs, 78 grams protein)
Meal 4: same as meal 2
Meal 5: lean meat, 1/2 cup ff cottage cheese, salad with lite ranch dressing( 600 calories, 12 carbs, 50 grams protein approx.)

My last meal has a large amount of fat from the meat, depending on what it is. I thought the fat in meal 5 would be good to keep me full the rest of the night. I am not hittting the weights yet as I am seeing what my maintainence calories are without much exercise and it seems it is 2,000. I am losing steadily as I am at 37 3/4 inch waist right now without much exercise due to a sprained ankle. I should be in the gym tomorrow for a weigt session of 30 minutes tops. These calories I have figured out are estimates. I all comes out to a little under 2,000 or 2,000. My key is controlling appetite now because I don't want to get back to where I was before.

 

[glenihan]

should be at least 6 meals .. 2 meals of shakes isn't optimal .. how much do you weigh? 2000 cals may not be enough

 

[Beelzebub]

agreed, found this out the hard way while cutting. whole food can't be replaced with shakes. optimal time for a shake is PostWO. the rest looks ok though.

 

[BIGPHILL1984]

I am 240 right now, think or one or two pounds off. My workouts are not going to be strenous at all. I will be resting about 3 minutes between sets. I am only doing 9 sets total, but I am going heavy, 6 reps each set. I figured my total burned with this is about negative 700 calories a day. It does seem low until I factored in my training is very light so I retain as much muscle as possible. I am doing free weights only and 9 sets each bodypart, one bodypart a day. The shakes are just supplementary because the last time I tried 5-6 meals of whole foods my appetite went through the roof.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Not even close to enough calories. You will stall out fast and lose muscle.

That diet is definetly not "sorted out" in the least.

 

[glenihan]

well i can tell you at 240 2000 cals/day isn't going to be enough

and trust me you're going to need 6 meals

 

[BIGPHILL1984]

So how many calories do you think? I am thinking 3,000 then? And 300 grams protein? Should I increase workout load because I am officially starting tomorrow after being sidelined for a few weeks. Also, should I use creatine mono while cutting? And lastly, does it matter what I eat every day as long as it is the same amount of calories and macro's? I am thinking 2,000 is a little low now after realistically thinking about it. I guess I was so proud of the weight I lost so far that droppping calories that low would help even more. As you can see I am a newb to all of this. I actually hate tuna, so I probably won't eat it. Is there a certain amount of calories to eat each meal while cutting or does it matter as long as it is under 600 calories a meal? Reason I am asking as I used to be a football player and I am used to eating as a athlete and not a bodybuilder. Are there certain tips as a newb cutter at my size to consider? I am at 20% or a little lower at 240 pounds or so. I am not going to do any yo-yo ing of any kind. Should I stick to just weights for a month and then add cardio? any advice is welcomed from anyone who is or was in my position.

 

[exnihilo]

3200-3300 calories is a decent place to start. I started around 4500 or so and I'm just now stalling at around 4000, though I don't think I'm gonna go any lower till I've had some more time post cycle to let my body get back to normal.

I would reccomend some sort of cardio 3x a week for at least 30 minutes just for health reasons to everyone. I hate cardio machines at the gym though, so I'm gonna tell you to do some offroad bicycling, or go ride a kayak, or go swimming, or even do some kind of circuit training with the weights... Just make sure that you're heart rate is up and you're breathing quickly for half an hour of total time, however long you are doing the activity you choose.

If you get to the point that you are willing to spend more money on food and spend more time preparing it I'll help you get your actual macros and food choices fixed up. Till then best of luck bro.

 

[BIGPHILL1984]

For the cardio aspect, should I have my heart rate at 130 bpm? That is 65% right? Could I start off at like 10 minutes of that and then move up a little every week? I wish I had the money to get a digital camera to show you my size. I am a few notches leaner than the dude with the Marvel comic avatars. I really don't know my bf%, but my friends say I am like 15% but I say 20% because I am tough on myself. Ex, I wish I had the resources, but I will soon this summer when I start bouncing at the club. I would appreciate the help when I get some money.

 

[exnihilo]

If you're smoothed out, but you don't have any "bulges" and you have some small love handles you're probably ~15. If you are pretty much totally smoothed out, your love handles are a handful, and you're carrying fat in your lower chest you are probably ~20.

 

[BIGPHILL1984]

I started today with 24 sets total of chest/tris and 30 minutes on the oliptical cardio. I think I might be in between then as far as bodyfat. I don't have love handles just a pinch in back right above the glutes. My stomach protrudes out but is flat. I can see the lower outline of abs that comes up from the crotch area. Not a big protrusion of my stomach but some fat, but in the lower area. I carry most of my fat that is left in my mid section so make of it what you want.

 

[cable626]

i hate cardio, but you also might want to check out HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). I used to just run and keep on running, but HIIT helps me get to bed at night, that's how tiring it is.
i have been taking ex's (and my mothers) advice and eating my greens also and i feel better, so you definitely want to make sure you eat your veggies!
Also take a look at fitday.com, it'll help you plan out your meals. I feel I eat much cleaner since using fitday also, because I plan out what I am going to eat.

is it me or is he not getting enough calories from carbs?
put some oatmeal in your diet, maybe make meal 2 oatmeal...

 

[BIGPHILL1984]

I hate oatmeal. I have bumped up calories to 3,000. I am getting over 1g per pound as far as protein. I try to mix it up everyday now. I will start eating more chicken breasts when I start getting paid next week. I definitely don't want to be skinny fat. I figure a hundred or so under maintaining every day will burn the fat slower and I will still continue to add LBM as a result. I would do the HIIT but my knees and ankles can't handle it.