Cutting: not enough cals?

[Quil]

I've run into a wall on my cut, which is pretty frustrating since I haven't been at it that long. I lost 5-6 pounds right off the bat, but haven't budged an inch (or a pound) in several weeks, and I've been busting my a$$. I'm 6'1, 222lbs, 31 years old.

I do 5 sessions of AM cardio a week for about 45 minutes. In the afternoons, I lift 3 times a week (conventional compound movements or kettlebell routine) and also go to 3 brazilian jiu jitsu classes a week, ranging from 1-2 hours.

I put my routine daily diet into the diet tracker, and it says I'm getting about 2100 cals a day (250g pro, 175g carb, 30g fat, roughly). I'm guessing that this is too low, and my metabolism is at a snails pace right now, but I'm having a hard time getting over the mental hurdle to eat more in order to lose weight. Should I bump my cals up and see how it goes? How many cals do you guys think I need to cut about 2-3 lbs a week?

 

[CryingEmo]

I've run into a wall on my cut, which is pretty frustrating since I haven't been at it that long. I lost 5-6 pounds right off the bat, but haven't budged an inch (or a pound) in several weeks, and I've been busting my a$$. I'm 6'1, 222lbs, 31 years old.

I do 5 sessions of AM cardio a week for about 45 minutes. In the afternoons, I lift 3 times a week (conventional compound movements or kettlebell routine) and also go to 3 brazilian jiu jitsu classes a week, ranging from 1-2 hours.

I put my routine daily diet into the diet tracker, and it says I'm getting about 2100 cals a day (250g pro, 175g carb, 30g fat, roughly). I'm guessing that this is too low, and my metabolism is at a snails pace right now, but I'm having a hard time getting over the mental hurdle to eat more in order to lose weight. Should I bump my cals up and see how it goes? How many cals do you guys think I need to cut about 2-3 lbs a week?

Do the exact opposite. Have a huge cheat day which will replinish leptin, and to some extent, your sanity.

Have one of these days per week, but don't eat until your sick, only until you feel full. So double your cals on the cheat day, then back to the diet. See what happens, you may be suprised.

 

[OCCFan023]

You're exactly right on your metabolism shutting down to a snails pace, that is extremely low for the amount of activity you are doing.

Take Crying Emo's advice and have a cheat day soon to in a way restart the fat loss process and trick your body into thinking the weight loss is over. After this bump your kcals up to around 2600-2800 and start from there. Also if you want you could look into a CKD diet afterwards if your fat loss stalls again.

 

[Palo Alto Labs]

Whats your goal.... to lose weight or lose fat?

theres a HUGE difference between the two

but 2100 cals is waaay to low for a cut at 222lbs...

also.. make sure your FATS ARE HIGH.. 30g is low IMO.. you need fat for testosterone production and cell function. just make sure its all from healthy sources (ie almonds, PB, uncooked olive oil, etc) and eat up. avoid the crappy fats (but remember you need SOME saturated fat each day... about 20g i think), and avoid the simple carbs and see if that helps

If you want to add some more cals in there without sweat.. some easy sources are whole milk, fruits, PB, etc.

 

[Quil]

OK thanks for the help guys. I played with the stats on the diet tracker a little, and by bumping up my carb and fat intake a little, it brings me to a 40/40/20 split at about 2500 cals. I'll try that for a couple weeks and see if I can't kickstart the fat burning again.

 

[OCCFan023]

OK thanks for the help guys. I played with the stats on the diet tracker a little, and by bumping up my carb and fat intake a little, it brings me to a 40/40/20 split at about 2500 cals. I'll try that for a couple weeks and see if I can't kickstart the fat burning again.

Good idea. Remember you need to eat to loose weight! Your body is a furnace (even when dropping weight) and it needs something to fuel it.

 

[Link24]

I think the culprit of your problems is your carb intake. 175carbs for dieting is a little excess if you ask me. Take your bodyweight x 12 and that is your total calories for low carb days. Protein is 1.5g per pound and .25g carbs, the rest is fat.
High carb day is bodyweight x 17 with protein at 1.5g per pd and carbs at 2g per pd. Moderate day is Bw x 12 with Protein at 1.5g and carbs at .75g Per your Bw. The cycle that i am following is monday-friday Low carb, Saturday is high carb, and Sunday is Moderate. This has been working great for me.

 

[CryingEmo]

Whats your goal.... to lose weight or lose fat?

theres a HUGE difference between the two

but 2100 cals is waaay to low for a cut at 222lbs...

also.. make sure your FATS ARE HIGH.. 30g is low IMO.. you need fat for testosterone production and cell function. just make sure its all from healthy sources (ie almonds, PB, uncooked olive oil, etc) and eat up. avoid the crappy fats (but remember you need SOME saturated fat each day... about 20g i think), and avoid the simple carbs and see if that helps

If you want to add some more cals in there without sweat.. some easy sources are whole milk, fruits, PB, etc.

I'd say up the fats, lower the carbs.

But also eat the hell out of some eggs WITH yolks. Cholesterol = testosterone. Fat isn't the enemy the public would lead you to believe.

 

[Palo Alto Labs]

I'd say up the fats, lower the carbs.

But also eat the hell out of some eggs WITH yolks. Cholesterol = testosterone. Fat isn't the enemy the public would lead you to believe.

yeaaa.. love when people are on the same mind-set as me

i love fat,,, restricting fat defies logic other than its called 'fat' and so is the 'fat' around your midsection

my diet is closer to 40/20/40

with the carbs being ONLY complex.. in the morning, i have oatmeal and yogurt.. and then taper down my carbs from there.
and the fat being mostly natural and healthy (poly, mono)

 

[bolt10]

I'd say up the fats, lower the carbs.

But also eat the hell out of some eggs WITH yolks. Cholesterol = testosterone. Fat isn't the enemy the public would lead you to believe.

That was what i thought wen i saw the breakdown. Get some healthy fats in there and that should help.

 

[drummaboyzl]

i was under the impression that keeping your metabolism running through the entire day was a key point. when i started my new diet i was told eat 6-8 small meals a day to keep my metabolism moving. i dropped an ave. of 200 cals per day than what i was at but its seeming to work. just my 2 cents.