how do you cut to lose body fat

[unrageable]

alright I posted this on Bodybuilding.com a few months ago and I just gave up with those elitist people.  They all post IIFYM which is 'if it fits your macros.'  k that's great but I don't know anything about macros I have never cut before.

I am bulking for 8 months (3 months to go).  Then I want to cut, never cut before.

I understand cutting is a calorie deficit.  What I want to know is how to figure that out.

They tell me to go get my body fat checked.  They say use calipers.  But then you read in other posts that calipers are no where near accurate...  So contradiction there. 

Apparently there is like 3 formulas to find out your cut weight but you need accurate body fat reading.

I also want to know how LONG can you stay cut for.  I mean if you keep going on a deficit isn't that dangerous?  You lose too much body fat your organs won't be protected. 

After 8 months of bulking my goal is to cut and have muscle definition all over and have abs while not flexing.

Right now I am 6ft 194lbs.

[MM2K]

In my opinion the most important part of cutting is signigicantly reducing your carbs and replacing them with unsaturated fats, such as peanut butter, nuts, and be sure your protein sources consist of a lot of beeff and fish such as salmon. You might even consider the keto diet, which calls for you to reduce carbs to such a low amount that your body starts producing ketones and uses fat for energy instead of carbs.  Even if you dont decide to go into ketosis, you should atleast reduce your carbs so that you get as close to ketosis as possible without actually going into ketosis.  I bulked for about a month or so, and have been cutting for about the past 2 months. I started at 200 grams of carbs a day when I began cutting, and have been gradually decreasing my carbs since then. Im now at about 80 grams of carbs a day and will be going down to about 50 grams next week. iF Im not happy with the amount of fat loss I might go into ketosis. But my fat loss has been slow and steady, and I have maintained almost all the muscle I gained. Use urinalisis ketone sticks to guage whether or not you are in ketosis. You can get these at any pharmacy. Believe it or not, Im not doing any cardio yet. Who knows? The ketosis and weighttraining may be enough to take the fat off.


Im also taking 7 keto, which has helped with fat loss and has helped me maintain muscle.

[Montague]

Diet is a very personal thing.
There are some general guidelines you can follow, but the best results will come from tweaking your strategy in a way that maximizes effectiveness for your body chemistry.

Wes is currently cutting for some contests.
Read through his thread; it outlines some very good examples for cutting: http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=380726.0

[unrageable]

ill read that thread.

I have heard of the keto diet, like Dave Palumbo's known diet.

Basically I just want to know how much carbs I need to reduce.  I want to see results.  Depending on your weight obviously, but people say it should take 8-12 or around 3 months to get around the results I want.

[Montague]

ill read that thread.

I have heard of the keto diet, like Dave Palumbo's known diet.

Basically I just want to know how much carbs I need to reduce.  I want to see results.  Depending on your weight obviously, but people say it should take 8-12 or around 3 months to get around the results I want.

Some of that will depend on your individual metabolism and how "carb-sensitive" you are.
There is a percentage of people who can eat a liberal amount of pastas & breads with little adverse affect on body composition.
But, for many people, carbs are "lethal" in terms of body fat.

Your brain needs something like 50g of carbs per day just for normal function.
Some people aren't bothered much by extremely low carb intake, but others feel lethargic and have difficulty getting through the day.
Maybe try a total of 100g / day to see how you respond.
Consider gradually working down to this amount if you currently take in a substantially larger amount.

If 100g feels okay, then drop it more - little by little, until you reach a tolerable yet effective level.

You may also wish to research something called "carb-cycling," as many trainers experience favorable results with this method.

[unrageable]

well the reason I got into weightlifting is because I probably lost all the muscle I ever had.

Started working out in March.  In that time I have gone from 167 to 193 maybe a bit higher now.

Prior to working out I only ate after an 8 hour work shift.  Never had breakfast, never had lunch, only ate maybe once a week at work if someone bought me food.  Ate only when I got home.  Only time I had lunch if it was my day off.

I also probably had little to no protein a day.  Now I have at least 175.

I have been eating way more but I haven't noticed much fat gain at all.  Gut has grown much or if at all.  My waist has gotten a bit bigger.  My back is way bigger, my legs are bigger, and my arms a bit.

So I don't really know where my metabolism sits.  I don't think I gain weight fast now.  I think I did when I was younger.

I would have no problem dropping carbs at all.  Like I said above.  Before working out I never ate until getting home.  I wasn't tired or anything.  Also to mention I probably only got 4 hrs or less of sleep some work nights.

Heard carb cycling before don't know anything about it.

[suckmymuscle]

how do you cut to lose body fat

  Find out how many calories you need to maintain your current bodyweight, then subtract 500 calories from that and spread it over 6 meals. For every meal get a lean protein with very low glycemic carbs and vegetables. The protein is important because it furthers decreases the glycemic load of the carbs, and spares muscle which keeps your metabolism high. The vegetables are important for G.I health, vitamin/minerals and antioxidants and keeps you full. Do one hour of low-intensity aerobics first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, or if you feel light-headed, do it in the afternoon. It is very important to do your weight training, as the more muscle you have the more calories you'll burn while resting.

  Finding out how many calories you need to maintain your current bodyweight can be done in two manners. You can do it professionally with a calorimeter, which is impractical, or write down everything you eat for three days, add up the calories by checking on calorie tabs, which are easily available, then divide by three. This will give you an idea of your daily calorie intake. Proceed as elucidated above.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[wes]

An article I wrote for Iron Man magazine about how to cycle carbs to get lean:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wescott4.htm

[unrageable]

ok Wes so that is something you do once your cut?  So that way you don't damage your organs by having to low body fat?  So you up the carbs to your maintenance   for a few days.

But I still need to know how to cut.  How do I learn to find out my macro?  Or whatever that IFFYM those guys over their spew.

[unrageable]

everyone says not to use ratios or % for the macros.  How do I figure this out?  I figured out my deficit.

Wes I read your article.  There is another similar one called the Zig Zag cut method I saw it on bodybuilding from another forum poster.  It going high one day with carbs and low for the next.  A few people said I should just try a -500 deficit for my first cut.  What do you think?

[chess315]

if your not looking to get in competitive body builder shape just a low calories high protein nutrient dense diet will do the job and get you to under 10% fairly easy

[Thespritz0]

alright I posted this on Bodybuilding.com a few months ago and I just gave up with those elitist people.  They all post IIFYM which is 'if it fits your macros.'  k that's great but I don't know anything about macros I have never cut before.

I am bulking for 8 months (3 months to go).  Then I want to cut, never cut before.

I understand cutting is a calorie deficit.  What I want to know is how to figure that out.

They tell me to go get my body fat checked.  They say use calipers.  But then you read in other posts that calipers are no where near accurate...  So contradiction there. 

Apparently there is like 3 formulas to find out your cut weight but you need accurate body fat reading.

I also want to know how LONG can you stay cut for.  I mean if you keep going on a deficit isn't that dangerous?  You lose too much body fat your organs won't be protected. 

After 8 months of bulking my goal is to cut and have muscle definition all over and have abs while not flexing.

Right now I am 6ft 194lbs.

3 weeks of this you'll be much better off... MEAL 1- 6 whole eggs with one piece of toast.  MEAL 2-  2 Fish Filets or Chicken Breasts with lots of Broccoli  MEAL 3- Another 6 whole eggs with one piece of toast.  Workout HARD 5 days a week (weights) + Cardio (Power-walking, Elliptical, Jogging, etc...) 3 days a week for 60 minutes.  THAT'S IT!!!!

[wes]

Meal # 1 :
8 eggwhites,1 whole egg (scrambled in non-fat cooking spray)
1/2 cup oats ( no milk,use artificial sweetener)
12 oz. water

Meal # 2 :
1 can water packed tuna (plain)
lg. green salad (with fat-free dressing......... should only contain 3 gms. of sugar or less)
12 oz. water

Meal # 3 :
5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 baked potato (use "I Can`t Believe It`s Not Butter" spray)
1-2 cups green beans
12 oz. water

Meal # 4 :
Same as Meal # 3

Meal # 5 :(Pre-Workout)
1 scoop whey in H2O

Meal # 6 :(Post-Workout)
1 scoop whey in H2O
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain oats

Meals 5 + 6 should be placed pre and post workout respectively

Do 30-45 minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week after training and on off days (use an inclined treadmill.............si mply walk at a good pace varying the speed and the level of incline throughout)

[Domthemilky]

Meal # 1 :
8 eggwhites,1 whole egg (scrambled in non-fat cooking spray)
1/2 cup oats ( no milk,use artificial sweetener)
12 oz. water

Meal # 2 :
1 can water packed tuna (plain)
lg. green salad (with fat-free dressing......... should only contain 3 gms. of sugar or less)
12 oz. water

Meal # 3 :
5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 baked potato (use "I Can`t Believe It`s Not Butter" spray)
1-2 cups green beans
12 oz. water

Meal # 4 :
Same as Meal # 3

Meal # 5 :(Pre-Workout)
1 scoop whey in H2O

Meal # 6 :(Post-Workout)
1 scoop whey in H2O
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain oats

Meals 5 + 6 should be placed pre and post workout respectively

Do 30-45 minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week after training and on off days (use an inclined treadmill.............si mply walk at a good pace varying the speed and the level of incline throughout)

lol jesus wes, how many calories is that daily? masochist!!!!

[wes]

lol jesus wes, how many calories is that daily? masochist!!!!

Not many cals,but then again,it`s a diet!! 


Lots of protein though to maintain muscle and it should be altered for each individual.............t his is just to be used as a template.

[tiat]

Every one has their own mind set to reduce weight and fat.We should cut off junk/fast/oily food and eat healthy which unfortunately we don't.Its also depends on my physical workout.

[El Diablo Blanco]

eat less

[Jay8899]

When i cut,i like to up fats mire than usual and.cut on carbs..cut carbs,its just how many grams.but i still have carbs with almost with every  meal.