# Ideal fat percentage on a cut....



## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

I posted this in another persons thread and didn't want to high jack their deal.

What percentage of fat do you intake while on a cut. I've been working to get under 20% and now I've got it at about 12-15%. 240g protein, 260g carbs, 2200kcal.

I'm losing fat, but it seems to have slowed and these damn calipers I have won't repeat hardly ever. Two weeks ago I was 25% and now its 31%. Just doesn't make sense.


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## Jodi (Apr 3, 2007)

Rule Number 1:  Fat does *NOT* make you fat!
Rule Number 2:  Eat enough protein
Rule Number 3:  Cut back on the carbs
Rule Number 4:  Increase your fat intake.
Rule Number 5:  Remove all refined carbs
Rule Number 6:  Remove all transfat

Why don't you check out some reading by Lyle McDonald to understand better.

Fat does not make you fat.  When I cut, my fat intake goes up a lot higher than if I am maintenance and bulking!  I've gone as high as 50% of my calories from fat, not to say that is ideal but it works.  Why do you think Atkins works?


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## BigDyl (Apr 3, 2007)

Fat makes you really fat, and carbs are bad.  So i'd do a ratio of 100/0/0 (protein/fat/carbs).


























J/k.


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## ABCs (Apr 3, 2007)

Jodi said:


> Rule Number 1:  Fat does *NOT* make you fat!
> Rule Number 2:  Eat enough protein
> Rule Number 3:  Cut back on the carbs
> Rule Number 4:  Increase your fat intake.
> ...



Definitely agree with that one. I have been cutting for a bit now and keep my fat intake pretty balanced with my other macros and am getting amazing results.


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## tucker01 (Apr 3, 2007)

The basics of it are Cals in vs Cals out.  You take in more cals then you expend you gain weight.  You take in less cals then you expend you lose weight.  Again these are just the basics.

I have never understood why anyone would consider a low fat diet.  JMO


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

Ok then current diet out the window and back to the drawing board AGAIN. Screw frustrated, I'm determined to get this now just out of spite.

I lost 20lb on the scale,(I know scales don't matter) since mid January. Now however I have hit a road block and I actually feel like my gut is getting larger.


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## ABCs (Apr 3, 2007)

Uthinkso said:


> Ok then current diet out the window and back to the drawing board AGAIN. Screw frustrated, I'm determined to get this now just out of spite.
> 
> I lost 20lb on the scale,(I know scales don't matter) since mid January. Now however I have hit a road block and I actually feel like my gut is getting larger.



Focus on balance man. I lost 70lbs of fat already and slammed through a plateau already too. Just keep it balanced and incorporate re feeds when you need to. Forget all this fad diet shit.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

I'm not subscribing to any fad diet at all. I make sure to get 40-45g protein per meal. I eat six times a day which gets me to my 1g per lb of body weight quotta. 

From there I keep my fat to a minimum, because I thought it had to do withlosing fat. Carbs will usually exceed protein most every day, and especially on weight training days.

So when you say balanced. I have 40g of protein per meal, so are you saying to also have 40g of carbs and 40g of fat per meal???


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## ABCs (Apr 3, 2007)

No, I mean just make sure your meals in the beginning of the day have EFAs, Carbs, and Protein... I taper carbs as the day goes on as my body type gains easily and any "unused" carbs will just negatively effect my losses. BTW, check your PMs.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

ABCs said:


> No, I mean just make sure your meals in the beginning of the day have EFAs, Carbs, and Protein... I taper carbs as the day goes on as my body type gains easily and any "unused" carbs will just negatively effect my losses. BTW, check your PMs.




Ok you'll have a reply here shortly.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

Currently I am 25% BF. At 243lb I have 182.25lb of lean body mass and 60.75lb of body fat. I've been eating at 2200kcal and that was working. According to the calculator on fitday I burn about 3800kcal a day but I'm highly suspect of those numbers. Whats a good maintenance level to shoot for, or at least try first. I worked up from 1800kcal to 2200kcal. I've read the stickies a few times, I just struggle to understand information on this topic. My lack of success surely isn't for a lack of effort. Its just the wrong combination.

Typical day of food looks like this for me:

Meal 1-7am
1cup oatmeal (Dry)
1cup cottage cheese
multivitamin

Meal 2-11:30am
8-10oz Chicken breast
1cup mixed veggies or a piece of fruit
1 cup potatoes or brown rice

Meal 3-2:30pm
6oz chicken breast
1 cup potatoes or brown rice
1 cup mixed veggies or fruit

Meal 4-4:30pm (usually driving on way to gym T-Th-F. Otherwise I won't eat until 5:30 or 6pm.
2 pieces whole wheat bread
1 6.5oz can of tuna in water
1tbsp light miracle whip
or
same as meal 3

Meal 5-7-8:00pm
6-8oz of Fish, turkey or chicken
Veggies of some sort
rice or potatoes

Meal 6-10-11pm
1 cup cottage cheese
1 6oz yogurt (low fat, low sugar)
10 almonds or two fish oil caps

This is what I eat almost every day for the past month. Its roughly 22-2300kcal, 250g protein, 280g carbs, and 12% fat.


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## Jodi (Apr 3, 2007)

Uthinkso said:


> Currently I am 25% BF. At 243lb I have 182.25lb of lean body mass and 60.75lb of body fat. I've been eating at 2200kcal and that was working. According to the calculator on fitday I burn about 3800kcal a day but I'm highly suspect of those numbers. Whats a good maintenance level to shoot for, or at least try first. I worked up from 1800kcal to 2200kcal. I've read the stickies a few times, I just struggle to understand information on this topic. My lack of success surely isn't for a lack of effort. Its just the wrong combination.
> 
> Typical day of food looks like this for me:
> 
> ...


*
I made some comments in bold.*


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

Jodi said:


> I made some comments in bold.



Meal 5 is my post work out meal. I don't use whey or anything like that. Just whole foods. Financially for me it was the gym or sups, I chose the gym.

Ok sprouted wheat it is, I had some I got from Kroger in their little health food section. It tasted like a sponge, but what the hell. I'll eat sponges, I'm sick of the damn gut. 

Thank you for the suggestions Jodi.


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## Jodi (Apr 3, 2007)

Ok then I would switch meal 5 around.

Egg Whites
Veggies
1/2 C. Oats or Brown Rice
Yogurt
1 pc of fruit

Did you see my comment on safflower mayo too?


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

Ok here is an update taking into account Jodi's suggestions. Should I work in a protein shake (I'd have to get some) after my workout?

Meal 1-7am
¾???cup oatmeal (Dry)
1 cup cottage cheese
multivitamin
One tbsp natural peanut butter


Meal 2-11:30am
8-10oz Chicken breast
1cup mixed veggies w/ half tbsp EVOO
1 cup brown rice

Meal 3-2:30pm
6oz chicken breast
3/4 brown rice
two fish oil caps


Meal 4-4:30pm (usually driving on way to gym T-Th-F. Otherwise I won't eat until 5:30 or 6pm.
2 pieces sprouted wheat
1 6.5oz can of tuna in water
1tbsp safflower mayo 
or
same as meal 3

Work out at gym push/pull/legs with 20-30 min HIIT on T-Th-Fr, on M-W-S I do the HIIT at home.

Meal 5-7-8:00pm
6-8oz of Fish, turkey or chicken
Veggies of some sort
rice or potatoes

Meal 6-10-11pm
1 cup cottage cheese
10 almonds or two fish oil caps


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## Jodi (Apr 3, 2007)

See my post above the one you just did


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## P-funk (Apr 3, 2007)

percentages are lame.  They are soley based on the number of calories you are intaking.

30% fat meas one thing on a 2000 calorie diet and means something totally different on a 4000 calorie diet.

Look at grams.  Set your protein then let everythign else fall in around it.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

Jodi said:


> Ok then I would switch meal 5 around.
> 
> Egg Whites
> Veggies
> ...




I sure did Jodi. I assume this is something that is available at most stores.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 3, 2007)

P-funk said:


> percentages are lame.  They are soley based on the number of calories you are intaking.
> 
> 30% fat meas one thing on a 2000 calorie diet and means something totally different on a 4000 calorie diet.
> 
> Look at grams.  Set your protein then let everythign else fall in around it.




That is what I have been doing, however some days the fats were higher than others and the carbs also varried.


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## P-funk (Apr 3, 2007)

Uthinkso said:


> That is what I have been doing, however some days the fats were higher than others and the carbs also varried.



huh?

be consistent...problem solved.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 4, 2007)

Jodi said:


> Ok then I would switch meal 5 around.
> 
> Egg Whites
> Veggies
> ...



Jodi how many egg whites, I assume a cup which is five. In interest of time and convenience could I sub in a cup of cottage cheese in meal five in place of the egg whites?


I was looking through fitday.com and put the day together that we were talking about in this post. With the cottage cheese substitute that I asked about above in meal five. Here is what the day looks like.

Total Kcal 2480
Protein 243g-41%
Carbs 240g- 36%
Fat 59g-22%

Per the comments in this thread, I really expected the fat to arrive somewhere in the 70g area and carbs in the 200g or less area. Any changes reccomended here, if not I will give this a whirl for the month of April and May and see how it works.


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## Hammerlynn (Apr 4, 2007)

Uthinkso said:


> I assume a cup which is five.



4 whites is half cup so you'd need 8.   Good luck getting this squared away!  Once you get it down, it'll be a walk in the park!


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## Jodi (Apr 4, 2007)

Uthinkso said:


> Jodi how many egg whites, I assume a cup which is five. In interest of time and convenience could I sub in a cup of cottage cheese in meal five in place of the egg whites?
> 
> 
> I was looking through fitday.com and put the day together that we were talking about in this post. With the cottage cheese substitute that I asked about above in meal five. Here is what the day looks like.
> ...


This is PWO meal so no.  Your best choices for PWO are Whey OR Eggwhites.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 4, 2007)

Jodi said:


> This is PWO meal so no.  Your best choices for PWO are Whey OR Eggwhites.



Alright I'm going to order some whey then. I'll look into a few options and get this in gear for next week. In the mean time I'll just use eggs


From fitday.com they list five large egg whites as one cup.


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## vortrit (Apr 4, 2007)

Uthinkso said:


> Alright I'm going to order some whey then. I'll look into a few options and get this in gear for next week. In the mean time I'll just use eggs
> 
> 
> From fitday.com they list five large egg whites as one cup.




You can also change the serving size to 1 egg white on fitday. Then just add in the ammount in the serving box.


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## Uthinkso (Apr 5, 2007)

vortrit said:


> You can also change the serving size to 1 egg white on fitday. Then just add in the ammount in the serving box.




Yeah thats how I determined that a cup of egg whites versus 5 large egg whites have the same macros.


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