# Cutting Diet



## Ben-dur (May 12, 2008)

just got home from USMC bootcamp
and i gained a little bit of unwanted bodyfat

stats are

male
20 years
5'11"
175lbs




im willing to follow a strict diet with the exception of dinner meal
which i will be eating with my family at home (never out)
however i feel i have a pretty good eye, and knowledge of nutritional facts, so i think ill be able to govern myself farely well for this one meal



also i have left out things which have little to no caloric effect
(vegetables, fruit, water etc...) 



........................................................pro.........fat......carbs...........cals

meal 1.......630am...................................22.......16......27..............360
..3.........................eegs
..1/2 cup................oatmeal


meal 2.......9am......................................32.......18......12..............350
..2 scoops...............muscle milk


meal 3.......12pm.....................................50.......17......17..............340
..1 can..................tuna
..2 tbsp.................peanut butter


meal 4.......3pm.......................................33........7.......26...............270
..1 cup................cottage cheese
..1......................banana

meal 5.......530pm
..----...................--------------...............--.......--......--..............---




meal 6.......830pm........................................32.......18......12.............350
..2 scoops...............muscle milk


meal 7.......1030pm-11pm..............................32.......6.......6...............180
..1 cup..................cottage cheese






...............................................................201.......82......100...........1850





1850 calories
this is leaving out dinner which would usually run around 400-500 calories

last night for instance was

half of a smoked hen................................26...........10........0..............200
1 full "stuffed potato skin"..........................4............9.........9..............140
2 slices of "schwan's multigrain bread"..........3............1.........10.............60

............................................................33...........20.......19............400



............................................................pro..........fat......carbs                                                                
which brings the macros to........................234..........82......120..........2250cals





meal 1 emediatly upon rising
meal 5 approx 1.5 hours befor workout
meal 6 comes within 30min after my workout
meal 7 directly befor bed








any critique/suggestions welcome


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## Merkaba (May 12, 2008)

how do you gain body fat at a bootcamp....geez


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## Ben-dur (May 13, 2008)

haha bootcamp was shitty
but its not the physically demanding 3 month gym visit people think it is


no "weight trainging" (meaning no weights)
little sleep

3 meals and about 6000 calories a day
mostly from high startch carb sources and
lots of peanut butter

left home at 168 and around 8% bf
came home at 175 and around 12%

i lost a half inch in my arms
and gained about 2 around my waist

nothing to be shocked and concerned about
but with summer approching
id like to get back down in the 6-8% range for a little while


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## Plateau_Max (May 13, 2008)

I gained weight in Air Force boot camp.  The food they provide you is horrible in military basic training.  It's just not going to improve people who did a lot of working out before joining.


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## Built (May 13, 2008)

How about you say how much fat you want to drop and in what time frame? At 175 lbs and 12% bodyfat, you currently have about 154 lbs lean mass. If we manage to keep this while dropping you down to 7% bodyfat, you will hit that goal at about 165 lbs. So… you need to drop 10 pounds. How fast do you intend to drop this, and what will your training be like while you do it?

Also, what are your maintenance calories?


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## Merkaba (May 13, 2008)

lol...oh well.


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

i do


chest/tri
back/bi
legs
rest

and repeat

my workouts usually consist of compound sets first (3 exercises, 3 sets of 8-10 reps)
then some isolate work (maybe 2 exercises, 3 sets 8-10 reps)


i tend to switch my exercises almost every workout

so an example 

chest/tri (45 mins)

dips 12,10,8
db press 10, 10, 8
incline db press 10, 8, 8 

shoulder raises 10, 8, 8
tricep extensions 10, 10, 8


but next time i work out i may switch the db's for a barbell
or i might switch the incline for military


back/bis(45 mins)

pullups  14, 12, 10
t-bar 10, 10, 8
bent over rows 10, 10, 8

shrugs 10, 10, 8



legs (usually shorter workout)(30-40 mins)

squats
lunges
leg press

calfs


i also enjoy running a couple times a week (3 miles which happens in 22mins)
rest day and back day usually

i run early morning
and lift late afternoon/evening


as for my maint. diet, i couldnt tell you
this would be the first time i have ever put myself on a calculated diet


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

oh and thanks for the input thus far

my goals are
7% bf (around 165)
and id like to have that done in 4 weeks


however
if thats unreasonable, i could revise my goals.
please tell my


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

2.5 lbs a week is a LOT. 1 lb a week is pretty much the most I'd recommend for your size. 

2.5 lbs a week means running a deficit of 1250 calories a day below maintenance. The only way I can see doing this safely is Lyle McD's PSMF.


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

recieved



lets make that goal 8-10 weeks then

but the real question is the diet

does it look satisfactory?
or should it be revised
or just scraped?


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

What is your current maintenance? Not a calculation, but how many calories do you actually eat to neither gain nor lose weight?


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

i honestly couldnt tell you

ive never recorded meals or weighed foods befor now


sorry to say


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

Okay, well, how are you going to know where you are going if you don't know where you've been?

The individual meal choices don't matter. What matters is getting in enough protein (at least a gram per pound lean mass, I like mine a lot higher than this when cutting), enough fat (at least half a gram per pound lean mass), 25g fibre, and that you run enough of a deficit to drop weight at the rate you predict. Do all that while staying comfortable, and you'll hit your goals. 

For example, me: 114 lbs lean mass.

My daily protein averages 180g (minimum would be 114g, but satiety is greater when I keep my protein high)
My daily fat averages 80g (minimum would be 57g, but I feel better when my fats stay high)
My daily fibre is about 25g
My maintenance calories are 2200, so I reduce this by about 20% to start my cut. This means I cut on about 1800 calories a day, keep my workouts short and intense, do minimal but intense cardio (HIIT, complexes, hills) and take cheat meals and refeeds every week or two. 

I train in the evening, so I eat protein and fat meals in the early part of the day to keep my appetite under control. I eat the majority of my carbs in the meal before and the meal or two after I lift, and the majority of my calories in the later part of the day. 

Any of this help?


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

yes

i think your trying to tell me that, that diet may or may not be a cutting diet

i need to find my maintenance level first then worry about the cut



and the abs on you avatar cant possibly be YOURS can they!!???!?


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

They are indeed mine. At least, they were two years ago, when I was forty two. 

You can try ballparking what your maintenance is and start there if you like. My husband weighs what you do and his maintenance is 2700. He's older than you though. 

Wanna call your maintenance 3000 and call it a day?

In that case, you could try starting your cut at 2400 calories if you like. 

Make sure you keep protein no lower than about 160g and fat no lower than about 80g. Get in 25g of fibre, track carefully for a few weeks, see what happens. Don't worry about carbs in the AM unless you want them there for satiety and or unless you train in the AM. Eat the majority of your carbs in the meal before and the meal or two after you train. 

Sound good?


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

42!?

i dont believe you

thats incredible


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

ill see if i can draw up a little better diet useing your advice

thank you


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

Thank you. I was kinda plump for a long time. First time I noticed abs I just kinda fondled them. I still do this when I walk past trays of muffins and donuts at work... "There, there, my pretties..."

Now, my suggested starting point - sound like a plan? You can adjust it down or up from there. It's just a ballpark-ish place to start that shouldn't mess you up.


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

sounds great
id say you probably know what your talking about so ill stick with your advice


after i start a this cut ill monitor my weight and adjust calories slightly to keep the weightloss around 1 pound a week

but first ill see what i can do with the diet to make the numbers a little closer to your advise


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

Track carefully, adjust as required. Don't bother measuring "calories burned" - just measure what you put in, and weigh yourself. If you do things the right way, you can expect the desired outcome. Trust the process. Train properly, eat properly, manage your hunger. Don't go too fast and assume your losses are fat. It's a simple process - don't let the morons in this industry drive you crazy with the little stupid details of it. If you stick to the main guidelines and manage to stay comfortable while doing this, you'll succeed.


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

i just read the thread titled "refeeds and leptin"

you mentioned refeeds earlier

would you suggest i try once a week and see how that works?


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

Wait a couple of weeks. Refeeds become more important as you lean out. You're  not even sure if this is enough of a deficit yet. Once you are, start paying attention to refeeds. Personally I prefer two half day refeeds to a full day one, but your mileage may vary.


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## Ben-dur (May 14, 2008)

okay
hold off on the bagels for at least 2 weeks
got it
haha



awsome


thanks for all your help


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## Built (May 14, 2008)

You're welcome.

Oh, and you can eat a bagel every day while cutting if you like. Eat 'em before and or after you lift.

Good luck!


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