Advice/Guidance/Progress

Diet and Nutrition
1

First off, I am skinnyfat and cutting…I realize I will be yelled at for posting this, that is fine.

21 years old, 5’10, on the Anabolic Diet, 1500 calories/day, just switched to a lactic acid program(for increase fat loss) this week. I am 4 days shy of my usual monthly update, but I can’t help but feel lost. I am not making very good loss in the fat department and I have had to lower my calories per day to 1500 just to keep losing one lb a week.

I have very little muscle and realize this, but was hoping to get to 10% BF before I bulked. Now I am not so sure that I should, I want to get a little leaner. I still have a good amount of fat in my stomach/chest/lovehandle area that bothers me, but a part of me doesn’t think I will get there without adding muscle.

So I am curious on everyones opinion, keep trying to lose fat for another month or so? Or just up the calories?

If I up the calories I will prolly switch to 5/3/1 and concentrate on gaining strength, that should put on additional muscle mass/weight as well correct?

2

[quote]iheartlamps wrote:
First off, I am skinnyfat and cutting…
[/quote]

Actually, you’re just skinny.

Add some muscle and you’ll be fine.

There’s no reason for you to “cut.”

3

Ya, I figured I needed to gain some muscle. I have decided to boost calories to 3k and do the following macros with a 5/3/1 lifting routine.

3000 Calories
Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri (Workouts)
35% P/15% C/50% F
1050c protein/450c carb/1500c fat
262g prot/112g carb/166g fat

meal1= 541 Calories/38g P/5g C/41g F = Eggs, cheese [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal2= 541 Calories/38g P/5g C/41g F = Hamburger, flax [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal3= 541 Calories/38g P/5g C/41g F = Bratwurst [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal4= 541 Calories/38g P/5g C/41g F = Steak, bacon, fish oil [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal5 (pre)= 264 Calories/35g P/31g C/0g F = Whey, waximaize
meal6 (post)= 264 Calories/35g P/31g C/ 0g F = Whey, waximaize
meal7 (pwo2)= 264 Calories/38g P/31g C/ 0g F = Sweet potato, chicken

3000 Calories
Wed/Sat (Off)
35% P/15% C/50% F
1050c protein/450c carb/1800c fat
262g prot/112g carb/166g fat

meal1= 539 Calories/43g P/31g C/27g F = Eggs, cheese, bread [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal2= 539 Calories/43g P/31g C/27g F = Hamburger, flax. oats [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal3= 539 Calories/43g P/31g C/27g F = Bratwurst, bread [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal4= 439 Calories/43g P/6g C/27g F = Steak, bacon, fish oil [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]
meal5= 439 Calories/43g P/6g C/27g F = 139g 80/20, 42g chicken 30g FF Cheese [425 Cal/42.7g P/2.7g C/27g F] [xg fiber]
meal6= 439 Calories/43g P/6g C/27g F = Eggs, Cheese, peanut butter [x Cal/xg P/xg C/xg F] [xg fiber]

3000 Calories
Sunday
30% P/40% C/30% F
900c protein/1200c carb/900c fat
225g prot/300g carb/100g fat

meal1= 500 Calories/37g P/50g C/16g F = g Cereal, c skim milk, Cream [ Cal/g P/g C/g F] [g fiber]
meal2= 500 Calories/37g P/50g C/16g F = g Blueberries, g Oats, g bacon, g Whey [Cal/g P/g C/g F] [g fiber]
meal3= 500 Calories/37g P/50g C/16g F = g Bread, g Marinara, g Chicken, EVOO [Cal/g P/g C/g F] [g fiber]
meal4= 500 Calories/37g P/50g C/16g F = g Oats, g Flax Seed [Cal/g P/g C/g F] [g fiber]
meal5= 500 Calories/37g P/50g C/16g F = Brown Rice, Egg, Chicken
meal6= 500 Calories/37g P/50g C/16g F = Bread, peanut butter

4

Nice work dude!!

5

I am bloody impressed at the difference between the june and sept photos… that is some major result. Good for you!

You are definitely going to struggle now… you have dropped a lot of fat (but kept the bit of muscle you actually had it seems for the most part) but you will need to really step up the game to get lower than that.

Are you going to continue to lose fat 9as your first post seemed to suggest) or are you going to look to gain size?

If the latter i would suggest you don’t follow the ‘usual’ (and grossly misunderstood, misused and badly carried out) ‘bulking’ and ‘cutting’ idea that so many seem to think is suited to everyone who lifted a dumbbell.

Eat clean and (always) high protein, manage CHO and Fats making a choice on which you want to eat and restrict the other. Train heavy and high volume and you will build muscle and achieve a good body composition.

6

Ya I think I am going to “bulk” but slowly, going to start off at 3k calories and push my 5/3/1 training even harder and try to make more gains strength wise.

Here is my setup for 5/3/1, It was the periodization method out of the book with some extra shrugs and curls(dont kill me for this)

Monday:
Deadlift (5/3/1)
Leg Curl 5x12
Leg Extension 5x10
Hanging Leg Raise 5x20
Reverse Curl 5x20
Tuesday:
Bench Press (5/3/1)
Dips 5x10
Chins 5x10
Close Grip Bench Press 5x15
Shrugs 5x25
Thursday:
Squat (5/3/1)
Back Raise 5x15
ATG Front Squat 5x10
Seated Russian Twist 5x20
Friday:
Military (5/3/1)
Inc DB Bench 5x10
T-Bar Row 5x15
Triceps Extension 5x15
BB Curls 5x5

7

good job with the cut
right now you are pretty lean in my opinion…I would say to add muscle have carbs with breakfast, pre, and post. If you keep them restricted outside of that time and stick to generally clean sources you should stay pretty lean. This is at least what works with me.

8

Good job mate, so far. Having undergone a similar transition (from 180lbs to 167lbs) I know fat loss progression grinds to a halt - despite excellent dietary compliance and a heap of training. To me it’s a sign that your body needs a rest and change of direction. I was very careful in bumping up calories and carbs post-cut because I feared a fat gain backlash.

In fact, I very quickly put on 6lbs (likely mostly water following the low carb diet) and looked even more ripped than I had. You should expect a similar positive rebound as long as you don’t go wild in the kitchen.

I’m currently back to the weight I was pre-diet. The difference this time is improved abdominal definition and vascularity. I’m now seriously considering an intense 28-day fat loss phase aiming to drop 7-8lbs before entering another longer term gaining phase because I’m convinced the anabolic rebound is heightened.

9

Thanks guys, ya at 3k I don’t think I will gain weight to fast, maybe not even at all. I weighed 164lbs today, if I haven’t gone up at all next Friday I will simply raise it 200calories and wait. Guess it’s just a game of patience at this point.