Advice on a Cut Diet

**My mistake if I posted this twice… I checked and couldn’t find an original…

Hey everyone,

I’m new to the forum (obviously), and new to weight lifting again (it’s been a few years). My main goals for the next few months are strength gains, and fat loss. Obviously size gains would be nice, but I’m hesitant to put on more fat in the time being as my BFI is probably 15-20%. I’ve been lifting for about two weeks now and everything is going well, and since I’m going with a few people now I believe it is finally sustainable as I enjoy going. I’m lifting 4 times a week and doing cardio 3 times a week, so if I keep that up, hopefully that will suffice as long as my diet is functional.

A few stats:

Height- 6’1
Weight- 200 lbs
Body Fat- 20% maybe?

Also keep in mind I work about 50 hours a week at an office job, so my workouts are all at night with the exception of weekends.

Breakfast:
-Plain oatmeal, possibly with fruit or chocolate whey powder for flavour
-Shake with orange juice, greens powder, and whey powder

Snack:
-Yogurt

Lunch:
-Tuna with some lemon juice and a piece of fruit
-Some days substitute sushi if I want something that tastes a little better

Mid afternoon:
-Greens powder in some water, possibly whey and water separately

Dinner: (Usually preworkout, 1-2 hours ahead of time)
-Salmon, chicken, or beef
-Steamed brocolli with some parmesan cheese dipped in a mixture of olive oil and Mrs. Dash
-Spinach salad with a dressing of vinager, olive oil and Mrs. Dash

Post workout:
Whey shake with milk as it is almost my bedtime after that (starting work at 7am can be a little brutal)

A few notes:

-Im aware that eating dinner before weight training may not be ideal, but due to my work schedule, it is somewhat necessary. I may be able to work out, then eat dinner, if that is necessary -My workouts are the typical chest and triceps, back and biceps, shoulders, and legs days, but on weekends Ill also run separately, and weeknights after my workout (with the exception of leg day and the day after leg day) I will run for half an hour as well.

So what does everyone think? It could use a little creativity perhaps, but I feel it is sustainable, which is what I need at the moment. Keep in mind I’m not looking for size gains, and just want to lose some fat. As for the strength gains, I am assuming that they will come simply because I’m working out again.

Also, any advise on supplements would be helpful, although for some types I may be rather hesitant to use them.

Thanks!

Shawn

My goals are pretty much the exact same as yours. I’m 5’7"" and down to 162lbs from 166 in 4 weeks. For the past two weeks I’ve been putting more work into my diet and its an experience.

I was wondering what your calorie range was. I’m going for between 2400-2600 calories a day, w/ about 40% protein, 30% carbs,30% fat. I tried cutting out all bread and just getting my carbs from veggies and fruit, but ended up adding a slice of bread w/ breakfast and a whole wheat bagel or bread w/ peanut butter before my workout.

I’ll take cheat days, where I’ll throw in an extra meal and be around 3000 cal, usually on rest days or weekends. I’ve been doing this when I feel beat down or tired, or just want to make sure I’m not comprising my muscles or health.

As for scheduling mines a lot like yours:

Breakfast (6:30-7:00 am):
Its the same thing everyday…
3 eggs in 2 tsp OO, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 cup milk+1 cup coffee+1 scoop protein

Snack (10am):
Plain Yogurt and Fruit or Salad and Tomato and Some Turkey or Chicken in the Salad or String Cheese and Lunch Meat

Lunch (Noon):
Lean Meat and Veggies

…I’ll usually throw in a string cheese, yogurt, orange, or apple here if I get hungry.

Pre-Workout(4:30):
Whole wheat bagel + Organic Peanut Butter

Post-Workout(6:30-7:00) :
Protein + Milk + Peanut Butter or Frozen Fruit (Chocolate w/ PB and Vanilla w/ Fruit)

Dinner (8:00-9:00)
Lean Meat and Veggies

To save time, I try to prepare the meals in bulk beforehand. If I’m making dinner, I’ll make lunch for the next day. Usually I’ll make a bunch of chicken breasts or more fish than I can eat in one sitting. I also got a slow cooker and make like a 3 lb pork tenderloin that lasts me a good week. It saves time and makes it easier recording everything.

On that note, I picked up a food scale and a couple little pocket sized notebooks. Everything I eat gets weighed and written down. I use fitday.com to track it, because before I would add it up and never go back to review it. Its a nice easy way to see if you’re eating what you think you’re eating. I don’t know if you are doing any of these already, but it helped me get my diet developed and settled in.

For supplements I’ve been taking BCAA’s and fish oil, and a multivitamin. I’d suggest all 3. You might also want to consider a metabolic enhancer like HOT-ROX, although I don’t take one but it will probably speed up the fat loss.

As for the protein shake w/ milk before bed, I was drinking a big glass of milk before bed for the first couple weeks. I still lost weight, but have stopped doing it. I just wanted to cut down on the carbs before bed, so you might want to consider switching to water.

I’m sorry to hear about the time-crunch and I’m new to this too, but I hope I could help a little bit. Good luck.

Looks pretty solid, remember that if you chase two goals simultaineously that you won’t achieve optimal results in either. But, looking at what you have down, you should be off to a good start.

Try some lean protein for breakfast, a real first snack, and something substantial for your second snack. Remember that supplying a more constant supply of energy will be beneficial for losing weight, and it will keep you sane.

Pick a calorie value, try it for a couple of weeks and then post again for more advice. Only time will tell us where you are and where you are going.