Cutting Diet After 25lb Bulk

I have recently finished a roughly 25lb pound bulk, and have begain a diet aimed at reducing fat but keeping as much muscle as possible. What I have been doing for the last two weeks is:

630 am: 1 whole egg and two egg whites and two turkey sausage patties

9:30 am: Protein Shake

12:30/1: salad with either grilled chiken breast or tuna

4: Protein Shake

7: grilled chicken and serving of veggies

~11 post work out shake (and piece of fruit before hand)

any advice or critique is appreciated.

Quick question. Did your strength gain match 25 lb bulk?

I am neither a nutritionist, or a personal trainer. But I can give you some basic advice which we all know and forget when we need it.

  1. Calories in < Calories Burned = Weight loss.

  2. Body will try to stabilize calories burned if repeatedly not getting enough.(slow metabolism down).

  3. Can’t tell if your diet will lose weight if: we do not know your weight now, the amount of calories in all those shakes you drink, your diet to bulk, how fast you gained weight and how fast you are trying to lose, as well as your exercise regimen.
    (Hell, a 100lb female might gain weight on that diet.)

  4. Is that the kind of diet you can stick to?

Other than that, for an average active grown man it looks like your on the right track.

Total calories and macro breakdown? body Weight? How many pounds have you been loseing per week?

Less protein shakes. More vegetables, eggs, vegetables, lean meats and vegetables.

edit: I always forget, more oils/fats too.

sorry for being vague. I have shown strength gains with my weight gain that I am happy with. In addition to the food break down i gave, I also take fish oil, BCAAs, and “greens.” The protein shake I use is a basic whey formula and each shake is 240 calories. I am curently using Waterbury;s ABBH program and also doing hill sprints and jump roop for cardio.

Your diet seems fine to lose wieght, but it seems like you will lose alot of muscle also. As well as fatigue depending on how young and active you are. You might want to see how you feel after a week on that program/diet combo.

I know everybody is scared of carbs, but they do provide a energy. I can not see why you would not want to add oatmeal, or another energy boosting carb for breakfast or a few hours before your workout (maybe in the shake). Depending on how you cycle your carbs you can workout harder and lose more weight.

I also don’t see any stimulants like Spike, or even a cup of coffee. Do you have anything against these? They help alot also.

Eric, there’s a lot you’re doing that is good. I see 6 meals a day, protein every meal. What you’re doing currently may be just fine, but I have no idea what your body weight is currently and what the portion sizes are of what you’re eating. How much protein are you getting on a daily basis.

There are some other opportunities I see. If you’d like a good read on how to design a diet, check out http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1509230

In general, though, you should not go directly from a bulking diet into a cutting diet. You need to allow yourself one month (or more!) of eating at maintenance calories. And it will actually take about a month to figure out what maintenance is for your new, higher body weight.