Fat Loss Diet Advice

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hey guys, I’ve been lurking for a few months now and have picked up quite a bit from you all. So for that thank you!

About the diet advice. I just finished a 16 week diet where I lost 4.3% BF going from 17.6 to 13.3. I lost 9.65 lbs of fat compared to 2.83 lbs of lean mass giving an average ratio of 3.41:1. I lost around .78 lbs per week which is a bit lower than I would have liked but I still feel like I did well. (Dexa scan approved! :wink: )

My question is, with my goal being to get to single digit bodyfat(~9%), should I keep on dieting or should I maintain for a few weeks then get back to it? My diet followed a basic approach of lower calories on rest days and slightly below maintenance on workout days. I also adopted a few principles of IF (skipping breakfast/eating in an 8 hr window) during my cut. This is my first time attempting to cut down so any help, knowledge, or tips will be greatly appreciated.

And apologies for TL;DR.

2

What are your current stats?

You lost 3 lbs of muscle. That is your diet. Or lack thereof. With today’s supplements, why?

maintaining for a few weeks would be unwise. You need to fine tune your diet though. I hate IF, so I have no comment.

3

Eat more on training days, and get at least 20g protein every 3 hours awake.

4

JFG,

I’m 5’8" 173 lbs. What supplements would help in that aspect? Also, i thought it was standard to lose some lean mass when losing fat? Any details on how to fine tune…I’m open to all suggestions including ones that aren’t in line with IF haha. I can provide more info about my diet as well.

Ecchastang,

Thanks for your input. Can you help me understand why this would help (the 20g comment)? I can definitely up the cals on training days, would you compensate by lowering on non-training days?

5

[quote]okayrr wrote:
JFG,

Ecchastang,

Thanks for your input. Can you help me understand why this would help (the 20g comment)? I can definitely up the cals on training days, would you compensate by lowering on non-training days?

[/quote]
Eating in a deficit makes you more catabolic, so during training days, you want to be in balance or even a slight surplus, so you are not wasting your efforts in the gym. As to the protein, 20g is a ballpark figure but numerous studies have shown the anabolic effect of getting protein regularly throughout the day.

6

[quote]okayrr wrote:
JFG,

I’m 5’8" 173 lbs. What supplements would help in that aspect? Also, i thought it was standard to lose some lean mass when losing fat? Any details on how to fine tune…I’m open to all suggestions including ones that aren’t in line with IF haha. I can provide more info about my diet as well.

[/quote]

You are on T-Nation… Look at the store, read what CT is writting…

And as stated, up the calories to your benefit. That’s why something like Plazma is beneficial.

7

What do your workouts look like? According to CT, one of the best things for preserving muscle during a cut is strength training, and I can attest to this in my own experience. Something like 5/3/1 would work well.

You aren’t working out while fasted, are you? Because that will burn muscle for sure. Which leads me to. . .

[quote]okayrr wrote:
JFG,

I’m 5’8" 173 lbs. What supplements would help in that aspect? Any details on how to fine tune.[/quote]

Supplements should be used for exactly that - to fine tune. If your diet and workouts aren’t in order, then supplements aren’t going to help much.

However, I do IF fasting myself, and a pre & post workout supplement is essential for preventing muscle loss. If you can’t afford Plazma or MAG-10, an inferior (but still effective) substitute is 5g of BCAAs and 23g of gatorade powder.

For that last bit of icing on the cake, the following supplements are useful:

HOT-ROX or Fahrenheit (Fahrenheit is just HOT-ROX + hydroxy)
Green Tea Extract
Curcumin

The first two are best consumed while fasted. The last is best taken with olive oil.

Adding to what Ecchastang said, consider reading Dr. Jade Teta’s articles on this site. He stresses the importance of keeping one’s “hunger, energy, and cravings” in check. Occasional hunger pangs are normal during a cut, but if you’re constantly hungry, tired, and craving cheat meals, it’s a sign you need to up the calories and/or cut back on the workouts, usually the former. This is why lifters on extreme diets incorporate carb refeed days, but nobody with double-digit body fat needs a refeed day.