Cut / Maintain Mass Diet Help

Nutrition
1

A little background, I’m 25. 6’7". 245 pds. 17-18% BF. My goal is to lean out and maintain of gain muscle. I’ve been an on and off lifter for 5 years of so (mostly off). And about a year ago after an accident I got my shit together and got back into it. Been lifting 5+ days a week, avoiding processed food and cut the crap food out.

Sticking to compound exercises with some accessory work, short rest times with no cardio. and getting stronger/bigger/leaner. I’m just trying to take it to the next level with diet. I started an Animal Pak/Test/Stak cycle 2 weeks ago and am getting some nice strength gains. Ive got my gym routine dialed in, super motivated and am now focusing on diet. I workout late in the day after school/work and keep most of my carbs out till around my workout. During the day I have pretty good energy till about an hour from my carb meal, I get grumpy haha, then it comes back after I load up.

My issue is after calculating out my Macros I’m at a pretty big calorie deficit, as well as a solid deficit on carbs/fats but my protein is solid for whats recommended for my size. I’m curious on opinions if this is going to hurt my goals and I should add more or if I should stick to it. I’m not dropping crazy weight, maybe 2 pds a week max, but I can see more muscles starting to show.

So heres the meal plan. Totals at the bottom. This is consistent 5 days a week, weekends are pretty close with a sanity meal at some point.

7AM
Shake 1 240 Cal 2g Fat 6g Carb 48g Protein
Coffee 160 Cal 1g Fat 26g Carb 13g Protein

830AM
Egg Whites- 88 Cal .5g Fat 1.2 Carb 18.5 Protein
Salmon Burgers 260 Cal 12g Fat 0 Carb 42g Protein
10AM
Carrots 25 Cal 6g Carb 1G Protein
Chicken 124 Cal 1.5g Fat 26.1 Protein
12PM
Shake 2 240 Cal 2g Fat 6g Carb 48g Protein
Water

2PM
Almonds 163 Cal 14.5g Fat 6g Carbs 6g Protein

5PM
Rice 199 Cal .4g Fat 45g Carbs 5g Protein
Brocc 50 Cals .6g Fat 10g Carbs 4.2g Protein
Chicken 124 Cal 1.5g Fat 26.1g Protein

Lift 9PM
Shake 3 240 Cal 2g Fat 6g Carb 48g Protein
AMilk 90 Cal 2.5g Fat 1g Carb 1g Protein

1879 Cals
48.6 Fat
128G Carbs
285G Protein

Recommended
2570 Cal
GRAMS per day 265.8g Protein 241.1 Carbs 60.3 Fat

If you’re still with me after this huge post, anything to add, subtract, or change timings on lemme know. I think its pretty solid but hoping the cut isn’t too aggressive.

2

[quote]SwampReaper wrote:

I started an Animal Pak/Test/Stak cycle 2 weeks ago and am getting some nice strength gains. Ive got my gym routine dialed in, super motivated and am now focusing on diet. I workout late in the day after school/work and keep most of my carbs out till around my workout. During the day I have pretty good energy till about an hour from my carb meal, I get grumpy haha, then it comes back after I load up.[/quote]
You get strength gains from vitamins and Yohimbe type supplements?

[quote]
My issue is after calculating out my Macros I’m at a pretty big calorie deficit, as well as a solid deficit on carbs/fats but my protein is solid for whats recommended for my size. I’m curious on opinions if this is going to hurt my goals and I should add more or if I should stick to it. I’m not dropping crazy weight, maybe 2 pds a week max, but I can see more muscles starting to show.[/quote]
If you are happy with the results, why change? Do what works. Only you will know what your body will respond to.

Again, if it works for you, great. Keep it up. Make adjustments as needed.

I just dont get the aversion to vegetables when dieting. have eggs (nothing wrong with full eggs. The fat in there has all the vitamines) with a cup or two of veggies.
Piece of meat with big salad or couple cups of veggies.
No fruit? (this is quite debatable when dieting, I prefer one fruit a day)

And sorry, but you could eliminate your shakes by actually having a piece of meat. A 4 ounce chicken breast has about 200 calories. So, I’m not sure what you are measuring or which app has that. 6-8 ounces?

Again, to emphasis, your body will tell you. Listen to it.

3

What’s this coffee? Coffee 160 Cal 1g Fat 26g Carb 13g Protein

If you feel good doing it and are stoked to hit the gym then that’s a good thing.
I would add more fruits and veggies, trying to get 8-12 servings of veggies a day and fruit to veggies ratio of 1:5 for fat loss.

You could eat some carrots, celery and veggies with your almonds or have a grapefruit with it (no one got fat off of grapefruits)

Protein is satiating but so is fiber so adding in more veggies will give you more fiber and micronutrients.

2lbs of fat loss a week is great progress.

If the scale dips down one day (assuming daily weigh-ins) then that may be a good day for a refeed.

4

If you want to do more of a recomp, i.e., slowly lose body fat and maintain LBM, you could try body weight x 12 = caloric intake on workout days and body weight x 10 = caloric intake on non-lifting days (adjust 100-200 calories either way, on either set of days, if your mileage varies). Keep protein steady and fill in carbs and fats according to your own sensitivity, feeling, etc. This should ensure a slower, manageable weight loss of 1-2 lb week.

5

I’m definitely going to fit some more veggies in, didn’t even realize how lacking it was till you pointed it out. The shakes is more convenience through the day, its easy to sip on a shake while I work. As for the app I think it was calorie king , I’ll have to adjust it with a more accurate app.

As for the coffee, its my one crutch hah. A big skinny iced machiatto from starbucks, I toss a couple scoops of protein in and thats my wakeup meal. Then the eggs/fish an hour or so later. Crackbucks posts it nutritional online.

I’m definitely going to use the scale as a guide for refeeds and the formula mentioned to track calories on off days.

Thanks for the good responses guys