Cutting Overall Body Fat %

Diet and Nutrition
1

I’m just starting a new diet to begin cutting my overall body fat percentage. I’ve always trained hard, but haven’t been strict about my diet. Here’s a sample of my plan, please tell me what you think.
7:30am- 4 egg whites, english muffin w/jelly
9:30am- 1 scoop 100% whey protein shake
11:30am- sm garden salad w/fat free It.dressing
1:30pm- 9oz tuna, w/ 6oz fresh fruit (grapes,pineapple,canteloupe)
3:30pm- 1 apple, 1scoop 100% whey protein shake
4:15-5:45pm- Training
6:30pm- 8oz Beef,chix,or fish,w/baked or brown rice, vegetables

I’m only drinking water, including with the whey protein shakes, so I’m estimating my daily calorie intake at about 1750. I will also be starting HRX tomorrow. Does this sound like a solid plan for cutting body fat?

2

Sorry, I’m 6’,194 lbs and about 18% bodyfat. My goal is to reach 10%.

3

[quote]animalmj wrote:
Does this sound like a solid plan for cutting body fat?
[/quote]

Cutting bodyfat? No. Cutting weight? Yes.

You’re starving yourself. You need MUCH more protein if you want to hold onto your LBM. Check out the t-dawg 2.0 diet and try that.

4

[quote]animalmj wrote:
I’m just starting a new diet to begin cutting my overall body fat percentage. I’ve always trained hard, but haven’t been strict about my diet. Here’s a sample of my plan, please tell me what you think.
7:30am- 4 egg whites, english muffin w/jelly
9:30am- 1 scoop 100% whey protein shake
11:30am- sm garden salad w/fat free It.dressing
1:30pm- 9oz tuna, w/ 6oz fresh fruit (grapes,pineapple,canteloupe)
3:30pm- 1 apple, 1scoop 100% whey protein shake
4:15-5:45pm- Training
6:30pm- 8oz Beef,chix,or fish,w/baked or brown rice, vegetables

I’m only drinking water, including with the whey protein shakes, so I’m estimating my daily calorie intake at about 1750. I will also be starting HRX tomorrow. Does this sound like a solid plan for cutting body fat?
[/quote]

Your plan doesn’t look that great to me. Follow Berardi’s suggestions and you’ll be fine. Ditch the english muffin for starters; don’t eat any white bread, white flour, white pasta, enriched or processed carbs. Eat veggies with every meal: spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, etc. Way too much fruit in there. Would add oatmeal for breakfast and put some fresh fruit in there if you want and no other fruit all day. I don’t see any EFA’s. Your protein intake could be higher. You can add some in your 11:30 meal, and put some extra virgin olive oil on the salad. This stuff is not rocket science, esp. going from 18% to 10%.

5

[quote]animalmj wrote:
I’m just starting a new diet to begin cutting my overall body fat percentage. I’ve always trained hard, but haven’t been strict about my diet. Here’s a sample of my plan, please tell me what you think.
7:30am- 4 egg whites, english muffin w/jelly
9:30am- 1 scoop 100% whey protein shake
11:30am- sm garden salad w/fat free It.dressing
1:30pm- 9oz tuna, w/ 6oz fresh fruit (grapes,pineapple,canteloupe)
3:30pm- 1 apple, 1scoop 100% whey protein shake
4:15-5:45pm- Training
6:30pm- 8oz Beef,chix,or fish,w/baked or brown rice, vegetables

I’m only drinking water, including with the whey protein shakes, so I’m estimating my daily calorie intake at about 1750. I will also be starting HRX tomorrow. Does this sound like a solid plan for cutting body fat?
[/quote]

Less carbs from starches and fruit. More vegetables, fat and day to day variety. And maybe some low-fat dairy, unless you’re intolerant. And definitely nuts, beans and seeds.

For breakfast add a whole egg or two to your whites and eat just half the muffin. Or top half a muffin with a turkey sausage and 2 eggs over easy. IMO its more important to get the complete protein from the egg and make up for the extra calories by taking them from the carbs. Or top some black beans with a couple eggs and some salsa.

Why the shake in the morning and not one after training? Maybe eat some yogurt instead of shake. Mix in some peanut butter, whey or pumpkin. Or check out a recipe for low-cal chicken chili with beans and peppers.

Also you’d do better to put flax and/or olive oil with vinegar on your salad (and making it a LARGE garden salad wouldn’t hurt). And add some seeds, cheese or bolied eggs for protein.

Try eating the tuna with vegetables instead of fruit. It saves you calories. Tuna does taste good mixed with apple or pineapple, you could add some along with light mayo and mustard. Eat it on top of some greens or celery. Or put the tuna on a bed of broccoli and melt cheese over it.

Keep having your shake before you workout but have one after as well.

And lose the rice until you’re bulking.

6

Bro you need at least 2500-3000 cals a day at your size especially if your on a rigorous training program. IMO, you should eat as clean as you can without starving yourself, and for the BF loss, I would simply add 25-30 minutes of uphill brisk walking in your target heart rate for fat loss (i like to do this with a 20lb weighted vest to preserve LBM), 3-4 times a week, along with your weight training. Dont be afraid to get your cals in bro, the scale is only a number - you should be more concerned with how you look/feel overall, rather than letting the scale dictate your training. Hope this helps… GL

7

[quote]HandOfGod wrote:
Bro you need at least 2500-3000 cals a day at your size especially if your on a rigorous training program. IMO, you should eat as clean as you can without starving yourself, and for the BF loss, I would simply add 25-30 minutes of uphill brisk walking in your target heart rate for fat loss (i like to do this with a 20lb weighted vest to preserve LBM), 3-4 times a week, along with your weight training. Dont be afraid to get your cals in bro, the scale is only a number - you should be more concerned with how you look/feel overall, rather than letting the scale dictate your training. Hope this helps… GL[/quote]

Thanks. I’m not concerned with my weight at all. It’s all about the way I look/feel. Doesn’t matter to me if I’m 175 or 225, as long as I feel comfortable. I’m by no means starving myself. Actually, sometimes I’m not hungry at all when I’m scheduled to eat, but I do it anyway because I know my body needs the fuel. What is the optimum heart rate for burning fat? It’s totally different than the rate for cardio, right? Thanks again.

8

[quote]animalmj wrote:
HandOfGod wrote:
Bro you need at least 2500-3000 cals a day at your size especially if your on a rigorous training program. IMO, you should eat as clean as you can without starving yourself, and for the BF loss, I would simply add 25-30 minutes of uphill brisk walking in your target heart rate for fat loss (i like to do this with a 20lb weighted vest to preserve LBM), 3-4 times a week, along with your weight training. Dont be afraid to get your cals in bro, the scale is only a number - you should be more concerned with how you look/feel overall, rather than letting the scale dictate your training. Hope this helps… GL

Thanks. I’m not concerned with my weight at all. It’s all about the way I look/feel. Doesn’t matter to me if I’m 175 or 225, as long as I feel comfortable. I’m by no means starving myself. Actually, sometimes I’m not hungry at all when I’m scheduled to eat, but I do it anyway because I know my body needs the fuel. What is the optimum heart rate for burning fat? It’s totally different than the rate for cardio, right? Thanks again.

[/quote]

Minor detail. It is not the fat burned during exercise that makes a difference. It is the overall diet and exercise plan.

9

General formula for finding your MAXIMUM heart rate is 220 - your age, plus or minus 15-20 depending on your fitness level. Your target heart rate for burning fat is around 65-70% of this number.

So find your max HR and then multiply by .6 and .7 and find your range. Remember, when your heart rate goes through the roof for extended periods of time you are burning muscle, (ever seen a jacked marathon runner?) so try and cruise the speed limit for minimal muscle loss.

The way I like to achieve fat loss is on a treadmill with an uphill grade of 3.5 @ 3.5 mph for 25-30 mins in the morning with my x-vest, and then coming back in the afternoon for heavy lifting.