Changing macros to cut

Fonarios

Hello all, my current macros are Carbs: 180/Protein:233/ Fats:52. i maintain with those macros.id like to do a cut for two weeks but not sure if im supposed to completely cut out carbs or just lower them significantly. any help would be appreciated! thanks mfp pals!!!

IronFiend

a 2 week cut?

aelunyu

a 2 week cut?

^ this.

Fonarios

sorry, new to this. how long is a cut typically for?

Alphastate

I'm currently on an eight week cut using a 40/40/20 carb/protein/fat ratio.

IronFiend

The dude ^^(aelunyu) is pretty jacked...I'd make friends

kirstyfairhead

Bump, interested in replies!

aelunyu

That depends on how lean you want to get. Just sort of a "dusting off" of fat can be as short as a 4-6 week period. Where, if you are aggressive, you can generally kind of lean out and lose <10 lb. It's not necessarily that a two week cut is meaningless, just, two weeks is a seriously small sample size to make any judgement as to if you truly made any progress.

Just_Scott

somebody keep this thread going--an 8 week cut?!? MACROS please--to the gentleman above going for 2 weeks shouldn't he aim below 40C(as a percentage)--thoughts???

Fonarios

I'm currently on an eight week cut using a 40/40/20 carb/protein/fat ratio.

hey alphastate, i currently just use grams for macros. i understand how the ratio works i just wonder what calorie intake should be. im 32 currently 189 3 times a week cardio hiit. and 4 times a week gym sessions...

IronFiend

somebody keep this thread going--an 8 week cut?!? MACROS please--to the gentleman above going for 2 weeks shouldn't he aim below 40C(as a percentage)--thoughts???

agree, 40% carbs is awfully high for a cut...good lord.

aelunyu

Really this depends on how much cardio you want to do. I generally keep it around 40 as well, but I just start throwing in random HIIT sessions. I actually respond pretty good to high carb cutting with more cardio rather than low carb with little/no cardio. I think getting the blood flowing kind of helps to keep the joints ready for the heavy work, and maybe helps with better energy utilization. Plus I just would like to never drop below 200g carb ever..as I get symptoms of male PMS....

funforsports

First off: you are currently on a 2,120 calorie diet so you are already in a cut in all likelihood as a male. Other than that, when I cut, I don't go percentages. Put your protein intake anywhere from 1.0-1.5 g/lb bw, fats at .3 g/lb bw, and fill the rest of your calories with carbs. Cuts typically last 8-10 weeks for hardcore bodybuilders but it really depends on how much you want to lose. Aim to lose between 1.0-1.5 lbs per week so you don't lose too much muscle on your cut. Figure out how many lbs you want to cut and calculate the length of time from there.

Fonarios

so you do percentages instead of specific numbers? this gets confusing as ive been accustomed to adjusting the grams instead of percentages.

Just_Scott

Here is the thing--what could carbs be and for how long--Protein in grams = to body weight, need as a minimum each day and the Fat as a minimum each day # unknown. But the C is where the bonking occurs--how low do you go and for how long? Bonking--my definition--feeling like SHAT and unable to max out reps, perform below peak, feel light headed, and frustrated.

Fonarios

ive been doing 30 min hiit 3 times a week...i might go up to 4..

aelunyu

ive been doing 30 min hiit 3 times a week...i might go up to 4..

And that alone might be enough!

Fonarios

awesome numbers...thanks funforsports!!

Just_Scott

You can do either percentages or grams sorry if they get confusing. If you like percentages someone posted an 8 week cut for bodybuilders--this is where the timing and weight loss come into play--losing 3-5 pounds in two weeks for example is relatively easy--sort of what your doing now--once you get out past 6 weeks I'm not sure you'd be able to sustain a low carb diet; maybe you could--worth the effort like all things.