About to start my cut... A few questions.

charlieaulert

I’m starting my cut this Friday (13/05/2016), leaving me 11 weeks until my holiday. I have a few questions; as I’ve never been through the cutting stage before.

Information about me:
· Age: 22
· Height 5ft8”
· Weight: 72kg/159lbs
· BF%: Measured at 10.3% using callipers, I’d suggest slightly above that.
· I plan to train 3 or 4 times per week, with the possibility of a few runs also, depending on how I feel I’m looking.
· Office job 4 days per week.

I want to get my macros sorted out, but am slightly confused as to how many calories I should be eating. I’ve tried various calculators online, but none of them really take into consideration the amount of exercise I will be doing and other specific factors.

A few questions:
1) How many calories? (Considering exercise)
2) How often to train? 3-5 days per week?
3) Carb cycling… yes/no?
4) Heavy or light weights? Or both?
5) In regards to cardio vs eating slightly less, is there any advantage or disadvantage to not doing cardio and eating slightly less and visa-versa? I suppose that cardio gives you muscular endurance and maybe a little muscle tone.

Any answers would be appreciated.
Charlie.

StealthHealth

charlieaulert wrote: »

1) How many calories? (Considering exercise)
2) How often to train? 3-5 days per week?
3) Carb cycling… yes/no?
4) Heavy or light weights? Or both?
5) In regards to cardio vs eating slightly less, is there any advantage or disadvantage to not doing cardio and eating slightly less and visa-versa? I suppose that cardio gives you muscular endurance and maybe a little muscle tone.

1) Approx 2100 would give you a 1lb per week loss based on 3-4 work outs per week (which should be your core strength/weights work) but remember that the scales and tape measure are you guide and calories will need to be tweaked according to progress towards your goal.
2) Wights wise, whatever you've been going on your gain do on your cut. Try to maintain the weights and reps (although many find this difficult)
3) If you feel drained prior to your work outs then this may help, but it is not a requirement.
4) See point 2, but generally I think heavy is better.
5) I would say that cardio is good for CV health and many find it difficult to add in during bulk phases and so the cut is the only realistic time to get that cardio done for those people. Some people also find that more cardio and more eating is psychologically better than just plain old "less food". Do what you wish - neither option is better from a fat loss perspective.

StealthHealth

Charlie

I wanted to add, at your guestimate %BF you will find progress slow and at these lower %s people often find a more conservative cut is more productive than a faster "hell-for-leather" approach. So, I'd consider a few weeks at just a couple of hundred below TDEE and see how that goes with the measurements and scales.

Also, remember to eat sufficient protein and fat (for muscle retention and well being).

charlieaulert

StealthHealth wrote: »

Charlie

I wanted to add, at your guestimate %BF you will find progress slow and at these lower %s people often find a more conservative cut is more productive than a faster "hell-for-leather" approach. So, I'd consider a few weeks at just a couple of hundred below TDEE and see how that goes with the measurements and scales.

Also, remember to eat sufficient protein and fat (for muscle retention and well being).

Thanks for all your help!

JenRainbow1

According to the UK NHS you need to eat about 500 calories less a day to see a weight loss. People will say 1,200 and I started on that but struggled. I'm now eating 1,400 a week and losing about 2 pounds or so a week. Doing about 3 days of exercise. It does depend on your exercise as I do HIT workouts which are intense.
I did type your info into the NHS calculator but it said you're a healthy weight so it won't give you any calorie information.
This info is working for and I'm 27, female, about 5ft4 was over 11 stone to start

bioklutz

At 10% body fat why would you cut? Is this just to show off for your vacation? If so, I would think that just dropping a couple of pounds would get the look you want.

StealthHealth wrote: »

Charlie

I wanted to add, at your guestimate %BF you will find progress slow and at these lower %s people often find a more conservative cut is more productive than a faster "hell-for-leather" approach. So, I'd consider a few weeks at just a couple of hundred below TDEE and see how that goes with the measurements and scales.

Also, remember to eat sufficient protein and fat (for muscle retention and well being).

This is very good advice.

charlieaulert

bioklutz wrote: »

At 10% body fat why would you cut? Is this just to show off for your vacation? If so, I would think that just dropping a couple of pounds would get the look you want.

StealthHealth wrote: »

Charlie

I wanted to add, at your guestimate %BF you will find progress slow and at these lower %s people often find a more conservative cut is more productive than a faster "hell-for-leather" approach. So, I'd consider a few weeks at just a couple of hundred below TDEE and see how that goes with the measurements and scales.

Also, remember to eat sufficient protein and fat (for muscle retention and well being).

This is very good advice.

Through tests my bf% is 10.3 but I'd suggest 11 maybe 11.5.

I want to add muscle tone whilst losing a little but of body fat for my holiday; then I will begin a bulk after. I figured out I may as well lower my body fat now for my holiday and that sets me up nicely for a lean bull afterwards.

Thanks.

StealthHealth

charlieaulert wrote: »

bioklutz wrote: »

At 10% body fat why would you cut? Is this just to show off for your vacation? If so, I would think that just dropping a couple of pounds would get the look you want.

StealthHealth wrote: »

Charlie

I wanted to add, at your guestimate %BF you will find progress slow and at these lower %s people often find a more conservative cut is more productive than a faster "hell-for-leather" approach. So, I'd consider a few weeks at just a couple of hundred below TDEE and see how that goes with the measurements and scales.

Also, remember to eat sufficient protein and fat (for muscle retention and well being).

This is very good advice.

Through tests my bf% is 10.3 but I'd suggest 11 maybe 11.5.

I want to add muscle tone whilst losing a little but of body fat for my holiday; then I will begin a bulk after. I figured out I may as well lower my body fat now for my holiday and that sets me up nicely for a lean bull afterwards.

Thanks.

Good thinking.

I may be stereotyping you here, but on the assumption that your holiday will include some alcohol and less than perfect macros food - I would have a week or two at maintenance before you go away. Why? Because it's good to get the water retention issues from upping the cals out of the way before hitting the pool/beach and it helps (me at least) to avoid the mother-of-all-beer-and-pizza-binges on the first day.