Calorie deficit and leg days!

Tomlunt23

Hi all,

Started my weight loss journey in December started at 210lbs and now at 180lbs. Early May I started back into lifting heavy but I’m still eating a calorie deficit of 1950 calories a day as want to shed body fat and cut right down to about 10% bf. But I really struggle the day after a heavy leg session I’m just ravenous! I’ve also noticed particularly on leg days doing heavy squats I just don’t have the strength.

What do you all do, I’m thinking increase calorie intake for leg days to maybe 2200 calories. Or do I just be consistent stick to the deficit and reduce weight on squats.

Retroguy2000

Or, don't go to 10% bf.

tomcustombuilder

10% isn’t really sustainable for very long (that’s a true 10%) so maybe not use that as a target but back to your question.

You can go higher on leg day and the recovery day however if you want to stick to your weekly calorie target you need to lower calories on the other 5 days to compensate.

You won’t be building muscle in your situation right now so think about lowering volume on leg day and that will help alleviate the hunger issue.

rimcdave

I know bodybuilders that have a "cut" diet to get into compitition shape. The say keep all the protein to keep muscle mass and keep the carbs to fuel your workouts. Get you calorie deficit by cutting fats out of your diet.

AnnPT77

rimcdave wrote: »

I know bodybuilders that have a "cut" diet to get into compitition shape. The say keep all the protein to keep muscle mass and keep the carbs to fuel your workouts. Get you calorie deficit by cutting fats out of your diet.

Fats - specifically EFAs - are an essential nutrient. Our body can't manufacture them out of any other intake. We have to eat some. Sure, many people eat unnecessarily much fat. Sure, it can be useful to moderate or manage fat intake, because fats are calorie dense.

But cut them out of your diet? No.

rimcdave

I didn't suggest eliminating fats from your diet completely. Only cutting (reducing) the amount of fats as they are (just as you stated) calorie dense.

Most foods have fat content but foods high in fat can be reduced to limit overall calorie intake.

nossmf

Lifting makes me hungry. Days I lift, I eat back every single calorie burned. Days I do cardio only, I do not.