Trying to lose fat/gainmuscle

ttime20

Hi Community,

I have been using myfitnesspal for about a week now and just had a couple general questions about the recommended calories/fat/protein ... etc.

Currently I have been on a diet/work out plan for about 7 weeks now and have almost lost 15 lbs (hopefully by the end of the week). For the recommended numbers I am always under on calories and fat, slightly under on carbs and always over on protein. I was just wondering if my numbers are normal? I am currently about 6' 2" 200 lbs, 20 years old. Typical daily numbers are as follows ...

Calories: 1500 - 1800 Carbs: About 200g Fat: 30 - 50g Protein: 120 - 150g

I usually work out 4 - 5 days a week doing mostly strength training with occasional cardio exercises. I also have 2 different kinds of protein supplements, the Whey I take only the days I work out immediately afterward and the other is Casein which I pretty much take every night before I got to bed as a late night snack.

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

spaboleo

Assuming that you are at an very trained body state I'm assuming that you should do more cardio exercise and maybe ditch the supplementals.

200lbs at you height isn't that much.
But your goal, as it sounds to me, is a ripped look with a defined muscle tone, right?

Have you ever measured your bodyfat? There are a few ways to do...the cheapest would be to get a scale, which can measure your bioelectrical impedance. (Works like this: A low voltage is applied to your body at both your soles of your feet. The resistance the body provides correlates with the amount of fat in your body.)

Around 10% of body fat you have the best options to get the buff and trained look.
Going under the 10% is totally unhealthy and only advised to professional athletes, which are under permanent control.


Try to boost your metabolsim by doing more cardio-exercises. This is the key to a high fat-burn, because it will increase the consumption of your stored fats.
You shouldn't spent days on the eliptical of course.
Maybe half an hour each day is enough. Or try to find a sport that keeps you at a high heart-rate for over 30 minutes continously.


I really would ditch your protein supplements and try to eat as many proteins as possible by eating whole foods (e.g. cottage cheese, low-fat quark, milk and so on).
By that it will be possible to decrease your daily intake of carbs.

Carbs are nothing more than sugar. And most sugars will be used from your body as a "short-term" energy supply. If you cut down your carb/sugar intake the body will have to burn the stored fats


And try to drink as much water (yes, only plain water!) as possible, because it will flush out the salts (mostly stored under your skin..)

Good luck

spaboleo

Some additional reading for you:
http://fitnessblackbook.com/muscle_tone_strategies_/water-retention-the-enemy-of-muscle-tone/

But that's for last few meters to go if you really have burned every other fat cell