Help with Calories Please

Carolyn_79

I'm 5'6, 150 pounds, 25% body fat. I'd like to lose an additional 10-15 pounds. I'm currently 1 week into a lifting program called Body Beast. The program is aimed towards those who want to build muscle. It's 3 phases and in the first two you bulk and then in the last phase you cut. I can't decide how I should approach this program in terms of calories since I still have fat to lose.

Should I eat my TDEE - 10%, or

Eat at maintenance, or

Follow the program and bulk which will also mean gaining some fat and then do the cut in the last phase.

I'm not sure if it's relevant, but I'm also training for a half marathon in May. What would yield the best results for me? Thanks for any input.

Sarauk2sf

I would eat at a deficit as you sill have some weight to lose.

How much lifting have you been doing? What was your program, how many times a week and how long for?

Carolyn_79

I did P90X Lean immediately before starting Beast Beast. It's 3 months long and the Lean version has 2 lifting days, 1 core day, 2 cardio days, and yoga. In the summer time I was doing Chalean Extreme which is also 3 months and consists of 3 lifting days, 1 or 2 cardio days.

How much of a deficit would you recommend? 10%?

Sarauk2sf

I would eat at a 10 - 15% deficit. and continue losing body fat to be honest.

However, I am not familiar with the Body Beast program. Does it have progressive loading for the lifts? What is the rep range like? What type of lifts are they?

Carolyn_79

I would eat at a 10 - 15% deficit. and continue losing body fat to be honest.

However, I am not familiar with the Body Beast program. Does it have progressive loading for the lifts? What is the rep range like? What type of lifts are they?

Yes, progressive loading. I'm only in the 1st phase but typically the first set is 15 reps, then 12 reps, then 8 reps. I guess the way I've been approaching it is probably the way I should continue. I've been doing a 15%-20% cut. Honestly, I think I'm just tired of eating in a deficit since I've been at this for a year. I think I'll finish Body Beast in a cut and then just eat at maintenance for a bit before I cut again. It might do my body some good.

Sarauk2sf

I would eat at a 10 - 15% deficit. and continue losing body fat to be honest.

However, I am not familiar with the Body Beast program. Does it have progressive loading for the lifts? What is the rep range like? What type of lifts are they?

Yes, progressive loading. I'm only in the 1st phase but typically the first set is 15 reps, then 12 reps, then 8 reps. I guess the way I've been approaching it is probably the way I should continue. I've been doing a 15%-20% cut. Honestly, I think I'm just tired of eating in a deficit since I've been at this for a year. I think I'll finish Body Beast in a cut and then just eat at maintenance for a bit before I cut again. It might do my body some good.

Obviously, this is a personal choice - but you are at a body fat percentage that is too high to ideally bulk (assuming that the 25% you mention is reasonably accurate). Plus, P90X is not really a 'traditional' strength training program so you may have some 'newbie' gains left to eek out while at a deficit. with the new program.

If it were me, I would complete the program at a reasonable deficit - about 15% and then assess at the end. If it is 3 months, you may get down low enough where it makes sense to bulk. I also think that having a program with a lower rep range than P90X before bulking will be beneficial for making gains when you do bulk - it sets a better foundation. You may want to think of changing the focus of your strength training when you bulk to more of a strength/hypertrophy one as the rep ranges you mention are a bit high to be ideal for that imo.

Carolyn_79

Thank you, I really appreciate your feedback and you taking the time to help me out. I'll do a 15% cut as you suggested and I hope you're right about possibly getting low enough in 3 months where I could start bulking. Thanks again :flowerforyou: