Proper technique when cutting? IE: Exercise, diet, etc

kassiebby1124
kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What is a "proper" way to cut fat? Because honestly, I see no difference until I put on clothing that didn't fit before. I know that inches are more important, but I'm still concerned that my weight on the scale isn't changing much. I've been stuck in the 190s since January. For now, my ideal body fat percentage would be 18 percent. I had someone help me with calculating how much I'd need to lose (as long as I retain the majority of my muscle mass) which is about 50 lbs. What is a good routine to follow so I can cut down to that?

Thanks so much,
Kassie

Replies

  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    I mean really the number on the scale is just that....a number. If your body is changing and you are losing inches then you are losing body fat....which equates to a whole bunch of awesome.

    With that being said, the scale weight really does come down to calories in vs calories out. Are you diligent about logging? Are you creating a deficit? Do you weigh and measure your food? If you *think* you are creating a deficit, how do you know you are?

    Pretty much what I'm getting at is that if the scale hasn't moved, you aren't in a deficit. There could be a few reasons for that, but you haven't given much information. Are you strength training? When did you start that? Are you doing cardio? Do you eat your exercise calories back? What is your intake? I mean really....there are quite a few things that could be used to determine what is going on.

    So you can certainly provide more information, or, maybe the above questions are enough to get you pondering what you have been doing :smile:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    have you googled yoru BMR and TDEE?

    in order to cut you need to eat at a calorie deficit approximately 200-500 calories UNDER the TDEE.

    EDIT- you need to be DEEPLY honest with what you put in your mouth as well. Seriously- that's probably the hardest part- as well as the time- it takes time.

    I was eating at a stupid deficit.... for 6-8 weeks-and my weight barely budged- but push come to shove for my photoshoot I looked good. And I was brutal about what i ate- I ate back most of my exercise calories- but on average I was under for the week by several hundred calories. And I still didn't really truly lose a great deal of weight. it's a VERY slow and often frustrating process- keep at it.

    make sure you keep assessing every couple weeks what your TDEE is- I stalled but I went from cutting at 1900- to maintaining at 1900.... because I'd kind of leveled out.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    @VegasBaby- I do strength train. I lift 3x a week, but I've been sick for the past 3 weeks so my lifting has been minimal. I've lost 10 pounds since being here at college and I'm gonna stop smoking (yay). I log diligently. The ONLY exception I've had was on Sunday or Saturday of this weekend. Otherwise, I log well. I'm gonna start incorporating cardio into my regime again because it keeps my stress levels low and with quitting smoking, I'm gonna need it.

    @JoRocka- When to say that, do you mean the types of food I'm eating or how much of it I'm eating?

    I also know I have a habit of "self-sabotage," even if it's unintentional. I'll see progress then subconsciously do something to **** up the progress I've made
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    Step 1
    Eat at a calorie deficit
    Get a good idea of how many calories you're consuming and burning. Track every thing that you eat. Weigh yourself everyday, in the morning after you're done with the bathroom to get feedback. Average your daily weight. The first month or two will see lots of fluctuation, it's normal. Make adjustments as necessary to find the sweet spot for YOU.

    Lift weights
    Use the main compound movements; squats, deadlifts, benchpress, OHP, chinups/pullups and rows. Track your progress to ensure your lifts are increasing. This will help in keeping the lean body mass you already have. You'll also see a little bit of muscle gain from "newb gains". Get on a good lifting program like Starting Strength, Icecreamfitness Novice 5x5, etc. Do not adjust these programs to your liking, you're not an expert, you do not know more than these guys do.

    Drink Water
    On average, you'll need 8-12 cups of water a day. The feedback you want to look for is urine frequency and clarity. You want at least 5 clear urinations a day.

    Step 2
    Track your macros
    After you're comfortable with tracking calories, the next step is to track your macros. Know how much protein/fat/carbs you need. iifym.com is a good baseline. A good starting point is as follows: 0.8-1g of protein per pound of body weight, 0.4g of fats per pound of body weight and fill in the rest of your daily calorie limit to carbs. Feedback is energy level during workouts, if you're feeling run down or low on energy, try increasing your carbs by 25-50g.

    Cardio
    Include cardio, you can do low intensity on lifting days, and HIIT on non lifting days if you want. I would suggest to keep HIIT away from lifting days due to taxing your CNS.

    Step 3
    Micronutrients
    When you're comfortable doing all of the above, you can take more care into tracking your micronutrients. In general, you can get plenty of nutrients as long as you consume 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables. Pay attention to any deficiencies in your diet and fix them.


    Doing all that will get you results, guaranteed. As well as keep you healthy. The key is feedback and adjustment. Everyone is different.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    Wow, thanks so much! I mean I had my own lifting routine but I can definitely change it. Thank you (:
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    Wow, thanks so much! I mean I had my own lifting routine but I can definitely change it. Thank you (:

    I forgot to add, keep your calorie deficit moderate. You should only be aiming to lose ~0.5%-1% of your body weight per week. And that's fairly aggressive. I went for 2 pounds a week before and ended up losing just a ton of muscle mass. =\
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    Wow, thanks so much! I mean I had my own lifting routine but I can definitely change it. Thank you (:

    I forgot to add, keep your calorie deficit moderate. You should only be aiming to lose ~0.5%-1% of your body weight per week. And that's fairly aggressive. I went for 2 pounds a week before and ended up losing just a ton of muscle mass. =\
    So I should probably adjust what I have now then because it's set to lose 2lbs a week?
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    At 190 lbs aim for less than 1.9 lbs a week. 1.5 per week should be good.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Wow, thanks so much! I mean I had my own lifting routine but I can definitely change it. Thank you (:

    I forgot to add, keep your calorie deficit moderate. You should only be aiming to lose ~0.5%-1% of your body weight per week. And that's fairly aggressive. I went for 2 pounds a week before and ended up losing just a ton of muscle mass. =\
    So I should probably adjust what I have now then because it's set to lose 2lbs a week?

    With 42lbs to lose, 2lbs/week is too much. 1.5lbs/week tops, I'd say. I'd even prefer 1lb/week.
  • Loasaur
    Loasaur Posts: 125
    Bump for later.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    At 190 lbs aim for less than 1.9 lbs a week. 1.5 per week should be good.
    Okay that sounds good (: And if I lose more I'll be pleasantly surprised, I suppose. Thanks everyone c:

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