Cutting tips for the workhorse

BigSean86
BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

need a bit of advice, i currently do the below and i am struggling to lose bodyfat. its been about 3wks and the bf change has been minimal. i've upped my cals recently to 3000 do you think i should stick with this amount of cals or up em further to see a gain in optimal fat loss.

weight training 3 times a week (fasted)
cycle 5 times a week (14 miiles a day to and from work, in a fasted state also)

Age: 28
Current weight: 207lbs
Height: 5’11
bodyfat: 15%
Calories: 3000 (just started eating this 2 days ago, was previously eating 2700)

Supps:
Creatine
Omega oils: 2 caps 2g worth
Multivitamin
BCAA

Macros
Carbs: 262g (35%)
Protein: 225g (35%)
Fats: 117g (30%)
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Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    3,000 cals on a cut? What is your TDEE?
  • TehFaceless
    TehFaceless Posts: 1
    You don't see a change in body fat and your solution is to eat more?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    It's been three weeks and you're shocked that changes have been minimal?
  • BigSean86
    BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.
  • BigSean86
    BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.

    so do you think i should stick with 3000 cals and measure up every month?
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.

    so do you think i should stick with 3000 cals and measure up every month?

    I would stick with the 2700 (might even drop it to 2600) and change my macros. 5% more protein, 5% less carbs

    ETA: Your weight should stay the same, but you should see a decrease in BF even if its a small %. After a few weeks of that 3 or 4. Reevaluate and adjust (or keep going if its working).
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.

    so do you think i should stick with 3000 cals and measure up every month?

    I would stick with the 2700 (might even drop it to 2600) and change my macros. 5% more protein, 5% less carbs

    ETA: Your weight should stay the same, but you should see a decrease in BF even if its a small %. After a few weeks of that 3 or 4. Reevaluate and adjust (or keep going if its working).

    this.
  • BigSean86
    BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.

    so do you think i should stick with 3000 cals and measure up every month?

    I would stick with the 2700 (might even drop it to 2600) and change my macros. 5% more protein, 5% less carbs

    ETA: Your weight should stay the same, but you should see a decrease in BF even if its a small %. After a few weeks of that 3 or 4. Reevaluate and adjust (or keep going if its working).

    the thing is i did stick with 2700 cal for a few weeks and i found my lifts were starting be effected hence me upping my cals.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.

    so do you think i should stick with 3000 cals and measure up every month?

    I would stick with the 2700 (might even drop it to 2600) and change my macros. 5% more protein, 5% less carbs

    ETA: Your weight should stay the same, but you should see a decrease in BF even if its a small %. After a few weeks of that 3 or 4. Reevaluate and adjust (or keep going if its working).

    the thing is i did stick with 2700 cal for a few weeks and i found my lifts were starting be effected hence me upping my cals.

    What happened in those three weeks? Did your weight go up or down or stay the same?
  • BigSean86
    BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
    My TDEE is 3632, the only reason I'm opting to eat more is because i assume my energy expenditure is fairly high and my deficit is too big hence me eating more to close up the deficit and start steady fat loss.

    it's pretty common issue for people to underestimate their food and over estimate their burns.

    also 3 weeks isn't much- especially if you are already at a lower body fat- the lower you are- the harder it is to cut.

    so do you think i should stick with 3000 cals and measure up every month?

    I would stick with the 2700 (might even drop it to 2600) and change my macros. 5% more protein, 5% less carbs

    ETA: Your weight should stay the same, but you should see a decrease in BF even if its a small %. After a few weeks of that 3 or 4. Reevaluate and adjust (or keep going if its working).

    the thing is i did stick with 2700 cal for a few weeks and i found my lifts were starting be effected hence me upping my cals.

    What happened in those three weeks? Did your weight go up or down or stay the same?

    i went from 209lbs to 207lbs within that time but my strength went declined within this period.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    So you lost weight each week for three weeks and then started asking why you aren't losing weight?
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Pick the strength gains or the fat loss - you can always gain strength back later.
  • obum88
    obum88 Posts: 262 Member
    There are some strength loss during a cut as you will lose some muscle as you go along and it will be slow progress as you already a lower body fat percentage. The premise of the cut is to maintain as much strength and muscle as possible but you don't get to keep all of it. just my two cents.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    You don't see a change in body fat and your solution is to eat more?

    my thoughts exactly. eating MORE in and of itself will never be the answer to losing more fat
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    aren't you supposed to lose some strength when cutting calories in order to lean out??

    can't have it both ways dude.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    If I'm reading this correctly, you were eating 2700 for 3 weeks and you lost 2 lb, so that's 2/3 of a pound per week. Meaning 0.666 * 3500 = 2331 calorie deficit per week, or 333 per day.

    Therefore (given this data) your TDEE would appear to be 2700 + 333 = 3033.

    Not sure where you are getting the 3632 from?


    And: losing 2 lb at 15% bf isn't going to be a huge change.

    15% of 207 = 31 lb of fat

    31 + 2 (assuming no muscle loss) = 33 of fat at 209 lb body weight = 15.7 % bf.

    So you lost 0.7% bf. To lose more fat, you are going to have to lose more weight. 0.66 lbs per week seems like a relatively safe rate, although you may want to change it to 0.5 lb/week to be even safer (250 deficit = 2783/day). I wouldn't go up to 3000, as that seems like practically maintenance for you.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    i went from 209lbs to 207lbs within that time but my strength went declined within this period.

    of course it's going to go down- you aren't fueling your body the same- the idea is to lose as little strength as possible-that being said in 3 weeks you should not have lost significant strength in that time period. I've been cutting significantly harder than you for 4 weeks- I haven't seen any loss in strength- but I have seen loss in cognitive skills and balance. (Rehearsal I"m slower to react to directions and I cannot do quick spins effectively) I'm well aware I am at the very bottom end of "healthy" cutting- and I'm finishing up this stint this week and expected some negative effects.

    Strength loss this quickly makes me think it's completely mental not physical.... or you're not telling the whole story.
  • BigSean86
    BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
    i went from 209lbs to 207lbs within that time but my strength went declined within this period.

    of course it's going to go down- you aren't fueling your body the same- the idea is to lose as little strength as possible-that being said in 3 weeks you should not have lost significant strength in that time period. I've been cutting significantly harder than you for 4 weeks- I haven't seen any loss in strength- but I have seen loss in cognitive skills and balance. (Rehearsal I"m slower to react to directions and I cannot do quick spins effectively) I'm well aware I am at the very bottom end of "healthy" cutting- and I'm finishing up this stint this week and expected some negative effects.

    Strength loss this quickly makes me think it's completely mental not physical.... or you're not telling the whole story.

    Your right , I think it may be mental. I'm someone as soon as I start to feel weak on a cut I get scared and up cals . I just really hate my lifts being effected but I guess I just need to stick with 2700 cals
  • BigSean86
    BigSean86 Posts: 21 Member
    If I'm reading this correctly, you were eating 2700 for 3 weeks and you lost 2 lb, so that's 2/3 of a pound per week. Meaning 0.666 * 3500 = 2331 calorie deficit per week, or 333 per day.

    Therefore (given this data) your TDEE would appear to be 2700 + 333 = 3033.

    Not sure where you are getting the 3632 from?


    And: losing 2 lb at 15% bf isn't going to be a huge change.

    15% of 207 = 31 lb of fat

    31 + 2 (assuming no muscle loss) = 33 of fat at 209 lb body weight = 15.7 % bf.

    So you lost 0.7% bf. To lose more fat, you are going to have to lose more weight. 0.66 lbs per week seems like a relatively safe rate, although you may want to change it to 0.5 lb/week to be even safer (250 deficit = 2783/day). I wouldn't go up to 3000, as that seems like practically maintenance for you.

    I used the below calculator, using the very high activity rate option. That's how I came about a TDEE 3632. I just assumed for what I'm doing workout wise my expenditure must be real high.
    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

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