Trying to get lean

1993tdd
1993tdd Posts: 13 Member
edited March 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
I need a diet and workout plan to help me lower my body fat I'm at 20% bf I want it to get down to 15 and lower. Does anyone have any tips

Replies

  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    Really, it all comes down to a caloric deficit. How much of a deficit depends on how quickly you want to drop.

    Most people typically prescribe keeping protein consumption generally the same to prevent muscle catabolism, which means you must cut carbs and fat.
  • drachfit
    drachfit Posts: 217 Member
    Eat a calorie deficit.
    Lift weights a few times a week - squats deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, pull ups, rows.
    Eat enough protein.
    Do some cardio.
    Weigh yourself to make sure you are really in a calorie deficit; if you're not losing week to week, eat less.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    drachfit wrote: »
    Eat a calorie deficit.
    Lift weights a few times a week - squats deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, pull ups, rows.
    Eat enough protein.
    Do some cardio.
    Weigh yourself to make sure you are really in a calorie deficit; if you're not losing week to week, eat less.

    ^^^^---this. Dependent upon how fast you want to cut will determine your level of exercise intensity. However, the faster the cut, the more likely you'll lose muscle mass. Try to eat between .5-1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass to prevent muscle breakdown.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    By the way, the lower in BF you are, the more strict you're going to have to be in dialing in your macros. If you're looking to get really cut, sub 12% you have to be on point pretty consistently.
  • 1993tdd
    1993tdd Posts: 13 Member
    Alright sweet thanks, should I fallow some type of diet??
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Buy a food scale. Weigh all of your solid foods, measure all caloric liquids. Log them. Stick to a calorie deficit. As mentioned above, you will need to pay attention to macro nutrients (carbs/fats/proteins) and adjust them. You're looking to maintain muscle mass as you lose fat, so you're going to want to eat a higher ratio of protein to a lower ratio of carbohydrates, with fat for energy.
    Also, no matter how much protein you eat, if you try to lose weight too quickly, you will lose lean muscle. aim for a loss of 2 lbs. per week to start, if you can manage the calorie deficit.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    1993tdd wrote: »
    Alright sweet thanks, should I fallow some type of diet??

    Are you meaning like a fad diet? Just do something that you can maintain. When I cut I get down to 9% without any major changes in macros except for extra protein and healthy fats. Eat nutritionally dense foods and maintain a deficit preferably through exercise.

    I got for about 2700 cals a day made up of whey, oatmeal, chicken, wild rice, almond milk, avocados, nut butters, WW wraps, a variety of fruit, and greens. Along with the occasional steak or ground beef just to keep it interesting. Also a cheat meal or carb load with sweets every 1-2 weeks.

    For exercise I go for about 1 hour of lifting followed by around 30 minutes on the stationary bike with maybe some stretching or foam rolling afterwards. It's all about putting the work in and patience. Your cut shouldn't be any shorter than 8-12 weeks, take it slow and preserve muscle mass.

  • 1993tdd
    1993tdd Posts: 13 Member
    I really want to cut pretty fast
  • speeno
    speeno Posts: 55 Member
    1993tdd wrote: »
    I really want to cut pretty fast

    Doesn't everyone?? Faster the cut the more lean muscle mass is lost.....slow and steady is the way to go :smile:
  • 1993tdd
    1993tdd Posts: 13 Member
    My goal is to be at 15% at least by mid June
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    1993tdd wrote: »
    My goal is to be at 15% at least by mid June

    It's not a race. Trying to rush sets you up for failure when you aren't able to sustain the deficit, or get discouraged by the lack of loss.
    what's the rush? You've got the rest of your life to lose the weight and maintain the weight. If you lose it too fast you will lose lean muscle, and have sagging skin. If you take your time, you'll make sustainable lifestyle choices, your skin will retract naturally, and you'll maintain and strengthen your muscle mass. You'll look much better, you'll feel much better, and you'll be much more successful.
  • 1993tdd
    1993tdd Posts: 13 Member
    I just want to get in better shape then what I am now. I've got a big summer event coming so I want to be in better shape for that
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    1993tdd wrote: »
    I just want to get in better shape then what I am now. I've got a big summer event coming so I want to be in better shape for that

    Don't use singular events as reasons to lose weight and get into shape. You should be doing this for your own self worth and your health. Whatever shape you are in for your event is the shape you are in, and no one has the right to judge you for that. Being that it is several months away, if you start now, you can only be in better shape than you are now, and that's a good thing, right?
  • 1993tdd
    1993tdd Posts: 13 Member
    Oh I'm not using that as a reason I want to do it for real but in using my event as extra motivation
  • EmmaCat013
    EmmaCat013 Posts: 25 Member
    I'm currently at 18.5% and working on leaning out a bit more. My current strategy is to mimic the diet of a fitness competitor. A lot of pros list the sort of meals they eat around competition time to maximize body fat loss.

    They count calories and macros (protein, carbs, fat). You should eat 1g-1.5g protein per pound.

    I'm 129lbs. So that means 129-193.5g of protein. Protein is 4cal/g. That means I should eat 516-774cal/day of protein.

    If I eat 1700cal/day, my protein intake should be 30-45% of that.

    Fat is always 20% of your daily intake.

    Carbs are the rest.

    So my macros for body fat loss looks like this:
    Protein 45%
    Carbs 35%
    Fat 20%

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