Knowing when it's time to eat more!

Lower half tho?

Also can you post your most recent programming?

First off, you look fantastic and you look to be at a very healthy Bf % whatever it measures.


“Been eating about 1700 calories and even 1600 calories. I think I need to eat more but I am SCARED! I have lost about 30 pounds over the past 2 years and am mostly happy but need to lose some more fat to reveal the muscles I have worked SO hard to build.” - ok so 15 pounds a year weight loss is a great rate of loss because you will not lose muscle mass while you are slow and steady.



“My upper body is pretty close to shredded but my lower body needs some love. Do I need to eat more? Do more cardio and back off weights a bit? Some of both?” - Unfortunately genetics and fat cell distribution will determine where your body will favour to store fat and where it will burn from first and more lower body exercises won’t burn more lower body fat from the lower body (although calories burned is calories burned), only a calorie deficit will burn fat.

Should you eat more? Hell no, you are losing weight and gaining muscle ( which raises your basal metabolic rate) and have the energy to do it all, if anything you could lower your total calories ( but keep your protein at 1gram per pound of body weight)… either drop some cals or do more steady state cardio (which would be my preferred option).


“Was measured by InBody as have 15% body fat but there is NO way that is possible. Unless it just measured my upper body! I am guessing around 18-20 but haven't done a Dexascan” - I have only heard that dexascan are pretty inaccurate.

I don’t know your training routine or your diet so this is just a guess but going by the above I would keep lifting, don't raise your calories (maybe adjust your macros if protein is low), lift harder and heavier ( without your knowing your training routine this just a guess) and increase Cardio.

If you are looking to get totally shredded, I really don’t think you are that far out…. Do you want to do a competition? Or is it just for your own reward?

Don’t fall into the trap of bulking and cutting, it’s false economy…. Zero point getting “fat” to eek out a small muscle gain that you will no doubt lose when cutting hard.

MainGain is the way to go. You do not need to be in a caloric surplus to build muscle.

Keep your protein at the rate for your weight maybe supplement with creatine and work hard.

There are so many ways to train and it looks like you are doing full body every training day which feels great but maybe consider a different split.

Try doing upper body (push and pull) one day then legs on another day , then deadlifts on there own, train arms on leg days, see how you go with shoulders, I used to train them when training my back but found I got better gains doing them on a separate day - go hard on all your working sets. Cycle between BB and DB workouts every 6 weeks (just so that you can track gains).. by cutting down on the volume of exercises per workout you could increase the time in the treadmill (or machine of choice).

As for a guess at you bf % I really couldn’t say but you have great shape that’s really popular just now (slim with hips)… keep getting at, try a different split, don’t raise your calories and you will get where you want to be 😃

The argument against GD can be applied to a lot of established influencers.. look at the vegan gainers for example.. years of animal protein and chemical enhancement then they promote plant based gains.!

Personally, I feel fitness is a journey of discovery of what works for you personally but regardless of your own bias the laws of nature apply.

We all know now that you need X amount of protein.

We all know you need X amount of reps for a certain outcome.

We all know calories above maintenance equal body fat.

Doesn’t matter how you reach your conclusions as long as you get there and see the bigger picture.

Imo the advice given is good. If you want a shredded look, cutting a few calories is the answer. Maintain protein at 1 gram per pound and cut some carbs and fat. Your workout program looks excellent you just need more time. GL!

We are roughly the same age. I’m 42 and have been a chronic dieter since I was 12-13. You may benefit from a reverse diet. Add calories slowly and look at weekly averages for your weight. My calories were always super low, and I was able to reverse up from low 1200’s at the end of my cut.

I use InBody at my gym on a regular basis. Last fall I got down to 15% (according to InBody) but it was not maintainable for me. I had major insomnia & no cycle. Posting Pic for reference.