Thread: Help a beginner - Cutting diet

*I've read the sticky topics and I'm pretty lost*

Hi guys, I've been bulking ever since the beginning of January when I started going to the gym. With the help of some of the guys over in the Training forum I've re-made my program and have been seeing results. I've gained about 8-10 lbs since I started, but my diet has been horrible so I think that I've gained more fat mass than I should have. I'm 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weigh about 159-165 lbs (depending on when I weigh myself) and I plan to start trying to trim some fat in March. I'm 20 and I've been a bit chubby for most of my life, so I probably have a slow metabolism. I gained a spare tire between September - December due to my poor eating habits and deciding not to exercise (no, I don't know why I didn't exercise, and I'm pissed that I didn't because it was REALLY STUPID to not exercise). It's gotten a little bigger since I started bulking (I think...)

Anyhow, I know nothing about cutting, but I've been told that my diet will make or break my success. I read the Male Cutting Plan...Meals and it seems really hardcore. I'm a busy university student, living at home and travelling on average 3 hours a day (total) to and from school. I try to eat every three hours, but I usually don't because of my class schedule. I don't really know anything about diet. People just tell me to eat a lot, so this is what I've been doing for the past two months:

6 AM - wake up and usually have 2 pieces of whole wheat toast w/ butter, one or two scrambled eggs (made with a little milk), a bit of cheddar cheese and a tall glass of 2% milk with chocolate syrup (probably ~350-500 mL of milk)

~9 AM - usually something like 2 Source yogourts and a handful of almonds and a juice box (orange juice from concentrate).

~Noon - Either a roast beef sandwhich on rye bread with mustard or a random deli meat sandwhich on sub bread (usually not whole wheat). Another juice box, usually a granola bar and some times some dried mango.

~3 PM (post workout) - Protein bar and either 500 mL of 1% chocolate milk bought at the cafe or a 500 mL bottle of water

~6 PM - whatever my mother decides to make for dinner. Is usually chicken or beef with potatoes or rice, some sort of vegetable. Will occasionally be pasta with meat sauce. I can cook my own meals, but I usually don't as I suck at cooking and have a nice mother than offers to cook for me.

~9 PM - snack on some fruit, or whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Some times I just take a boal of cereal with 2% milk (whatever is in the house - Corn Flakes or something).


That's probably a typical day. I go out for dinner with friends about once a week. I quickly noticed that it's nothing like the diets posted here. I'm probably eating way too much carbs and not enough protein. Here are my questions:

1) How should I change this into a proper bulking diet?
2) I see reference to a maintenance level. How do I determine this?
3) What is the proper way from switching from a bulking diet to a cutting diet?
4) Can you help me make a plan for my cutting diet?
5) I don't do any cardio at the moment, should I be doing some while trying to bulk? What about when I'm cutting? I was planning on doing lots of cardio during my cutting phase at about 135 beats per minute for 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week.
6) How many weeks should I cut for?
7) I'm scared that I'll lose strength while cutting, how do I avoid this?

I would do more research, but I'm getting frustrated because everything I find is not beginner friendly. I also don't really have the time since I've got a lot of midterms over the next 3 weeks and I'm spending my free time studying for them. Thanks for any help, and sorry for the long post.