What is wrong with my diet?

[boogaboogabooga]

It seems like whenever I try to go on a cut I hit a brick wall. Here is my current diet:

Meal 1: 1/2 cup real oatmeal, boiled + 2 eggs
Meal 2: Peanut butter sandwich on wheat
Meal 3: Pre-workout whey protein shake + an apple
Meal 4: Post-workout whey protein shake + an apple
Meal 5: Cottage cheese
Meal 6: Cottage cheese

It seems like no matter what my caloric intake is, if I lift or do any HIIT cardio I get so hungry at night that I can't sleep. And I don't think it's a mental thing as I have no "cravings" during the day. I weight 145 and am 17% bodyfat. Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong? Any ideas on how I can avoid feeling terrible every night?

 

[Irons77]

Not eating enough. What are your stats?

 

[tucker01]

Guy\Girl?

How many cals you consuming?

Diet lacks Veggies EFA's right off the bat.

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Not eating enough. What are your stats?

I'm male and I've tried everything from 1800 calories to 2300 by altering the portions of the listed diet. I'm thinking I'll try 2500 starting Friday and then I'll see how that goes. I'm trying to do HIIT everyday and I'm trying to lift 3 times a week.

 

[tucker01]

How old are you?

 

[Irons77]

Go easy on the hiit. Like Iain said more fats and greens

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Guy\Girl?

How many cals you consuming?

Diet lacks Veggies EFA's right off the bat.

I've tried anywhere from 1,800 cals to 2,300. Do you have any suggestions on how to change up my diet? I've seen you're other posts and you seem to know your stuff.

 

[boogaboogabooga]

How old are you?

23.

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Go easy on the hiit. Like Iain said more fats and greens

How should I change my HIIT? Should I drop HIIT from the days that I do weights? Also, greens... broc? Peas?

 

[Irons77]

How should I change my HIIT? Should I drop HIIT from the days that I do weights? Also, greens... broc? Peas?

Keep hiit on weights days then maybe 1 more on a rest day. Yes peas and salads

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Keep hiit on weights days then maybe 1 more on a rest day. Yes peas and salads

I don't understand. Should I do HIIT only 6 days a week?

 

[Irons77]

Do hiit after your weights. You lift 3 times a week right? That means do 3 hiit sessions a week maybe 4 a week

 

[Built]

I'll add that if you plan to do HIIT more than once a week, use a different modality for each time. IE sprints, complexes, bicycle sprints...

How do you train?

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Do hiit after your weights. You lift 3 times a week right? That means do 3 hiit sessions a week maybe 4 a week

Okay, so if I normally do weight on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I would do HIIT on those same days plus another day, for example Friday, and not do anything on the rest of the days in between?

 

[boogaboogabooga]

I'll add that if you plan to do HIIT more than once a week, use a different modality for each time. IE sprints, complexes, bicycle sprints...

How do you train?

I typically alternate between using an elliptical and a treadmil. Also, I do a 5 minute warm-up, 1 minute rest to 1 minute all-out-exertion x 7, and then a 5 minute cool down. Do you want my weights regimen?

 

[Built]

I typically alternate between using an elliptical and a treadmil. Also, I do a 5 minute warm-up, 1 minute rest to 1 minute all-out-exertion x 7, and then a 5 minute cool down. Do you want my weights regimen?

Yes please.

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Yes please.

Alright, here goes nothing.

Tuesday - 4 sets of incline bench, 4 sets of bench, 4 sets french curls, 4 sets tricep pulldowns

Thursday - 4 sets of squats, an additional 4 on a smith machine, 5 sets on a standing calf machine and 5 sets on a sitting calf machine

Friday - 4 sets of cleans, 4 sets hanging cleans, 4 sets barbell curls, 4 sets hammer curls

Typically, my sets look like this rep wise. 12, 10, 10, 8 or failure.

Also worth mentioning is I have a relatively physical job as I'm a loader at a Home Depot. I basically walk around and help load up trucks about 4 hours and 45 minutes for 5 days a week.

p.s. Built... you are damn cut. I'm hoping to get there someday.

 

[Built]

Alright, here goes nothing.

Tuesday - 4 sets of incline bench, 4 sets of bench, 4 sets french curls, 4 sets tricep pulldowns

Reps, weight used... ?

Thursday - 4 sets of squats, an additional 4 on a smith machine, 5 sets on a standing calf machine and 5 sets on a sitting calf machine

Reps, weifht used... ? Also, please do not squat on a smith. Please.

Friday - 4 sets of cleans, 4 sets hanging cleans, 4 sets barbell curls, 4 sets hammer curls

Typically, my sets look like this rep wise. 12, 10, 10, 8 or failure.

No deads? Chins? Why to failure, and why such high reps? You're cutting! You should be using a heavy, low-volume routine based around deads, squats, chins ... not this high rep stuff! You must be exhausted!

Also worth mentioning is I have a relatively physical job as I'm a loader at a Home Depot. I basically walk around and help load up trucks about 4 hours and 45 minutes for 5 days a week.

p.s. Built... you are damn cut. I'm hoping to get there someday.

Thank you!

 

[Irons77]

Let me warn you, this girl will kill you on her w/o. lol

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Not too sure how to use the fancy quote thingamajigs. I'm not very computer savy (In fact, the reason I'm able to check in so periodically is because I'm locked down trying to learn how to play Castles Made of Sand on my strat and it's killing me) but I'll try to address your questions Built.

Reps, weight used... ?

Incline I start off with 135 then go to 140 and then 145. After that I grab some dumb bells for regular old presses(I think I grab 55's I'm not sure, I'll write it down next time) and progress by 5 pounds every time I change the amount of reps for the set.

Reps, weifht used... ? Also, please do not squat on a smith. Please.

Squats are pretty bad, I injured my knee really bad about a year and a half ago and had to lay off them for a long time and then put off working them out for a long time as well, so I'm basically starting at the bottom there. I'm doing about 155 for 12 and then progressing by 10 pounds every time I change the reps up. I do smiths because to really hit my legs I seem to need that volume but my knee can get wobbly.

No deads? Chins? Why to failure, and why such high reps? You're cutting! You should be using a heavy, low-volume routine based around deads, squats, chins ... not this high rep stuff! You must be exhausted!

Nope, no deads or chins. Should I start doing them? I was always told that cleans would cover those areas. Taught wrong? Also, I typically get failure before I finish my 8 reps on most things. And damnit, I have been exhausted. I was told you are just supposed to feel like that on a cut.

 

[Built]

Jeez no!

Oh dear no.

On a cut, you train heavy and short - just enough to hold onto lean mass.
You go into a high volume workout on a cut, you're just going to lose mass, get injured, get burnt out...

Not worth it.

Smith squats are notorious knee killers. You may wish to avoid those - particularly since your knees have problems already. Do real squats - if your doc gives you clearance -and stay the hell off smith. Use a heavy dumbbell at first and do goblet squats, or do lumberjacks with an oly bar in the corner.
goblet squats

Dave Draper Goblet video

From Christian Thibaudeau...

Lumberjack squats

Build your workouts out of heavy compound lifts - deadlifts, chins, bench, squat, millies, weighted chins - I like my reps low on a cut - maybe 3x5 for a heavy compound like deads, followed by maybe something like 2-3x8 split squats for hams, for example.

I don't do accessory work at all while cutting. I hardly do any at any point in my training, but on a cut, you aren't going to build anything, you're just trying to maintain.

You must be wiped! Low fat, all that cardio, high reps, training to failure! You poor thing!

One more thing: if you're hungry at night, budget some food for bedtime by undereating a little in the daytime. I always eat my last meal of the day at bedtime - I just try to hold off on eating breakfast until a little later in the morning so I shift the time of day when I eat to later, when I'm hungrier.

MUCH more comfortable. And I don't eat any starches until the meal before and the meal after I train.

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Jeez no!

Oh dear no.

On a cut, you train heavy and short - just enough to hold onto lean mass.
You go into a high volume workout on a cut, you're just going to lose mass, get injured, get burnt out...

Not worth it.

Smith squats are notorious knee killers. You may wish to avoid those - particularly since your knees have problems already. Do real squats - if your doc gives you clearance -and stay the hell off smith. Use a heavy dumbbell at first and do goblet squats, or do lumberjacks with an oly bar in the corner.
goblet squats

Dave Draper Goblet video

From Christian Thibaudeau...

Lumberjack squats

Build your workouts out of heavy compound lifts - deadlifts, chins, bench, squat, millies, weighted chins - I like my reps low on a cut - maybe 3x5 for a heavy compound like deads, followed by maybe something like 2-3x8 split squats for hams, for example.

I don't do accessory work at all while cutting. I hardly do any at any point in my training, but on a cut, you aren't going to build anything, you're just trying to maintain.

You must be wiped! Low fat, all that cardio, high reps, training to failure! You poor thing!

One more thing: if you're hungry at night, budget some food for bedtime by undereating a little in the daytime. I always eat my last meal of the day at bedtime - I just try to hold off on eating breakfast until a little later in the morning so I shift the time of day when I eat to later, when I'm hungrier.

MUCH more comfortable. And I don't eat any starches until the meal before and the meal after I train.

Alright, I will take your advice to the T. You've been incredibly helpful. Now I just have to get my diet straight. I feel kind of bad asking for more advice but I really want to make sure I'm understanding everything. Is it possible I could get an idea of what workouts to do when and how many calories I should be taking in?

Also, I'm about to hit the hay, so I'll probably hit this board up tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for being so helpful.