Help a Soldier** Leaving A-stan in 4 weeks, need abs!!

[JMedic79]

The gist of it: I'm finally leaving Afghanistan after a year of being here and I need those abs shredded! I've bulked up about 20'ish lbs this cycle and of course want to hold on to that. I'm at about 207, 13% BF right now and I have very little visible abs. Maybe the outsides showing a bit. I'm guessing I'm about 8 lbs of body fat from looking decent. I have hypothyroidism treated with 137 mcg daily.

So that's the goal: retain hard earned mass, cut 8 lbs of fat, 4 weeks to do it.

Just about to start PCT of first cycle. All workouts are 4-6 exercises per body part 4 sets, 8-15 reps, no more than 60 sec between sets. HIIT is usually on the elliptical doing 60 sec work/60 sec rest intervals either for speed or resistance for about 10 rds up to 35 min total. Workout split looks like this:

Sun: Legs

Mon: Chest, HIIT Cardio

Tues: Rest

Wed: Shoulders, HIIT Cardio

Thurs: Back, HIIT Cardio

Friday: Arms, LISS Cardio

Sat: Abs, HIIT Cardio

Diet is very hard to track. I eat at a dining facility that serves whatever the fuck they want. I can only control if I eat it and how much. My philosophy is if it's meat, i eat about 2-3 portions. Green veggies get eaten in double portions. Yogurt is a staple of my diet, up to three servings a day. Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread are all no-gos. oatmeal 2-3 times a day.
I'm trying to carb cycle but without being about to plan or count macros, it's difficult. I basically replace to carb portions throughout the day with either a salad with lots of oil, little vinegar and black olives or a serving of peanut butter. Cycle is 3 low, 1 high.

Wake up:
Syntha 6 shake 2 servings
Oatmeal 1 serving

1st meal:
Meat 2-3 servings
Green veggies or oatmeal

2nd meal:
Identical to first

3rd meal:
Pre-workout shake (Myoplex Lite RTD)
Peanut butter single serving size

4th meal:
Post-workout shake (ON Hydrobuilder)
15-20 Jelly Beans
Peanut butter

5th meal:
Lunch meat
Oatmeal or peanut butter

6th:
4 egg white omelet with cheese
bacon
yogurt

7th:
before bedtime aminos or shake (syntha 6)

Anyone want to pick this apart with me? I'm open to criticism and all comments. I want to give the wifey a 6-pack coming home present

 

[JMedic79]

bumped because i'm impatient...

 

[jmorrison]

If you have access to lean meat and veggies, I would suggest a short PSMF. You can drop ridiculous amounts of fat extremely fast. It is miserable, and you will hate everyone around you, but I can almost guarantee results. More information here: http://www.whole-health-solutions.com/Protein_Sparing_Modified_Fast_09-02.pdf
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/diet-nutrition/90950-psmf-built-etc-hows-done.html

Good luck and thank you for your service from a former soldier.

 

[brundel]

Im gonna be mildly harsh but understand its out of love.

Are you seriously eating jelly beans and bacon and cheese every day and asking how to lose bodyfat?

First thing. Cut all that garbage out. There is no place in the human diet for jelly beans. They are not even food.
Cut the bacon and cheese as well.

Also cut out the 4 meals that are shakes.

Start eating actual food.
I started to think....perhaps you have a hard time getting decent food over there but if you have bacon and jelly beans every day you can probably get some regular food to eat.

Start eating in this manner.
6-8 oz lean meat + mixed salad or even just spinich + 1oz almonds.
Every meal.

 

[JMedic79]

Im gonna be mildly harsh but understand its out of love.

Are you seriously eating jelly beans and bacon and cheese every day and asking how to lose bodyfat?

First thing. Cut all that garbage out. There is no place in the human diet for jelly beans. They are not even food.
Cut the bacon and cheese as well.

Also cut out the 4 meals that are shakes.

Start eating actual food.
I started to think....perhaps you have a hard time getting decent food over there but if you have bacon and jelly beans every day you can probably get some regular food to eat.

Start eating in this manner.
6-8 oz lean meat + mixed salad or even just spinich + 1oz almonds.
Every meal.

I've never actually had to cut body fat specifically, so yea, I'm asking. Everything that I've read says that while carb cycling you can eat dairy (cheese). There are only so many options for protein at breakfast so yea (bacon). I eat the jelly beans post workout at the reccommendation of a personal trainer to quickly stabilize insulin levels. If I drop the shakes, I only eat three times a day because the DFAC is only open three times per day.
You're an asshole, btw. If I could neg you, I would on principle even though it wouldn't do shit to rep points, but the networks here don't allow it. So in addition to calling you an asshole, fuck you, fuck bag. For a moderator, you suck at nutritional advice.

 

[JMedic79]

oh and understand that i'm being harsh, but it's from being addressed with condescension when I asked a legtimate question with plenty of information about my current diet and workout plan.

 

[JMedic79]

If you have access to lean meat and veggies, I would suggest a short PSMF. You can drop ridiculous amounts of fat extremely fast. It is miserable, and you will hate everyone around you, but I can almost guarantee results. More information here: http://www.whole-health-solutions.com/Protein_Sparing_Modified_Fast_09-02.pdf
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/diet-nutrition/90950-psmf-built-etc-hows-done.html

Good luck and thank you for your service from a former soldier.

great info, man. I'm definitely going to check this out

 

[brundel]

I gave you perfect advice.
Its unfortunate you cant gain access to decent food. Either way, eating the way you are your HIGHLY unlikely to achieve a sub10% bodyfat %.
Im not being a dick, just being honest. It sucks bit its true.
Unless of course your on a ton of drugs which I assume your probably not.

Im afraid your going to need to wait till you get home to be serious about your diet which will lead to your desired goal.

 

[btex34n88]

If you want to lose weight then learn to diet. Like Brundel said simplify your diet to lean meat and veggies. After reading Brundel's response i didnt find anything rude about it. He was straight to the point. Dont be so

 

[jmorrison]

He wasn't trying to be rude bro, he was just trying to be honest with you. As many of us have learned over a long period posting on this site is that if you aren't very very specific with advice (do not eat the donut), then it is interpreted as "If I eat the donut, I can still get shredded". Some people refuse to hear what is being presented to them. Unfortunately, sometimes the message we are trying to convey doesn't come across the way it was intended, and may be received as being harsh, even if it is said with the right intentions.

 

[brundel]

I lead with this is a little harsh but its out of love.

 

[JMedic79]

alright guys, i'm an active duty nco. everything starts professional and polite with please and thank you. we treat everyone with equal respect. if you don't, you're not an non-commissioned officer and don't uphold the centuries of tradition and honor behind it. sometimes dealing with civilians rub everyone the wrong way. let's correct it and move on.

This is what i've gotten:

-Cut the shakes. Obviously not pre- and post-workout though correct?

-Cut the dairy. You mentioned cheese. what about yogurt?

-Cut the jelly beans. Recommendations for post-workout carbs? How about honey instead?

-What are you defining as veggies? Only greens or does that include things that are higher on the GI, corn, legumes, sweet potatoes?

-I have access to an unlimited amount of oatmeal. Is that a suitable carb for cutting?

-What about the peanut butter?


I'm not a complete newbie to diet and nutrition. I've just never cut body fat before while trying to retain mass. I'm pretty determined to give this a shot, so "wait until i get home" isn't an option. If you all could help me tweak this down, I'd appreciate it. There are people out here that have sub 10% body fat, so it's not impossible.

 

[jmorrison]

If you are going to run a PSMF, there will be as close to zero carbs as possible. And I mean that. Not low, but zero. A good day of a PSMF you will get 0-5g total. All lean meats and proteins, zero carb shakes with water would be fine, leafy green veggies so you can still use the restroom and that is it. The idea is to get your calories from protein only, and then only enough to spare your muscle while cutting. This is an extremely low calorie diet, and only intended for very short term use when you want to achieve rapid fat loss. It does work though, and the good news is that hunger is absolutely not an issue on this diet. You will be starving day 1, but then when you kick into ketosis, your hunger will disappear, when the problem will be getting in ENOUGH protein.

I am not educated enough on hyperthyroidism to give any advice on how this would affect it though. Hopefully someone better informed in that area can pitch in.

 

[brundel]

I do Oatmeal for every meal but my last but Im not cutting.
Do a carb meal for meal 1. And for your meal Pre and post training. If this is a shake then thats where the carbs come from.
I dont do any shakes. I eat right before training and right after. BIG meals. This is to give me energy for heavy training and then for recovery.

You could do light oatmeal + lean meat + a fat source. I like almonds or unsalted low sugar trail mix. If its got candy or fruit its not low sugar.

 

[JMedic79]

I do Oatmeal for every meal but my last but Im not cutting.
Do a carb meal for meal 1. And for your meal Pre and post training. If this is a shake then thats where the carbs come from.
I dont do any shakes. I eat right before training and right after. BIG meals. This is to give me energy for heavy training and then for recovery.

You could do light oatmeal + lean meat + a fat source. I like almonds or unsalted low sugar trail mix. If its got candy or fruit its not low sugar.

thanks, man. i'll cut the shakes when i can. i'll go with less than one serving of oatmeal if there aren't any decent green veggies available. i think with plenty of cardio and taking your advice 6-8 lbs in 4 weeks is doable.

 

[btex34n88]

alright guys, i'm an active duty nco. everything starts professional and polite with please and thank you. we treat everyone with equal respect. if you don't, you're not an non-commissioned officer and don't uphold the centuries of tradition and honor behind it. sometimes dealing with civilians rub everyone the wrong way. let's correct it and move on.

.

Exact reason i left the military. Once you become an NCO 90% of people turn into cock suckers. Shit on everyone below them and suck the next dick in line to make rank. Dont get me wrong i loved the military, but this comment is typical of the douchbags who ruin everyones attitude. Thanks for your service but watch your mouth or you wont be welcome in here anymore

 

[brundel]

thanks, man. i'll cut the shakes when i can. i'll go with less than one serving of oatmeal if there aren't any decent green veggies available. i think with plenty of cardio and taking your advice 6-8 lbs in 4 weeks is doable.

I think so yes. 6-8lbs is possible.
Drink TONS of water. You dont want to be dehydrated.