Higher Fat Diet [Leaning Up]

[dodgyone]

Please could you take a look at my diet attached and give your opinions.

I'm looking to cut up a little for the summer and decided to up the fats and reduce carbs to compensate. I'm not looking at anything as drastic as a ketogenic diet. My aim is to keep muscle mass and reduce my bodyfat %.

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My stats are:

5.6ft
160lbs
12% bodyfat (roughly)
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I'm not too sure if I'm taking in too many calories or will this diet work out alright for me?

Thanks...

 

[dodgyone]

Sorry, forgot to include veggies...

Obviously I'll be getting lots of greens (brocolli, spinach) etc with the meals for fibre and the nutrient benefits...

I read that you shouldn't incude them in your diet (is this correct?) as they're low calorie and mainly fibre anyway!

 

[Jodi]

Looking good there dodgyone! I like it

 

[dodgyone]

Thanks Jodi... I've taken your previous comments and decided to go for it from this weekend onwards.

I'm just a little unsure about the amount of calories I should be taking in. My software program reckons my BMR is 2091 calories to maintain. Shouldn't I be under this to get to my goal of losing bodyfat? By the way, I'm more endomorph than mesomorph if that's any help and I spend most of my days sat down in an office during the day. I just don't want to find myself undoing all of the hard work when I start the diet.

I've decided to start up this routine as well:

Day 1 - REST
Day 2 - Chest, Abs
Day 3 - Back, Cardio
Day 4 - Legs, Cardio, Abs
Day 5 - Shoulders, Cardio
Day 6 - Arms, Abs
Day 7 - REST

 

[Jodi]

Your BMR is your maintenance if you do absolutely nothing but sit all day and don't exercise. You need to take into consideration your exercise when your cutting. Lifting and cardio both burn calories so even if you eat your maintenance for the day remember your still in a caloric deficit because you exercise. Does that make sense?

As far as your split goes It would be better if you didn't take 2 rest days in a row. Try exercise for 3 days, rest, exercise for 3 more, rest so on.

 

[dodgyone]

Would you advise to reduce the calories on the rest days during the week or keep to the same calorie totals?

Would there be any benefits in mixing up the weekly diet. So, keep to the diet for 5 days then normal carbs for 2 days... and so on. With the intention of tricking and always confusing the body. Or is it a case of keeping up the diet continually and seeing what it does for me?

 

[Jodi]

You stick to with the same plan on training and non training days. Also, I wouldn't change anything around and stick with your plan until your use to it.

 

[dodgyone]

I'm still a little worried about my calorie intake here. I know that vegetables (red bell peppers, brocollii, spinach etc) are mainly fibre but adding these brings up my calorie total to almost 2300.

I don't think I've ever eaten that much when leaning up before. It's been more like 2000 calories and under. I know the ratios have changed but it still seems like too much!

 

[Jodi]

Dodgyone- have you been doing this yet?

I started my cut at 1800 and I weigh 120lb.

 

[dodgyone]

Today was the first day of the new diet

Either I've been mis-calculating my calories in the past or the reason that I've been failing is that I've been taking in too few calories. You know, if you add another log to the fire then it burns more intensely. Stoking up the metabalism a bit more...

Do you reduce your calories to compensate as your bodyfat/bodyweight drops?

I've alterred my training as well as suggested by you earlier in the post:

Mon - REST
Tue - Chest, Abs
Wed - Back, Cardio
Thu - Legs, Cardio, Abs
Fri - REST
Sat - Shoulders, Traps, Abs
Sun - Arms, Cardio
Mon - Cardio, Abs
Tue - REST
Wed - REPEAT THE CYCLE...

What do you think?

I'm sure my failing in the past has been to fit in too much into the training week. I know I was over-training before for sure and it took its toll on me mentally and physically. I took all of last week off to recover and give myself a bit of a boost. I'll be starting up again training on Tuesday (7 full days away from the gym... I've been going out of my mind ) and hopefully being more sensible about things in future...

 

[Jodi]

Looks good!

Relax, try this out for 2 weeks and yes I do adjust my cals SLIGHTY as I drop bodyfat. You should be only trying to lose 1 - 1.5 pounds a week. You try for anymore than that and your plan will fail. I only say this out of honesty. People that try to lose to much too fast fail.

You need to increase your metabolism to help burn fat and the most significant way is through your diet. You need to eat to lose

 

[dodgyone]

Thanks Jodi for all of your help... I'll give it a try for two weeks and let you know how it went.

 

[dodgyone]

I know I'm boring you now but I'm interested...

When you decrease your calories do you reduce carbs, proteins and fats equally or say, just carbs and protein, leaving the fats high?

 

[Jodi]

I wouldn't decrease every pound you lose its not worth it. Usually a 5 pound difference and then decrease equal portions to stay in the 50/30/20 range.