Need some general cutting advice

[backbreaker]

Okay,

I am 5'9, around 168 pounds. I have not had my body fat checked, mainly because I can't find a machine around town that does it (I am ordering one online later this week), but If I had to give an accurate guess, it's around 15%-18%. Not fat, just not where i want to be.

I played sports in HS, and I was very, extremely skinny, mainly because we did so much running in practice and in games I couldn't keep weight on, and I never have been one to eat heavy.

Back then, 3 years ago, I was at 135LB.
Over the last 3 years I shot up to 180LB, but recenlty I got sick of looking at myself and started getting back into shape and I have cut 13 pounds pretty much by jogging and eating right.

For now I have no access to a gym, but i have been doing sets of pushups and situps every other day, and I jog every day, sometimes twice (i enjoy it, but i am going to stop after reading the posts on this forum)


My main target areas are really my neck, face and I guess my abs. I have a good looking "base" for a face, it just doesn't have any defination because of the weight I have put on over the last couple of years. I have started to notice a difference recently, but the same thing with my neck.

My abs, well, who doesn't want great abs?


I generally eat 6 meals a day. I drink 3 meal replacement shakes and I usually eat an Ensure for breakfast and if I have time to cook, egg whites, a piece of toast, a bannana and a glass of milk for breakfast,

a chicken burrito and a peanut butter and jelly sanwhich for lunch and either orange chicken or a turkey sanwhich, beans another bannana and a glass of milk for dinner.

I have the feeling my diet is sorta flawed, I just don't know how.


Also I know when I start going to the gym next week, I need to lift heavy reps between 4-7. HOw many times should I do the reps?


Any other advice? I am looking to get at around 10% body fat, and however long it takes.

 

[backbreaker]

also I am curious

I know after cutting I will not be cut by any means, but will my body have a toneness from actually hitting the weights?

 

[semag]

if you get to 10% body fat, you'll be pretty damn cut.

However, if you want to cut, you're going to have to maintain a negative calorie balance. You have to take in less calories than you burn throughout the day.... and if you read DIESEL's guide, it says 1600,which is good for me, and probably for you since we're around hte same weight and height.

Your diet right now is probably 2500-3000, and you may disagree, but once you calculate everything out, you'd be surprised. Especially with the 3 meal replacement shakes (prolly 300 -400 cals a piece, that's 1000-1200 cals) and the rest.

 

[backbreaker]

Okay, I have sat down and done the calculations and this is what I came up with:

1) You are correct about my diet, I didn't realize it, but it's around 2500-2800 a day, depending on if I actually eat all of my meals.

i have revised it to this:

Meal 1: Ensure w/high protein

Meal 2:Ensure w/High Protein

Meal 3:Ensure w/High Protein

Meal 4: Grilled Chicken Sanwitch, Glass of Milk, Banana, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sanwhich

Meal 5: Peanut butter and jelly sanwhich


6-8 glasses of water throughout the day


All of this equates to right around 1615 calories, depending on proportions


My Workout routine will be the following:

Monday: Morning Sprints (HIIT) (20 mintues)
Lifting: Neck, Upper Back, Arms, Chest
Cardio: Basketball (30 mintues)


Tuesday: Morning Sprints (HITT) (20 mintues)
Lifting: Abdomen, lower back
Cardio: Bike Machine (20 mintues) (HIIT)


Wednesday: Morning Sprints (HIIT) (20 mintues)
Lifting: All of legs
Cardio: Swimming (15 mintues)


Thursday: Morning Sprints (HIIT) (20 mintues)
Lifting: Neck, Upper Back, Arms, Chest
Cardio: Basketball (30 mintues)


Friday: Morning Sprints (HITT) (20 mintues)
Lifting: Abdomen, lower back
Cardio: Bike Machine (20 mintues) (HIIT)


Saturday: Morning Sprints (HIIT) (20 mintues)
Lifting: All of legs
Cardio: Swimming (15 mintues)



All in all, that's around 1900-2000 calories burned a day when you include normal daily exercises.

Please let me know what you think and any advice would be greatly appricated.

 

[California Love]

Dropping 1 PB+jelly sandwich will make all the difference.

 

[backbreaker]

do I need to replace it with anything, or just drop it all together?

 

[stormwriter]

Here's a bunch of different responses, from another website, about peanut butter:

"The thing is peanut butter make you full longest but when you're hungry, pb is not the way to go. Fat is the least filling out of the 3 food group and is pretty high in calories. But hey, if it fits into your caloric intake, go for it..."

"Very excellent point, thank you.

I guess I'm going to phase out the PB too."

"Like I said in my previous post, that is at least 50 g of fat you're getting just from two sandwiches. That's already almost 30% of your diet."

"It's up to you. If you can make it fit, go for it. If you're having trouble eating the foods you want and keeping your calories low, I'd get rid of it."

"I'd say cut down to one sandwich a day and cut down to 2tbsp of PB on the sandwich. Honestly, just with the PB, that's almost a whole days worth of fat just on two sandwiches and that's a bit much."

"3-4 tbs of pb per sandwich = 6-8 tbs, which roughly comes out to 565-754cals, 48-64g fat, 21-28g carbs, 23-31g protein. This would be regular natural peanut butter from Trader Joe, with 10g of sodium per 2 tbs. Picture what this would be with some other pb that is full of sugar and preservatives/hydrogenated oils. Insane I say."

"its not bad, but it would help if you get natural peanut butter. The combination of peanut butter and whole grain bread forms a complete protein."

 

[backbreaker]

lol, I didn't include the peanut butter for diet reasons... I honestly just like peanut butter. didn't realize it was that fatting. I will take it out of my diet.

What about Apple butter?

 

[Jango_Xavier]

just wondering about ur calorie intake are u going from 2500 straight to 1600 calories or do u reduce it 200 per week?
If ur dropping so much cal in 1 go will fukk u up, u'll get binges.