Cutting advice for a humble idiot

[firofame]

The bulk is over… The bulk is over… advice?? hello gym vros. this is my first post here. i am new to Reddit, but acquainted with the gym - or so I like to think. I have been a heavier guy “most” of my life. I’m in my early 20’s. i peaked at around 260 at my fattest. i was depressed, hated myself and decided it was time for a change. fast forward: I cut down to 198 throughout a few years of just diet and exercise. i started strength training a few months ago and have currently bulked back up to 220 during a fall/winter bulk. now I want to cut. by no means am I lean 220, I’m 5’9 and definitely have got some meat, I question if I should have even bulked to begin with. That being said, I like to think I have a better than usual muscle mass. lifts are decent, could definitely be better for my weight: B305, DL405, S365, and my muscles are developed pretty nicely in my opinion, asi can see the definition clearly under my blubber. vascularity is starting to come along, but I’ve never been able to see my veins before so just seeing them and having them ever so slightly pop is a huge accomplishment for me. I call upon you gym vros. this will be my first real cut after gaining weight on purpose (something I thought I would never say). any advice is appreciated. currently taking creatine and counting macros with about 1950 cal, 215 - 230 g/p, 80 g/f, 100 - 120 g/c. i do cardio in the form of heavy bag, jump rope and the 3/speed - 15 incline on the treadmill. PPL split. what can I do to better cut? i am in no hurry and don’t want to rush this, but I also don’t want it to take forever if I can help it.

 

[hopeandgrace]

@firofame

This video may be helpful, Bromley is usually pretty simple, not overly dogmatic, and has reasonable/actionable advice.

 

[firofame]

@hopeandgrace will definitely check that out. thanks boss

 

[hopeandgrace]

@firofame Sure thing, good luck!

 

[adviceplease]

@firofame I think you have the right idea, but you could probably go down to 1880 calories/day without feeling bad. Make the cuts from your carbs since your fat is already pretty low.

 

[firofame]

@adviceplease Thanks man!

 

[adviceplease]

@firofame No prob. Other thoughts as someone who's lost a lot of weight somewhat recently:

• Don't bother with "target" weights. We are (generally) fatter than we realize. You will not know where the first 10-15 lbs went.
• Don't rely on the scale alone; take measurements if you can and keep track of how one pair of pants fits.
• Log your weight daily but only compare week-over-week. Your weight can fluctuate a huge amount from day to day.
• Get used to eating the same foods for several days, and batch-prep as much as you can ahead of time. It's harder to make bad choices when you have fewer choices to make.
  • Turbo nerd mode: Use a spreadsheet and plot out your meals/calories/macros in advance. It takes about an hour and some googling to get nutrition info but it's worth it.
• Accept that if your weight hasn't budged for 4+ weeks, your estimate is off and you aren't in a deficit.
• Recalculate your deficit down for every 10 lbs lost. Change that to every 5 lbs when you get really lean, if that's something you want to do.
• Switch up your lifting routine. A PPL done 6x/week is going to be VERY hard to recover from in a deficit. Pick something done 3-4 days/week, working with submaximal loads. I recommend a 5/3/1 template.
• Cardio is less important than adequate sleep/rest. If it's a choice between the two, take the rest.

That's all I got, off the top of my head. Godspeed to you brother.

 

[didblog]

@firofame If ur 220 and at 1950 calories, That’s not right. I am an experienced PT and work with nutritionists. You need to speed up your metabolism. And track your physical activity throughout the day. Increase protein, steps. If you need more advice just comment back.