Check out my Diet... Does it look ok???

[en1222]

I want start to a cut diet but still retain my gained muscle hence making me look bigger becuase i am more defined.

I am 5'11 190lbs 13% bf. Please let me know how my diet looks.

6:30am - 7:10am 35 - 40 mins cardio 4-5x/wk (60%-70% max heart rate)
(I have 20grams of protein from Whey before I do cardio. I do not eat my first meal until 1 hour after cardio.)

Workout day diet

Meal 1 Pro/carb

egg whites/1 cup oatmeal
(pro 35g, carb 60g fat 4g)

Meal 2 Pro/fat

Whey protein/ Almonds
(pro 40g, carb 3g, fat 14g)

Meal 3 Pro/fat

Chicken or lean Steak/ Veggies /Flax oil or Fish oil
(pro 45g, carb 8g, fat 16g)

Meal 4 Pro/fat

Egg or Chicken salad (homemade with 1tbsp low fat mayo)/Flax or Fish oil
(pro 40g, carb 2g, fat 16g)

Meal 5 Pro/Carb
Chicken or lean Steak/Veggies/1 cup Brown Rice or Whole Wheat Pasta
(pro 50g, carb 60g fat 7g)

---WORKOUT---

Meal 6 Pro/Carb

PWO Protein Shake with Dextrose
(pro 40g, carb 80g)

Meal 7 Pro/Fat

Casein with Flax or lean Meat with Flax
(pro 35g, carb 2g, fat 16g)

Total Pro 285g carb 220g fat 73g


Non Workout days : Total Pro 220g carb 150g fat 60g (I keep my most of my carbs to morning and mid morning)


I used to have a meal before 7 that included protein and carbs but i thought i was eating too much so i removed it. I figured that I am eating complex carbs right before i workout and the simple carbs right after I work out.

Am I eating too much protein or fat(most of it is good fats)?
Am I having too many meals
Am I eating too many carbs on workout days and non workout days?

What should i change if anything? Any help appreciated

[mark27]

i have found through my personal exp. that built is right about the higher your fats the less hungry you will be on a cut. I go with the halfys rule... if i weigh 200 like i do now i consume 100 grams of fat on nonworkout days with carbs now at about 125-150. But on wo days i up the carbs to about 200-215 with fats lower then 85 but above 70 . I found this works good for me.

[mrelwooddowd]

Your macros look ok.

I would tell you that you're doing too much cardio, but I calculated your maintenance calories at about 2500 per day (based on height, weight, and me guessing your age at 20). Your workout day calories is set up for just over 2700, so you have to have activity to put you in a deficit for fat loss. You non-lifting days calories is under maintenance, so you should be fine.

You're gonna burn in the nieghborhood of 400 calories in the cardio sessions, so keep that in mind.

I would say to drop the cardio on lifting days (that's what I would do), but I really don't think it's a big deal if you can stand it. I think "cardio kills muscle" is an over-used fear-inducer and if you're lifting heavy with regularity, you'll be fine.

I wouldn't really suggest any changes other than that--there's no need to make cutting super-complicated. Drop the calories, stay active, and lift. Be consistent, and time will yield results.

[Built]

Your diet looks good - the whey before AM cardio is prudent... you MIGHT exchange about 200 calories worth of carb for fat, at least on your off-days, which would leave you with around 100g carb to play with, but it's up to your comfort. I like my fats a little on the high side, some don't.

How do you feel?

[en1222]

Your macros look ok.

I would tell you that you're doing too much cardio, but I calculated your maintenance calories at about 2500 per day (based on height, weight, and me guessing your age at 20). Your workout day calories is set up for just over 2700, so you have to have activity to put you in a deficit for fat loss. You non-lifting days calories is under maintenance, so you should be fine.

You're gonna burn in the nieghborhood of 400 calories in the cardio sessions, so keep that in mind.

I would say to drop the cardio on lifting days (that's what I would do), but I really don't think it's a big deal if you can stand it. I think "cardio kills muscle" is an over-used fear-inducer and if you're lifting heavy with regularity, you'll be fine.

I wouldn't really suggest any changes other than that--there's no need to make cutting super-complicated. Drop the calories, stay active, and lift. Be consistent, and time will yield results.


I am actually 28. I try to do cardio only on my days off. I keep it at a low intensity so i do not burn too much muscle.. thanks

[en1222]

Your diet looks good - the whey before AM cardio is prudent... you MIGHT exchange about 200 calories worth of carb for fat, at least on your off-days, which would leave you with around 100g carb to play with, but it's up to your comfort. I like my fats a little on the high side, some don't.

How do you feel?

So you think i should lower the carbs on off days and up the fat??
I always make sure I consume whey before morning cardio to stop muscle loss.. I keep my cardio at a low-med intensity.

How do my carbs look on workout days?

thanks

[Built]

Yeah - more fat and less carb for the off days would be my .02 - keep off-day carbs around 100g maybe.