Building Mass on Calorie Deficit

[Kinetic]

Alright, so my Google-fu has given me a shit-ton of conflicting results.

I'm 6'3", 230lb, and hovering I'm guessing somewhere around 19-20% body fat... maybe more. I'm trying to get down to at least 15% before I run my next cycle. I weight train 3-4 days a week and try to get 2 days a week of pure cardio (mostly fasted before breakfast).

I've tried a few fad diets that had limited results. For someone with a higher BF%, how low can I drop my calories and build, or at least maintain, the muscle I have while burning as much fat as possible naturally? I'm afraid of dropping too low and losing muscle with the fat.

 

[Xlgx]

Your cardio is lacking ...

 

[Docd187123]

Alright, so my Google-fu has given me a shit-ton of conflicting results.

I'm 6'3", 230lb, and hovering I'm guessing somewhere around 19-20% body fat... maybe more. I'm trying to get down to at least 15% before I run my next cycle. I weight train 3-4 days a week and try to get 2 days a week of pure cardio (mostly fasted before breakfast).

I've tried a few fad diets that had limited results. For someone with a higher BF%, how low can I drop my calories and build, or at least maintain, the muscle I have while burning as much fat as possible naturally? I'm afraid of dropping too low and losing muscle with the fat.

Maintain a sufficient protein intake and training intensity while reducing training volume.

 

[Kinetic]

Your cardio is lacking ...

It is, I absolutely loathe cardio! I'll start three days per week, maybe drop a training day and replace it with cardio, too.

Maintain a sufficient protein intake and training intensity while reducing training volume.

Thanks, Doc. I'll get to work on it.

 

[Xlgx]

I would do cardio fasted as you mention 5 days week for 30 mins. Try to keep your heart rate around 130bpm.

 

[ranger.danger]

It is, I absolutely loathe cardio! I'll start three days per week, maybe drop a training day and replace it with cardio, too.

Maybe try and throw in some metcons. I hate cardio so i usually do a metcon type workout after my regular workout

Thanks, Doc. I'll get to work on it.

 

[Brandaddy]

Your cardio isn't lacking... As long as you have a strict nutrition intake regimen you can easily lose weight without having to do cardio. Unless you choose to do it for health purposes.

 

[KenVar]

Don't drop a weights day and replace it with cardio, just do 20-30 cardio at the end of each workout.
Keep your protein high and you won't lose muscle while dieting.

 

[Kinetic]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Like I mentioned before, I'm really not a fan of cardio, but I'm dead set on losing a good bit of body fat before starting another cycle... and I'm really itching to start another cycle, lol.

For someone my size, is it feasible to drop down to 2500 clean calories per day, coupled with moderate cardio, without losing muscle? Or is that too low? I've read that protein synthesis can start anywhere from 20%-40% reduced caloric intake.

My current diet is pretty high in protein (chicken, fish, eggs), low fat, and moderate carbs.

 

[Morefyah]

You could give carb cycling a try.
I can lose weight, fat, bloat this way without adding a ton of xtra cardio.
Periodically Fasting can also help.
If your strict and your carbs are in check. Something like only eating between 10:00am and 6:00 pm and fasting the rest of time and adding an ECA stack might help as well.

 

[Kinetic]

You could give carb cycling a try.
I can lose weight, fat, bloat this way without adding a ton of xtra cardio.
Periodically Fasting can also help.
If your strict and your carbs are in check. Something like only eating between 10:00am and 6:00 pm and fasting the rest of time and adding an ECA stack might help as well.

Thanks for the tips. The fasting is doable, but I'm predisposed to anxiety, so I try not to consume much in the way of stimulants. Don't think an ECA stack would jive well with me, unfortunately.

I've actually got some very potent clen that I've been debating taking. But I sweat like a maniac without it, so I'm afraid I'd be a human waterfall on the stuff.

I'll definitely look more seriously into carb cycling, though.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Yeah, carb cycling works for me, too. I think it's more about the calorie cycling than the carbs, but still effective. Lower calories/carbs on off/cardio days and higher calories/carbs on training days.

I don't use stimulants for the same reason, @Kinetic.

 

[liftingbeforeitwascool]

There is no trick or easy method to cutting. The fact is your gonna have to miss a few meals and eat less to lose fat and get shredded. Oh yeah and do cardio 5 to 6 days a week. I don't like running either but I know my diet isn't perfect so I run 6 to 12 miles a day plus hour and a half of weight training. While working 50 to hours a week my ass drags but I want to be a shredded mother fucker and it ain't on no 2500 calorie diet more like 1200 to 1800 Cal diet. If it was easy everybody would be shredded I want run a cycle if my bodyfat percentage is above 10%

 

[Morefyah]

I eat 1200 cal for breakfast and that's your whole day, damn.
We are all different and thankfully I don't have to run 10 to 12 miles a day to be shredded. I am able to go from no abs to abs solely by diet alone and zero I mean zero cardio.
We all hold weight in different places. I have gained 45 + pounds over the the past 5 years and my waste is smaller now, all with little to no cardio.

 

[liftingbeforeitwascool]

That's the truth and it sucks but I hold hella muscle mass just naturally. Eating like a bird but I stay miserable

 

[Kinetic]

Haven't tried to carb cycle, yet, but I have managed to actually get cardio in about every other day since I posted in this. And, according to my Fitness Pal, I'm keeping my calories under 2500, which is a pretty big change from the meals I'm used to eating. Also started taking around 2g of dandelion root supplements a day and drinking a shit ton more water.

I'm down to 227, lol. A whopping three pounds. But, hey, I'm proud of losing those three pounds. Still got a long way to go. "Slow and steady wins the race", right?

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I feel for you guys on starvation calories, I can't even imagine going that low.

 

[Kinetic]

I feel for you guys on starvation calories, I can't even imagine going that low.

I can't do it, either. If I eat any less than where I currently keep it, I get wicked headaches. But I'm also not looking to get completely shredded. I'd be happy getting to 12% BF and just staying there.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I can't do it, either. If I eat any less than where I currently keep it, I get wicked headaches. But I'm also not looking to get completely shredded. I'd be happy getting to 12% BF and just staying there.

Same here with the headaches. Plus I'd drop weight way to fast. Low 3000's calories would be an aggressive cut for me. I have a crazy high metabolism plus a manual labor job that keeps me moving constantly. According to my phone I'm getting about 30 miles a week in steps and that's not including any extra cardio I do.

 

[Kinetic]

Same here with the headaches. Plus I'd drop weight way to fast. Low 3000's calories would be an aggressive cut for me. I have a crazy high metabolism plus a manual labor job that keeps me moving constantly. According to my phone I'm getting about 30 miles a week in steps and that's not including any extra cardio I do.

Enjoy that metabolism while ya got it, brother! Now that I don't have a thyroid, mine tends to be all over the damn place. Not impossible to lose weight, but definitely not as easy as it once was.