Diet for leaning out??

ginarochelle · 10-20-2008, 01:45 AM

Ok, so I have been putting on quite a bit of muscle lately and am pretty happy with the shape of my body but still would like to cut down my body fat %. My workouts are pretty intense and I eat a complex carb and a protein before and after my workouts. My question is should i be cutting out carbs to lean out?.....as in having them only pre and post workout? And if cutting carbs and eating high protein is what helps you to maintain muscle while losing fat, what is the optimal level of carbs? And also, what about light yogurt? I love the stuff and its basically what i eat instead of a dessert but is this something I should move away from if I want to get leaner? I know that is a few questions but any help would be appreciated. I know there are so many people on this site that have mastered this stuff that I'm still trying to learn.

**Emma-Leigh** · 10-20-2008, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginarochelle

Ok, so I have been putting on quite a bit of muscle lately and am pretty happy with the shape of my body but still would like to cut down my body fat %. My workouts are pretty intense and I eat a complex carb and a protein before and after my workouts. My question is should i be cutting out carbs to lean out?.....as in having them only pre and post workout?

No... you don't need to 'cut out carbs'. As long as your calories are such that you are at energy deficiency, and as long as your protein intake is sufficient, and as long as you are meeting a healthy intake of fats - then carbs are fine.

But, yes, having them pre/ post workout is good.

Quote:

And if cutting carbs and eating high protein is what helps you to maintain muscle while losing fat, what is the optimal level of carbs?

There is no 'optimal level of carbs' - it is entirely based on YOU. And it depends on your calorie intake, your protein intake, your fat intake, and your overall activity level and your genetics.

Quote:

And also, what about light yogurt? I love the stuff and its basically what i eat instead of a dessert but is this something I should move away from if I want to get leaner?

yoghurt is fine.

ginarochelle · 10-20-2008, 05:30 PM

Thanks so much! I guess, i'm just worried I could be doing something more!

ffdrebin · 10-23-2008, 03:01 PM

everything emma said is correct, but with that said calories in VS. calories out is what really will determine your body compostion.

are you counting kcals right now? if so how much are you eating a day? what does your macro breakdown look like?

with that info I may be able to help you narrow down a more specific plan of attack on lowering your BF.

-jeremy

ginarochelle · 10-25-2008, 01:43 PM

I'm not sure what the breakdown is but my diet looks something like this:

9:00-1/2 cup whole oats, 1 tbsp pb, 1/2 scoop whey protein

12:00-chicken breast, green beans

3:00-1 egg+4 whites, veggies

5:00 (pre workout) small sweet potato, scoop of whey protein, 6 almonds

7:00 ( after weights) whey protein with water, half of banana

9:00 chiken breast, veggies, lowfat cottage cheese

ginarochelle · 10-25-2008, 01:47 PM

Oh, I don't count calories because i tend to undereat when i do, but I think i'm right around 1500 calories. I'm not sure if that is too high or too low. I think i have been losing fat with this plan but i'm not sure if it's the best one!

ffdrebin · 10-26-2008, 09:20 PM

well how do you feel on this amount of calories? tired? full? bloated?

what is your training split like? how much cardio are you doing?

twinnett · 10-27-2008, 02:34 AM

I would say that's a little low for you....your maitenance is probably somewhere around 2000 or 2100 and I wouldn't go a lot lower than that since you aren't really overweight. Also, from your pics, I don't see any fat either! I would focus on heavy lifting and stick at around 1700 or 1800 calories