1500 cal caloric deficit too much?

[lefud]

1500 cal caloric deficit?
I am a 23 yr old male, 210 lbs. I am on a high protein, low carb and fat diet averaging a caloric deficit of about 1500/ day. I eat over 200 g of protein daily and once a week take a diet break and allow myself about 100-150g of carbs. I do cardio or weight train 6 or 7 times a week and never feel weak or tired or even hungry. ave. 40-90 g carbs/fat on "diet" days. I always eat over 1500 cal broken up into 5-6 meals/ day

My goal is to cut the fat while building muscle and I lost 5 lbs in the first week of doing this and it appears to be fat. I am approaching the end of the 2nd week and I was worried that I may be losing more muscle than fat due to the high caloric deficit. The ole starvation mode.

Is there anything I should do different to lose fat while gaining muscle?

-thanks

[sua.sponte]

If you're eating enough protein, which it looks like you are, you should be fine. However, I would include some healthy fats and make sure your protein comes from good whole sources to provide you with the essential amino acids that your body cannot produce.

[sid007]

Add a multi

srs .. yes it's too much

[Greco18]

way too much..

[asto_86]

It's pretty steep for a defecit, I wouldnt do it longer than one or 2 days. The lowest I go is when I plateau I take 3 days and drop extra fat that I add to my meals and drop all forms of carbs for about 5 days then bring them back.. The crossover period here tends to run at about 1200 under but I keep my protein at a constant 1.5g+ per pound. Does a great job at getting the fatloss rolling again.
So I'll say it is OK, but not as a regular thing.

[Wapadaigo]

1500 cal caloric deficit?
I am a 23 yr old male, 210 lbs. I am on a high protein, low carb and fat diet averaging a caloric deficit of about 1500/ day. I eat over 200 g of protein daily and once a week take a diet break and allow myself about 100-150g of carbs. I do cardio or weight train 6 or 7 times a week and never feel weak or tired or even hungry. ave. 40-90 g carbs/fat on "diet" days. I always eat over 1500 cal broken up into 5-6 meals/ day

My goal is to cut the fat while building muscle and I lost 5 lbs in the first week of doing this and it appears to be fat. I am approaching the end of the 2nd week and I was worried that I may be losing more muscle than fat due to the high caloric deficit. The ole starvation mode.

Is there anything I should do different to lose fat while gaining muscle?

-thanks

Bold one, don't think your hitting the gym hard enough. Maybe you are, but I know I would def feel a lack of energy. Thats my first opinion.

2nd Bold, if I understand correctly, you are getting in 1500 cals/day on a 1500 cal deficit and you weight 210? I have a hard time believing you maintenance is 3,000 cals as seein I am the same weight and mine is around 2400 cals. There again, it is possible, these are just my opinions.

[WesRC]

I would definitely say thats too much if your maintenance is 3000. Your metabolism may slow down. I am on a cutting cycle and eat about 2500 cals per day at 40/40/20 protein/carbs/fat and I am losing BF steadily. Keep in mind that a pound of fat is 3500 cals, so even if your metabolism doesn't slow from a 1500 defecit, that's 3 pounds of fat in a week. It is very unlikely that you lost 5 pounds of pure fat in one week. I've noticed that when I've done a 1200 or more defecit, I weigh about 2-3 pounds less the next day, but my BF% is still the same, and body measurements don't change, so it is almost all water weight. I've also heard your bodyweight can vary by 4lbs throughout the day, so make sure your getting the real results by using measurements, not just the scale. I would try hitting the gym as hard as possible and lift heavy weights with low reps. This way your working to increase your metabolism and keep off the fat that you lose. High deficits only show short results that are usually lost pretty quickly.

[AlwaysTryin]

If you're eating enough protein, which it looks like you are, you should be fine. However, I would include some healthy fats and make sure your protein comes from good whole sources to provide you with the essential amino acids that your body cannot produce.

What? You think eating enough protein but 1500 calories under is ok?

[SUPER_MANLET]

What? You think eating enough protein but 1500 calories under is ok?

for me it's ok .. other people make it a big deal

check my progress starting cut on 10th march at 104 kgs / 228 lbs
22/june 162~165lbs (162 @morning) 165 after eating 2nd meal in 30 minutes

15 weeks going to close 16 weeks .. so if he can do it let him do it

[AlwaysTryin]

for me it's ok .. other people make it a big deal

check my progress starting cut on 10th march at 104 kgs / 228 lbs
22/june 162~165lbs (162 @morning) 165 after eating 2nd meal in 30 minutes

15 weeks going to close 16 weeks .. so if he can do it let him do it

That wasn't exactly my point. Anyone can do that but how much they want to stuff their metabolism and how much muscle mass they want to lose is a more important question.

I would be interested to know your muscle composition/bf% in each of those dates

[bbejj123]

i think its too much if your also trying to build muscle. but maybe thats just me.

[SUPER_MANLET]

That wasn't exactly my point. Anyone can do that but how much they want to stuff their metabolism and how much muscle mass they want to lose is a more important question.

I would be interested to know your muscle composition/bf% in each of those dates

Bolded line: well there is alot of concerns about losing muscle mass on these forums and how you will lose your muscles if you go on crash dieting and such stuff but for your info many and i mean MANY of competitive bodybuilders can't control their self much in the off season so they just go crash dieting for weeks maybe months (1 or 2 length) but those are under nutrition/doctors eyes going on a cut like that

for me and for like 90% of the gym members i workout in..
we go on cut diet starting from ending feb/starting of march till end of june sometimes more if some champions preparing for world bodybuilding champion ships

anyway for your answer

my starting weight was 228lbs / 17~18 BF% (Date of starting cut is 10th of march 2010)

on 22 june/2010 total of 15 weeks dieting i was 10~11%

atm i'm trying to push it to 7 or 8% doesn't matter just want a single digit bf%

consider also i wasn't taking any protein shakes/glutamine till yesterday cuz i drink supplements made in germany .. 0 sodium 0 potasium in the protein


was doing 30 minutes cardio pre lifting and 30 minutes post lifting (LISS) for the first 3 weeks of the cut

then increased to 45 minutes for a week (45 pre and 45 post workout)

then increased to 1 hour fasted cardio (in the morning) very good if you are looking after dropping bf%

and 1 hour post lifting

split is:
Chest / Biceps / forearms
Legs
Shoulders / tri / forearms
back /traps

ABS day on day off


didn't eat fruits till last 2 weeks ..green apples / green,white grapes/ blueberries and pine apples


any other questions don't hesitate to shoot them

[AlwaysTryin]

What's the protein shake comment for? You don't need protein shakes. Food contains protein too.

Ok so from calculations you dropped 63 pounds (228 to 165).

228 at 17-18% was say 39-41 pounds of fat, to 165 at 10-11% being 16.5-18 say.

So you dropped about 23 pounds of fat out of 63. 40 pounds water/muscle.

Sound right?

[asto_86]

What's the protein shake comment for? You don't need protein shakes. Food contains protein too.

Ok so from calculations you dropped 63 pounds (228 to 165).

228 at 17-18% was say 39-41 pounds of fat, to 165 at 10-11% being 16.5-18 say.

So you dropped about 23 pounds of fat out of 63. 40 pounds water/muscle.

Sound right?

ouch...

perhaps the starting bf was underestimated? lol, I hope so anyways. The higher it is the more room for error there is for being inaccurate...

[AlwaysTryin]

ouch...

perhaps the starting bf was underestimated? lol, I hope so anyways. The higher it is the more room for error there is for being inaccurate...

No idea. Just curious about how much weight you lost was fat v muscle/water

[MrRR]

1500 cal caloric deficit?
I am a 23 yr old male, 210 lbs. I am on a high protein, low carb and fat diet averaging a caloric deficit of about 1500/ day. I eat over 200 g of protein daily and once a week take a diet break and allow myself about 100-150g of carbs. I do cardio or weight train 6 or 7 times a week and never feel weak or tired or even hungry. ave. 40-90 g carbs/fat on "diet" days. I always eat over 1500 cal broken up into 5-6 meals/ day

My goal is to cut the fat while building muscle and I lost 5 lbs in the first week of doing this and it appears to be fat. I am approaching the end of the 2nd week and I was worried that I may be losing more muscle than fat due to the high caloric deficit. The ole starvation mode.

Is there anything I should do different to lose fat while gaining muscle?

-thanks

no one here is asking the right question..... The deficit may be too much for you specifically but the ideal deficit for the quickest fat loss differs from person to person. Muscle occurs on large deficits when theres not enough fat in the body to provide adequate daily energy. between 30-33 calories a day per lb of fat in the body can be provided for energy. So if we assume you are 20% BF at 210, then you your looking at 42lbs of fat. 42x32= about 1350. Meaning you can have a deficit at that amount and continue to have ideal fat loss along with minimal muscle loss as long as you are lifting hard and eating right macro wise.

How tall are you? And what is your estimated BF?

[Gusthebus]

If u can stick with it by all means do it!!! I struggle to keep my 2000 cals in check but that's just me

[TheHeirApparent]

u gonna feel your energy suffer dramatically

[SUPER_MANLET]

What's the protein shake comment for? You don't need protein shakes. Food contains protein too.

Ok so from calculations you dropped 63 pounds (228 to 165).

228 at 17-18% was say 39-41 pounds of fat, to 165 at 10-11% being 16.5-18 say.

So you dropped about 23 pounds of fat out of 63. 40 pounds water/muscle.

Sound right?

hmm i don't think i dropped that much muscles i dono but measuring was pre cut

biceps 17.5~18
waist 38

now biceps 16
waist 32

ouch...

perhaps the starting bf was underestimated? lol, I hope so anyways. The higher it is the more room for error there is for being inaccurate...

i think maybe i was higher in the bf part still dono..but i was a walking frig and wearing jeans hurt my legs

i remember i went to buy a suit for a job interview i couldn't wear it by my self needed help with wearing the jacket..


and my bulk was dirty btw 8 meals a day and eating everything i see..

[steelo79]

1,500 isn't excessive, but imo you should stick around the 1,000 mark. i think you'll be happier with the results in the long-run.

[liammccarthy]

ouch...

perhaps the starting bf was underestimated? lol, I hope so anyways. The higher it is the more room for error there is for being inaccurate...

Yeah damn... I worked out 38lbs of lean weight lost... Hopefully you were way off on your starting BF%.. 25% would be a better figure but with all that cardio (2 hours on lifting days WTF?) I can see how this could've happened.

[SUPER_MANLET]

Yeah damn... I worked out 38lbs of lean weight lost... Hopefully you were way off on your starting BF%.. 25% would be a better figure but with all that cardio (2 hours on lifting days WTF?) I can see how this could've happened.

tomorrow closing 16 weeks/20 .. started to get lil bored of the cardio

[lefud]

no one here is asking the right question..... The deficit may be too much for you specifically but the ideal deficit for the quickest fat loss differs from person to person. Muscle occurs on large deficits when theres not enough fat in the body to provide adequate daily energy. between 30-33 calories a day per lb of fat in the body can be provided for energy. So if we assume you are 20% BF at 210, then you your looking at 42lbs of fat. 42x32= about 1350. Meaning you can have a deficit at that amount and continue to have ideal fat loss along with minimal muscle loss as long as you are lifting hard and eating right macro wise.

How tall are you? And what is your estimated BF?

thanks. this is the perfect answer. im 6'5" about 18% body fat. this put the perfect perspective on it.

[FemmeFatale28]

no one here is asking the right question..... The deficit may be too much for you specifically but the ideal deficit for the quickest fat loss differs from person to person. Muscle occurs on large deficits when theres not enough fat in the body to provide adequate daily energy. between 30-33 calories a day per lb of fat in the body can be provided for energy. So if we assume you are 20% BF at 210, then you your looking at 42lbs of fat. 42x32= about 1350. Meaning you can have a deficit at that amount and continue to have ideal fat loss along with minimal muscle loss as long as you are lifting hard and eating right macro wise.

How tall are you? And what is your estimated BF?

^^ this^^ the height of the deficit is dependent on too many factors. I learned this recently myself because I was curious as to how high I could get my deficit and the equation above helped me out