BF%? Could use some input!

[hwykng]

Hey, I am losing motivation during my cutting phase and could use some input. Here are my stats:
I am a male/age 25
Height - 5' 11"
weight - 170lbs
bmi - 23.8

I would guess my bf% to be somewhere around 16-17% (I have pics but can't post due to my low post count so if anyone could help out, that would be great!)

Basically all of my fat is in my stomach region. Currently I have been cutting by lifting 5 days a week (higher reps) followed by 30-40min of cardio (low intensity, incline treadmill) and I have been eating at a calorie deficit of about 600 give or take. I am focusing on low carb intake as well as eating most of my carbs earlier in the day. The problem is, I feel like I am not losing anymore weight at this point... I have been between 172-168 for about 3 weeks now. I feel like I am losing strength at this point for no reason and losing motivation to keep cutting because of it.

My questions to you guys would be if my overall GOAL is to be about 175-180 with around 10% bodyfat, is it ok for me to start a clean bulk with about 20min of cardio OR do you think my current bf% is still way to high to even think about bulking and I need to bring that down some first?

What bf% would you recommend to get down to before starting a clean bulk?

Thanks in advance! I have been researching on bb forums for a while now and love all the information I have received!!!

[hwykng]

Hopefully these pics work! 1 year ago I was 220lbs... so I have lost a lot of weight and unfortunately have damn stretch marks!

[heath01]

20-22

[hwykng]

20-22

You're probably right, I just used one of those online calculators that gave me a range that I was in.

[iversonmourning]

I would say 16-18 %

[msm00b]

17-18

[dilky]

You're probably right, I just used one of those online calculators that gave me a range that I was in.

whats ur diet like it u dont mind me asking??

[hwykng]

whats ur diet like it u dont mind me asking??

My diet has been VERY strict with hardly any cheat days... I have been focusing on low carb/carbs earlier in the day. I was looking through my meal logs earlier today and feel like I might be eating too little, could this be preventing me from losing weight?

12/18/2010

Breakfast -
1/4-1/2 cup of egg white omelete
2 slices of whole wheat toast
8oz of milk

Snack -
apple/banana/some other fruit

Lunch -
12oz canned chicken breast
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup veggies

Snack 2 -
90 cal granola bar or fruit
isopure zero carb protein (not sure if this was smart to get, maybe should switch out to something with carbs?)

Dinner -
salmon
steamed veggies
sweet potatoe

I try to have atleast 6-10 glasses of water daily
Not taking any supps except for protein/fish oil at this time

[msm00b]

Generally speaking, eating too little will not slow down weight loss as long as you're staying active. I've found my best results with cutting hard at 1500/day with 1-2 cheat days a week to recharge and keep your metabolism up.

Arnold would do similar when cutting, alternating very low calorie days with higher (yet still deficit) days. Then again he also juiced on his cuts so your mileage may vary.

[PBateman2]

Generally speaking, eating too little will not slow down weight loss as long as you're staying active. I've found my best results with cutting hard at 1500/day with 1-2 cheat days a week to recharge and keep your metabolism up.

Arnold would do similar when cutting, alternating very low calorie days with higher (yet still deficit) days. Then again he also juiced on his cuts so your mileage may vary.

^This.

Essentially calorie cycling. Money.

[hwykng]

Thanks for the input!

So what bf% would you suggest me cutting down to before I start a clean bulk? At 170lbs if you guys are saying im about 18%bf.. what weight do you think I would need to drop down to for me to be around 12-13%

[kentuckync]

17-18

[th3pwn3r]

Arnold would do similar when cutting, alternating very low calorie days with higher (yet still deficit) days. Then again he also juiced on his cuts so your mileage may vary.

My favorite Arnold diet technique is how he drank himself to sleep on a daily basis haha.