Reducing body fat - advice needed

[n00bz0rd2]

I'm currently working towards lowering my body fat % and would like some advice on what I could change to speed up my progress. I noticed that chest and abs are 2 areas that never seem to change. I'm not looking to get a 6 pack (although that would be a bonus), I'm just after a toned upper body.

I've tried loads of diets/plans/programs but can't really find one that works for me.

As of right now, I workout 3 times a week early morning. Usually consists of weight training then cardio.

I know eating is a big part of it and I think I'm eating pretty well. Here's an outline of what I eat on a typical week:

Morning:
Oats
Flax seed
Hemp seed
Cod liver oil
Whey shake (only on workout days)

Mid-morning:
1-2 pieces of fruit

Lunch (all home made):
It's usually between: a mixed salad with chicken or turkey, no dressing; 2 small wholemeal rolls with salad, bit of mayo and deli meat (either chicken, turkey or ham)

Mid-afternoon:
More fruit, usually some sort of berries and another type of fruit.

Dinner:
Home made curry with rice (usually 2-3 times a week)
Pasta
Stir fry with chicken or turkey

All of the above is what I would have Mon-Fri. Weekends I let myself go a bit but its all in moderation.

Should I continue with what I am doing or does something need to change?

[HeavyMetalLover]

Be in a calorie deficit = lose bodyfat

Read the stickies for better detail.

[JoshyCii]

Probably try minimize the carbs later in the day, try and get a lot of them in your earlier meals, you still need carbs for your brain, but eating them at night will not give your body enough to burn them before and during sleep and may hinder your cutting goals. Also lots of cardio

[HeavyMetalLover]

Probably try minimize the carbs later in the day, try and get a lot of them in your earlier meals, you still need carbs for your brain, but eating them at night will not give your body enough to burn them before and during sleep and may hinder your cutting goals.

Eat whenever you want, as long as you're in deficit, you'll lose bodyfat.

[JoshyCii]

Eat whenever you want, as long as you're in deficit, you'll lose bodyfat.

Agreed, but depending on when you intake your calories and when you burn them can change your results. If you were to eat the majority of your meals before gym and than have a big gym session, burn a lot of calories and than eat a post-workout meal with good protein, as oppose to having breakfast going to the gym burning a lot of calories and than eating 2-3 more meals in the day some of which may not be burnt. So cutting down on carbs at night would reduce the chance of your body not burning it off and hence hindering results.

[n00bz0rd2]

Thanks for the replies. Should I cut of the carbs completely towards the end of the day or can I replace them with something else?

[HeavyMetalLover]

Agreed, but depending on when you intake your calories and when you burn them can change your results. If you were to eat the majority of your meals before gym and than have a big gym session, burn a lot of calories and than eat a post-workout meal with good protein, as oppose to having breakfast going to the gym burning a lot of calories and than eating 2-3 more meals in the day some of which may not be burnt. So cutting down on carbs at night would reduce the chance of your body not burning it off and hence hindering results.

No.

If you're eating less than your maintenance, you'll lose your bodyfat no matter what. Calories doesn't get burn on one time only, which in your case during the gym session. Even sitting burns calorie.

Even if you're asleep for the entire day after your gym session (no calories burned from activity), you still have your BMR that used up the calories that you have eaten (pseudo-burn).

I agree that meal timing have its benefit (I guess you implied this?), but it creates too much hassle to even think about and I doubt the benefits are worth mentioned, whereas you could still cutting successfully without ''proper'' meal timing.

[HeavyMetalLover]

Thanks for the replies. Should I cut of the carbs completely towards the end of the day or can I replace them with something else?

Do whatever you want, as long as you're in calorie deficit. Eating before your bedtime or past 6pm doesn't make you fat. Calorie surplus does.

[n00bz0rd2]

Thanks. What kind of cardio should I be doing? Interval or keeping my heart rate low?

[HeavyMetalLover]

Thanks. What kind of cardio should I be doing? Interval or keeping my heart rate low?

Anything you prefer. Consistency first, effectiveness second when it comes to cardio.

You could even skip cardio to lose bodyfat, as only calorie deficit matters to lose fat. But, cardio is a great exercise for your health so I don't mind doing it.

[Mightymuff]

Agreed, but depending on when you intake your calories and when you burn them can change your results. If you were to eat the majority of your meals before gym and than have a big gym session, burn a lot of calories and than eat a post-workout meal with good protein, as oppose to having breakfast going to the gym burning a lot of calories and than eating 2-3 more meals in the day some of which may not be burnt. So cutting down on carbs at night would reduce the chance of your body not burning it off and hence hindering results.

lol what?

I think you need to look at the bigger picture. If you eat 2500 calories in 1 day and burn 2500 calories in the same day your net weight gain will be 0 lbs, no matter when you ate the food or when you worked out.

[n00bz0rd2]

As mentioned in my first post, I only have a whey shake on my workout days. I have 50g with water. Should I increase this? Also, should I have the shake on non workout days?

[pims14]

As mentioned in my first post, I only have a whey shake on my workout days. I have 50g with water. Should I increase this? Also, should I have the shake on non workout days?

Read the stickies... All the answers to your questions are there. You need to figure out what your caloric maintenance level is and eat in a caloric deficit.

[Spanishdream]

When you're eating your calories doesn't matter.

How much you're eating does matter.

[Brickness]

No.

If you're eating less than your maintenance, you'll lose your bodyfat no matter what. Calories doesn't get burn on one time only, which in your case during the gym session. Even sitting burns calorie.

Even if you're asleep for the entire day after your gym session (no calories burned from activity), you still have your BMR that used up the calories that you have eaten (pseudo-burn).

I agree that meal timing have its benefit (I guess you implied this?), but it creates too much hassle to even think about and I doubt the benefits are worth mentioned, whereas you could still cutting successfully without ''proper'' meal timing.

Something you calories in calories out brahs forget is people who are fat have larger adipocytes which become more insulin resistant. Search for peer reviewed scientific articles and you can easily find them. So the more you have to lose the more carb/meal timing come into play. Joshycii I agree if you are having trouble with losing fat you should try eating less carbs as the day progresses AND still count your calories.

[TelusLob]

Probably try minimize the carbs later in the day, try and get a lot of them in your earlier meals, you still need carbs for your brain, but eating them at night will not give your body enough to burn them before and during sleep and may hinder your cutting goals. Also lots of cardio

How about disregard this BS..^^

Forget healthy food and diet. Learn to count calories and macros. Figure out TDEE and eat slightly below it. Understand that at your weight and height, you don't have much muscle to show even when you have low body fat.

[nhclone]

Something you calories in calories out brahs forget is people who are fat have larger adipocytes which become more insulin resistant. Search for peer reviewed scientific articles and you can easily find them. So the more you have to lose the more carb/meal timing come into play. Joshycii I agree if you are having trouble with losing fat you should try eating less carbs as the day progresses AND still count your calories.

Meal timing may come into effect if you're talking about a person where insulin resistance comes into play, aka the extremely overweight/obese. However, in regards to the OP, 6'1" 168 pounds. Meal timing = no concern. Also, calories in = calories out always applies, there are sometimes factors which affect the burning of calories and, therefore, the calories out part of the equation, but the general idea still applies.