How to not feel like shiet while cutting?

[Ryster88]

I'm on your basic clean cut right now.

157lbs, probably 18% plus bodyfat, haven't got it professionally taken, about an inch pinch on my waist and man boobies but my arms shoulders and back are practically ungrabbable, low bodyfat in those areas, blame genetics

i just started my cut about a week ago and a feel like pure ass, i cant get a straight thought through my head and hunger pains keep me from sleeping

Don't eat any carbs after 7, having about 1800-1900 calories a day right now, chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, peanuts, leafy greens and water are about all that go into my body...i was about 161 a week and half ago..now im ranging between 157-158 and its platou'ing

i kinda cheated today and went higher carb for my workout for back and bi's and a feel a bit better but still just tired all the time

i do cardio 5 days a week for 45-1 hour, stair steppers, hiking, fast walks up hills in shiet....

i look almost exactly the same 5 pounds slimmer...

i'll probably need to be below 150 to have clear definition on my abs...and be about 12%

anybody have any cool remedies or tactics to not feel like pure ass on a cut?

im about to throw in the towel and go back to maintenence/bulk and hope the weight comes off with increased cardio...

[OrangeKun]

What is your diet ratios like? I find I benefit more from 40 protein, 30 fat, 30 carbs or 35 protein, 35 fat, and 30 carbs than I do from a high carb diet.

Only eat carbs before workouts and try not to eat them in your breakfast. Also make sure your carb is usually a fast carb(other than a little veggies perhaps in your dinner[slow carbs]) so you get that energy for your workout.

Also try getting a small caffeine boost once in a while if you feel you didn't get the right energy before heading to the gym. The non high carb diet works for me as I feel more satisfied meal wise than I do with carbs. High carb diet tends to make me feel hungrier. Also eat your dinner 3 hrs before knocking out and no earlier. If you're eating dinner at 6p.m. and not knocking until 11p.m. then I can see you feeling hungry and having trouble falling asleep. All about good diet balance and good meal spacing in my opinion. I managed to keep a 2 pound a week for a while(until about 145 pounds). I'm assuming 1 pound a week is reasonable and not very hard as you should be able to lose a pound a week at around 2000-2200 calories assuming you workout out 4-5x a week at your age since our metabolisms are great compared to when you're older(I'm 22).

EDIT: Also cut the damn cardio from 5 times a week to 3-4. That is OVERKILL. If you're plateuing it's probably because you haven't done anything different to up your routine and it's becoming easier as you're adapting to it. I did sprints and upped my mileage on the cardio when I was doing it. I started at 1 mile and was doing 3-4 miles after a few weeks with sprints included for intervals as I didn't want to necessarily lose muscle and included weights for my workouts. Your post fails to specify your strength training. Incorporate good cycled upper body and lower body workouts into your weight loss. Pumping iron is never bad. Good for cutting and bulking.

EDIT 2: If you are noticing no real difference every 5 pounds could it be you are not losing mainly fat but also muscle with it? Are you incorporating the weights? The muscle loss is only minimized when you continue to do weights in your workout. If you cut out the weight lifting your pounds lost could be a lot of muscle along with the fat.

[acrawlingchaos]

No wonder you feel horrible.

I'm on your basic clean cut right now.

There is no reason to avoid foods you enjoy while cutting. Just stay below your calories and within your macro range.

I just started my cut about a week ago and a feel like pure ass, i cant get a straight thought through my head and hunger pains keep me from sleeping.

The truth is, calorie deficits suck, being hungry sucks, working out on limited carbs sucks.

Don't eat any carbs after 7, having about 1800-1900 calories a day right now, chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, peanuts, leafy greens and water are about all that go into my body...i was about 161 a week and half ago..now im ranging between 157-158 and its platou'ing

Meal timing is a matter of preference, so eating carbs after 7 is fine. Your food choices look boring though and I doubt I would even be interested in dieting on those.

i do cardio 5 days a week for 45-1 hour, stair steppers, hiking, fast walks up hills in shiet....

Excessive cardio is increasing your appetite, and you are most likely over eating. I am guessing you are not counting calories or macros and you are just estimating. In all honesty, @ 1800 calories, and 5 days a week of cardio, I can't see you maintaining. So if you are counting... you must be leaving something out.

i look almost exactly the same 5 pounds slimmer...

i'll probably need to be below 150 to have clear definition on my abs...and be about 12%

anybody have any cool remedies or tactics to not feel like pure ass on a cut?

im about to throw in the towel and go back to maintenence/bulk and hope the weight comes off with increased cardio...

Increasing cardio is just going to make it worse. Your cardio is causing you to eat, which makes you it difficult to lose, so you increase cardio and eat even more and you continually spin your wheels. You also make NO mention of strength training. You have very little lean mass to begin with, and you'll end up cutting down to skin and bone.

[2ptconversion]

5 days a week 45-1 hour in cardio? That sounds WAY excessive to me. I would do some research on this, If I were you. Seems like most people recommend to keep cardio below 45 minutes. If you are doing too much cardio and not eating enough, your body could go into starvation mode... This is very real. And totally counter productive.

Also, you mention 'a week and a half ago' how long have you been doing your cut? Patience is key. One of the most important things is consistency. Once consistent, the BF will slide off.

Lastly, if you have been cutting for weeks, it may be helpful to take a week break. Sometimes a week off can "reset" and help you avoid plateaus.

[kingofbigmac]

I've been doing cardio for about the same amount of time. Is it too much??