Please help losing next 10% of Bodyfat. Have stalled hard.

[BigNik78]

Hey there guys. I guess you're in for a mini-wall of text. I'm a typical guy that was in super good shape in high school through my mid twenties. I got into a car accident around then and decided to take a week off to heal up. That week turned into a few weeks, then a month, and you know the rest. Anyway, Around 28-29 or so I stopped working out, ate my ass off, ballooned up and turned into a depressed FA until this last year. Anyyyway...Last year I decided screw it, this isn't me, I'm going to work hard to return to the old me. A LOT harder at 36 than it was in my twenties. I've managed to lose over 100 lbs. in the last year, but still have a long way to go, another 30 lbs. and I'll be happy then set a new goal. I seem to put on muscle easily, but taking off this fat is a huge bitch. I've hit a few plateaus and have managed to bust through them but I've been stuck the last few months. I've still gained lean mass it seems but haven't lost much fat and I'm stuck in my measurements and weight. I've been following keto the last 6 or 7 months, and eat the same prepped meals every day which I keep track of in my fitness pal.

My Macros are currently 1900 Calories, 65% Fat, 30% Protein, 5% Carb. I'm very strict and haven't cheated unless it's been on purpose for a carb-up meal which I've only tried twice.

I work out HARD. I'm covered in sweat throughout my workout and I rest 30-45 seconds between sets. My workout is as follows:

Saturday: Legs
Sunday: Chest
Monday: Back
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Shoulders/Traps
Thursday: Bi's/Tri's
Friday: OFF

Cardio is currently 20 minutes post workout MISS cardio, sometimes on the recumbent bike, sometimes on the
elliptical although I prefer the bike due to my knee being blown out.

As I've mentioned I've tried everything to break this plateau, increasing calories, decreasing calories, more cardio, no cardio, HIIT cardio, 45 minutes of LISS cardio, 4-Day Workouts, 5-day, nothing seems to work lately. Like I said I'm currently at 1900 calories, which according to my teedee is way low. I've tried 1500, I've tried 2200, not much results either way. Should I go lower? I'm currently 225, and would like to be down to 200, or around 15% BF, and then set new goals from there. I hope I don't get flamed too hard for this, but here is a pic of one years worth of progress, from 325 to 225 lbs. It's honestly a ****ty pic with ****ty lighting and angles, and I look horrible but I tried to mimic the before pic. Soooooo, any ideas on what you experts think I can do to kick my plateaus ass? I'm SO frustrated.

[lvsteven]

Hey there guys. I guess you're in for a mini-wall of text. I'm a typical guy that was in super good shape in high school through my mid twenties. I got into a car accident around then and decided to take a week off to heal up. That week turned into a few weeks, then a month, and you know the rest. Anyway, Around 28-29 or so I stopped working out, ate my ass off, ballooned up and turned into a depressed FA until this last year. Anyyyway...Last year I decided screw it, this isn't me, I'm going to work hard to return to the old me. A LOT harder at 36 than it was in my twenties. I've managed to lose over 100 lbs. in the last year, but still have a long way to go, another 30 lbs. and I'll be happy then set a new goal. I seem to put on muscle easily, but taking off this fat is a huge bitch. I've hit a few plateaus and have managed to bust through them but I've been stuck the last few months. I've still gained lean mass it seems but haven't lost much fat and I'm stuck in my measurements and weight. I've been following keto the last 6 or 7 months, and eat the same prepped meals every day which I keep track of in my fitness pal.

My Macros are currently 1900 Calories, 65% Fat, 30% Protein, 5% Carb. I'm very strict and haven't cheated unless it's been on purpose for a carb-up meal which I've only tried twice.

I work out HARD. I'm covered in sweat throughout my workout and I rest 30-45 seconds between sets. My workout is as follows:

Saturday: Legs
Sunday: Chest
Monday: Back
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Shoulders/Traps
Thursday: Bi's/Tri's
Friday: OFF

Cardio is currently 20 minutes post workout MISS cardio, sometimes on the recumbent bike, sometimes on the
elliptical although I prefer the bike due to my knee being blown out.

As I've mentioned I've tried everything to break this plateau, increasing calories, decreasing calories, more cardio, no cardio, HIIT cardio, 45 minutes of LISS cardio, 4-Day Workouts, 5-day, nothing seems to work lately. Like I said I'm currently at 1900 calories, which according to my teedee is way low. I've tried 1500, I've tried 2200, not much results either way. Should I go lower? I'm currently 225, and would like to be down to 200, or around 15% BF, and then set new goals from there. I hope I don't get flamed too hard for this, but here is a pic of one years worth of progress, from 325 to 225 lbs. It's honestly a ****ty pic with ****ty lighting and angles, and I look horrible but I tried to mimic the before pic. Soooooo, any ideas on what you experts think I can do to kick my plateaus ass? I'm SO frustrated.

Great progress brother. Be proud.
Ever consider a proper complete diet break?
You can still train but eat what you THINK is your maintenance for at least 14 days, if not even 21 days.
Eat carbs and fats, just maintenance. You want to reset things, then go from there.
Lyle McDonald talks about this in his book about flexible dieting. You need to reset hormones like leptin and grehlin as well as testosterone levels.

If you have insurance I would recommend getting your testosterone levels looked at.
If not you can get a testosterone test online:
Visit the site, pay for the test (you want both FREE and TOTAL test, not the cheaper free only bloodwork)
Get to a testing center they are affiliated with and get the blood work done, then await the test results.

Still, first try the idea of a full diet break. You cannot diet hard forever without consequences.

[unplugged]

Yea as stated above I would def do a full diet break as at your size and eating 1900 calories weight should be flying off you. Something is definitely wrong and I would even get a full panel blood work examination done to be safe. All the best and let us know how things workout for you!

[bobackwards]

1900 calories + weights + cardio, what you're doing is overkill. I had the same issue, I was eating around 2000 and it worked for a while but then stalled. I ate at maintenance for 2 weeks and then began to drop my calories (about 100 per week). I'm about 190lbs and cutting at 2200-2300, and so far i'm successful (in the sense that I am retaining strength and losing inches off waist). Sometimes more is less...if you catch my drift. Your body is basically fighting tooth and nail to hold on to every bit of weight right now. Take it easy, it's not a sprint...its a marathon.

ps. You made really good progress, you should be proud of yourself. 100lbs lost in one year is pretty damn impressive imo
'

[TrainHard22]

Dude, you're doing too much, you must have crazy water retention going on right now.

I am 6'3", 217 and losing weight at 2350 cals lifting 3x a week with maybe 1 to 2 cardio sessions of LISS.

Either something is wrong medically or you need to start a reverse diet of +50 calories a week. Get yourself back up to Maint that way and then drop back down.

Keto is superior in terms of fat loss and building muscle in a deficit or at maintenance. Do it if it helps you fight hunger pains.

http://www.jissn.com/content/11/S1/P40

P.S. that is great progress for 1 year. Just remember your goal physique should be attainable in 2-4 years.

[Znik]

To the above posters, did you guys miss the part where he has stalled for the last few months ? If that is not a diet break then what is ?

OP: Seems to me you have been changing things waaay to much as you stalled, up and down on calories,activity,lifting routines etc. which is a quick way to spin your wheels.

You have done a tremendously good job so far, and have reached a leaner state where things tend to slow down and becomes more strict in terms of exercise and calories.

First of all go over your calorie tracking, being fat/obese gives a lot of leeway in terms of inaccurate tracking and still good results (hence why the majority of people incorrectly track calories).

And make gradual changes that you stick with for 3-4 weeks before adding another change.

My recommendation would be:
Get on a UL rest UL (if you can lift 4 days/week) or PPL rest PPL (if you can lift 6/days week) program.

Upper/Lower: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1266761131
PPL: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=149807833

Drop calories to 1800, and ensure accurate tracking.
Do as much LISS cardio as you feel like.
Ensure you keep your non-exercise activity up as NEAT can plummet after a big weight loss.

Stick with that for 3-4 weeks to ensure water retention not masking a loss, and then make adjustments to activity/diet according to loss rate.

[BigNik78]

Thanks guys! My calories are pretty dead on, I measure all of my food and rotate the same few meals all the time. My blood work always comes back great. My NEAT activity is not much at all right now since work's been slow, and I literally do nothing on the weekends other than the gym. I am still seeing muscle gains, just can't see any noticeable fat loss. It's SO frustrating. I'd love to hit my goal body within another 1 or 2 years, but I'm REALLY hoping to hit 200-210 by mid-december. I just wish my progress would be more linear. A lot to consider within the replies so far, I know this won't be a cake-walk, but I have no shortage of extreme dedication to get back to my former self.

[Tommy W.]

Thanks guys! My calories are pretty dead on, I measure all of my food and rotate the same few meals all the time. My blood work always comes back great. My NEAT activity is not much at all right now since work's been slow, and I literally do nothing on the weekends other than the gym. I am still seeing muscle gains, just can't see any noticeable fat loss. It's SO frustrating. I'd love to hit my goal body within another 1 or 2 years, but I'm REALLY hoping to hit 200-210 by mid-december. I just wish my progress would be more linear. A lot to consider within the replies so far, I know this won't be a cake-walk, but I have no shortage of extreme dedication to get back to my former self.

If you're gaining muscle you aren't in a calorie deficit. You need to lower your calories. Your body doesn't know numbers, only if you're giving it less energy or more energy than it needs to be at maintenance.

[TrainHard22]

If you're gaining muscle you aren't in a calorie deficit. You need to lower your calories. Your body doesn't know numbers, only if you're giving it less energy or more energy than it needs to be at maintenance.

Correction: You can't gain muscle in a deficit in a normal western diet, you can on keto. That's why people do it lol.

[Tommy W.]

Correction: You can't gain muscle in a deficit in a normal western diet, you can on keto. That's why people do it lol.

no they can't.......LOL

[unplugged]

Correction: You can't gain muscle in a deficit in a normal western diet, you can on keto. That's why people do it lol.

No you can't lol..... honestly keto is one of the worst things you can do if you lift intensely.

[BigNik78]

What macros are better? Honestly when I was younger I did high protein, low carb and low fat and it seemed to work. I read now that that's no good. Im not sold on keto at all but it does seem to keep me feeling more full. Does it even really matter as long as you're under maintenance?

[unplugged]

What macros are better? Honestly when I was younger I did high protein, low carb and low fat and it seemed to work. I read now that that's no good. Im not sold on keto at all but it does seem to keep me feeling more full. Does it even really matter as long as you're under maintenance?

At the end of the day no it won't matter as long as you are in a deficit and are still able to maintain intensity/strength (for the most part) in the gym. I know on low carb I can't do the latter to save my life lol

[Tommy W.]

What macros are better? Honestly when I was younger I did high protein, low carb and low fat and it seemed to work. I read now that that's no good. Im not sold on keto at all but it does seem to keep me feeling more full. Does it even really matter as long as you're under maintenance?

No it doesn't matter as long as protein is intact. Shoot for a gram of P for every lb of lean mass which for you is probable in the neighborhood of 170 grams or so. This isn't to say you can't have more P if you want. It's very satiating so have more if you want.

You're 100 lbs lighter now so you need a lot fewer calories to continue with fatloss. Regardless of if you were counting correctly or not, you need to drop calories. Maintaining for 3-4 months does not warrant a diet break or a reverse diet period. You'll need to suck it up and drop cals, there just isn't any way around it.

If someone says "Dude I'm your size and cut on X calories" you need to understand you're not them and they're not you. People the same size can have drastically different NEAT amounts for starters. Being younger is a huge factor, especially in the way most people store fat as they age. You think it's tough now??? Wait till you're in your fuc*in 60's.

Grab the bull by the horns and git er done.

[BigNik78]

Thanks guys. Tommy when I'm your age I hope to look half that good lol. Cutting cals is no problem, already feel like I stuff myself as it is, so I might give it a shot for a couple of months and see where I'm at. I'd be happy with -15 lbs in two months, we'll see if I can get there. I think I'll keep updating this thread now and then with news on progress or lack thereof.

[MrM27]

To the above posters, did you guys miss the part where he has stalled for the last few months ? If that is not a diet break then what is ?

OP: Seems to me you have been changing things waaay to much as you stalled, up and down on calories,activity,lifting routines etc. which is a quick way to spin your wheels.

You have done a tremendously good job so far, and have reached a leaner state where things tend to slow down and becomes more strict in terms of exercise and calories.

First of all go over your calorie tracking, being fat/obese gives a lot of leeway in terms of inaccurate tracking and still good results (hence why the majority of people incorrectly track calories).

And make gradual changes that you stick with for 3-4 weeks before adding another change.

My recommendation would be:
Get on a UL rest UL (if you can lift 4 days/week) or PPL rest PPL (if you can lift 6/days week) program.

Upper/Lower: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1266761131
PPL: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=149807833

Drop calories to 1800, and ensure accurate tracking.
Do as much LISS cardio as you feel like.
Ensure you keep your non-exercise activity up as NEAT can plummet after a big weight loss.

Stick with that for 3-4 weeks to ensure water retention not masking a loss, and then make adjustments to activity/diet according to loss rate.

I fully agree ^^^^

Correction: You can't gain muscle in a deficit in a normal western diet, you can on keto. That's why people do it lol.

Nope, sorry but that's false. Keto while in a caloric deficit does not provide some superior gains in muscle compared to a different structure just because. And no, that's not why people do Keto. That is actually something very rarely if ever heard as the reason people follow Keto.

[TrainHard22]

I fully agree ^^^^



Nope, sorry but that's false. Keto while in a caloric deficit does not provide some superior gains in muscle compared to a different structure just because. And no, that's not why people do Keto. That is actually something very rarely if ever heard as the reason people follow Keto.

Oh damn, I forgot your Broscience PhD and the brosphere outranked actual scientific studies.

http://www.jissn.com/content/11/S1/P40
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022207
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022637
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2002-021480
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=717451
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2003-031606
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=205916
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

Can you say absolutely owned?

So not only is it possible to build muscle in a deficit in keto, keto also completely preserves muscle mass while cutting whereas a normal diet will have you lose muscle mass irregardless of training methods to try and maintain mass. Keto is so effective at preserving mass that it can be used on patients in comatose so they don't lose muscle mass. NASA is even using it now on people who did the stay in bed test.

Also, at maintenance keto builds almost twice the amount of muscle mass while losing fat as well. No studies have been performed on keto bulking vs. WD bulking however so that's the only gap in the science but if you follow Dr. Jacob Wilson at all he's working on two different keto studies now at the University of Tampa. He's practically heading the field on keto on athletes/elites because everyone else is too busy testing keto on obese people, people with cancer or people with epilepsy.


Learn why so many bodybuilders go low carb to drop weight better without them not even knowing why low carb works better.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto...questions.html

[Tommy W.]

Oh damn, I forgot your Broscience PhD and the brosphere outranked actual scientific studies.

http://www.jissn.com/content/11/S1/P40
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022207
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022637
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2002-021480
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=717451
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2003-031606
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=205916
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

Can you say absolutely owned?

So not only is it possible to build muscle in a deficit in keto, keto also completely preserves muscle mass while cutting whereas a normal diet will have you lose muscle mass irregardless of training methods to try and maintain mass. Keto is so effective at preserving mass that it can be used on patients in comatose so they don't lose muscle mass. NASA is even using it now on people who did the stay in bed test.

Also, at maintenance keto builds almost twice the amount of muscle mass while losing fat as well. No studies have been performed on keto bulking vs. WD bulking however so that's the only gap in the science but if you follow Dr. Jacob Wilson at all he's working on two different keto studies now at the University of Tampa. He's practically heading the field on keto on athletes/elites because everyone else is too busy testing keto on obese people, people with cancer or people with epilepsy.


Learn why so many bodybuilders go low carb to drop weight better without them not even knowing why low carb works better.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto...questions.html

You didn't "own" anyone, you simply made yourself look even more clueless.

Typical excerpt:

(increased lean mass and decreased fat mass) in obese or overweight individuals......

Which will happen in any form of deficit in overweight, new to training populations.

KETO section>>>>>>>>>>>>

[MrM27]

Oh damn, I forgot your Broscience PhD and the brosphere outranked actual scientific studies.

http://www.jissn.com/content/11/S1/P40
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022207
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022637
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2002-021480
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=717451
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2003-031606
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=205916
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

Can you say absolutely owned?

So not only is it possible to build muscle in a deficit in keto, keto also completely preserves muscle mass while cutting whereas a normal diet will have you lose muscle mass irregardless of training methods to try and maintain mass. Keto is so effective at preserving mass that it can be used on patients in comatose so they don't lose muscle mass. NASA is even using it now on people who did the stay in bed test.

Also, at maintenance keto builds almost twice the amount of muscle mass while losing fat as well. No studies have been performed on keto bulking vs. WD bulking however so that's the only gap in the science but if you follow Dr. Jacob Wilson at all he's working on two different keto studies now at the University of Tampa. He's practically heading the field on keto on athletes/elites because everyone else is too busy testing keto on obese people, people with cancer or people with epilepsy.


Learn why so many bodybuilders go low carb to drop weight better without them not even knowing why low carb works better.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto...questions.html

It's obvious that you didn't actually read the studies but instead you just Google and copy and paste every link you saw because the claims you are making aren't supported by your links.

Go back and pull up the lines in the links that suport your original claim.

Pre-mature owned buddy.

[Tommy W.]

. I'd be happy with -15 lbs in two months, .

That's probably going to be optimistic. Shoot for half that. 15 in 2 months would be almost 1,000 less cals a day than you're eating now which may be tough for you at this point.

[PsyLadX]

[Znik]

Oh damn, I forgot your Broscience PhD and the brosphere outranked actual scientific studies.

http://www.jissn.com/content/11/S1/P40
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022207
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022637
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2002-021480
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=717451
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2003-031606
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=205916
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

Can you say absolutely owned?

So not only is it possible to build muscle in a deficit in keto, keto also completely preserves muscle mass while cutting whereas a normal diet will have you lose muscle mass irregardless of training methods to try and maintain mass. Keto is so effective at preserving mass that it can be used on patients in comatose so they don't lose muscle mass. NASA is even using it now on people who did the stay in bed test.

Also, at maintenance keto builds almost twice the amount of muscle mass while losing fat as well. No studies have been performed on keto bulking vs. WD bulking however so that's the only gap in the science but if you follow Dr. Jacob Wilson at all he's working on two different keto studies now at the University of Tampa. He's practically heading the field on keto on athletes/elites because everyone else is too busy testing keto on obese people, people with cancer or people with epilepsy.


Learn why so many bodybuilders go low carb to drop weight better without them not even knowing why low carb works better.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto...questions.html

Could you point out the ones that shows keto is superior ? I have a difficulty finding those that says it has better LBM preservation.

For instance:

Significant losses in fat weight were observed in both groups (LF, −5.4 kg; LC, −4.1 kg), but a significant decrease in lean mass (−1.9 kg) was observed only in subjects on the LC diet. Despite a greater loss of lean mass in the LC subjects compared with the LF subjects

http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2003-031606

However, similar to body weight, fat mass and lean body mass decreased significantly more in the very low carbohydrate group compared with the low fat group at both 3 and 6 months

http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/...jc.2002-021480

If you are going to link studies, find some that tracks body composition at least 1 week after the end diet carb refeed. Comparing keto vs non-keto in studies that have a carb refeed at the end before final body composition in is absolutely stupid because of Glycogen Supercompensation .

Key point of keto in terms of LBM retention are: GH and ketones which are lbm and protein sparing functions, guess what ? GH also increases on a conventional diet and carbs are protein sparing.

[1slo5oh]

First off congrats on the weight loss!!! Now... IMO... 1900 cals is way...WAY to low for somebody of your size. You could listen to all the bro science in the world on this forum. Some are right and have a logical point of view and some...well... some are just ignorant. If you are serious about this my advice would be to invest in yourself. Go see a nutritionist who has a good reputation. Not only will they line you out on your meals , it will give you knowledge nobody can ever take away from you. Just my .02 of course... Good luck

[Tommy W.]

I

First off congrats on the weight loss!!! Now... IMO... 1900 cals is way...WAY to low for somebody of your size. You could listen to all the bro science in the world on this forum. Some are right and have a logical point of view and some...well... some are just ignorant. If you are serious about this my advice would be to invest in yourself. Go see a nutritionist who has a good reputation. Not only will they line you out on your meals , it will give you knowledge nobody can ever take away from you. Just my .02 of course... Good luck

hes eating more than 1900.

[BigNik78]

It's possible the values in my fitness pal are wrong, its not scientific I just scan everything in there, and measure out portions accordingly while I prep my meals. I appreciate everyone's advice in here weather or not they differ from each other, one way or another you guys are going to help me get a woman slaying aesthetic physique again within the next couple of years lol.

[Tommy W.]

It's possible the values in my fitness pal are wrong, its not scientific I just scan everything in there, and measure out portions accordingly while I prep my meals. I appreciate everyone's advice in here weather or not they differ from each other, one way or another you guys are going to help me get a woman slaying aesthetic physique again within the next couple of years lol.

My final advice to you is to track and weigh your food for a week or 2. You'll get a good understanding of what X cals are. Weighing is SUPER important. I remember plugging in "a medium sized baked potato" it showed 173 cals. I went and weighed my "medium" baked potato and it came out at 382 calories as calculated by weight. This was the tip of the iceberg so you can see where I'm going with this.

[lvsteven]

To the above posters, did you guys miss the part where he has stalled for the last few months ? If that is not a diet break then what is ?

He is still dieting, is he not?
There is no diet break happening when he is restricting calories and trying new approaches to the fat loss out of frustration, there is merely more wheel spinning and more dieting, yes?

[Tommy W.]

If he isn't losing fat he isn't in a deficit.

No deficit = no dieting

No dieting = diet break

[unplugged]

If he isn't losing fat he isn't in a deficit.

No deficit = no dieting

No dieting = diet break

Yup, sorry steven but you are wrong. He needs to lower calories and/or increase expenditure somehow if he wants to spark fat loss again simple as that

[blue9steel]

So first of all, great job on losing 100lbs, that's awesome!

Here's what I recommend:

1) Buy a digital scale and start weighing things instead of measuring them in cups/tsps etc. You'd be amazed how much more accurate this is.

2) Switch to a higher frequency lifting routine. Once a week frequency isn't optimal for natural trainees.

3) Go on an extended refeed where you take in more calories and carbs for about three weeks. (shoot for a very mild 0.25lb per week gain) In my opinion you should still track everything during this period. If you have food rules you can relax them somewhat but don't go crazy. This will help to reset both your hormones and your psychology. I guarantee you'll feel better and ready to smash by the time that is done.

Once you've done all that you're ready to bust this plateau. Start a new cut, reduce your calories, monitor and adjust downwards as necessary.