Need to improve my cutting diet, please help.

[2 D]

Ok I've been cutting now for a little while (about 2 months) and I've seen progress, but the progress is getting really slow and I wonder if it has to do with my diet as I am still working my ass off in the gym.

So here is what composes my diet.

Foods:
-Egg Whites (Some egg whites from carton)
-Whole Eggs (About once or twice a week)
-Kashi Go Lean Cereal (Eat about 2-3 servings of this a day)
-Instant Oatmeal regular flavored
-Bananas
-Apples
-Blueberries
-Natural Reduced Fat PB
-Low Fat Cottage Cheese
-Yogurt (Plain no-fat)
-Grilled Chicken (Only on occasion sadly, I don't have a means of storing them)
-100% Whole Wheat Bread
-Sugar Free jam/jelly
-Grapes
-Natural Unsalted Almonds
-Skim Milk (On occasion)

Supplements/Addatives
-O.N. 100% Whey Gold Standard
-Champion Nutrition Metabolol II
-Controlled Labs Green Magnitude
-NOW Omega 3 Fish Oils
-NOW Lactase Calcium
-NOW ADAM
-Green Tea Extract
-Digestive Enzyemes
-Magnesium
-Natural Honey
-Splenda

Thats all I can really think of right now. I do NOT drink alcohol anymore (I'll have like 1 drink a month), I hardly ever cheat and when I do it usually isn't that unhealthy and I am almost always within my caloric intake every day (around 2,200 a day, maintanence is around 3,300). I do NOT like fish or seafood either sadly so please don't recommend it.

Maybe the carbs I am eating are too much or something, that is the only think I can think of really.

[landon3]

It could be that your calories are too low. If you start a cutting diet, and instantly start with a serve deficit (such as 1100 calories) it kicks the metabolism in the nuts and slows the weight loss. Usually, you will see great results until this happens.

Granted this happens alot of cutting diets, which is why calories are slowly lowered from a starteing point of 20% of maintenance calories when a plateau is reached, but if you go any lower you risk going under your BMR which is a NO-NO.

My advice would be to eat at maintenance for a week or atleast a couple of days then slowly lower the calories.

But before you do anything, how much fat was lost and how much muscle was lost, if you know?

[2 D]

It could be that your calories are too low. If you start a cutting diet, and instantly start with a serve deficit (such as 1100 calories) it kicks the metabolism in the nuts and slows the weight loss. Usually, you will see great results until this happens.

Granted this happens alot of cutting diets, which is why calories are slowly lowered from a starteing point of 20% of maintenance calories when a plateau is reached, but if you go any lower you risk going under your BMR which is a NO-NO.

My advice would be to eat at maintenance for a week or atleast a couple of days then slowly lower the calories.

But before you do anything, how much fat was lost and how much muscle was lost, if you know?

Muscle I have actually gained. My weights on machines has gone up pretty much across the boards and I can see muscles that I did NOT have before. I went down from about 210 lbs. to about 190-195 lbs.

And about the whole caloric intake, for a LONG time before I really knew what I was doing I was eating right around and usually under my BMR. Like I said I found that out later than I wanted and I've since made the necessary changes, hopefully that did not do too much long term negative damage.

[landon3]

Muscle I have actually gained. My weights on machines has gone up pretty much across the boards and I can see muscles that I did NOT have before. I went down from about 210 lbs. to about 190-195 lbs.

And about the whole caloric intake, for a LONG time before I really knew what I was doing I was eating right around and usually under my BMR. Like I said I found that out later than I wanted and I've since made the necessary changes, hopefully that did not do too much long term negative damage.

I've noticed strength increases while on cuts too, but that doesn't always mean new muscle. As for seeing new muscles, that is due lower body fat.
You need a surplus of calories for new muscle, for strength increases you mostly just need good training habits.

I've gone through what you went through- eating below BMR for a long period of time thinking it was "healthy eating", then learning a little about nutrition and eating a little above it.

As you trial and error, you learn more and find the best methods for yourself. From my own experience I can tell you when you cut, dont cut your calories too low.

[JustiNtense]

The progress gets slowed because once you get to such a low bf you need to increase your cardio, and maybe lower calories.

[2 D]

The progress gets slowed because once you get to such a low bf you need to increase your cardio, and maybe lower calories.

Here is my current cardio regimen on a weekly basis.

Monday - HIIT training 30 mins either in the swimming pool or running on a treadmill (6-7 mph at slow pace, 12 mph for interval on treadmill, in pool 1 lap down of steady breast stroke, one lap back a dead freestyle sprint all out)

Tuesday - 50-60 minutes of steady state cardio (Cycling, Running, Swimming, Elliptical or stairmaster)

Wednesday - HIIT training again (will do something different than on Monday, i.e. switch from running to swimming or vice versa).

Thursday - Same as tuesday

Friday - Same as Tuesday

Saturday - Rest day, no lifting or cardio at all

Sunday - HIIT day again, opposite of Monday workout again

Not to be rude, but I don't have that much more time to give to working out than I already am.

[lupinecat]

Be careful of getting into the habit of dropping your calories every time you hit a plateau. (See the post above re BMR). You can't cut calories endlessly, or continuously up your cardio. Your body is smart and will soon adapt by slowing your metabolism down (worst thing that can happen). Try upping your cals but revising your macros and suppliments. Then after a while drop your cals again to where you are now. Also, maybe try shaking up your exercise routine. Do the same amount but of different exercises - especially cardio. I ALWAYS find this helps shed a few unwanted pounds. Your body also adapts pretty quickly to exercise. Have you tried carb-cycling - from what I have read it works well, haven't tried it myself.

[2 D]

Be careful of getting into the habit of dropping your calories every time you hit a plateau. (See the post above re BMR). You can't cut calories endlessly, or continuously up your cardio. Your body is smart and will soon adapt by slowing your metabolism down (worst thing that can happen). Try upping your cals but revising your macros and suppliments. Then after a while drop your cals again to where you are now. Also, maybe try shaking up your exercise routine. Do the same amount but of different exercises - especially cardio. I ALWAYS find this helps shed a few unwanted pounds. Your body also adapts pretty quickly to exercise. Have you tried carb-cycling - from what I have read it works well, haven't tried it myself.

The problem is I do LOADS of cross training now, it seems like I do a different form of cardio every night of the week.

As far as revising my macros, I don't exactly know what they are, other than I go low on sugars (don't eat processed sugars) and keep relatively low carbs, but not dangerously low or anything.

I can up my cals, do you think I should aim around 2,600 for the next week or two, then lower it down to around what I am currently at?