Right, I've been here a little while now, learned alot, motivated alot.
At the end of term, due to coursework pressures, christmas, and depressions associated with it, I binge ate like a pro. From a low of 60.5 kg, I went up to 65 in about 2-3 weeks. Good start.

During christmas, I've had nothing better to do than go to work, eat obscene quantities of shop supplied chocolate and generally not do very much. As of last week I've got back into the scheme of things, and have a diet and workout that probably needs tweaking and your expert advice.

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Stats-
Height: 5'5
Weight: 138 pounds
Build: see for yourself
BF%: Guess about 14% now?
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Diet: - example
Breakfast: 300 calories - low fat cheese omelette & coffee or tea
Snack: 250 calories - fruit or peanut butter sandwich
Lunch: 400 calories - lean meat on wholemeal bread
Snack: 250 calories - nuts or fruit or fruit&nut bar
Dinner: 400-500 calories - korean food generally
Before sleep: 170 calories - protein shake

Protein:Carbohydrates:Fats = 30% : 50% : 20%

Supplements: Glutamine twice daily, vitamin C 1000mg daily, multivitamin tablet daily

Aiming to keep calorie intake between 1770 and 1870.
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Workout:
30 minutes medium intensity fasted jogging before breakfast 5-6x weekly
calisthetics of various types daily. Those of note include handstand pushups, pullups, chinups, hindu pushups and squats.
Isometrics for about 2 minutes daily.
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So far to me it seems reasonably sound. I was aiming for about 17-18 pounds lost in 11 weeks in time for easter. It would put me into ideal taekwondo competition weight, and have the added bonus of a ripped figure. *hopefully*

So what I require from you kind people is advice on all aspects of the above, and guesses on what body fat I was at at the end of summer, duing uni, and today. I haven't currently got a good way of measuring my bodyfat, I will hopefully get calipers once back at uni.

First picture: august
Second picture: november
Third picture: January

Thanks in advance!

Dude! Just in my opinion if you can see abs like that you dont need to cut anymore. It might be time to start to bulk up.

Good luck!

rr

Dude! Just in my opinion if you can see abs like that you dont need to cut anymore. It might be time to start to bulk up.

Good luck!

rr

Heh, that was me back in august. After university, currently I'm at the picture on the bottom. I want to get back to where I was in picture no 1, and drop 2 or 3% in addition to that. I have more muscle than I did in august, so hopefully it'll work out ok...

Heh I say all this now, and I go and have an uncontrollable craving for pastry when shopping for food. 2 pecan and toffee pastries, 1 jumbo croissant, marzipan filled chocolate in addition to my cheat sausages and mascarpone sauce pasta. To my credit, I ate a lot of fruit and veg today....
I think today is going to be my cheat day of the week :P

diet not great but results sure are. Good job man. you're like 9% body fat! :D

Cheers man, the top picture was about 4 months ago. Now I'm like picture no 3.

Problem was, I got ripped without trying to be. Because I was really strapped for cash at the end of the summer holidays, I did a paperround at 7am every morning for an hour on my bike, ate breakfast then cycled 20 minutes to work. At work, (sony centre salesman) it was all about pacing about the shop, walking up and down 2 flights of stairs with hifi systems regularly. Cycle back home at 6, crash out, then at 10pm go for a 2 mile run in around 14-15 minutes.
Nutrition wise I don't think I was eating anywhere near the right amount, and I didn't know what i do now, so soon after that picture was taken I crashed and burned, and got impressively depressed.

Now my aim is to get back to where I was and exceed it, without the extremity that was my summer experience. If I was at 9% body fat, 1% or 1 1/2% less would be ideal.

How would you suggest I improve my diet? The problem I have is that I really do love my food and love cooking. And as I'm korean, I love my white rice :)

I hate eating rice.. eugh... 20 years of eating rice.. you get tired of it lol. :lol:.. switch for brown rice if you aint already.

Well I have a rice cooker... I'm not sure how brown rice would cook in one. If its the same way as white rice, then I might give it a go.
Although theres just something inside me which melts when I see a bowl full of steaming sushi rice (soft premium rice used in sushi dishes)...

let it soak in room temp water for a few hours, should speed cooking time up.

My 2-cents (and I'm not sure it's worth that much since I have never had as little BF as you do) is that while a short term cut might get you looking ripped, in the long run you are going to have trouble staying that way unless you put on some serious muscle.

Unless you need to be light for a sport, I would try to add at least 20-30 lb of muscle over the next couple of years, so that you do not end up skinny-fat in your mid-late 20's, early 30's.

Gaining mass will be my secondary aim, but I'm kinda going for the Bruce Lee philosphy. (except for the whole dying young thing, I could do without that part) Functional muscle, not overly large but quick and exceptionally strong for the size.

The way the taekwondo weight divisions are divided, theres are weight categories below 58kg, 58-62, 62-66, 66-70, etc. I was previously in the 58-62 category, but I was still facing people who were a fair number of inches taller than me. Didn't stop me from beating them, but it would be a lot easier if I was in the below 58kg.
As I'm aiming for 57kg (125lb) weight (seems incredibly light doesn't it? I am very small after all) An extra 20 pounds of muscle would put me at 145. That would have me facing the people I do currently in the 62-66 category. Facing the irritatingly lanky light fighters. Although I can kick 6'2 people in the head, I'd prefer not to.

Once I'm at my desired weight, I'll probably add 8-10 pounds of muscle then cut for a couple of pounds to get to an even 130.
That would probably be 7% body fat..... i'm looking forward to looking shredded :D