I started cutting again about 3 weeks ago. It seems to have worked at first but now that I'm actually figuring out the calorie total it seems like it's just way too low. I think I'm setting myself up for a platuea so I want to get this right. The calorie totals are estimates, not exact but close enough that it shouldn't matter. All opinions/comments/advice is appreciated as always.

I'm 5'6 153.4 lbs, 14-15% BF, I do cardio at least 6 times a week but I think I'm going to bring it down to 3-5 times. I lift at least 4 times a week.

NO LIFT DAY
Meal 1 - 90+90= 180 calories, 50 ALA calories
- 2 hard boiled eggs, 5 ALA

Meal 2 - 150+90= 240 calories, 50 ALA calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 1 TBSP Natty PB, 5 ALA

Meal 3 - 150+120= 270 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 4-5 oz Sweet Potato

Meal 4 - 150+90= 240 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 1 TBSP Natty PB

Meal 5 - 150+120= 270 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 4-5 oz Sweet Potato

Meal 6 - 150+90 = 240 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 1 TBSP Natty PB

total 1440, 100 ALA calories


LIFT DAY
Meal 1 - 90+90= 180 calories, 50 ALA calories
- 2 hard boiled eggs, 5 ALA

Meal 2 - 150+90= 240 calories, 50 ALA calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 1 TBSP Natty PB, 5 ALA

Meal 3 - 150+120= 270 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 4-5 oz Sweet Potato

Meal 4 - 250+100= 350 calories
- 55 g Dextrose, 30 g Whey

Meal 5 - 150+200= 350 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 160 g Brown Rice

Meal 6 - 150+120 = 270 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 4-5 oz Sweet Potato

total 1660, 100 ALA calories

Excelent job setting up a plan for yourself, it will pay off in the long run.

I'm sure many will tell you to add veggie's with all that meat. I'd do so, fiber/vitamins are important. Broccoli is my fave by far.

I hate ala, but if it works for you then go with it. Your body will react far better to a flax oil salad rather than poping pills for your fat intake. The salad will up your fiber intake without messing with your calories as well.

Off top I can already say it'd be a nitemare working out on the diet, mainly due to a complete lack of fats. You're not only decreasing your ability to workout/burn fat, you're droping your hormon level's, so you really need to take a good look at getting a meal in with a substantial amount of healthy fats every 3 to 4 days if you want to persue the diet you just made for yourself.

You'll burnout quickly if you don't give fats a more important roll in your diet.

Make sure you have a day wherein you include fruit's/yogurt/other low fat, high vitamin foods. You'll last a lot longer on the cut if you're making sure your brain has some gas in the tank every once in a while.

Baisically, you split up your macro's while keeping your calorie's consistant. This is the absolute best way to feed yourself in a caloric defict. Mix it up! Don't put weight loss over your overall health.

As far as your stall, I'd implement calorie cycling. Your diet is very out of balance on paper, but at the same time your calorie's are in line with a serious cut so it's obvious you want to get somewhere.

I'm sure other's will advise better than I have, but, I'd advise you to add foods with a little more nutritional value (your food choice's are great, you just need *more* item's implemented) in your cutting plan so you're safe to use your diet in the future.

Excelent job setting up a plan for yourself, it will pay off in the long run.

I'm sure many will tell you to add veggie's with all that meat. I'd do so, fiber/vitamins are important. Broccoli is my fave by far.

I hate ala, but if it works for you then go with it. Your body will react far better to a flax oil salad rather than poping pills for your fat intake. The salad will up your fiber intake without messing with your calories as well.

Off top I can already say it'd be a nitemare working out on the diet, mainly due to a complete lack of fats. You're not only decreasing your ability to workout/burn fat, you're droping your hormon level's, so you really need to take a good look at getting a meal in with a substantial amount of healthy fats every 3 to 4 days if you want to persue the diet you just made for yourself.

You'll burnout quickly if you don't give fats a more important roll in your diet.

Make sure you have a day wherein you include fruit's/yogurt/other low fat, high vitamin foods. You'll last a lot longer on the cut if you're making sure your brain has some gas in the tank every once in a while.

Baisically, you split up your macro's while keeping your calorie's consistant. This is the absolute best way to feed yourself in a caloric defict. Mix it up! Don't put weight loss over your overall health.

As far as your stall, I'd implement calorie cycling. Your diet is very out of balance on paper, but at the same time your calorie's are in line with a serious cut so it's obvious you want to get somewhere.

I'm sure other's will advise better than I have, but, I'd advise you to add foods with a little more nutritional value (your food choice's are great, you just need *more* item's implemented) in your cutting plan so you're safe to use your diet in the future.
thanks for the comments

I get my fibers from the sweet potato and truth be told I'm sick of veggies. I still have multi-vitamin, I think I will end up adding broccolli to it if I start getting a hunger thing going. My fav is broccolli too!

I am not counting ALA as fat intake, I'm just taking it because I have 5 bottles to run out of and while I don't believe/disbelieve it's effect on lowering body fat, I figure it wouldn't hurt to use.

As for other fat intake.... I have natty PB, eggs as sources of fat in 4 of my 6 meals. Should I up the fat on each? Like add a couple table spoons of natty PB to each meal?

Could you elaborate on calorie cycling? Is that like having one day with a lot of calories then the next not so much? What kind of calories go up?

I'm a little surprised at the comment about adding foods with more nutritional value.. I think pretty much all my food items are as nutrional as it gets, the variety is not necessary with me as I like these foods but I am not sure what you mean?

Thanks! Anyone else?

As for other fat intake.... I have natty PB, eggs as sources of fat in 4 of my 6 meals. Should I up the fat on each? Like add a couple table spoons of natty PB to each meal?

No. You have plenty of omega-6 no more is needed.
Fish oil caps - 2 caps in 3 or 4 meals/day, or add salmon, mackeral, or herring to a meal or 2 instead of chicken
Ground flax seed....throw it into your meals
Extra Virgin Olive Oil....start adding it to your diet (not heated is best). Don't worry about variety. If it isn't boring to you, then there's no pre-requisite to change it. In fact it is easier to keep things the same simply becuase you know exactly what you'll be eating, how much and when all the time. It will actually lower your food bill to a degree.
You have to be adaptable though if you can't have a particular meal some time, know what your options are.

Other protein sources: fish, lean pork, lean beef/veal, turkey, cottage cheese, game meat, bison, soy etc...

I think you are seriously lacking veggies and need to add a cup to 3 meals minimum. Veggies are almost free cals so why not use that to your advantage when cutting?

ok how is this now?


NO LIFT DAY
Meal 1 - 90+90+180 = 360 calories, 50 ALA calories
- 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 TBSP Natty PB 5 ALA

Meal 2 - 150+130= 280 calories, 50 ALA calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 2 TBSP Olive Oil, Salad, 5 ALA

Meal 3 - 150+120= 270 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 4-5 oz Sweet Potato

Meal 4 - 150+180= 330 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 2 TBSP Natty PB

Meal 5 - 150+120= 270 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 4-5 oz Sweet Potato

Meal 6 - 150+180 = 330 calories
- 3.0 oz Chicken Breast, 2 TBSP Natty PB

total 1840, 100 ALA calories


I'll add a cup of broccolli to two meals