Not seeing results?

I don't think at your height/weight you are 15% bf.

I'm 5'11 184 lbs and am probably around 18% - 20%

I don't think it's neccessary to eat 225g protein a day. That's my opinion. 1 - 1.5g of LBM is plenty.

Try reducing your cals a little for a couple weeks and see where you are. If you start losing 1lb a week you're on the right track.

 

Well if you have a lot of lean mass it's possible for sure that you are 15%. Without pics it's hard to tell.

If you lose more than a lb a week just up your calories again until you balance it out. It gets a lot harder as you get leaner. Reducing cals by a couple hundred isn't gonna make your muscles fall off. Keep in mind also that you most likely won't hold onto ALL of your muscle when in a defecit. Keeping your protein intake up is going to help the most in preserving as much lean mass as possible.

 

You can drop calories pretty low and not risk lean mass as long as you are continuing to weight lift. I've gone as low as 1200

 

I completely disagree with this advice! Much more than 500 calories below maintenance and you are losing lean mass and slowing your metabolism, i.e., starvation mode. I've done a lot of reading on the topic and never have seen any professional recommend a 1000 calories per day deficit. I know I couldn't do it. I certainly wouldn't be able to lift with any intensity.

OP, I wouldn't recommend going lower than 1850 calories per day at your size and weight. I do suggest becoming a JSF supporter and logging your meals on Body Shop to see your total calories and macro breakdowns. You can also get a calculation of you maintenance and cutting needs in terms of total calories.

 

It's good to disagree... that's what keeps the forum interesting. However, don't say you can't do something if you've never tried it You never know until you try

 

Seems like a lot of cardio and too many calories for your size/goals - just my opinion. I would be sure to take at least 2 days off of exercise and maybe a third, but would cut calories down to 1900 or so per day for a week or so to see what happens. There is a saying that abs are made in the kitchen, and I believe it to be true. If we look at the history of humankind, I don't think we were designed to slam the quantities of food that we do (in modern day America, on avg.). "Starvation mode" is probably realistic but not many of us would ever reach that level of malnutrition.

 

+1 - well put!

 

There are a lot of things I know I can't do and wouldn't try. That's not the greatest logic, when you think it through.

For the OP, based upon size and actviity levels (from JSF BodyShop):

Maintenance: 2200 Calories
Cutting fairly aggressively: 1700 Calories

I've worked with Swolecat and Mastover. I've read many books on the topic over the past six years. None of the trainers or authors go much beyond a 500 calorie a day deficit. Most advocate a deficit smaller than 500 calories. Even John Stone says that his first cut was not optimal, when he reduced calories to 1300 (if I remember correctly).

While 1200 calories a day may have worked for you, it's not healthy and potentially dangerous for someone the height and weight of the OP. Lasting body recomposition is a lifestyle change and not a crash diet.

We can agree to disagree, but I've seen you give this non-standard advice in a few threads and it makes me uncomfortable, as fat loss can be very confusing and intimidating to someone just starting out. Most of us will listen blindly at the beginning, when it comes to fat loss.

 

I completely agree with boots. No male can be do any type of serious weight training on 1200 calories per day. It is no where near close to support retention in lean mass. There is simply no fuel to support both the training and any cardio one might be doing. It'll down regulate metabolism, burn muscle, increase cortisol response to training, and barely support your day to day activities. If you are lifting and doing cardio you will use lean mass as a fuel source because the body has no other recourse. 1200 calories per day is basically a diet for completely sedentary women.

I'm not trying to sound negative or criticize but after reading this, the obvious just struck a nerve with my ways of reasoning.

Carry on fellers...

 

IMHO...

Dude,

I'm several inches taller, and quite a few pounds heavier than you...also not quite as active (but that's on my list to improve ). My point is you're consuming about the same amount of calories that I am in order to meet my minimum target of 2 pound loss/per week.

I would cut your calories by 200 and reduce your protein to 155-160g...for starters.

But hey, that's just me.

 

I stand corrected and apologize... thanks for the correction as the last thing that I want to do is harm anyone else... I will not share that advice again

 

Nothing to be sorry about. You disagree. There are many solutions to a problem. I suggest you maintain your present path and let the others go theirs, since I gave the advice. You are presently documenting your progress in your journal and showing details and photos. You are on a 8 week plan, about half way thru it. I don't think you body will swivel up and you will die.

 

No worries. We share the same goals and intentions!

 

You can drop 1000 calories below maintance if your heavier with lots to lose. It gets harder to go that higher the leaner you get