TOPIC: Nutrition Help (18%BF)

Current weight: 130 lbs/ 59 kg
Current BF: 18%

I am going to follow ICF 5x5 routine that in the past gave me good results I just couldn't continue because I couldn't affort a propper nutrition, but now I can.

What is the best nutrition way?

A) Going for calorie sourplus (40% protein, 40% carbohydrate and 20% healthy fat)
B ) Going for low carbohydrate and calorie deficit until get to 13% BF

I need advice regarding on nutrition, don't tell me that for being a newbie I don't have to worry about it and just lift heavy because I already tried that in the past and it didn't work.

Nutrition is the most important thing on this (that's why my body sucks). But I want to improve it so FUCKING bad.

Taking it up.

If you’re 18% then calorie deficit all the way, doesn’t have to be low carb. Hit me up if you want I have a free low calorie meal plan you can download.

Sure, I am up for it

What’s your goal, just add 5kg of muscle? Then calorie surplus of course.

Reach 10-13% body fat

Then calorie deficit, most efficient way is through extended fasting, check out snake diet on YouTube. Fastest body recomposition of my life, I’ve been lifting almost a decade.

Thanks, and what about routine?

I was going for this one:

www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/12-week-fat-destroyer

No matter if you're losing weight or gaining weight, you need to focus on a strength plan (until you get to a base level of strength/muscle).

startingstrength.com/get-started/programs

or

stronglifts.com/5x5/

I started with the bottom one (5x5). I could barely even lift the bar. Current numbers:

Squat: 92.5kg 5x5
Bench: 72.5kg 5x5
Deadlift: 132.5kg 5x5

Yo I was gonna respond a while ago but I forgot.

I agree you should focus on lowering body fat. If you try to bulk at all at your current body fat you are likely to just gain a lot more fat. It seems that the best range for bulking (where the most weight gained is muscle) is 10-15%.

Any diet that keeps you in a calorie deficit works. Just make sure you get sufficient protein (at least 0.82 g/lb per day). Usually a good place to start calorie-wise is 11-12 kcal/lb per day.

Also, like Andy said, lift heavy, in the 5-8 rep range. In a deficit you'll have less energy to lift. But don't reduce intensity (weight). Instead reduce volume. That, plus sufficient protein, will minimize muscle loss.

Good on you for making this a goal of yours.

First of all, I'd restructure your goals, make it, I'm going to reach "x" amount of weight. Unless you have some sort of BF machine that's accurate enough, it's going to be wonky how you access your progress. (most people have 0 idea what % people are actually at)
_{I'm apparently borderline obese at 20% lol}

Buy a cheap scale and see what you weigh. Make it a goal to lose 1-2lbs per week. Weigh yourself once per week in the morning before eating ANYTHING.

If you really want to go for it, count your calories. The first day, measure how much you're eating normally without cutting any foods out and then take those calories for the day and subtract it by 200-300. That's your daily limit. You'll start to lose weight if you're weight lifting 4-5 days a week.

For example, if you normally eat 3000 calories per day, your new caloric intake is going to be 2700. Worry less about macros except that you get enough protein 0.8-1g/lb of body weight (if you weigh 200lbs get 200g of protein/day)

Then when you hit a plateau and you're not losing any more weight, add cardio or decrease your caloric intake, incrementally. Add 2 - 30-minute sessions/week or lower your calories by 100-200. I prefer adding cardio cause you want to keep your calories high during a cut and rely more on cardio than lowering your food intake to lose weight. Otherwise, if you get low enough in calories to like 2200 or less it becomes really unbearable. (at least it does for me)

Of course, you can adjust all of this to make it less aggressive or more aggressive of a cut. The most important thing though is staying consistent. You could start with lower calories or start with cardio to really jumpstart the cut if you so please.

Here are two articles by dc7 that I really liked and are great for cutting.

moreplatesmoredates.com/get-shredded-for-beginners/
moreplatesmoredates.com/14-delicious-tri...get-shredded-easily/

Lastly, you can also get some ephedrine, which I like for cutting because it suppresses your appetite and combined with caffeine it enables thermogenesis, which increases your body temperature and therefore you burn more calories.

Hope this all helps.

Lift, either gym or bodyweight. Gym > Bodyweight, though me myself doing calisthenics throughout summer.

Count calories, or eat the same food everyday as I do. 2 meals a day, first one around 12:00 and another one around 19-20:00. (each of them around 1k calories)

I am 54 days in already (36 days until first milestone, 66 until second one). Still no hard cravings, coffee helps a lot there. Lost 4,6 kg since starting.

That is just one of the approaches you can follow, I believe you can lose fat/weight in many other ways. Though what works for me is checking everyday off in a spreadsheet, weighting myself every morning and just measuring how far I am already.

Good luck.