# Nutrition



## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Hi people, I'm new to this & looking for abit experienced advice. I'm currently around 11.7 stone 5ft9 & i don't know this for sure but I'm guessing I'm around 13% body fat.

I'm wanting to start steroids in about 3month but i was hoping to reach around 8% & my nutrition spot on before i even think of jabbing, then after my cycle my goal is to of put around a stone on not go above 10%body fat. Is this achievable & can i have some help with my nutrition.

Thanks!


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## John. (Jun 24, 2013)

The fact that you are new to this tells me you should probably pay your dues before getting on gear. Get your natty gains (first few years) first, then re-assess your desire to start taking drugs. Use this time to learn what you need to learn, because it will take time.

12 weeks is enough time to get you leaner, but in reality, you're new to this, you'll probably spend most of the time learning how to actually cut. Also, going under 10% natty isn't really advisable, it's just not good for you.

And what is this about after your cycle gaining a stone and staying under 10% body fat? That doesn't even make sense. According to your post, you're going to cut before cycle, do a cycle for no apparent reason, then bulk when you're off in the vain hope you will stay lean? That seems backwards a bit.

I think you definitely have some learning to do, and you've picked a decent place to start, but you definitely need to get a reality check what is possible before charging head first into gear use.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Thanks for replying. When i said I'm new to this i meant the forums. I have been lifting weights now for 2 and a half years, i was only 9stone when i started, I've looked into it alot over the last 6months, all i want to do before i start is get my nutrition where it needs to be because if i don't i wont see any good gains so its pointless & what i was saying is I'd like to be around 8% bf then after the cycle i want to be 10% so yes i wont be gaining loads of weight & size but I'm trying to cycle clean that's why I'm on here to get help with my nutrition plan


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## superdrol (Aug 9, 2012)

Sub 8% is extremely shredded and unless your top 0.1% of genetics in the world you won't do it without losing a load of muscle, from your post is be very surprised (happy to be though!) if your 13% most would feel awesome at 13% natural...

you wont bulk and stay under ten % unless you have vast experience or a coach I'd say so as a first cycle at 13% I'd say just lean bulk, then cut down to better than where you are now...

if you post a decent pic people will give you an idea of current percentage (take an average of answers, some are harsh, some are generous, pick the middle ground!) but above all make sure you look better in the mirror!


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

I will do thanks for your advice, but i still need to get my nutrition sorted & i find it rather confusing to eat less calories than i burn so i can lower my bf % a little but still take in enough protein carbs & fats to help increase muscle growth. What percentage of each would you say i need to intake, is 40% protein 40% carbs & 20% fat correct for buscle growth?


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

I don't fall into that small catagory of people with great genetics so I'll change my plan but if you could give me some advice with eating then I'll get the most out of not being on steroids for the next 4month & by that time i should have my head around it all then i will look into starting something like test e.

Thanks


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> What percentage of each would you say i need to intake, is 40% protein 40% carbs & 20% fat correct for buscle growth?


 Percentages don't make any sense to be honest. The best guide for protein requirement is bodyweight, with 0.8g per lb bodyweight being all you'll likely benefit from when gaining weight, and anything up to something like 1.4g per lb potentially being beneficial when losing weight. Split you remaining calories pretty much however you want between carbs and fats without going out of your way to be very low fat.

Total calories are what determine weight gain or loss.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

So if i was to eat say 1.5g of protein per lb a day & made sure everything else i eat was healthy (mainly no bad fats) would i be able to lower my bf percentage if doing hiit but also gain muscle mass by weight lifting 4times a week? Or do i need to concentrate on building more muscle first then worrying about lowering my bf % thanks for your reply, much appriciated


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> So if i was to eat say 1.5g of protein per lb a day & made sure everything else i eat was healthy (mainly no bad fats) would i be able to lower my bf percentage if doing hiit but also gain muscle mass by weight lifting 4times a week?


 You need to think calories. You could lose body fat eating nothing but doughnuts and doing zero cardio provided you ate fewer calories than you used. Type of fat for example would be utterly irrelevant.

If you eat fewer calories than you use you will lose body fat. The extent to which you might manage to gain muscle at the same time would largely depend on how much muscle you've gained already, and how much fat you actually have to lose. Beginners with higher body fat can usually lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, but it becomes much harder as you get more experienced and leaner. For most the priority when reducing body fat then becomes preventing muscle loss, which is where the higher protein intake comes in.



> Or do i need to concentrate on building more muscle first then worrying about lowering my bf % thanks for your reply, much appriciated


 I'm natty and can only comment from that perspective. If you were to stay natty it's a little difficult to comment without a photo although ultimately it comes down to what you are more comfortable doing. If you feel you're fatter than you'd like then I would cut for a bit. You will also see positive changes in your physique this way. On the other hand if you are more worried about having low muscle mass or being weak then I would focus on gaining muscle for a bit. If you do the latter keep an eye on fat gain though, and reduce calories if you're gaining more than a small amount.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

You've helped alot there mate. I'm going to just try cutting so alot of hiit & weight lifting with short/no rest periods, also keep the protein intake high & hopefully i can add just a little more muscle on my upper body & see if Im happy with my physique. Thanks again!


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> ...weight lifting with short/no rest periods


 I would not recommend doing that - at least not as your primary weight training.

The main aim of weight training should be to maintain or possibly increase muscle mass, not to burn calories. I would suggest you train like you normally would, trying to at least keep the weights the same as when you start cutting.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Ultrasonic said:


> I'm trying to lower my body fat %, to you it is probably very simple but I'm finding it hard to know how many calories to intake daily just i don't know how many i burn, is it a guessing game to start with until i see weight drop off then gradually lower my calorie intake? When loosing weight is 1g of protein per lb enough to maintain the little muscle i have? Haha


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

You could try to work out what you normally eat and then go for perhaps 500 kcal per day less than this as a starting point. An alternative are online calculators like iifym.com, but bear in mind they are very approximate.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

I forgot to say,1-1.2g of protein per lb is reasonable.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Okay mate thanks, I'll try the first one & get back to you if I'm seeing results, thanks again, much appriciated


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Ultrasonic said:


> I forgot to say,1-1.2g of protein per lb is reasonable.


 Is there a limit on carbs & fats while trying to cut just so i know please


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> Is there a limit on carbs & fats while trying to cut just so i know please


 Unless you go out of your way to be really low fat, no. Focus on calories.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Okay. Obviously if you eat less calories than you burn you loose weight, if eating 1.2g/lb of bodyweight while lowering my calories can i still build muscle?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> Okay. Obviously if you eat less calories than you burn you loose weight, if eating 1.2g/lb of bodyweight while lowering my calories can i still build muscle?


 Have another read of my earlier post:

https://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/topic/292051-nutrition/?do=embed&comment=5533466&embedComment=5533466&embedDo=findComment


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Ultrasonic said:


> Have another read of my earlier post:


 Right nobother, so eating 500calories less a day for a week will make me loose 1lb, close enough. So for example lets say i eat 2500 calories a day, do i just need to eat 2000calories a day for a week & do my training or do i need to keep dropping my calorie intake just i can't keep dropping it by 500 or i wont be able to hit my needed protein amount?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> Right nobother, so eating 500calories less a day for a week will make me loose 1lb, close enough. So for example lets say i eat 2500 calories a day, do i just need to eat 2000calories a day for a week & do my training or do i need to keep dropping my calorie intake just i can't keep dropping it by 500 or i wont be able to hit my needed protein amount?


 No you don't keep dropping it every week. Reducing what you eat by 500 kcal per day will lead to a bit less than 1lb per week of fat loss but it will be in that ballpark.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Do you think i could fit 170g of protein in a day while only eating 1500 calories??


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> Do you think i could fit 170g of protein in a day while only eating 1500 calories??


 1g of protein gives 4 kcal, so 170g is 680 kcal. So yes, you could easily do this eating 1500 kcal per day. But where did the 1500 kcal figure come from? That's very low.

I've slightly lost track of this thread to be honest! What are you trying to achieve, and do you have any idea how many calories you usually eat? Myfitnesspal is a very handy app/website if you haven't tried it.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

I want to drop my body fat % to around 10% then access my phesique , hopefully I'll be happy because I'm not wanting to be big i just want to look a healthy weight with some definition because i used to be 8 & a half stone,very skinny! & if im not happy i want to try & clean bulk to reach that point, just i know if i try & bulk now my bf% will rise quicker than my muscle mass so I'm trying to cut Abit first to start getting used to managing & sticking to a diet which will make it easier to bulk a little cleaner than i would now.

Yesterday i eat 2800 calories with a total of 188g of protein but when I'm busy at work i don't have time to fit all that in some days so I'd say on average around 2200-2400 give or take & no i haven't, i will have a look.

Thanks


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> just i know if i try & bulk now my bf% will rise quicker than my muscle mass


 There is no obvious reason that has to be true, particularly if you truly are at about 13% body fat, but that doesn't mean dropping body fat is necessarily a bad plan either.



> Yesterday i eat 2800 calories with a total of 188g of protein but when I'm busy at work i don't have time to fit all that in some days so I'd say on average around 2200-2400 give or take


 It doesn't take that much time to eat, but also don't worry about how you distribute food throughout the day.

Going by those numbers 2000 kcal per day would probably be a reasonable figure to aim for to lose some fat.


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## John. (Jun 24, 2013)

Ultrasonic showing the patience of a saint in this thread.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Ultrasonic said:


> There is no obvious reason that has to be true, particularly if you truly are at about 13% body fat, but that doesn't mean dropping body fat is necessarily a bad plan either.
> 
> It doesn't take that much time to eat, but also don't worry about how you distribute food throughout the day.
> 
> Going by those numbers 2000 kcal per day would probably be a reasonable figure to aim for to lose some fat.


 Hi mate, nearly been 4 weeks & I have lost 5lbs, I'm not a to Ed as I would of liked but have deffinatley seen a change for the better, I'm now wanting to add a little bit more size but I want to try & bulk up as clean as I possibly can, since doing this diet I've been on I have cut all bad foods out so I feel it is achievable.

I'm going to try eating 3000 calories/day to start so I'm not adding un needed weight around my midsection, I'm wanting to eat 200g of protein within this, I was just wondering what is a good amount of cards & fats to eat with these figures? Thanks!


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Carbs*


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Well done on the fat loss  .



Ben22 said:


> I'm going to try eating 3000 calories/day to start so I'm not adding un needed weight around my midsection, I'm wanting to eat 200g of protein within this, I was just wondering what is a good amount of cards & fats to eat with these figures? Thanks!


 How many calories have you been eating per day whilst losing fat? I suspect 3000 kcal is too much to jump to.

Don't worry too much about the carb/fat split, as I explained earlier in this thread. You can experiment with different splits in you want though. Some people find more carbs helps gym perfromance whilst others notice not difference. Converesly some find more carbs bloats them and prefer more fat. None of this is a big deal though.

Calories are what you need to focus on getting right first though.


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## Ben22 (Sep 7, 2016)

Ultrasonic said:


> Well done on the fat loss  .
> 
> How many calories have you been eating per day whilst losing fat? I suspect 3000 kcal is too much to jump to.
> 
> ...


 Thanks! You helped alot.

I was eating 2000 a day but I think I was burning most of my weight loss results through work, weight lifting & cardio as a pose to me lowering my calories by 3500 a week to see a lb lost. would you say 2700/day to gain weight? While eating 1.2g of protein per lb or should I put my calories up?

Okay I won't worry to much about the carbs & fat then, I was just curious & wanting to make sure I have the hang of it before bulking so I'm not wasting my time.

Thanks again for your time! It is much appriciated


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## naturalguy (Jan 21, 2016)

Ben22 said:


> Thanks! You helped alot.
> 
> I was eating 2000 a day but I think I was burning most of my weight loss results through work, weight lifting & cardio as a pose to me lowering my calories by 3500 a week to see a lb lost. would you say 2700/day to gain weight? While eating 1.2g of protein per lb or should I put my calories up?
> 
> ...


 You are mental.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Ben22 said:


> Thanks! You helped alot.
> 
> I was eating 2000 a day but I think I was burning most of my weight loss results through work, weight lifting & cardio as a pose to me lowering my calories by 3500 a week to see a lb lost. would you say 2700/day to gain weight? While eating 1.2g of protein per lb or should I put my calories up?
> 
> ...


 Maybe have one week of 2500 kcal and then try 2700 kcal. 0.8 g per lb is probably enough protein; have more if you want but it probably won't offer you any advantage. It's something you could experiment with long term.

Don't obsess about getting things somehow perfect. Train hard, make progress in the gym, and eat enough to slowly gain weight without gaining too much fat. If you find you're fatter than you'd like, cut for a week or two and then carry on.


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## DappaDonDave (Dec 2, 2013)

I've lost 10lbs but my shirts fit tighter across my back and arms. #gainz

Thanks @Ultrasonic


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

DappaDonDave said:


> I've lost 10lbs but my shirts fit tighter across my back and arms. #gainz
> 
> Thanks @Ultrasonic


 Amazing what can be achieved by a hot washing machine cycle.


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## DappaDonDave (Dec 2, 2013)

Ultrasonic said:


> Amazing what can be achieved by a hot washing machine cycle.


 Don't undersell yourself.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

DappaDonDave said:


> Don't undersell yourself.


 Didn't think you were being serious but if that was a genuine compliment, thank you.


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## DappaDonDave (Dec 2, 2013)

Ultrasonic said:


> Didn't think you were being serious but if that was a genuine compliment, thank you.


 Not followed your comments intentionally but I've done that. Reduced calories and hit the gym 4/5 times a week at lunch. 5 weeks now about 10lb lost but more size.


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