Question about preserving muscle while losing Fat

[Spyder550]

Hey fellas. Im 5'8 and 170lbs with 12% bodyfat and looking to lose more fat. Im aiming to get down to about 6% over the course of the next few months with hard work and dedication.
Ive been eating very clean, taking in about 1.5g of protein per bodyweight, along with no carbs or very few carbs during my meals, which are about 4 times daily. Also, Ive been doing about an hour of cardio after my workouts (yes I know that it would be better to do cardio on an empty stomache first thing in the morning, or perhaps seperated from my lifting sessions, but my scedule is very tight). Ive dropped about 10lbs so far. However, Ive also seen a slight decrease in muscle, along with strength, obviously, due to a lower caloric intake. Now my main question is, would taking 15-20 grams of creatine a day, along with glutamine get in the way of vascularity or give me a more bloated look as opposed to a harder look? I know that creatine and glutamine volumize the muscle with water, but Im still not sure if it will defeat my main purpose, which is vascularity and a alot of definition.
Also, being on a very low carb diet, would you recommend taking Ala throughout the day, or only with a high carb meal if that happens? Ive done alot of research on this topic but I still havent arrived at a clear cut answer. I was taking ALA while bulking, and I think the stuff is great, but would anyone recommend it on a low carb diet, or would it not be productive?
These were the two main questions i had in mind, and feedback and advice would be greatly appreciated. Anything else I can take, what I should take, or what I shouldnt take, as many tips as you can provide I would appreciate. Thanks

 

[Dirty Boy]

Just my experience:

Use the Ala only on carb up day(s). If you want that vascular look then you got it for a few hrs after a lot of carbs with ala.

Definitely use glutamine to preserve muscle (one of the main things that helps me while dieting).

Creatine never really did shit for me but I still take it, cause it's cheap, 10g with my post workout meal/shake. If it helps my endurance while training then great but otherwise I don't get any bloat or real noticable effects. Not sure about 15-20g's...never took that much.

I would drop the protein a bit. It appears that you're taking 255g's of protein. That would throw me out of ketosis. I usually go for 1g per pound bodyweight.

 

[Spyder550]

Thanks for the advice bro, I really appreciate it. Anyone else have any tips to throw in here? Are there any other supplements aside from juice of course I could use to help solidify my muscles on this diet and exercise regimen?

 

[Fat Bastard]

You said you have 4 meals per day. I would shoot for 5-6 smaller meals per day. This would prevent blood sugar fluctuations and help preserve muscle mass.

 

[The Almighty]

You said you have 4 meals per day. I would shoot for 5-6 smaller meals per day. This would prevent blood sugar fluctuations and help preserve muscle mass.

Agreed. 6 meals a day keeps the catabolic state away.

 

[Beezers]

You need to eat more meals more frequently. I also think that your caloreis are most likely WAY TOO LOW if you are eating no carbs. 1.5 g of protein x 170 is 255g of protein which is 1020 calores. Assuming you aren't using a CKD or KD, you probably would have said so if you were, then you are likely also taking in very little fat. Combine that with very low/no carbs and you are eating nearly nothing. Certainly not enough to support hard training and muscle mass. This is not the way to go about getting to 6%bf. You will eventually loose as much, if not more, muscle than fat and will ultimately still be at 10-12%bf at a lighter body weight due to a greater loss of LBM than fat mass.

Creatine would be fine to take as it may help prevent the loss of muscle mass by maintaining muscle hydration which has a direct bearing on the protein turnover rate and synthesis in the muscles. Creatine does not cause sub-dermal water retention and in fact increases vascularity due to it's plasma expanding properties(pulls water into the vascular system). It may not help with strength, however, as your caloric deficit seems to great to maintain strength and training performance.

 

[The Buzzard]

Good avice here.

It's a staple rule bro, eat more often, and smaller meals. Sread out, and max out that protein. It'll help kick in that metabolism you want. Break from the mental state of dieting that most people get caught up in, and go with the science that works.

 

[Dirty Boy]

I assumed you were on a ckd diet and your fat intake was already high. Optimal fat intake is necessary to burn fat. I usually keep my fat intake on ckd anywhere from 70g to 110g's depending on body weight.