Upping calories... to lose fat?

[Cuts]

I've been dieting pretty hard now for 8 weeks (around 1800 cals/day)... so far I've only lost about 5 lbs of fat and maybe gained 1-2 lbs of muscle (estimates), and I pretty much always look and feel kind of flat. Is this the right pace? Or, would maybe upping my cals by say 500/day help out to put on more muscle, increase my BMR, and make me lose fat faster? I guess what I'm trying to ask is if there is a point of daily caloric intake that if you go below, fat loss & muscle gain will slow down -- and if this can be averted by [slightly] upping cals? Appreciate any advice...

 

[muscleup]

I believe that your body adjust to low calorie diets rather quickly, and after a few weeks at 1800 cals your fat gains slow down drastically...I think that zig-zagging your calories is the optimal way of losing bodyfat{if your not getting ready for a competetion}..I believe that it helps mantain more muscle and your body does not adjust as quickly, so there for your gains do not stop...More calories actually creates NEAT{Non Exercise Activity Thermogenics} so the more calories you put in the more you burn...Kinda like pouring gas on a fire....Always remember do keep the diet clean and the cardio high....see ya

 

[Beezers]

Your calories are ridiculously low unless you're a 130 pound female. Your metabolism has most likely come to a near halt. Your body has perceived severe caloric restriction and slowed all it's processes down in order to preserve energy and make the best use of the minute amount of nutrients it's receiving. Fatloss simply won't take place in an environment like this as the body will hold it to ensure there is an energy reserve because it's starving. What will get burned is muscle because it is so very metabolically active that it demands far too many resources for the body to maintain in such caloric restriction. By loosing muscle the body can slow its metabolism as there is far less high energy consuming muscle to maintian. On a sound diet you should have lost between 10-16 pounds by now and maybe up to 20 pounds depending on how much water you were retaining to begin with. This should be a clear indication that your metabolism is f**ked. There is indded at point at which fat loss will halt if you drop your calories too low. It's different for everyone, but it's certain to say that 1800 cals a day is gross under nourishment for any hard training bodybuilder. I'm currently dieting at 4400 calories a day at 239 pounds 9%bf to give you an example. You need to get your calories up. I would suggest around 15xbodyweight. This will get your metabolism going again and stoke the fat burning process.

 

[uutool]

What he said ^... You just need to determine your caloric breakeven. Say your breakeven to stay your current weight is 4500 calories/day. You could reduce that to 4000/day. That's a 500 calorie per day deficit. Muliply by 7, you get 3500 calories. 3500 calories = 1 pound. That means you will lose 1 pound per week. Now, add cardio to that, say 800 calories 3 days a week. That's a total of 2400 calories you're burning, not to mention the calories you burn in everyday life as well as lifting. Let's make it even to say you are burning 3500 calories per week.

Now you area already at a 3500 calorie per week deficit, add 3500 more that you are burning. You are at a 7000 calore deficit per week. That translates to two pounds per week of fat loss, which is very safe and obtainable.

This is how I did it, along with lifting, and I've gone from a blubbery 6-3, 250 lbs, to a cut 6-3 208 in about 10 months. That means 42 pounds in 40 weeks, a little over 1 lb per week.

 

[uutool]

Sidenote: still cant' get rid of the handles tho!!! comon yohimburn! burn baby burn!!!

 

[Cuts]

Hmmm... what y'all are saying is kind of what I've been suspecting all along... I too think I've been going too low. By the way, I'm not that big a dude: 25yo 5'10" 185lbs @ 22%bf... but yeah, I think y'all are right that 1800cal/day is probably to low even for me. I'm gonna up it to 2400/day for a couple weeks, and I'll try to keep everything else constant, just to see what happens. I'll keep y'all updated. Thanks alot for the good input. Later.