How to drop down that extra 3% body fat cardie

[kennygg]

Hi Guys,
I need a little help here.
Im currently 75kg/ 165lb
I have reduced my body fat from 16% to under 10% approx in the last 8 months while keeping my
muscle mass.
I am finding it difficult to get down to my 7% body fat goal.
My weight training is a 3 day split routine Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Tuesday and Thursday are cardio days.
My daily eating plan is as follows.
Breakfast - Water - Oatmeal (low fat milk), 2 x wholemeal toast- coffee
Mid Morning - 4 scrambled egg whites, fat free cottage cheese, or bagel and peanut butter
Lunch - Wholemeal pasta, chicken and salad and protein shake
Mid afternoon - almonds and mixed nuts
Main evening meal - it varies from pasta/potatoes/rice - chicken/beef/fish - green veg
Evening snack - Oatmeal or wholemeal cereal or wholemeal toast with cottage cheese or penut butter.

I try to avoid sugary snacks but sometimes have a small chocolate bar with afternoon coffee.
I also have a few beers at the weekend- 4 maximum, nothing excessive.
I stay away from takeaways and fast food.

Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[kennygg]

Typo on the title, dont know what "cardie" is lol

 

[pux888]

First thing I would do if your satisfied with your diet would be to add some extra cardio. The leaner you get the more difficult those last few percentage points are to loose. I would add 20-30 min after your lifting days for a few weeks starting off to see how that works for you.

 

[ketsugo]

What you will find is the closer you get the more difficult it gets, but what you really need is to keep the faith in yourself, hard work and determination- and patience. Just carry on- Do some cardio like pux said- If you dont like the low intensity stuff, Try HIIT - google or ask someone at the gym, its very easy. As far as the diet is - continue- I stay away from all Flour - that includes wheat flour - so no flour products and no sugar. If your progress levels off - cycling your macros will hold off the bodies ability to adjust. The few days of higher macros will keep your metabolism running.

Ill bet if you surf around here there is plenty of posts to give yo some more ideas. Feel free to ask anything more specific- you may need to provide more details about yourself too- like how long you have been training, age etc- that way we can have more insight and give better advice

 

[kennygg]

Thanks for the advice Guys,
Some more detailed info about myself, I'm 35 years old and have been training for years and years, I was always bulky and lifted heavy, last year I decided I wanted to be
leaner. I changed my eating habits and added cardio, the results have been very good
but I want to be more vascular. Based on my diet do u think I am eating too much
carbs? and also is it better to eat less carbs in the evening?

Again Thanks

 

[ketsugo]

Well you sound like you have been in the game long enough to answer that question, because we all have different reactions. Im one of the anti-keto advocates- So im always recommending carbs - to me you need them for a pump, but then again you may be sensitive to insulin and carbs will have a different affect. I think if you lower your BF% and you continue to train hard and maybe add some volume you will naturally become more vascular. Many advocates say you should eat little to no carbs after 3pm when trying to lose fat, I have but I know many swear by that.

 

[ajdos]

One of the glaring problems I see right away is your diet.

(1)Breakfast - Water - Oatmeal (low fat milk), 2 x wholemeal toast- coffee (this meal is basically all carbs with a dash of protein you need more protein with this meal)

(2)Mid Morning - 4 scrambled egg whites, fat free cottage cheese, or bagel and peanut butter(this meal is better, dump the damned PB)

(3)Lunch - Wholemeal pasta, chicken and salad and protein shake (now this meal isnt so bad, but how much pasta? sounds like too much carb to be losing fat)

(4)Mid afternoon - almonds and mixed nuts(no offense but unless your a vegan this is NOT a meal, add some protein)

(5)Main evening meal - it varies from pasta/potatoes/rice - chicken/beef/fish - green veg (again not a bad meal but unless this meal follows training its probably going to contain a bit more carb then you want at this time of day)

(6)Evening snack - Oatmeal or wholemeal cereal or wholemeal toast with cottage cheese or penut butter(ok as far as a pre bedtime snack or meal this one has to be done with, you should be having very little carb pre-bed time zero if it can be helped it should be a protein meal, something like red meat or slow digesting proteins like casein-retool this meal completely)

If you want to lose bodyfat, 2 days a week of cardio will not do it. Try 4 and maybe even more.
Try to do it pre- meal in the morning on an empty stomach (and please let someone talk shit to me for suggesting empty stomach cardio, Im begging you) or post workout.

 

[ketsugo]

kennyg- Adjos is a very experienced bodybuilder and knows his shit, Im actually embarassed that I didnt notice all that He did, but he brings up some very important points.
Adjos- Only someone who dont know you would talk that shit LOL, the rest of us been around, One of the first vets I began to follow way back in this community was Adjos- If you seen his pix hes a fucking ripped to shreds monster, he has a ton of practical knowledge . I still think youre Batista my favorite WWE star LOL

 

[ketsugo]

Ken , Im one that has found success in using a cycling of macros - heres a link illustrating this but understand there are many apporaches and what adjos discussed about the timing of carbs is imperative as well.

CLICK ON:

Bodybuilding Diet for Male Pre-Contest

also nother extreme example (for one of your weight)
The Diet:
High Carb day: 180gP/300gC/70gF
Low Carb day: 180gP/200gC/70gF
No Carb Day: 180gP/000gC/70gF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
High Carb day:
Meal 1: 100gC/30gP/20gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 2: 000gC/30gP/10gF
Meal 3: 075gC/30gP/10gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 4: 075gC/30gP/10gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 5: 050gC/30gp/10gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 6: 000gC/30gP/10gF

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Low Carb day:

Meal 1: 100gC/30gP/20gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 2: 000gC/30gP/10gF
Meal 3: 050gC/30gP/10gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 4: 050gC/30gP/10gF(includes small fruit)
Meal 5: 050gC/30gp/10gF
Meal 6: 000gC/30gP/10gF

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Carb day:

Meal 1: 000gC/30gP/20gF
Meal 2: 000gC/30gP/10gF
Meal 3: 000gC/30gP/10gF
Meal 4: 000gC/30gP/10gF
Meal 5: 000gC/30gp/10gF
Meal 6: 000gC/30gP/10gF

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will not count green veggies as carbs, hence they will be consumed with meal on any one of the three days.

 

[kennygg]

Thanks guys,
Ajdos, i will adjust the meal plan based on your suggestions.
Ketsugo thanks for the link, i look forward to seeing the progress in the next while and will keep u posted.
Thanks v much

 

[pux888]

Fasted carido is the only way to go IMO, anytime I start a cut thats the first thing I change about my routine. I always see positive results within a few days.

 

[Aaronl]

I agree, fasted cardio, after all the corners are cut in the diet, really helps me out. I'll take bcaa's and a thermogenic in the morning before cardio (OEP really helps wake me up, on top of helping me get rid of the last little bit of bodyfat) and keep the intensity medium-low (so cortisol levels don't go out of control)