What is a "cutting" diet?

[sewitgos]

I'm 5'1" and trying to loose 12 pounds that I put on in the last few years. I think I was under- eating but have divided my meals into 6 and, now, I am starting to see a little progress.

My question is: what is a cutting diet? Is it different than a diet to loose fat?
Also, how do I figure the ratios of protein/fat/carbs? I see different percentages on different posts.
Thanks

[paperboy]

I'm 5'1" and trying to loose 12 pounds that I put on in the last few years. I think I was under- eating but have divided my meals into 6 and, now, I am starting to see a little progress.

My question is: what is a cutting diet? Is it different than a diet to loose fat?
Also, how do I figure the ratios of protein/fat/carbs? I see different percentages on different posts.
Thanks

Hi sewitgos, welcome to the Forum!

Cutting is a term used by bodybuilders for a phase when they're trying to lose fat. This is in contrast to a "bulking" phase, where the goal is to gain as much lean muscle as possible, accepting the fact that a little fat will also build up.

So a cutting diet is a diet to lose fat. Marty always preaches cycling your exercise routines and diets. I agree with that philosophy. You can't be on a cutting diet 24/7/365 and expect continuous results.

The "correct" ratio really depends on a lot of things. Everyone has a different opinion on what the optimal ratio is. Assuming you're an endomorph, like myself, you'll probably want to take in a little more protein and fewer carbs.

But before you figure all that out, you need to figure out your caloric needs first. Either myself or Marty will probably do some kind of write-up on this, but basically you need to figure out how many calories you need to "maintain" your current weight. Let's say it's 2000 calories. Now, let's assume you weigh 200 lbs, for the sake of simplicity. To build the muscle you need in order to get your metabolism in gear, you'll need to take in at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, so that means 200 g of protein. 200 g of protein x 4 calories per gram = 800 calories. That means you have 1200 calories left to divide between fat and carbs. Personally, I try to stay under 200 g of carbs/day, so that equals 800 calories. You now have 400 calories left to spend on fats.

I've said this before in another post, but in order for your diet to be efficient, you need to track your caloric intake. Try Diet Power (http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-1652083-8808512) to track your intake. I use it every day, and I can see at a glance what my ratios are and where I need to improve.

Of course, don't forget the other 2 legs of the triad: progressive resistance training and cardiovascular exercise!

Good luck, and please let us know if you have any more questions!

[sewitgos]

Thanks for the reply. I have slips of paper and notebooks and calorie guides all over the table here as I try to figure all this out! It sounds like a low carb type diet is the right one. But there seems to be so much to keep track of...besides calories I am now listing carbs, protein, fat, and fiber.

Yes, I am doing the other two legs of the triad. This is all very revolutionary for me! I do 45 minutes on a treadmill and joined a "fern" type gym to learn the strength training properly. At 57 years old I need the ferns OK?

I was never a person who had a weight problem...till 2 years ago. I was never a person who exercised or ever DREAMED of doing strength training. But all that has changed. I want to loose this before it gets out of hand. Nine pounds to go...but the lifestyle is forever.

The funny thing is that I've been reading Marty's chats on WP for several years. Because he talks about the Russian authors. Go figure!

[Marty]

don't get too hung up on counting calories as this can become incredibly cumbersome - how about approaching it from a vanatagepoint of "determined psychology" - in other words - get goal oriented: once the goal is established - perhaps losing 6-pounds of fat in 6-weeks, devise an exercise strategy that uses periodization

weights cardio diet
week 1
week 2
week 3
week 4
week 5
week 6

results

you fill in the blanks

By the way have you read Tolstoy's collection of short stories? Most think of him as an fat book writer but his SS were tremendous....

[sewitgos]

See, that is what is so confusing for me. How do I make sure I'm loosing 9 pounds of JUST FAT? I mean, that is my goal but I was way under-eating.

Here is what happened: I'm 5'1" female and all my life weighed 110-115. I woke up on Jan. 1st 15 lbs fatter than I was 2 years ago. Disgusted, I went on a very severe diet ( exactly like what Marty wrote about in today's Stream of Conscience) But it wasn't working. I had no energy and wasn't loosing much and was miserable. By Feb. I realized I would actually have to do what Marty had been urging his readers to do for years---the dreaded TRIAD!
So, I joined a gym and reconsidered my diet.

Now: I eat 1280 cal/day in 6 meals
I do 45 min. cardio (sweating) 6x a week
I do 35 min. strength 6x a wek

This has started to show results but it is so slow.

My goal is to loose the remaining weight. I guess I didn't have any strength or cardio goals. That was just to support the weight loss. But you are right . I need to set goals here also.

It has just occured to me that even when I was thin I was never "fit". I hope I am slowly turning all this mush into muscle. It all happened because I laid around one winter reading Turgenev and eating Lorna Doones.

[paperboy]

See, that is what is so confusing for me. How do I make sure I'm loosing 9 pounds of JUST FAT? I mean, that is my goal but I was way under-eating.

Here is what happened: I'm 5'1" female and all my life weighed 110-115. I woke up on Jan. 1st 15 lbs fatter than I was 2 years ago. Disgusted, I went on a very severe diet ( exactly like what Marty wrote about in today's Stream of Conscience) But it wasn't working. I had no energy and wasn't loosing much and was miserable. By Feb. I realized I would actually have to do what Marty had been urging his readers to do for years---the dreaded TRIAD!
So, I joined a gym and reconsidered my diet.

Now: I eat 1280 cal/day in 6 meals
I do 45 min. cardio (sweating) 6x a week
I do 35 min. strength 6x a wek

This has started to show results but it is so slow.

My goal is to loose the remaining weight. I guess I didn't have any strength or cardio goals. That was just to support the weight loss. But you are right . I need to set goals here also.

It has just occured to me that even when I was thin I was never "fit". I hope I am slowly turning all this mush into muscle. It all happened because I laid around one winter reading Turgenev and eating Lorna Doones.

Marty and I will probably disagree on this. I'm more of a numbers and stats kind of guy, so it benefits me to count my cals. For others, counting cals is very cumbersome, and could be the very reason why they detest "dieting."

If you don't like to count your cals, you might want to consider the "Body for Life" approach: count portions instead of cals, and eat 6 times a day. Many people have been successful using this approach.

If you're a geek like me, you'll want to find out how many calories, on average, you burn on a typical day. Then, to lose fat, either take in less calories or exercise more. I myself would rather up the exercise instead of trimming the diet. I love to eat! Of course, keep it clean, and don't be too drastic on the reduction of cals, and you should be fine.

[Marty]

1280 calories dived by six comes to 213 calories per meal - granted not every meal is identical bu my contention is you are UNDER EATING! How many calories do you suppose you burn off training? 500-600? how many calories do you suppose you burn off just existing? Likely 800 to 1000 per day...my suggestion to you would be to take in more calories but confine them to two sources: lean protein and fibrous carbs - it is virtually ompossible for the body to convert either into body fat - if preperation is a hassle buy a giant jug of myopro whey protein (EAS) 77 servings for $40 - .56 per serving, 30-grams per serving - drink a shake with each meal - 6 servings a day comes to $3.36 per day...