hey everyone im pretty new to the sub so i've just been lurking and reading through the posts lately trying to learn as much as i can from u guys
just a bit of info on my stats- im 25 and about 190 lbs. i havent done a dexa or anything fancy but just looking in the mirror id guess im around 25% body fat which i know is just a guess but whatever. i’ve been lifting for three years so i definitely have some muscle under there but im stuck trying to figure out if my calories are right. i’ve been cutting for about two weeks now at 2500 calories and my waist is around 32 inches. protein is always high at 210-220g but i kind of just wing it with my carbs and fats based on how i feel. like if im super tired i'll eat more carbs then maybe the next day i'll do more fats and less carbs because i have more energy. do u think that messing around with my macros like that is hurting my progress?
on top of lifting 6 days a week im getting like 15k to 20k steps most days except for maybe one day where i hit 8k or something. i think my maintenance is probably around 3k or 3100 but honestly i could be way off and just overestimating everything. also im on 200mg of trt a week split into two shots which has me feeling better than i have in years. am i heading in the right direction here or should i change something up? would really appreciate any help u guys can give thanks!
welcome to the sub man! honestly at 190lbs and 25% bf, 2500 cals sounds like a pretty solid starting point. the fact that youre hitting 20k steps is huge too - thats basically a cheat code for fat loss. i wouldnt stress the carb/fat cycling too much as long as the total calories stay consistent.
dude if your waist is only 32 inches at 190 lbs i seriously doubt youre 25% body fat lol. you probably have way more muscle than you think. id stay the course for another few weeks and see how the scale moves before changing anything.
200mg trt is a nice "sport" cruise for sure lol. you should be able to hold onto all your muscle while you cut. the macro swinging is fine honestly, some days your body just needs the fuel. as long as that protein stays high like you said you're golden.
man 20k steps a day is impressive as hell. i can barely hit 10k with a desk job. with that much activity plus lifting 6 days a week your maintenance is definitely at least 3k. keep it at 2500 and you'll probably see the weight fall off pretty quick -
hey man, sounds like a solid plan. one thing i'd say is maybe try to track the "winging it" days for a week just to make sure you aren't accidentally going over 2500 when you're tired. calories can sneak up on you when you're switching between high fat and high carb!
hey man, sounds like a solid plan. one thing i'd say is maybe try to track the "winging it" days for a week just to make sure you aren't accidentally going over 2500 when you're tired. calories can sneak up on you when you're switching between high fat and high carb!
32 inch waist is actually pretty lean for 190. i bet you look better than you think in the mirror. don't get too caught up in the "perfect" macro split, consistency is way more important than whether you ate more fats or carbs on a tuesday.
welcome! honestly the best advice is just dont change anything for a month. two weeks is too short to really know if the cals are right. if the scale is trending down and you feel good on the trt then just keep grinding.
six days a week in the gym plus those steps? you're gonna be a furnace lol. just watch out for burnout. maybe take that 8k step day as a full rest day so you don't crash. sounds like you're on the right track though bro.
the "soft" macro approach is actually better for some people cuz it keeps you from losing your mind on a cut. as long as the protein is 200+ you aren't losing muscle. especially with the trt helping you out. keep it up!
welcome to the sub man! honestly at 2500 cals with 20k steps you should be dropping weight pretty quick. "winging" the macros isn't a huge deal as long as the total calories and protein stay the same but maybe try to be a bit more consistent with the carbs on leg days or whatever. just give it more than 2 weeks to see the scale move!
200mg is a solid trt dose you probably feel like a god right now lol. if your waist is only 32 inches at 190 lbs i bet your bodyfat is actually lower than 25% tbh. u might have more muscle than u think. i wouldnt change a thing yet just keep grinding for another month and see where u at.
15-20k steps a day is massive dude. i usually find that if i mess around with carbs and fats too much i start holding random water weight and it messes with my head when i look in the mirror. maybe try to set a base level for carbs so u dont feel like crap on those high activity days?
2 weeks is still super early so dont overthink it yet. the 200mg trt will definitely help u keep that muscle while u cut. honestly as long as the calories are in a deficit you can swap fats and carbs however u want and it wont stop the fat loss- just stay consistent with the lifting.
