Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

If Im 220 and 18% body fat and want to get down around 10% I should be eating around 2000-2200 cals a day along with -500-800 cal work out to loss weight. If I eat less cals around 1200-1500 would I loss more or risk losing muscle as well? So people say they loss more but Ive heard that if you don't give you body enough cals it will hold onto fat because its being starved.

Thanks,
Brad

Where is all my vegan friends or people I talk to on here???

The best way to lose weight is at 200-300 calories below maintenance. So if you need 2500 a day, just eat 2200-2300, while keeping up with weight training. That way you can keep your muscle mass but slowly lose fat over time.

It's not as simple as just calories. Eat less fat and more healthy carbs. I eat a buttload of calories but most of it is fruit. I can't keep fat on.

Meh, if he currently eats 50/20/30 (c/p/f) then he just needs to eat 200-300 calories less at 50/20/30 to lose weight. If he really wants to go into the thermic effect of digestion, he should just eat steak and broccoli all day, since protein takes the most energy to digest. However, I somehow doubt that's why he is here!

Give up all faux foods & food like substances. Eat lots of nuts, avocados, healthy fats, fresh veggies + fruit.

Giving up faux food and eating nuts, avocados, healthy fats, fresh veggies + fruit BUT STILL not eating below maintenance, is not going to lose fat.



Yes it is.



Best advice so far.

Just want to +1 this whole thing to hopefully increase the odds this is the advice you'll use. Drop your calories 10-15%, keep everything else consistent, and check your weight every so often.

I don't want to quote that entire post again so consider this my +1. However ...



But do you know what your maintenance calories are and do actually track your calories and/or macros? Even though you "eat a buttload of calories," chances are you're burning more than you're consuming. It is about calories/calories out.

Here are a couple of articles OP should read in case they're not swayed:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-lo ... lorie.html
http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutr ... an-eating/

Yes I track my calories and my macros. It's about 3,100 on rest days, 3,600 most days and 4K+ on heavy activity days, averaging out to >80/<10/<10 over the long haul.

How do you explain a guy like Tim van Orden who routinely eats less than 2,000 calories a day, works out a ton, and yet despite being a runner is built like a gymnast?

The general guideline is actually to eat maintenance and then do cardio to lose fat. But first you have to find your maintenance which brings you to the cookie cutter formulas for determining such a number.

I agree with Ben on this one. The general guideline for everyone is "so many calories by so and so formula" but I've found I don't fit anywhere near that formula and if I do want to eat all the calories I'm supposed to be eating without gaining a TON of fat I have to get it through fruit.

Otherwise I have to eat well below and people would be shocked at what I am maintaining my weight on.

David

Edit: That doesn't mean I'm not saying don't use a formula to go by. I think it is a good starting point.

A few options

1. He has a very low metabolism
2. He eats more than 2000 calories a day
3. He doesn't look like a gymnast (see below)

Van Orden


Gymnast

You took the thoughts right out of my mind

If I eat too little my metabolism shitcans, my body dumps muscle mass, and I build fat. No beuno.

Haha ^ This