Need some advice from the fitness gurus.

Drop down to 40-45 grams of fat, increase your carbs, keep calories the same. Personally I’m leaner on 40-45 g fat with higher carbs (250-300 grams). Shoot for 40 grams of fiber.

Go as low as you want but be careful when you reach your goal and reverse diet. You’re most prone to storing a lot of fat quickly after an extended caloric deficit (think survival mechanism during starvation)

Layne Norton is a good source on this topic

Drop your calories about 500 and prioritize protein. At 153 lbs you’ll be fine with 1700 calories a day.

Once you can lose that layer of fat, up your calories back to 2200 and keep up your lifting. My best weight is 160, but for me to get down to that from 170 I have to go down to about 1800 cals a day, with cardio and lifting.

I think some people get stuck in the forever diet when they never had a good muscle base to start. I'm not saying this is you, but most people would benefit from more muscle. I think a lot of people need a mindset shift and spend 6+ months trying to add as much muscle as possible in the form of a bulk. Once you see the positives in the mirror, you are motivated more for your cut, and your results will actually reflect what you want.

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I would listen to this podcast with Huberman and Andy Galpin. Galpin trains actual professional athletes, and uses evidence-based protocols. He’s a professor at Cal State Fullerton. Episode is from Jan 25th, 2023. He’s a much better source than this forum

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huberman is a fricking joke and so is his podcast

galpin is fine but most on this forum use evidence based protocols too

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not trying to be critical, but if you've "always lifted weights" and you are only 153 at 5'9" with belly fat, you aren't doing something right in the gym.

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Hah, no offense taken. Probably should’ve clarified that while I’ve always lifted weights, I would go through 2-3 week spans where I fell off. And like I said, I’ve definitely noticed losses as I’m not filling out the sleeves of my shirts like I used to.

I’ve gone through several consistent periods over the years of trying to increase size where I consistently lifted heavy and ate a ton. But I’d only gain 2-3 lbs in a 6 month span. I can be lazy and easily put on bad weight, but I’ve never been able to put on good weight even with consistent diet and exercise. Like you said, everyone is different. Appreciate everyone’s advice!

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huberman is a fricking joke and so is his podcast

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How so? He’s just the interviewer. I could care less about his take on muscle hypertrophy vs strength, I’m worried about what Galpin has to say.

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huberman is a fricking joke and so is his podcast

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huberman is a fricking joke and so is his podcast


How so? He’s just the interviewer. I could care less about his take on muscle hypertrophy vs strength

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huberman is always spouting off bullshite that has been proven false tons of times

galpin is fine

others have mentioned adjusting numbers etc etc so im not gonna go into much detail there. generally, learn what BMR is, calculate yours and readjust periodically. i agree that maybe a small cut in cals and up protein would be beneficial.

id look at your calories burned number. what do you do for a living? that seems awfully high and most people have a tendency to over calculate what they burn. how are you determining this? Whatever you are doing is obviously working, but as your fat percentage goes down losing more fat will be more difficult and you might need to make some adjustments.

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How far do I take this weight loss? My fear is that if I dip down into the 140’s I’ll appear too skinny and I feel as though I’ve lost size in my upper body lately.

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i think this is the most important question and its more a personal philosophy and ideal. no one can really answer this for you. My simple answer is you stop losing fat when you are happy with what you see in the mirror. i wouldnt obsess over numbers too much. no once cares what your weight or body fat percent is at the end of the day. i sit at around 12% body fat most time. Some folks (even some on here) would scoff and say "well your still fat, go to 10%". They can get fricked. i like how i look at where i am.

if you feel like you are getting too "skinny" looking, then you need to add mass. simple. you have two option here, fat back on or make muscle. I think we know which direction to go here right? Look into beginner programs, and stick with it. Think of the muscle building phase just like the fat loss phase. it needs the same dedication and commitment. Be well rounded in your muscle growth. just dont do chest and arms and look like one of those guys with chicken legs. A good program SHOULD keep you on track with that.

honestly if you stick to a good program and are consistent and keep your diet on point, it wont take long for muscle to start making a big difference to your frame.

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id look at your calories burned number. what do you do for a living? that seems awfully high and most people have a tendency to over calculate what they burn. how are you determining this?

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I have a desk job, but routinely stand while working or have to walk around for different meetings. Also have two young kids that keep me busy in the afternoons. I calculate my burned calories based on what my Apple Watch says.