Diet Plan, Food Diary, and Goals

Hello hello! :)

In the comment section my post yesterday detailing FAQs and some common misconceptions about intermittent fasting, I got a couple of questions about my plans to diet down and retain as much muscle from this bulk as possible.
So, without further ado, here's the plan with a sample day of eats thrown in for you!

My top weight at the very end of this bulk was 136. I am apparently very difficult to measure at doctors offices because no two clinics have given me the same measurement: I come in at somewhere between 5'0 and 5'4. I'm guessing I'm actually 5'1 or 5'2 although Max swears I'm 5'3. Who knows?

The bodyfat percentage at which I personally look best is somewhere between 20-22%. That's where my abs show a little, I'm a size 2 to 4, and I've still got my butt. ;)

In this pic I'm at about 20% bodyfat:

I'm estimating I will have to get down to about 122-124lbs to reach that.  The past two mornings I have weighed in at 133, so I have about 10lbs to lose.

I am aiming to be done dieting down by July 4th. That will make this, in total, a 6-week cut.  It may take longer, because I am being fairly conservative.

I started off last week with a modest 1800-calorie diet (my maintenance is around 2050). Starting yesterday I am eating 1700 calories per workout day [can go lower, down to 1500 if I feel like it, on off days]. If I drop calories, it will be if/when I plateau. I will drop to 1600, and that's as low as I will go. Last time I cut, I did so on 1200 calories, and before that I was anorexic -- so I really have no intention of steamrolling my metabolism again especially since this cut is for vanity reasons.

Instead of TELLING you what I am eating / going to be eating on this cut, let me SHOW you what I ate yesterday!

It was an off day so I kept carbs on the low side.

I fasted until 2pm -- most days I fast until around 1:30. Marion asked how I feel during my fasts. Quite frankly, I feel great. I use my fasted time to drink lots of water -- usually I get in about 6L. My energy is high and I get a lot done very quickly. I don't feel weak or shaky at all -- by contrast, I find that I am very focused. Sometimes my energy levels dip a little around noon and I'll brew myself a cup of coffee, black or with almond milk (and splenda or stevia of course). This is "allowed" during the fast (obviously you wouldn't want to go crazy with sugar and cream in the coffee), as is sugarfree gum and diet soda.

Annnnd here are the eats!

"Breakfast:"

This was two tilapia fillets (totaling 4oz), 3 eggs, 31g of oatbran, and 15g of peanut butter chips. Macros: 19C / 48P / 23F

"Lunch:"

Yes, this picture is taken on my couch. It's been rainy here so I've been getting a little adventurous to get natural sunlight in my pics ;-)

This was:
-a shake consisting of 1 frozen banana and 1 scoop pea protein isolate from TrueProtein.com
-oats with 15g vanilla rice protein powder and 10g strawberry Bear Naked Fit granola
-60g shrimp and 15g (tablespoon) of sugar-free ketchup
-100g egg whites with 28g (1 ounce) hummus
-2 tilapia fillets (totaling 4oz)
Macros: 56C / 87 P / 9.7 F

Last meal before fasting:

This was 50g peanuts (a little less than 2oz), 31g (1/4 cup) oat bran, and 15g (tablespoon) chocolate chips. Macros: 28.9C / 18.5P / 30.5F

So, totals for the day (including 2 unpictured cups of coffee w/ splenda, 1 stick of sugarfree gum, and a cup of sugarfree hot chocolate):

117.9C / 153.5 P / 63.2F
=1654.4 cals.

I didn't intend for the protein to be that high but that shrimp was going to go bad if I left it in the fridge another day! Normally I aim for my protein intake to be between 135-145g/day.

That is not a normal or advisable protein intake for someone whose main form of exercise is cardio, or who is sedentary. I lift very heavy in the 4-6 rep range 5x/week and my goal is to retain muscle while cutting, so I am eating quite a bit of protein. During maintenance and bulking phases, I eat 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight per day -- again, because I am bodybuilding. =)

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Hit me up in the comments! Or e-mail squatlikealadyATgmailDOTcom. =)