Summer shredding is fast approaching now that April is upon us. Perhaps you have done a cut for the summer every year you can remember. Have they worked out for you? If not, it could be because the plan was not designed for you. Maybe it was too strict. Or perhaps it required you to add endless hours onto your already busy life. This summer shredding meal plan is going to get you ready for that bikini. Will it be hard? Yes. Will it be worth it? Definitely!
Summer Shredding Approach One
There are several ways you can go about doing a cut. IIFYM, keto, clean eating, intuitive eating, meal plans, Adkins, the list goes on and on. Here, we are going to break it down into two different approaches: IIFYM and a meal plan.
IIFYM is a great approach for those who want more flexibility in their plan. If you don’t mind tracking everything that you eat, this is going to be the approach for you!
When you are trying to hit a specific goal in a specific time frame, like summer shredding, tracking your calories and macros is going to be the best approach because it allows you to make adjustments. These adjustments can be made easily and pretty accurately, as long as you have been accurate about tracking your intake.
How Do You Set Your Macros?
Calories:
First, calculate your basal metabolic rate. This is how many calories you are burning at rest.
BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Then, calculate your TDEE. This is your total daily energy expenditure, which is how many calories you need to maintain.
TDEE
If you currently exercise 6+ times per week, use: BMR x 1.65 = your TDEE If you currently exercise 3-5 times per week, use: BMR x 1.5 = your TDEE If you currently exercise 1-2 times per week, use: BMR x 1.35 = your TDEE If you currently exercise 0 times per week, use: BMR x 1.2 = your TDEE
Then depending on your goal, adjust the calories as stated below.
Add muscle: add at least 500 calories, depending on activity level. If you are an extremely active person (burning 500+ calories per day due to exercise), add 750 calories.
Maintenance: use your TDEE.
Weight Loss: subtract 200-500 calories.
Macros:
Set protein to 1-1.5g per pound of bodyweight. Then, use .35-.45g fat per pound of bodyweight. Use the rest of your calories for carbs!
Let’s do an example. Say you are 150lbs, 30 years, old, and 64 inches tall.
Your BMR would be 655+(4.35 x 150)+(4.7 x 64)-(4.7 x 30)= 1467.30.
Now, say you exercise 3-5x per week. Take 1467.30 x 1.5= 2200. This is your maintenance.
To add muscle, start at around 2400 and add 50 calories each week to your daily goal.
To lose weight, start at around 2000 and decrease calories by 50 each week from your daily goal.
Example 12 Week Breakdown
Week 1: 2000 cals
Week 2: 1950 cals
Week 3: 1900 cals
Week 4: 1850 cals
Week 5: Diet Break, go back to maintenance calories.
Week 6: 1850 cals
Week 7: 1800 cals
Week 8: 1750 cals
Week 9: 1700 cals
Week 10: Diet Break, go back to maintenance calories
Week 11: 1700 cals
Week 12: 1650 cals
This was using the example person above. Adjust for your own numbers!
Summer Shredding Approach 2
If you feel like you need a little more structure to your nutrition plan, then a meal plan might be the answer for you! This gives you specific guidelines to follow for each meal. The meal plan below will be basic, easy to follow, and pretty generalized. If you are looking for a more customized, in depth nutrition guide for a cut, click here!
Sample Meal Plan
Meal 1
2 eggs
2 egg whites
Handful chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup berries
Meal 2
Palm sized piece of chicken
1/2 cup wild rice
1 cup broccoli
1 tsp coconut oil
Seasonings
Meal 3
Turkey Muffins (click on link for recipe)
Orange
Meal 4
Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas (click on link for recipe)
1/4 avocado
1/2 cup brown rice
Meal 5
Small handful almonds
1/2 cup berries
Mix it up and make these meals your own! Below you will find a foods list. Whether you decide to do the meal plan or IIFYM, at least 80% of your foods should come from this list!
Foods List
Carbohydrates
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Brown Rice
Wild Rice
Quinoa
Beans
Legumes
Protein
Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Ground beef/chicken/turkey (93/7)
Egg Whites
Eggs
Salmon
Tilapia
Cod
Haddock
Tuna
Sirloin Steak
Flank Steak
Fats
Avocados
Almonds
Walnuts
Sunflower Seeds
Pecans
Pistachios
Peanut/Almond Butter (Teddies or another kind where the ingredients are JUST peanuts or JUST almonds)
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Flax Seeds
Chia Seeds
Herbs and Spices
Any herbs and spices that you want, just make sure that they are salt free!!
Fruits and Veggies
Spinach
Kale
Broccoli
Bell Pepper
Carrots
Onions
Squash
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Berries
Oranges
Bananas
Pineapple
Wrapping Up Summer Shredding
If you are going to shred for the summer, nutrition plans like these are key. They are not drastic, which means that they are sustainable, easy to follow, and you won’t gain all the weight back once the shred is over. I wouldn’t recommend shredding for more than 12 weeks. Your body doesn’t like to be a deficit for too long. Stay consistent, and you will see results! Comment below your goal, the plan you are following, and your timeline so I can check in with you!
