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What I'm concerned with is:

I seem to have plateaued, weight-wise..

Can't seem to get under 205-208, but like I say, I could cut more calories..

But from what I've read here, I've already been shooting myself in the foot (muscle being broken down for energy) by not eating enough..

So maybe if I just cut down the calories a little more, tweak the percentages to more protein, less carbs and fat, eat appropriately pre/post workout, run on my days OFF rather than right before I lift, AND add more dynamic excersizes (deadlift, squat), I can make some head-way, body-fat wise..

Thoughts?

Moving macro percentages around too much isn't going to help you. I would suggest keeping them fairly balanced, with protein being on the higher side. Maybe 40P-30C-30F. Upping the protein won't solve the muscle cannibalization by itself. Body energy requirements have to come first. Muscles aren't terribly high on the "importance" list. There is a whole lot of organs to take care of, respiration, etc. Anyway, keeping your carbs normalized should give your body adequate (and useful) energy supply. Fats as well need to be present for hormone production, cushioning of joints, etc. Keep the macro's balanced and drop total cals a little bit at a time until you hit a comfortable level for losing fat.

I will also say that I'm not sure I follow along with your dynamic exercise reference.

If you haven't been taking in enough calories, then your body will go into a kind of "starvation mode". It has a lot to do with different hormones increasing & decreasing to maintain/preserve your weight. So......if you gradually up your caloric intake to a manageable deficit, your hormones should normalize and allow you to use body fat for fuel. I see lots of severely overweight people taking in < 1500 calories per day. They all stall eventually. Make it a long term commitment with short term goals and you'll progress very well. You're doing a good job so far.

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That's what I've been doing (with the occasional cheating jags) for the last [B]2 years[B] or so..

Only 40 carb- 30 fat - 30 protein..

It's weird, though..

You'd think I haven't been doing TOO bad with the calorie intake, or I wouldn't have a body fat percentage as high as it is..

THAT'S what's really not computing for me.. :(

By dynamic excersizes, I mean more excersizes working more than one muscle group at a time (squats, etc), rather than isolation excersizes (curls)..

The "term" is compound exercise... dynamic means something pretty different, but don't worry about it ;)

How high is your body fat? You don't look fat at all. I would say that healthy (and optimal for anything other than winning a bodybuilding contest) is 10-12%. Everything I've read seems to point to this range being the best of both worlds (there are obvious down sides to being tubby and there are some down sides to being too thin).

those are called "compound" exercises as any exercise can be dynamic....even curls.

You have made a lot of changes recently. Increasing muscle mass will do a lot. EPOC from weight lifting is a new thing. You're changing your macros up a bit. Your caloric intake should be zeroed in. Stop cheating. Make your cardio count...don't have carbs immediately before, and do some HIIT. That kicks static state cardio's ass.

It adds up. Give it time.

Well, I meant 'dynamic' in the literal sense..

Wasn't trying to pretend I know what 9/10ths of the lingo.. LOL

I'm "skinny fat"..

21.5%

All of it in my spare tire and double chin.. LOL

I'd be happy to get it down to 18%..

Easier said than done, mate..

But, yeah, I'll try harder..

(he says, while polishing off the last of his kid's black forest B-day cake.... D'oh!!).

Wait.. I thought you WERE supposed to eat some carbs before-hand.. Or do you mean wait an hour after eating your pre WO shake?

not hard at all, just takes commitment, and discipline. do you really want to reach your goals? if not...keep cheating.

the hardest thing i deal with....sort of....is family events, because honestly my family eats not very good. and there is always dessert, and i always skip it and get made fun of. until i recently yelled at my mom....so now when we have stuff at her house she makes a fruit salad just for me. i have to bite my tongue alot because....more than a few of them need to do without sugar.

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he means carbs before cardio...not a lifting session.