Diet FAQ #6: How do I do a cut properly?

[Hortybob]

Alright, here is my current diet
Meal 1
Shake
Meal 2
4 egg whites, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oats
Meal 3
2 chicken breasts, 1/2 cup brown rice, Asparagus
Meal 4
Shake
Meal 5
2 chicken breasts, 1/2 cup brown rice, Broccoli
Meal 6
Shake

I lost a bunch of weight the first time I followed this strictly, and I looked a lot better, but I also lost a ton of strength even though I trained similarly to how I was training before, any suggestions on how to maintain my strength with the weight loss? Because I really want to cut, but the strength loss is a big downer for me.

[AJP1]

Subbed to this thread for a later read.

[AJP1]

Why is best suggested to not lift lighter weights/higher reps like say 15-20?
Ive heard to still live heavy/intensly to make the muscles still "need" to be there, but ive also heard lighter weights close to failure still can conduct growth as well.

[In Flames]

This diet works wonders for me, I actually follow it year round. I'm a model so I'm going to eat differently than a bodybuilder.

Meal 1 - 50 gram Whey shake
Meal 2 - 8oz chicken, 2 cups green salad, 1/2 cup raw almonds
Meal 3 - Same as Meal 1
Meal 4 - 8oz fish or steak, 2 cups green salad, 1tbsp olive oil for dressing
Meal 5 - Same as Meal 1 + 3

I'll add Egglands Best eggs to my two meals if I'm really hungry, always whole eggs though, never only egg whites. I don't count fat calories. The only carbs I usually eat will be sweet or white potato, white rice, or oats. The carbs are extremely important right before a photo shoot.

[MR. C]

No matter what I do I cannot loose weight!

[sgerwel1985]

No matter what I do I cannot loose weight!

The one thing i did that helped me kind of get over the hump was focus more on the mirror and less on the number on the scale. Depending on how you train, you're probably burning fat and adding muscle, but have sort of a "net effect of zero" going on. Just stay strong and stay at it brother!

[nickstrm]

Hi guys,

How can I accurately calculate my daily calorie needs?

I want to start bulking.

Regards,
Nick