there is no set amount that will get you there. it depends on may factors, such as how big you are, how you respond to carbs and how fast your metabolism is. the numbers i use would probably make most average people fat, quickly! i have a decent amount of muscle, so i require more protein than someone smaller than me and my metabolism is very fast, so my carbs and fats are fairly high, even when dieting. instead of telling you what i eat, i'd rather help you understand what you should eat. first, you need to figure out your current macros, so that you understand what amount of food it's taken to get you in the shape you're in. when figuring your macros, i suggest that you start out with about 2 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass. lets say you figure out that you can stay the same weight eating 3000 cals. you're going to want to eat less than that to lose fat and over time, you will want to reduce carbs and fats further, as your body gets used to the amount of food you're eating. so lets say you design a cutting diet that equals 2600 cals to start. after you figure out how many of those cals go to protein, you can split the remaing cals between carbs and fats. this will depend on how you've responded to the carbs you were previously eating. if you have a higher bf%, say above 14%, you were gettng way too many carbs and you will probably want to use more fats than carbs. it will take some experimenting, but over time, you can figure out for yourself, exactly what your body needs to dial in. if you want to get into contest shape and never have done so before, it would be in your best interest to hire a GOOD prep coach. this will speed the process up and take a lot of the guess work out. then once you have an understanding on what your body needs, it'll be easier to do it on your own. even though i can do it on my own at this point, i still work with a diet coach. its hard to make critical decisions as you get closer to your show. having a second set of eyes keeps me grounded