Sara's Defluffing Log
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Crying even more....lmao0 -
I suppose I better actually give an update so there is something on this page other than arses. :happy:
Weight...I don't want to talk about it :grumble:
...water weight fluctuations have my weight all over the place this week. It has ranged from 152.9lb through 154.4lb with an average of 153.8lb and a weigh in this morning of 153.9lb. Last week's average was 154.6lb, so down this week, but not by that much. This morning's weight is up from last week but I have to be at a deficit and I know water weight is coming into play so taking deep breaths and sticking to the plan
Added about 600 calories of cardio (aka walking around the neighborhood) this week.
Hit macros noted above every day with my refeed on Tuesday
Lifts - 5/3/1 week:
Squats: discussed above
Bench: pretty happy with the session. I was using 130lb as my base rather than my actual 1RM of 160lb due to the time off nursing my shoulder injury. Strength is coming back each week. Got my reps and the top set of 125lb felt easy, so added a single of 135lb, then snuck in a single of 140lb. Got trapped under the bar at 145lb - lol. The safety bars are not quite the right height so I need to put some plywood under the bench so I can use the higher setting without dinging when I press. Upped my volume work also and did 4 x 8 x 85 at the end. All in all, decent progress and I will be starting my next mesocycle using 140lb as my base, so adding 10lb rather than the usual 5lb. The 140lb is still higher than my pre-bulk PR of 135lb which makes me happy.
Deadlifts: kind of a meh session. Even though I had my refeed I started later in the day so I do not think it helped that much. Plus I was tired. I got the 3 x 270lb, but when attempting the top set single of 300lb the bar wasn't going anywhere. Chalking it up to an off day but am only adding 5lb to my base for the next cycle.
OHP: up and down day. Missed my single of 105lb but my assists were pretty good. Did a decent amount of volume for OHP and also upped my weight on the plate row and incline bench. Added bent over lateral raises as an assists. Am going to keep the base number for the calculations the same as I missed the top set - I was using the base which was only 2lb off my max anyway.
Appetite is under control - I am actually full a lot and some days I have been running around and have not eaten until late and so stuffing the calories in has been a bit of a challenge (I think I need to do a thread about it...ohnoes, I am full and under my calorie target). I am getting used to the macros so getting more variety and more satiating foods has helped. Plus those 25g of extra carbs makes it a lot easier.
However, all I can say is that the bloody scale better start cooperating.0 -
I should update this...but I am too busy sulking!0
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i am just here to ASSimilate all the information. Way to go Sara:flowerforyou:0
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OK...now I have had a whoosh I am ready to update rather than pouting...
It's been a little shy of 3 weeks since my last update and the scale was not co-operating for the most part. Until a few days ago I was hovering between 153.x and 155.x. It was making no sense as my calories were around 1,600 - 1,700 and my activity up since starting a new job 2 weeks ago. I ended my last cut losing about 1lb a week on 1,600 and was effectively maintaining on 2,500 during my bulk. Myself and SideSteel were kind of at a loss to explain it as the 'stall' went on for 3 weeks so any cycle related water retention should have shown up in the trend.
Anyhoo, I finally had a 4 installment whoosh and went down from 154.9 five days ago to 153.4 and 153.6 the two days after that, then 152.9, then a low of 151.4 yesterday and finally 150.9 this morning. 4lbs in 5 days - not a bad whoosh even if it was a little extended.
The main difference I can see was that, due to my frustration, I was not adhering as well to my macros and ended up effectively having a couple of extra 'refeeds'. One was high calories (birfday) and two were were the calories were on point but my protein was lower (still at least 1g/lb/lbm) and my cho was higher.
Could be that I do not do as well on lower carbs and need more refeeds, could be sleep related (my sleep is generally terrible but has been pretty bad until a few days ago) or could be magic!
Measurements are doing pretty well - I am about 2/3 of the way back to my pre bulk ones and all down an inch. They are as follows (pre-bulk/end of bulk/now):
Waist: 28"/29.5"/28.5"
Donk: 38.75"/40"/39"
Thighs: 23.25"/24.5"/23.5"
My lifting has been decent but not that exciting. I have done a few PRs for reps, the most notable was my deadlift of 290 x 2 which I was pretty happy with. I could have squeezed out a third rep but my breathing was a bit off and my core not set properly so I did not want to risk it. My shoulder issues look like they are resolved and my bench and OHP have been improving and are nearly at my full strength. All of my lifts are actually higher than my pre bulk numbers which makes me happy, BUT they are down in general. Bench and OHP is understandable due to my injury, and deads are actually ok imo, but my squat does not make me happy. My PRs pre-bulk, post bulk, and now are:
Deadlifts: 280/315/290 (x 2)
Squats: 235/260/245
Bench: 135/160/145
OHP: 100/112/105
Squat seems to be lagging the most, if you take my shoulder issue into account - need to work in that.
I have not been going for singles as much so I have a few more 'PRs' for reps also.
As I noted, I am not that happy with my lifts, but am not sure whether my strength is down or it's due to changing back to the standard 5/3/1 from the Frequency Project. I have started incorporating drop sets in a la beyond 5/3/1 (which I really need to get the book for).
Anyway...that's it for now. Total loss so far is 7lb over 6 weeks, which is lagging a bit if you take the initial food/water weight decrease into account, but I suppose I should be happy that my 'stall' seems to have been broken (by magic!). Hopefully my weight will continue going down and I can be done with this cut in the not too distant future. I *really* do not like lifting on lower calories. I am looking to get to about 144 - 146lb so I have more wiggle room when bulking.0 -
So, in the last 6 days, my weight has continued on its extended and slowish whoosh! I was 150.2 as of this morning.
I must have been retaining a lot of water which was confusing as it was not cycle related from what I can tell - probably just my body saying 'dafuq' on the extended amount of time I am not having cheesecake or poptarts! My weight has gone:
19-Aug-13 154.9
20-Aug-13 154.9
21-Aug-13 153.4
22-Aug-13 153.6
23-Aug-13 152.9
24-Aug-13 151.4
25-Aug-13 150.9
26-Aug-13 151.6
27-Aug-13 150.8
28-Aug-13 150.6
29-Aug-13 150.6
30-Aug-13 150.8
31-Aug-13 150.4
1-Sep-13 150.2
So, nearly 5lb in 13 days! Before that I had gained about 2lb over 3 weeks after losing 5lb in 2 weeks!. So in total I have lost just shy of 8lb over 7 weeks. Not that exciting, but not too bad considering I do not have huge amounts to lose. Looks like I am on track for getting to my target of 144lb - 146lb in the 12 week period I was aiming for. I kind of would prefer it quicker - I could probably safely lose a touch more on average, but I suppose I should not get greedy. I just want to be done with this cut so I can eat all teh foodz and have my lifts get better.
Speaking of lifting, my lifts have been solid but nothing too spectacular. I am still having challenges getting into a regular schedule with my new job, which I really like but am working crazy hours at the moment. I really need to get a more regular schedule. Ad hoc workouts do not sit well with my OCD'ness.
Best lifting session last week was my deadlift session yesterday where I got a PR for reps. I did 290lb x 3, which was 1 more than my prior session when I did 290lb for reps. Not a huge improvement, but I will take it considering I am cutting and my lifting has been a bit sporadic. It also helps to look back at my lifting over the last few months. Pre-bulk my 1RM was 280lb. Now I am doing reps at 290lb. I think some of the increase is due to me swapping from conventionals to sumos however as they seem to suit me better.
I did not squat last week but will be interested to see how that goes as I feel like squats take the heaviest hit on a cut for me, especially when doing reps.
I know I did measurements last week and it is not always a good idea to do them so regularly, but as I hit a new low, I decided to take some more. Using the same format as last week of pre-bulk/post-bulk/now:
Waist: 28"/29.5"/28.25"
Donk: 38.75"/40"/38.5" (odd that it's less than when I started but could be as I did not squat last week)
Thighs: 23.25"/24.5"/23.25"
I will probably take update pics next week as I will be at the 8 week mark. From a visual perspective, I am getting relatively lean up top (which is where it goes from first with me), I still have a mini pooch and am still holding some extra fluff around my 'muffin top' area, which gets pushed out due to my girl version of an adonis belt. My *kitten* is still huge and my thighs still walnut crushers...and that's fine as I am used to it and would like to keep at least a 10" difference if possible between my waist and donk for my personal preference! Measurements will be interesting after a full week of a more 'normal' lifting schedule, so I may do them again next week.
That's pretty much it for now. While I was hitting my calorie target (except for my birfday) my macros were a little off for a while, probably due to frustration with my weight, but I am really motivated at the moment and so should be able to shore that aspect up. I just need to be more organized with my new schedule.0 -
OK, it’s about time I updated again as it’s the start of the 9th week of my cut. Weight has been settling down. After my ridiculous couple of weeks where I apparently defied the laws of thermodynamics, I defied it again, but luckily in the opposite way and dropped 6lb in not that many more days. Low weight this week is 148.9lb for a total of 9.1lb loss. My weight has actually been pretty static at 148.9lb for most of the week with a couple of days at 150.0lb. So, I pretty much can say I am definitely in the 140’s again.
Measurements are actually pretty interesting (and I know they are subject to some inaccuracies). Since the start of my cut I have lost 1 ½ inches off my waist, badonk and each of my thighs. I am actually back to my pre-bulk waist measurement of 28” and my *kitten* and thighs are actually a little down (by ¼”). (Dat azz is still hyooge though =P).
Hoping to lose about 4 more pounds and then be ready to reverse. I plan on posting update pics this week sometime.
Lifting has been patchy as usual and the deficit is starting to really show in the lifts. My sleep is still bad and my schedule messed up so it is hard to say how much is actual strength loss. My lifts are still more than my pre bulks ones so I am happy about that. My deads seem to be impacted the least which I think is pretty common.
Had a bit of a scare when I thought I pulled something benching. My left side tried to compensate for my weaker right and I strained where the delt ties into the bicep. Luckily is seems to have been a minor and temporary thing as I think (and hope) its fine now.
All I can say is that I am looking forward to getting down enough to start reversing. I miss my PRs and all teh foodz!0 -
What is your target before the reverse? Couldn't see pics? :-P0
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What is your target before the reverse? Couldn't see pics? :-P
144lb - 146lb I think. I am aiming for a lower BF% than last time - no real specific percentage though. More a 'visibly a bit leaner'.
I am hoping to post pics this week...it's very important to wake up with good hair as I take my pics first thing . If I wait a few hours, I have already had quite a few coffees and the obliques start to disappear :happy: 0 -
So, since my last update I pretty much can say I am 'officially' in the 140's. Hit a new low yesterday at 148.5lb. Weight has gone:
11-Sep-13 148.9
12-Sep-13 148.9
13-Sep-13 148.5
14-Sep-13 148.9
Finally started to get a decent amount of lifting in, but my lifts are suffering from the lower cals (about 1,700 but under 135g carbs, except my 1 x week refeed) and from being leaner.
OHP day: my press strength sucked donkey balls. Only got one of the top set on 5s week. Decided to add some conventional deadlifts for sh!ts and giggles. I was actually pretty happy with them considering that I have not done them since about April as I pull sumo now. Worked my way up to 255lb, at which stage it started to feel heavy. As I did not have my belt or chalk, I decided to call it a day and not push my luck. It was also pretty late in the evening and frigging hot in the gym - I even broke into a sweat....wassup with that? Finished off the session with some lat pull downs, incline DB bench (actually happy with this as I am still able to do 4 x 8 x 40) and rear delt raises. All the while being distracted by some tool yelling loudly and throwing weights.
Squats day: started off pretty crappy. I am kind of playing around with my form and think I have ended up tweaking with it so it does not quite work for me anymore. I also am less confident so I am not bouncing out of the hole as much as I am a bit more tentative. So, I decided to do some heavy front squats. I have never done low rep/heavy weight fronts before as I use as an assist. My usual front session is 4 x 6 - 10 x 105. So this session I went: 6x95, 6x105, 6x115, 3x135, 3x145, then singles at 155, 165, 175 and 185lb. My core started caving so thought it best to call it a day at that point. I was videoing my squats and sending to SideSteel as I was going (poor guy got video bombed). I was a little for forward even at the lighter weights, so I seem to have a natural lean. The last one of 185lb apparently looked painful, even though it did not feel like it was. I was however quite close to failure and not too far off dumping it forward. However, I am really happy with the session, especially considering I have not done heavy fronts before and even more so considering my sh!tty back squats. I do have some quad DOMS this morning - not surprisingly. New goal - 2 plate front squat by the end of the year!0 -
OMFG, I am crying...
bahahahaha. Too funny!0 -
End of week 10 update:
15-Sep-13 148.7
16-Sep-13 149.6
17-Sep-13 148
18-Sep-13 147.6
19-Sep-13 148.9
20-Sep-13 148.5
21-Sep-13 149.2
22-Sep-13 147.5
So, hit a new low this week of 147.5. Adherence is getting more challenging as I am kinda over it - while the refeed days are good, the lower carbs is pretty restrictive. The main reason though is that my lifts are suffering now.
I am pretty much missing my reps on my top sets on all lifts here and there - some worse than others.
Squats are terrible. Some I think has to do with form issues, possibly my levers changing as I get leaner. Something just feels off and I cannot quite place it.
Deads are starting to suffer but not as much - I think the odd bad session I have had is more to do with lack of sleep than diet.
OHP is pretty ****ty now and I am missing reps on the top set pretty regularly
Bench is oddly not bad. I reset my maxes I was calculating my weights off due to my shoulder injury, so that is a factor, but it is progressing and I am hitting my reps. I have been trying to get my form down and I think my focus is paying off. I am getting my shoulders driving into the bench more and am seeing progress in a better bar path (I had a huge J curve going on).
However...my saving grace....fronts.
I love 'em.
Did front squats twice this week and am seeing some really good numbers. My form still needs work as I tip forward, but I am getting better as I progress. I never really focused on form when going light so am pretty much starting from scratch so my progress is really making me happy. I throw them in now when I am totally tantrum'y from my sh!tty back squat sessions, plus on dead day. Best lifts for far this week were today's:
145 x 5 (Wednesday)
165 x 3 (Today)
195 for a 1RM PR (Today).
I did 190 before the 195 but depth was a close call. SideSteel suggested I rest up and try again. I snuck an extra 5lbs on and tried again. It wasn't purdy, but heh! it was a PR. Vid here - http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=6dzqrr&s=5#.Uj_JJIasim5
Main things I see re form is keeping elbows/torso up and dropping down more between my legs (I need to angle my toes out more and slightly widen my stance).0 -
I keep promising progress pics...so here we go...however, I am pissed that my obliques went into hiding - they usually show even at a high BF%. :grumble:
Dorky front flexed - I have real problems trying to flex my arms and abs at the same time. My arms are actually bigger I think (read bulky...lol) but are showing less definition than before my bulk so I think I am holding onto more fat here (it's a stubborn area for me).
Front relaxed - not a muscle to be seen
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Side relaxed - I am not seeing much of a difference. I look like I still have a pooch - I am beginning to think that it is more my posture as I really do not have much fat at all on my stomach. Plus....next time, remind me to brush my hair at the back.
Back flexed - I still have some lower back fat but pretty happy with the rest. My *kitten* is still hyooooge - not as huge as post bulk though!
Back relaxed - shows the most fat I think but also shows the most difference to my post bulk one. I look pretty muscly under that fat.
With regard to body fat, SideSteel estimated me at about 19% - 20%. I look like I have a little more LBM than when I started but also have a bit more fat than the end of my last cut, so it's hard to tell. I want to lose a % or two - so 2 - 3lbs more at a minimum, which should hopefully lean out my arms and back more, unless it all comes off my *kitten*.
Starting to think about timing and plan to reverse. Will update with a decision, hopefully this week. My main issue, as I mention, is my lifts, so performance is going to be a big factor in the timing. Also an issue is the amount of times SideSteel is rolling his eyes at me when we Skype, or giving me amused looks, when I go off on a rant. ****ty lifting and/or no BnJ = slightly psychotic Sara. There is also a direct relationship with the amount of swearing I do. If I were cutting for longer, about now would be a good time for a diet break.0 -
FS was awesome! and I agree with your form comments.
Also, looking great and I agree with SS's BF% estimate. Why not have a diet break for a couple of weeks and then continue for those extra couple of % points?0 -
Thanks Chris. New goal to add to the list - 2 big plate front squats by the end of the year ;-)
I am kinda stubborn so was wanting to push through the cut. I just do not do that well on lower cals/carbs and lifting however. Sleep has been pretty ****ty. I am going to give it another week, see if I can get better sleep and if things don't improve, will probably start reversing slowly and hope I lose a bit more when reversing up. If I can keep within a few lbs of 148, I can always do a quick cut to drop a bit extra.0 -
Update since my last post...the weight is still trending down *happy dance*
My weigh-ins through this morning were:
23-Sep-13 147.7 (day after refeed)
24-Sep-13 148.6
25-Sep-13 147.6
26-Sep-13 146.6
27-Sep-13 147.2 (day after another refeed...well, really a oop day)
28-Sep-13 147.4
The 146.6 was a new low - my lowest weight for over 20 years. I am happy about it but it also reminds me how much muscle I lost when I was ill, which does not make me happy. Before my aneurysm and related complications about 6 years ago, I was about 160lb, and I did not have 13lb more fat. Oh well, I can have fun eating more and working to get more of it back. Plus I am definitely stronger as I did not train for strength.
Lifting has, as always, been patchy.
Bench day was a bit off - embarrassing gym situation involving a thong (don't ask) got me a little discombobulated. I did get a decent amount of volume for assists in though.
Deadlifts today were not bad - did 270 x 3, which is 2 reps off my best at that weight, but I am not too unhappy about it considering my cut. Front squats were decent - got up to 185lb. I tipped my 195lb attempt, but I was very distracted by how much the bar was hurting me. My bone on the top of my shoulder (the one that sticks out) is really bruised from the barbell. I need to work on my bar positioning. I also did some bad girl machine work for the lulz (I never do them usually) as well as some bb hip thrusts - which I do not do very often, so I am probably going to be sore tomorrow.
OHP on the slate for tomorrow morning.
I have not done back squats on purpose this week. They are pissing me off so much that I decided to give it a week's break. I am actually due for a deload anyway, which I do not want to do while on a cut, so this seemed like a good compromise, especially with my hectic work schedule.
Possibly one more week of the cut to go, which will take me to the 12 weeks. Original goal was to get to 144 - 146lb in this time period, so it looks like I am on track for at least the upper end of that range.0 -
You're doing a fabulous job Sara! I wish I had half of your determination. When you reverse are you going to do it for a certain amount of time, a certain amount of pounds gained, or is some other deciding factor going to come into play?0
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You're doing a fabulous job Sara! I wish I had half of your determination. When you reverse are you going to do it for a certain amount of time, a certain amount of pounds gained, or is some other deciding factor going to come into play?
Thank you :flowerforyou:
I am hoping to lose a little more reversing, as I will probably take it slow. The timing is really a mix of how quickly I can reverse and not gain (and maybe lose), doing it slowly enough to bump up my TDEE as well as timing it around the yet to be determined PL meet.0 -
OK.....officially time to start reversing. Yay!!
Since my last update, my weight has been:
29-Sep-13 147.2
30-Sep-13 146.9
1-Oct-13 146.6
My first PL meet has been decided - a baby one on November 9th.
With that in mind, I will be changing my lifting routine and starting to up my carbs.
The plan is to add 15g carbs each week for 3 weeks, then add carbs every other week.
I am going to wrap this thread up with final pics and measurements at the weekend and start a new log of my lead up to the meet.0 -
So thats about 12lbs in 10 weeks right? I'd say you've done an awesome job, mission accomplished.
Just in time for you to get some good contest prep in too... I can see you absolutely smashing it.0
