Anyone cutting after a bulk?

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Replies

  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    sarahlifts wrote: »
    I'm finally in the cut boat. Went from 137 to 166 in 12 months. I'm currently at 159 lbs1`q

    Ready to end the fluff now. I know it will take time. I'm cutting for the sake of stripping the fat. I need to set a date. I'll be updating here.

    Right now at 159 I feel so fat. Its my feeling, I don't feel my best, my clothes don't fit, I can wear my size 4 pants but they are tight as hell on me. I'm not bikini ready. Yes I have a body yes I can put it in a bikini but at the end of the day I have standards for myself. Not What others think. I'll put on a full bathing suit before I wear a bikini.

    This is my last bulk. I'm glad its over. I took this as far as I could take it, in weight gained, in food consumed, and in weight on the bar.

    Good luck and keep at it! Sounds like you're in the best place for a cut and ready to show what you've worked for during your bulk. Keep us posted with your progress :smile:
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    sarahlifts wrote: »
    I'm finally in the cut boat. Went from 137 to 166 in 12 months. I'm currently at 159 lbs1`q

    Ready to end the fluff now. I know it will take time. I'm cutting for the sake of stripping the fat. I need to set a date. I'll be updating here.

    Right now at 159 I feel so fat. Its my feeling, I don't feel my best, my clothes don't fit, I can wear my size 4 pants but they are tight as hell on me. I'm not bikini ready. Yes I have a body yes I can put it in a bikini but at the end of the day I have standards for myself. Not What others think. I'll put on a full bathing suit before I wear a bikini.

    This is my last bulk. I'm glad its over. I took this as far as I could take it, in weight gained, in food consumed, and in weight on the bar.

    Good luck! :)
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Yesterday kicked off week 4 of rfl cut and progress has slowed a bit:
    Starting Weight - 216lbs
    End of week 1 - 208lbs
    End of week 2 - 206
    End of week 3 - 203
    This passed weekend was a bit rough and I fell off the program Friday by having a few drinks. Was able to mostly keep my eating under control but the booze calories were heavier than I wanted. Also, during my refeed at a family party on Sunday, I ate too many desserts with high fat and sugar. But, all my free time was filled with heavy yard work so I'm not stressing it much. Back to the routine as of yesterday and will end the run this coming Sunday. After that, I'll spend a week building up to maintenance followed by two weeks vacation at maintenance (as much as possible) then I'll reassess whether to run a few more weeks of rfl or a more traditional cut.

    Yea my weekend was the same. Arg. It's so hard with family gatherings! :s Sounds like you are doing really well though, keep it up!
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    mine was also the same but after 13 weeks of cutting and dropping 11 pounds ... whatever. probably helped reset some leptin anyhow. solid refeed ha!

    I'll go hard this week then I have a week at the beach. Also going to be a whatever week and although I'll keep things fairly under control there will be no tracking, some beer and treats. Then going hard for 4-6 more weeks and will reverse out. This year's cut was a dry run to see if I want to complete next year. Also my first bulk and cut cycle. I have some friends who think I should but I'll hire a coach to get unbiased opinions. I'm Still not sure. it's pretty damn hard to get that lean and keep up with our little kids. 5 and baby. They don't understand tired. at all.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    You can check progress of my bulk to cut on my instagram!
    @jordanv1996
    https://www.instagram.com/jordanv1996/?hl=en
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    lol one 5 year old and a baby. not 5 kids.. good God no. 2 is plenty
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    jdog022 wrote: »
    lol one 5 year old and a baby. not 5 kids.. good God no. 2 is plenty

    :D
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    jdog022 wrote: »
    lol one 5 year old and a baby. not 5 kids.. good God no. 2 is plenty

    HAHAHA! Here I am thinking my one is plenty.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Finally got on the right track after posting on 5/14, finished out that week to come in average right about maintenance, and have been under in the two weeks since, down to 173 this morning from a high of 179. By weekly weight averages I was down 1.5 lbs last week and on pace to hit at least that much this week. My plan had been to finish my cut this week, theoretically in the 166-167lb range but that clearly didn't happen with my slow and admittedly poor transition. Audible is to continue cutting for at least the next two full weeks, maybe the whole month of June, and just see how lean I can get in that time frame.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited May 2018
    @steveko89 sounds like you are doing well, slow is better than not at all! What are your plans after you lean down? Are you going to bulk or hang out there?

    I am also going slow... I am finally seeing visual progress which is all I really care about in the end. Libra tells me I will hit my goal end of November.. that's not too bad right? :p

    sc4vg5ald02r.jpg

  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Thanks, @sardelsa. Can't complain too much, my moving average is lower now than at any point all of last year and I haven't gotten all the way down to my target cutting calories yet. The target has been the same at 1750/day; but I was averaging ~2900 through the week of 5/6, 2600 for week of 5/13, 2300 last week, on track to average right around 2000 this week.

    I've been going back and forth on what to do next. Happy Scale has me hitting 166.5 by the end of the month at my current pace of 1.1 lbs/week. I've not seen that on the scale since 2014, well before I started lifting regularly, so that will be an interesting comparison assuming I stick it out to get there. By estimate, that should work out to be around 12% body fat, a decent place to start a lean bulk, which I've never really executed correctly in the past (didn't increase protein enough requisite to calories, probably gained too fast). Given my history, I might hedge and just recomp or recomp+.
  • billkansas
    billkansas Posts: 267 Member
    Fwiw, here's my data. I'm too much a tightwad to be a paid member (so using excel). I know... two weeks of data means almost nothing. Calorie intake upward trend past couple days due to my wife making chocolate chip cookies. I was 213 lbs back in April...

    ixxfsldhslsm.png
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    jdog022 wrote: »
    lol one 5 year old and a baby. not 5 kids.. good God no. 2 is plenty

    HAHAHA! Here I am thinking my one is plenty.

    Amen. One and done.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    Another overachiever for memorial day weekend! I ate a crazy amount of food Saturday and Sunday. I couldn't even begin to calculate it. I ate a Costco size snack bag over the course of 2 days that was over 5,000 calories by itself - plus a lot of other food. I am just going to call those "recovery days".

    This morning I was pretty close to my pre recovery days weight.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    So my trend weight has me at 140.7lbs or so.. which is probably the most I've weighed and looked this lean. While the scale is moving at a snail pace, I can already see the results of this bulk which I am super happy about. Definition is starting to peak through and glutes are holding steady (you will just have to take my word on that one :p )

    kpszhfjojhxd.jpg

    You look amazing, but I expected nothing less. At your height, I'm sure most people (who don't lift) would think you're around 125 lbs!
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    Phew!!!! Week 4 of my initial rfl phase in the books; wrapped it up yesterday with a refeed (omg I've never appreciated spaghetti more than that meal!) and I'm working my way up to maintenance calories throughout the next couple days.
    Starting Weight - 216lbs
    End of week 1 - 208lbs
    End of week 2 - 206
    End of week 3 - 203
    End of week 4 - 200
    I expect about 5lbs of waterweight to come back. Pretty pleased with the loss overall and happy with my adherence despite a day or two of slip ups. This was far and away the most challenging diet but the results matched the input effort. Actually looking forward to phase 2 after vacation. Thinking I'll shoot for 6 weeks duration and goal weight of 190.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    New low weigh in on the cut today. That means 800 grams of carbs today for my refeed!!!!! B)
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    New low weigh in on the cut today. That means 800 grams of carbs today for my refeed!!!!! B)

    Wine doesn't count as a carb does it? ... rats... :p
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    New low weigh in on the cut today. That means 800 grams of carbs today for my refeed!!!!! B)

    Wine doesn't count as a carb does it? ... rats... :p

    Not a fan anyways! I’d rather eat my cals
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    New low weigh in on the cut today. That means 800 grams of carbs today for my refeed!!!!! B)

    Wine doesn't count as a carb does it? ... rats... :p

    Not a fan anyways! I’d rather eat my cals

    Oh I love eating but there are days I choose wine ;)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    edited June 2018
    So i started reading Lyle McDonalds RFL handbook... This diet is nuts but i might just try it.

    For those who have tried it, is compliance as hard as it might seem? Or do you just push through it?
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    New low weigh in on the cut today. That means 800 grams of carbs today for my refeed!!!!! B)

    Wine doesn't count as a carb does it? ... rats... :p

    Not a fan anyways! I’d rather eat my cals

    That's a truckload of carbs. What did that consist of?
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    @psuLemon, I found this write-up and it looks like it was pretty effective for this dude.
    http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/rapid-fatloss-handbook-before-and-after-results-review/

    I've not read RFL but based on what this guy did I think it would be doable for a set amount of time, especially if you had a stretch without any family or social obligations to guarantee strict adherence and just power through. I'm curious if anyone on this thread has tried it too. The macros don't seem entirely unreasonable, the ~50% deficit is what would be the killer.
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So i started reading Lyle McDonalds RFL handbook... This diet is nuts but i might just try it.

    For those who have tried it, is compliance as hard as it might seem? Or do you just push through it?

    I just finished 4 weeks on it and found it challenging at some points but actually fairly easy for most of the time. It's so rigidly structured that you don't have much room for error. The entire point of it to most efficiently cut fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. So, there isn't a set deficit or carb/fat value; it's as simple as ingesting the proper amount of protein and recommended supplements while reducing carb/fat calories to the bare minimum you can manage. It's not enjoyable - like it gets hard to choke down chicken and egg whites at times. But, in my experience, the results are undeniable. Top key's for me were:
    1. Read the book and take notes, review the website & forums, supplement with reddit r/psmf information, refer back to book, repeat. It's not a perfectly written plan and LM leaves plenty open to interpretation but most of that is minor details that don't matter much in the end.
    2. Have a solid plan. Know your meals/supplements for the entire week and DO NOT deviate.
    3. Follow LM's workout advice. More cardio than he recommends will stall progress and take a serious toll on the body. Lifting weights gets pretty hard and your volume will need reduced. I did a yoga class a couple times that wiped me OUT.
    4. Remember why you're doing this diet and trust the process to be worth the sacrifice.

    Certainly 1 phase doesn't make me any sort of expert but I feel like I learned a lot running it so feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll let you know my take on it.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So i started reading Lyle McDonalds RFL handbook... This diet is nuts but i might just try it.

    For those who have tried it, is compliance as hard as it might seem? Or do you just push through it?

    I just finished 4 weeks on it and found it challenging at some points but actually fairly easy for most of the time. It's so rigidly structured that you don't have much room for error. The entire point of it to most efficiently cut fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. So, there isn't a set deficit or carb/fat value; it's as simple as ingesting the proper amount of protein and recommended supplements while reducing carb/fat calories to the bare minimum you can manage. It's not enjoyable - like it gets hard to choke down chicken and egg whites at times. But, in my experience, the results are undeniable. Top key's for me were:
    1. Read the book and take notes, review the website & forums, supplement with reddit r/psmf information, refer back to book, repeat. It's not a perfectly written plan and LM leaves plenty open to interpretation but most of that is minor details that don't matter much in the end.
    2. Have a solid plan. Know your meals/supplements for the entire week and DO NOT deviate.
    3. Follow LM's workout advice. More cardio than he recommends will stall progress and take a serious toll on the body. Lifting weights gets pretty hard and your volume will need reduced. I did a yoga class a couple times that wiped me OUT.
    4. Remember why you're doing this diet and trust the process to be worth the sacrifice.

    Certainly 1 phase doesn't make me any sort of expert but I feel like I learned a lot running it so feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll let you know my take on it.

    - Did you record your calories during those four weeks? What did you average?
    - How much weight did you lose over that span?
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    steveko89 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So i started reading Lyle McDonalds RFL handbook... This diet is nuts but i might just try it.

    For those who have tried it, is compliance as hard as it might seem? Or do you just push through it?

    I just finished 4 weeks on it and found it challenging at some points but actually fairly easy for most of the time. It's so rigidly structured that you don't have much room for error. The entire point of it to most efficiently cut fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. So, there isn't a set deficit or carb/fat value; it's as simple as ingesting the proper amount of protein and recommended supplements while reducing carb/fat calories to the bare minimum you can manage. It's not enjoyable - like it gets hard to choke down chicken and egg whites at times. But, in my experience, the results are undeniable. Top key's for me were:
    1. Read the book and take notes, review the website & forums, supplement with reddit r/psmf information, refer back to book, repeat. It's not a perfectly written plan and LM leaves plenty open to interpretation but most of that is minor details that don't matter much in the end.
    2. Have a solid plan. Know your meals/supplements for the entire week and DO NOT deviate.
    3. Follow LM's workout advice. More cardio than he recommends will stall progress and take a serious toll on the body. Lifting weights gets pretty hard and your volume will need reduced. I did a yoga class a couple times that wiped me OUT.
    4. Remember why you're doing this diet and trust the process to be worth the sacrifice.

    Certainly 1 phase doesn't make me any sort of expert but I feel like I learned a lot running it so feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll let you know my take on it.

    - Did you record your calories during those four weeks? What did you average?
    - How much weight did you lose over that span?
    I tracked my intake very specifically (other than 2 refeeds that didn't require close monitoring). Average calories was around 1400/day. Protein requirement was 220g/day.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    steveko89 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So i started reading Lyle McDonalds RFL handbook... This diet is nuts but i might just try it.

    For those who have tried it, is compliance as hard as it might seem? Or do you just push through it?

    I just finished 4 weeks on it and found it challenging at some points but actually fairly easy for most of the time. It's so rigidly structured that you don't have much room for error. The entire point of it to most efficiently cut fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. So, there isn't a set deficit or carb/fat value; it's as simple as ingesting the proper amount of protein and recommended supplements while reducing carb/fat calories to the bare minimum you can manage. It's not enjoyable - like it gets hard to choke down chicken and egg whites at times. But, in my experience, the results are undeniable. Top key's for me were:
    1. Read the book and take notes, review the website & forums, supplement with reddit r/psmf information, refer back to book, repeat. It's not a perfectly written plan and LM leaves plenty open to interpretation but most of that is minor details that don't matter much in the end.
    2. Have a solid plan. Know your meals/supplements for the entire week and DO NOT deviate.
    3. Follow LM's workout advice. More cardio than he recommends will stall progress and take a serious toll on the body. Lifting weights gets pretty hard and your volume will need reduced. I did a yoga class a couple times that wiped me OUT.
    4. Remember why you're doing this diet and trust the process to be worth the sacrifice.

    Certainly 1 phase doesn't make me any sort of expert but I feel like I learned a lot running it so feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll let you know my take on it.

    - Did you record your calories during those four weeks? What did you average?
    - How much weight did you lose over that span?
    I tracked my intake very specifically (other than 2 refeeds that didn't require close monitoring). Average calories was around 1400/day. Protein requirement was 220g/day.

    So a deficit requisite to about 1.75 lbs/week, give or take?
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    steveko89 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So i started reading Lyle McDonalds RFL handbook... This diet is nuts but i might just try it.

    For those who have tried it, is compliance as hard as it might seem? Or do you just push through it?

    I just finished 4 weeks on it and found it challenging at some points but actually fairly easy for most of the time. It's so rigidly structured that you don't have much room for error. The entire point of it to most efficiently cut fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. So, there isn't a set deficit or carb/fat value; it's as simple as ingesting the proper amount of protein and recommended supplements while reducing carb/fat calories to the bare minimum you can manage. It's not enjoyable - like it gets hard to choke down chicken and egg whites at times. But, in my experience, the results are undeniable. Top key's for me were:
    1. Read the book and take notes, review the website & forums, supplement with reddit r/psmf information, refer back to book, repeat. It's not a perfectly written plan and LM leaves plenty open to interpretation but most of that is minor details that don't matter much in the end.
    2. Have a solid plan. Know your meals/supplements for the entire week and DO NOT deviate.
    3. Follow LM's workout advice. More cardio than he recommends will stall progress and take a serious toll on the body. Lifting weights gets pretty hard and your volume will need reduced. I did a yoga class a couple times that wiped me OUT.
    4. Remember why you're doing this diet and trust the process to be worth the sacrifice.

    Certainly 1 phase doesn't make me any sort of expert but I feel like I learned a lot running it so feel free to let me know if you have any questions and I'll let you know my take on it.

    - Did you record your calories during those four weeks? What did you average?
    - How much weight did you lose over that span?
    I tracked my intake very specifically (other than 2 refeeds that didn't require close monitoring). Average calories was around 1400/day. Protein requirement was 220g/day.

    Forgot to add, lost 16Lbs overall and I'm still stepping up to maintenance so the returning water weight hasn't shown just yet.

    Also, I'll make my diary public for a bit in case anyone interested in the most boring list of foods possible lol