When a bulk goes too far!

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AaronSmitty1
AaronSmitty1 Posts: 4 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi everyone

I had an issue a while ago where I got down to a weight (maybe not the most lean but less them ive been in a long tome) and I decided after 65lb loss I could afford to give my body a break, and try my first bulk

IT DIDNT GO WELL

That is entirely my fault and I can understand and appreciate that. I used my bulk as an excuse to let me have all the foods I had been avoiding and I simultaneously switched to a powerlifter gym (read: has no cardio equipment, say what you will but when you hate cardio equipment can really make life easier) and now I am almost back to where I started, albeit with more muscle

Now I am spinning my wheels trying to lose weight again. I am trying just about everything I did before but its still proving to be hard, especially in quarantine.

Any tips?

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited June 2020
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    I finished my first bulk in March, and I found it was really hard to switch back into cutting mode. It took me a good 6-8 weeks to get back into the swing of a calorie deficit (COVID lockdown didn't help, but I did maintain through that! ;) ).

    Make your deficit really small, like 100-200 calories under maintenance. Once you get in the rhythm of that, increase the deficit another 100-200 calories. Rinse and repeat until you're at the deficit you want.
  • MidlifeCrisisFitness
    MidlifeCrisisFitness Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Don't bulk and cut. Pick a lifestyle you can continue and stick with it.

    Set yourself up with a slight caloric deficit do full body training daily and 2 to 3 sessions of cardio weekly walking on the off days. Aim for a 1/2 lb loss per week and be patient. Use your fat reserves to fuel muscle building and stay calorie deficient until you hit goal. Then raise your calories slowly until you maintain.

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    What works for me coming off a bulk, transition to maintenance for a few weeks to get used to the reduction in intake. Then as mentioned I would start with a small deficit (0.5lb per week) then increase as time goes on as you get used to the intake. Increasing protein, make sure you are getting 0.8-1g per lb goalweight. Also something to consider, maybe try not cutting ALL the foods you love to eat, try to incorporate them in your daily or weekly intake so it's not so painful. I make a plan and get excited about it and try to get into a good routine and rhythm. My bulks aren't too far off from how I normally eat so that helps too.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    What works for me coming off a bulk, transition to maintenance for a few weeks to get used to the reduction in intake. Then as mentioned I would start with a small deficit (0.5lb per week) then increase as time goes on as you get used to the intake. Increasing protein, make sure you are getting 0.8-1g per lb goalweight. Also something to consider, maybe try not cutting ALL the foods you love to eat, try to incorporate them in your daily or weekly intake so it's not so painful. I make a plan and get excited about it and try to get into a good routine and rhythm. My bulks aren't too far off from how I normally eat so that helps too.

    I almost tagged you, @sardelsa. LOL
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited June 2020
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    What works for me coming off a bulk, transition to maintenance for a few weeks to get used to the reduction in intake. Then as mentioned I would start with a small deficit (0.5lb per week) then increase as time goes on as you get used to the intake. Increasing protein, make sure you are getting 0.8-1g per lb goalweight. Also something to consider, maybe try not cutting ALL the foods you love to eat, try to incorporate them in your daily or weekly intake so it's not so painful. I make a plan and get excited about it and try to get into a good routine and rhythm. My bulks aren't too far off from how I normally eat so that helps too.

    I almost tagged you, @sardelsa. LOL

    Haha ya I'm a good example recently of when a bulk goes too far and out pops a baby :p

    Hopefully that doesn't happen to @AaronSmitty1! :#
  • AaronSmitty1
    AaronSmitty1 Posts: 4 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    What works for me coming off a bulk, transition to maintenance for a few weeks to get used to the reduction in intake. Then as mentioned I would start with a small deficit (0.5lb per week) then increase as time goes on as you get used to the intake. Increasing protein, make sure you are getting 0.8-1g per lb goalweight. Also something to consider, maybe try not cutting ALL the foods you love to eat, try to incorporate them in your daily or weekly intake so it's not so painful. I make a plan and get excited about it and try to get into a good routine and rhythm. My bulks aren't too far off from how I normally eat so that helps too.

    I almost tagged you, @sardelsa. LOL

    Haha ya I'm a good example recently of when a bulk goes too far and out pops a baby :p

    Hopefully that doesn't happen to @AaronSmitty1! :#

    Haha I am in fact a male so idk where I would "pop out" a baby and I shudder to consider it haha.

    I was generally good at incoporating most foods I enjoyed at certain times but I did have to turn them down sometimes (decrease frequency I ate them) that I stopped doing when I was "bulking"

    I am now tracking to see where my current eating puts me. I will make sure to make very small cuts. Any other suggestions I'm open to as well

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