How are the cuts going?
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Wish there was a 'like' button.
Good info HMVOL, thanks. I've planned to cut 15 lb - I'll keep those time frames in mind.0 -
FWIW a long cut IMO is 12 wks. I would never go past that and haven't. My most recent cut over the summer was 8 wks where I had my best success with a not so drastic deficit and controlled refeeds incorporated every week. Strength never diminished, actually improved and I was sane. Keyword sane. Never felt deprived, weak, miserable or struggled.
I think there are two perceptions to be aware of here which your posts really brings up (thank you)
there is long term weight loss- where for a lot of people we are talking about "just weight loss" and it's usually a fair bit of weight.
And then there is cutting- which is by nature typically more aggressive- there are more clearly defined goals and and end result in site- verses just "general weight loss". and it's specifically targeting body fat and maintaining muscle mass.
quick edit- technically the process is the same- calorie deficit is calorie deficit- just a slightly different mentality/approach.
something to keep in mind.0 -
Keep in mind, that if you bulked and were able to gain some muscle mass - losing what you want to look the way you want might not ultimately end up being 15 lbs. If you go for a specific weight goal, you might end up losing what you hoped to gain from a bulk in the first place. So what I'm saying is maybe try not to go for a specific weight goal but go by what you see in the mirror.I've planned to cut 15 lb - I'll keep those time frames in mind.0 -
FWIW a long cut IMO is 12 wks. I would never go past that and haven't. My most recent cut over the summer was 8 wks where I had my best success with a not so drastic deficit and controlled refeeds incorporated every week. Strength never diminished, actually improved and I was sane. Keyword sane. Never felt deprived, weak, miserable or struggled.
I think there are two perceptions to be aware of here which your posts really brings up (thank you)
there is long term weight loss- where for a lot of people we are talking about "just weight loss" and it's usually a fair bit of weight.
And then there is cutting- which is by nature typically more aggressive- there are more clearly defined goals and and end result in site- verses just "general weight loss". and it's specifically targeting body fat and maintaining muscle mass.
quick edit- technically the process is the same- calorie deficit is calorie deficit- just a slightly different mentality/approach.
something to keep in mind.
Exactly and understood. That's why I don't have a goal weight, goal BF etc. I will cut how I see fit for my goals and experiences and go based on how I look and feel. Bulking/Cutting is definitely a very different approach...mentally more challenging IMO.
I have to agree with Kim, it's easy to put a GW out there or I want to lose X amt of pounds but she's correct; if you've put on a appreciated muscle, you might be happier with a smaller loss.0 -
Hi ladies. I'm sorry I haven't been on here much lately. I continued to bulk until mid February when my coach mentioned an NPC competition in my state this May. After thinking about I decided what the heck. I'm going to enter it. I'm currently cutting. I don't think I have enough muscle yet but I know I have a lot more than when I started lifting last June.0
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Hi ladies. I'm sorry I haven't been on here much lately. I continued to bulk until mid February when my coach mentioned an NPC competition in my state this May. After thinking about I decided what the heck. I'm going to enter it. I'm currently cutting. I don't think I have enough muscle yet but I know I have a lot more than when I started lifting last June.
you've come so far!!! MIGHT AS WELL!!!
Give it a shot!!! See how it goes.
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Dropping in to say I took some measurements this morning for month one into cut and after no loss on the scale this week, I was pleasantly surprised! I've lost 1.25" on my waist and 1.25" around my belly button. I am really thrilled with my overall look at this point! Lifts are still increasing and my energy level is starting to balance out again. My workout today was great!
Looking like this will be a nice quick cut and I'll be on my way to maintenance shortly.0 -
I'm trying to cut... Not working so well since I'm not even sure how to set my calorie goal. I gained about 1/4 to 1/2 pound / weekly while bulking at around 2400-2500. In your opinion, would 2000 be low enough to lose a little?
I'm going on a beach vacation in three weeks and even though I like how I look, I wouldn't mind dropping 1-2 pounds of fat until then (of course it might also be muscle but we'll see). I am 5'5, 123-124 pounds, lifting 3-4x a week. I'll start doing some HIIT 2x a week... eventually
Online calculators are all over the place. Some suggest 1400 calories, others 2100... basically, I'm not sure what to do and I know I need a plan!
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Hi!
So far so good, I think. March was a bit of a write-off but I'm back on track and doing ok at this new intake level (2000 vs. 2600) I'm still lifting 3x/week and trying to add some cardio in 2-3 times as well. I'm not hungry (usually) with this amount, so that's good. I am down to about 137-138 depending on the day, so that's the water weight plus a little extra I hope. I seem to be noticing a little more definition in my upper body - that's the first place that fat drops on me - so I think things are moving in the right direction. It's going slower than I'd planned, but I think this is going to be a reasonable and sustainable pace and won't affect my gym performance too terribly 0 -
I'm trying to cut... Not working so well since I'm not even sure how to set my calorie goal. I gained about 1/4 to 1/2 pound / weekly while bulking at around 2400-2500. In your opinion, would 2000 be low enough to lose a little?
I'm going on a beach vacation in three weeks and even though I like how I look, I wouldn't mind dropping 1-2 pounds of fat until then (of course it might also be muscle but we'll see). I am 5'5, 123-124 pounds, lifting 3-4x a week. I'll start doing some HIIT 2x a week... eventually
Online calculators are all over the place. Some suggest 1400 calories, others 2100... basically, I'm not sure what to do and I know I need a plan!
I'd try to figure out much you were gaining per week with your bulking calories, and then figure your maintenance from there. So if you were gaining half a pound per week on 2500 then that would make your maintenance roughly 2250. I'd eat at maintenance for a couple of weeks to normalize, and then drop down to 2000. That should give you a loss of half a pound per week.
I'm new to bulking and cutting so I could be completely off base, but that's how I'd go about it. I always do better changing calorie goal gradually, mostly in terms of adherence.0 -
Well, I'm only one week in but going well so far. 1.8 lb loss (at 1710 (slightly over most days)) this week and my lifts don't seem to have suffered. Bit early to get excited but the inch I gained on my waist appears to have gone already 0
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as of Saturday holding steady at 173- had a heavy drop the first week- and not much since.
First week I went a little crazy with the cut- had a really low net calorie- probably under 1200- paid for it by Wednesday the following week (so 8 days later)... balanced out a little better now- I do much better when I'm at work- I can organize my food and mentally plan for the "hungry" phase.
Saturday was a wash- ate like almost 3500 calories- but upside- still had a solid deficit for the week- I need more cardio- but I hate doing it- so trying to make time for it is a pain in the *kitten*. bleck- looking to see a drop this week as it will be the third week.
I feel smaller- I know I'm not- but I feel like it!! which is a nice feeling. Going to try to start shoving myself back into my skinny clothes LOL.
Also going to get a bin and label it BULKING and throw ALL my dresses/pants and everything that are big for me when I'm 20 lbs lighter in it and put it in the basement- try to clear some room in my closet!!!
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I didn't realize you had moved to cutting Jo - good luck! I'm sure you will do great and figure out the right balance. Sounds like a great plan with the clothes.0
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April 1st was my official date... I'm down to 170 as of this morning. Been doing a bit better this past week with burned and net- first week I went way to much (not surprised).
I'll be happy if I hit 160 and maintain. That puts me back to where I was last summer.0 -
I'm trying to decide how low I want to get my body fat before I'm "done", then I'll switch to maintenance for the remainder of the summer, and start bulking September 1st. I'm excited for that! I'm trying to cut slowly, and I was and then I wasn't. Not sure what is going on. I'm not willing to be hungry just to get abs though especially when I don't plan to compete.
Week Avg cals Weight
4/7-4/13 1872 139.5 today.
3/31-4/6 1811
3/24-3/30 1783
3/17-3/23 1985
3/10-3/16 1786 139.1
3/3-3/9 1899
2/24-3/2 1899 140.2
2/17-2/23 1724 140.4
2/10-2/16 1861 141.1
2/3-2/9 1689 141.9
1/27-2/2 2092 142.2
1/20-1/26 1649 142.4
01/13-01/19 1855
01/06-01/12 1742 144.00 -
I lost a few lbs in the first few weeks, then *crickets* .....nothin.' I decided soon after to do more of a recomp. I was happy to find out that I didn't have to cut my cals extremely low, they're at 1800 now, and that's about as low as I can go. I think my body has found its sweet spot. It seems to want to stay at 123 so what the hell, I'll take it. I have noticed however that my waist is smaller, and I have lost body fat according to a caliper test that was done last month.0
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Those are great results Karen! I think our bodies definitely have a happy place. I've lost weight a few times over the years but I always stabilize back at the same place.0
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Cut is still going good; typical losing from the top down and I'm ok with that. My legs have slimmed some but not a great deal and I will be happy if they never do! I've only lost 2lbs on the scale but I know I've lost inches by measurements and I fit in my normal clothes again, just fill them out much more curvier. My girls pretty much disappeared overnight last week but I lose much weight there first...???? Cals at 2150, lift 5 days and cardio is 1-2 times a week for 15ish mins. Happy with my results though slower than some, just means I am maintaining what I built up and that's what I wanted.
Strength is still going strong, lifts are still going up though at a different rate bc I moved to the 6-8r rep for awhile as a break. Dead/Squat # go up as well as reps each week and hit 135lb on last set for decline bench yesterday. No cutting effects with my lifting here.0 -
Strength is still going strong, lifts are still going up though at a different rate bc I moved to the 6-8r rep for awhile as a break. Dead/Squat # go up as well as reps each week and hit 135lb on last set for decline bench yesterday. No cutting effects with my lifting here.
That's always a good thing.
I'm interested to see what I lose out of mine- I get back on a regular program next Monday I'm anxious to see how it turns out for the June meet.0 -
I bulked over winter, started at 123lb and topped out at just under 132lb. I've been cutting at about 100 cals under a day for a couple of months and am at about 128.5lb. My maintenance is 1750(coz no car, 9 yo son, no tv or sofa and insomniac lol) so it's between sedentary and lightly active on the scooby scale. My burns vary drastically, as I use 7 heart rate zones over 3 disciplines! But I think I've got em nailed!
Because my measurements are so close to when I was 123lb, I'm convinced I've gained more muscle than I previously thought. Or maybe my bones have just densed up? I planned to gain 1.5lb muscle tissue over 6 weeks. There's 3.5lb left unaccounted for, it can't be fat coz I'm the same size as 123lb give or take a couple of shoulder and back inches that I didn't measure.
It's mysterious.
Very happy with results. Now that tri training season is here, I'm on maintenance, but weirdly seem to be still slowly dropping, even though I haven't changed my numbers since I was at 132lb. Maybe high carbs before training makes me burn more calories because I can do more. Maybe my BMR is higher. I'm not doing any lifting either at the moment, as I'm getting too tight in glutes and hams to run.
I am nutrient partitioning and loading heavy carbs before/after cardio, and keeping lower carb other times.
I plateaued for about 6 weeks (just like last cut), which has made me even more convinced of Lyles woosh effect.
I am seeing where I end up but still using the same maintenance and burn numbers.
Fitness wise, getting faster very quickly, and passing times I was running a year ago training for same race. Nowhere near as fast as when I was 123 lb yet, but my goal is to be as fast with the added muscle. Still strong in the lifts.0 -
Wow - you are doing great!! I love hearing of the success stories from women who are doing it nice and slow and getting the results they want without sacrificing their lifts. *insert clapping hands here*Cut is still going good; typical losing from the top down and I'm ok with that. My legs have slimmed some but not a great deal and I will be happy if they never do! I've only lost 2lbs on the scale but I know I've lost inches by measurements and I fit in my normal clothes again, just fill them out much more curvier. My girls pretty much disappeared overnight last week but I lose much weight there first...???? Cals at 2150, lift 5 days and cardio is 1-2 times a week for 15ish mins. Happy with my results though slower than some, just means I am maintaining what I built up and that's what I wanted.
Strength is still going strong, lifts are still going up though at a different rate bc I moved to the 6-8r rep for awhile as a break. Dead/Squat # go up as well as reps each week and hit 135lb on last set for decline bench yesterday. No cutting effects with my lifting here.0 -
Lyles woosh effect? Not heard that one before! :happy:0
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Lyles woosh effect? Not heard that one before! :happy:
Sorry! It's seemed like nonsense!....I'll try and elaborate. Lyle MacDonald has a theory that when the fat cells are emptying because of deficit, they replace fat with water for a while and hold for a few weeks while the cut is taking place, then woosh! One day they just empty!! So weird and contraversial but it's happened to me at least twice, making me cut too far to get results.
This time I held my ground, cut and stayed at 130 for about 5/6 weeks then bam! Dropped 2 lbs, getting me back on schedule. No water drop either, it was on a normal intensity workout week, and not cycle related either.0 -
Thanks for clearing that up, sounds great. I now have wonderful mental images of fat 'whooshing' out of the body :laugh:0
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Sorry! It's seemed like nonsense!....I'll try and elaborate. Lyle MacDonald has a theory that when the fat cells are emptying because of deficit, they replace fat with water for a while and hold for a few weeks while the cut is taking place, then woosh! One day they just empty!! So weird and contraversial but it's happened to me at least twice, making me cut too far to get results.
This time I held my ground, cut and stayed at 130 for about 5/6 weeks then bam! Dropped 2 lbs, getting me back on schedule. No water drop either, it was on a normal intensity workout week, and not cycle related either.
This is very interesting. I'll keep it in mind when I start my cut!0 -
FWIW, I get these "whooshes". I got one today, actually...I've been stuck at 137 for several weeks and today - boom: 135.5. So things are looking good overall for this cut so far. I think I have another 3-4 lbs to go before I'm close enough to happy to up my intake again. Definitely losing body fat - upper body is getting leaner and the abs are starting to make an appearance again I've managed to stick with 2000/day but I'm feeling the effects - not hungry, usually, just that annoying dopey brain-fog. Gym performance is fine, but that's probably because I've started a new lifting program and it meant doing a big deload. Probably good timing
Hope everyone else is doing ok!0 -
I'm a little pissy today… I initially dropped a little water weight when I started my cut and then saw no scale loss, but had a great measurement loss on waist and around my belly so I remained hopeful. Well, I gained that water weight back during TOM and have not dropped it since. I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels here. Still super accurate with weighing/measuring, staying in my deficit and going hard on my work outs. I even added in a few extra runs to my week. Alas, no change!
I am just about effing over cutting. I'm starting to get tired pretty quickly into lifts and I don't want to fall in the trap of just "going through the motions" of my workout for the sake of scale weight. For the most part, I'm pretty happy at this weight. My tummy isn't "bikini ready", but it's not like I plan to be in a bikini much around anyone but my husband and kid this summer, so I suppose that's not a big deal.
Anyway, I'm sticking it out until May. If nothing budges, screw this. Maintenance time it is. I miss feeling like a freaking beast while lifting. I wish bulking season was foreeeeeever!0 -
I miss feeling like a freaking beast while lifting. I wish bulking season was foreeeeeever!
lol I know dem feels :P0 -
Stalled out. Who'd have guessed that stress and mental fatigue is really bad for adherence. >.>
So I've decided to give 6:1 a shot, somehow a full day of fasting is hell of a lot more manageable from purely psychological PoV for me. Just need to find a good fast day placement within my weekly schedule so it doesn't impact the training too much.0 -
Cut is not going, for me, now at all. Dropped 1.8 the first week then no drop on the scale since, in fact, I've all but gained the first loss back
I've been over most days but just averaged things out for the past fortnight and it works out at 1730. Sticking to this for one more week then I'll need to get more drastic, I think. 6:1 sounds interesting, hishtagat - might try it too. On the plus side, I haven't noticed a drop in strength yet.
Fingers crossed for one of these 'whooshes' you speak of.0
