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February Cuts

karrielynn80
karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
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Just starting this for those starting in February. I'm continuing thru Feb (and maybe beyond) but i know i really like having a mini-group to be accountable to. :D

Replies

  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    I'm starting in Feb, glad to see this! Its my first official cut.
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
    I'm in! I could use the accountability this month to get back on track

    ETA: Are you using TDEE-20% as a guide for the cut?
  • N4monsters
    N4monsters Posts: 44 Member
    What do you mean by cut?
  • Annaruthus
    Annaruthus Posts: 301 Member
    What do you mean by cut?

    Means you are "cutting" fat. People do it for different reasons. If you bulk (eat more to build muscle) regularly, having a cut inbetween your bulking phases is good to keep you from looking like you aren't in shape anymore. I cut for fitness competitions. Some people will cut for special events, like weddings or anniversaries, and vacations.
  • Annaruthus
    Annaruthus Posts: 301 Member
    So in the last week (27 Jan-03 Feb):

    123.6--> 122.8 lbs
    waist: 25" --> 24.75"
    hips: 35"-->34.5"
    thighs: 20.5"-->20.25"
    body fat: I think it is somewhere between 15-15.5%

    Think that this week I will add in afternoon cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and maybe Thursday as well. During this competition prep, I'm trying to see how high I can keep my calories, and still lose body fat. I spent A LOT of time hungry during the last cut, and I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible.

    My goal for February is to reach 120 lbs, although it looks like I may exceed my goal!
  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    I'm in! I could use the accountability this month to get back on track

    ETA: Are you using TDEE-20% as a guide for the cut?

    I'm planning to use TDEE-20% but going a little higher on heavy workout days which it looks like is going to be all of them! I may need to redo my numbers actually....

    I'm not quite sure what to set as a goal since this is my first real cut so I guess I will just see how it goes!
  • MarineCodie
    MarineCodie Posts: 256 Member
    I'm cutting in February! My first time trying the Protein Sparing Modified Fast method. I'll up date with progress - and possibly pics by the end of the month. Good luck to everyone!
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    Here's my stats (moved over from January Cut):
    SW*01.02.13 (sw): 128.7 bf%: 30.7 caliper bf%
    wk 1*01.09.13: .............125.4..........26.5..............NA
    wk 2*01.16.13: .............125.6..........27.4..............NA
    wk 3*01.23.13: .............125.6..........26.8..............NA
    wk 4*01.30.13: .............125.6..........27.6..............21.4 :) -not so great eating this wk.
    Jan Results:........... <3.1>........<3.1>.............NA

    And here's the contiuation for February:
    wk 5*02.06.13: .............124.8..........26.6..............19.81 - i'm blaming my high sodium intake & TOM for last wks gain :)
    wk 6*02.13.13:
    wk 7*02.20.13:
    wk 8*02.27.13:
    Feb Results:........... <tba>........<tba>.............<tba>

    wk 1 calorie goal: 1700
    wk 2 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 3 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 4 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 5 calorie goal: 1550
    wk 6 calorie goal: 1550

    You can see the full details here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/kare71913/view/cut-2-after-the-dirty-lil-bulk-we-shall-not-speak-of-463735
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
    I weighed in and took measurements this morning. Looks like I'm down about 2 lbs. from a couple weeks ago! So happy I bumped up my calories.
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    I weighed in and took measurements this morning. Looks like I'm down about 2 lbs. from a couple weeks ago! So happy I bumped up my calories.
    great job!
  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    Starting weight 157.6 BF 24.1
    Week1 weight 156.8 BF 24.0

    I'm struggling a bit here with what I should be doing with my diet. I've been eating "clean" and hitting my macros, but I'm wondering if I should go for lower carbs than what I have been eating on a 40/30/30 split.
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    Starting weight 157.6 BF 24.1
    Week1 weight 156.8 BF 24.0

    I'm struggling a bit here with what I should be doing with my diet. I've been eating "clean" and hitting my macros, but I'm wondering if I should go for lower carbs than what I have been eating on a 40/30/30 split.
    The first few wks for me were about figuring out how my body reacts to those macros - so play with them - i keep a low fat but moderate carb set up - b/c 1) my body doesn't seem to have anything against carbs & 2) i want more of a firm stomach look than a ripped look (kinda a soft muscle look, with definition - if that makes sense)... hows this wk going?
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,157 Member
    I'm in the "last 10 lbs" club and the fat is coming off EVER SO SLOWLY!

    I've now lost 2.2 lbs since january 1st....and, believe me, I'm monitoring my calories very, very tightly.

    At this rate, I'll be cutting through march, for sure, and likely through april, too.

    bummer. But, maybe a "whoosh" will also come along sometime soon....one never knows!
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    I'm in the "last 10 lbs" club and the fat is coming off EVER SO SLOWLY!

    I've now lost 2.2 lbs since january 1st....and, believe me, I'm monitoring my calories very, very tightly.

    At this rate, I'll be cutting through march, for sure, and likely through april, too.

    bummer. But, maybe a "whoosh" will also come along sometime soon....one never knows!
    I'm not sure what ur stats, goals or calories are but you might consider upping ur calories (while monitoring or lowering you fat intake) - a change could help ur progress if it seems slow. I'm 5 3, 124ish and upper teens bf% and i'm eating 1500+ calories / day & i've lost 4lbs & several bf% since January. (including a 2 wk "off diet" break due to sickness & 1 cheat day a wk - at least)... Just a thought.
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    Here's my stats (moved over from January Cut):
    SW*01.02.13 (sw): 128.7 bf%: 30.7 caliper bf%
    wk 1*01.09.13: .............125.4..........26.5..............NA
    wk 2*01.16.13: .............125.6..........27.4..............NA
    wk 3*01.23.13: .............125.6..........26.8..............NA
    wk 4*01.30.13: .............125.6..........27.6..............21.4 :) -not so great eating this wk.
    Jan Results:........... <3.1>........<3.1>.............NA

    And here's the contiuation for February:
    wk 5*02.06.13: .............124.8..........26.6..............19.81 - i'm blaming my high sodium intake & TOM for last wks gain :)
    "off diet / sick at home with baby" 02.7.-2.19.13:
    wk 6*02.20.13: .............124.6.........26.8...............20.45 - going by memory from this morning; i'll update tonight if i'm off...
    wk 7*02.27.13:
    Feb Results:........... <tba>........<tba>.............<tba>

    wk 1 calorie goal: 1700
    wk 2 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 3 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 4 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 5 calorie goal: 1550
    wk 6 calorie goal: 1550
    wk 7 calorie goal: 1550*stopped eating back strength training calories this wk, which accounts for maybe 50-75 cals/day
    wk 8 calorie goal: 1550*not including "guesstimated" strength training calories burned
    wk 9 calorie goal: 1500
    wk 10 calorie goal: 1500
    wk 11 calorie goal: 1500
    wk 12 calorie goal: 1500


    You can see the full details here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/kare71913/view/cut-2-after-the-dirty-lil-bulk-we-shall-not-speak-of-463735
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    Here's my stats (moved over from January Cut):
    SW*01.02.13 (sw): 128.7 bf%: 30.7 caliper bf%
    wk 1*01.09.13: .............125.4..........26.5..............NA
    wk 2*01.16.13: .............125.6..........27.4..............NA
    wk 3*01.23.13: .............125.6..........26.8..............NA
    wk 4*01.30.13: .............125.6..........27.6..............21.4 :) -not so great eating this wk.
    Jan Results:........... <3.1>........<3.1>.............NA

    And here's the contiuation for February:
    wk 5*02.06.13: .............124.8..........26.6..............19.81 - i'm blaming my high sodium intake & TOM for last wks gain :)
    "off diet / sick at home with baby" 02.7.-2.19.13:
    wk 6*02.20.13: .............124.8.........26.8...............20.45
    wk 7*02.27.13:
    Feb Results:........... <tba>........<tba>.............<tba>

    wk 1 calorie goal: 1700
    wk 2 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 3 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 4 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 5 calorie goal: 1550
    wk 6 calorie goal: 1550
    wk 7 calorie goal: 1550*stopped eating back strength training calories this wk, which accounts for maybe 50-75 cals/day
    wk 8 calorie goal: 1550*not including "guesstimated" strength training calories burned
    wk 9 calorie goal: 1500
    wk 10 calorie goal: 1500
    wk 11 calorie goal: 1500
    wk 12 calorie goal: 1500


    You can see the full details here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/kare71913/view/cut-2-after-the-dirty-lil-bulk-we-shall-not-speak-of-463735
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,157 Member
    I might need to eat more. Or, I might need to be at maintenance for a few weeks and then try cutting, again.

    I'm 5'8", weigh ~146 lbs, have no idea what my body fat is (because I haven't paid for a DXA scan, yet), but believe it's <25%. When I'm under 140 lbs, I'll have the DXA scan done just to see where my body fat % lies and, if I then have more work to do to get <20%, so be it.

    So, really, at this point, I'm trying to dump 7 or 8 lbs to get under 140 and have the DXA done.
  • ellie78
    ellie78 Posts: 375
    Had a bit of a loss last week, but this whole week has been off. I've been super stressed out and having a hard time putting in full effort with my workouts and sticking with my nutrition. This month coincided with the last 4 weeks of the workout program I've been following which was perfect doing a cut, but I'm thinking about just restarting the four weeks on saturday.

    I've never particularly been bothered by carbs either, but if I don't pay attention to it I tend to go way too low on my protein and fat so staying in my macros is more for that than anything. I suppose I should just stick it out and give it some time to see how it goes!
  • tami2tami
    tami2tami Posts: 6 Member
    I am new to this group. I am about to start a fitness challenge in March that works on converting fat to muscle. I have had a big set-back with my fat % from a year ago. I was at 32% and my goal is to get down to 25-27% and I would be happy. However, after taking the BOD POD test last night to get a baseline before starting the challenge, I found out my bf% is 37.2. OUCH!! So, I have a lot of work to do. I plan on a 1400 calorie/day intake. Can anyone suggest great high protein/low-fat breakfast and lunch options @300-400 calories? Looking for more variety in my diet and support from the group.
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    I am new to this group. I am about to start a fitness challenge in March that works on converting fat to muscle. I have had a big set-back with my fat % from a year ago. I was at 32% and my goal is to get down to 25-27% and I would be happy. However, after taking the BOD POD test last night to get a baseline before starting the challenge, I found out my bf% is 37.2. OUCH!! So, I have a lot of work to do. I plan on a 1400 calorie/day intake. Can anyone suggest great high protein/low-fat breakfast and lunch options @300-400 calories? Looking for more variety in my diet and support from the group.

    I probably can't help in the variety area, since i can eat the same thing over & over... but here are some of the things I eat - maybe they'll add variety to YOUR meal plans :).

    oatmeal (whole oats)
    egg whites
    cocoa wheats
    cereal choices: wheaties, cheerios (when i'm feelin "frisky")
    natural pb on whole wheat toast / bread
    fruit
    protein shake blended with fruit

    lunch/dinner
    tuna
    chicken
    turkey sausage / ham / burgers
    chicken burgers
    shrimp
    fish
    chicken salad
    chicken stir fry

    snacks:
    cottage cheese
    lf yogurt
    nuts
    light pb/jelly (half sand.)
    fruit
    egg whites
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
    Here's my stats (moved over from January Cut):
    SW*01.02.13 (sw): 128.7 bf%: 30.7 caliper bf%
    wk 1*01.09.13: .............125.4..........26.5..............NA*****wk 1 calorie goal: 1700
    wk 2*01.16.13: .............125.6..........27.4..............NA*****wk 2 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 3*01.23.13: .............125.6..........26.8..............NA*****wk 3 calorie goal: 1600
    wk 4*01.30.13: .............125.6..........27.6..............21.4***wk 4 calorie goal: 1600
    Jan Results:................ <3.1>.........<3.1>.............NA

    And here's the contiuation for February:
    Feb SW: .........................125.6..........27.6..............21.40
    wk 5*02.06.13: .............124.8..........26.6..............19.81**wk 5 calorie goal: 1550
    "off diet / sick at home with baby" 02.7.-2.19.13:
    wk 6*02.20.13: .............124.8.........26.8...............20.45**wk 6 calorie goal: 1550
    wk 7*02.27.13: .............123............26.7...............18.83**wk 7 calorie goal: 1550(1st wk not eating back strength training cals)
    Feb Results:................ <2.6>.........<0.9>............<2.57>

    February didn't end as poorly as I thought. Ready for Wks 8-12!! If I have the same loss as February I should be around 165 bf - the lowest I've ever been :) and maybe a lil more if my progress is closer to Januarys progress!!! - I'm going to start up a "March Cuts" too, I like having everything broken up.

    How did everyone else end the month??
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,157 Member
    I'm doing measurements/photos tomorrow. But, the scale isn't that great, right now. TOM.

    Anyway, I'm mostly fasting, today, to see if i can get the scale to budge for Friday weigh-in.

    Thanks for starting a "march cuts". I have to decide if March will be maintenance, and then I'll cut again in April and May, or if I should just keep going for it.

    I figure I've got 8 lbs of fat to still lose.

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