@tiffanylacourse I eat low carb but not keto. After the first few days, it got really easy for me. It's worth dealing with the first few days to have smoother blood sugars and be able to eat in a deficit without feeling like I'm starving all the time! There's also a Low Carb Daily group that has a lot of info and recipes.

Workout:
Squats 3x5@ 145. Still heavy but only felt like the last couple reps were really grindy. Still probably a smidge shy on depth for some reps though, so staying here at least one more day before I worry about increasing.

Bench press: 5x5 @ 77. I probably could have done 80 but the smallest plates at my gym are 2.5 lb and a 5 lb jump is a lot for upper body for me. I may try it next time though.

Wretched rows: 5x5 @ 92. I still hate them, but I think the heavier weight is actually making it easier to do them properly. I feel my back working more instead of it being all arms, so that's something.

We're supposed to get up to a foot of snow in my area this week so I'm not sure how that'll affect my workouts--hopefully not too much.

tiffanylacourse wrote: »

Is anyone here doing low carb? My doctor's new recommendation is as follows:

"Discussed with pt BMI. Pt advised to execise daily and to limit desserts, juices, soda, bread and carbohydrates"

To be honest, soda I can avoid without any hesitation. I don't really like pop or drink it that often. BUT CARBS? I love pasta, bread, potatoes, desserts, etc.

How do you do it? Any recommendations/tips?

Tiffany, I eat only animal products like meat, eggs and dairy. No grains, sugar, fruits or veggies. When I started a few months ago, the cravings were hard. The cravings do go away if you abstain long enough though. I got a bag of chocolates a few weeks ago, and that caused me to crave it again and I ate the whole bag in about 10 days, I just wanted some everyday! Since then I havent bought anymore so it doesnt trigger cravings.

You certainly dont have to be as extreme as I am, but I have issues with grains and sugars so this works for me. The point is, it is doable!

fanncy0626 wrote: »

I love to eat meat fish dairy butter bacon eggs cheese!

This is essentially all I eat! Drink coffee with heavy cream and water with an occasional glass of wine but very little else.

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

tiffanylacourse wrote: »

@amyinthetardis1231 - Thanks. I think I would do low(er) carb - probably not keto. I just know I can't go THAT low on carbs. I'm a huge believer in everything in moderation. I just have been epically failing at the moderation end of things.

Yeah, keto is too low for me. I don't like the stevia/aspartame sugar replacements so I just account for using regular sugar and some vegetables. I'm also not willing to give up fruit forever, so low carb works for me. I plan to stay LCHF indefinitely since it helps my PCOS/IR and hypothyroid symptoms and feels very sustainable for me. I miss things like oatmeal and a really good sourdough bread, but I really struggle to moderate when I eat them, so abstinence is better for me there.

I think I definitely need to look into LCHF moreso than keto. Thanks!

Congrats on the house, @rachel5576! And sorry to everyone that I didn't have a chance to post last week. Making the switch to hypertrophy for Phase 2 of my program has been fun, but challenging. I definitely prefer heavy weights/low reps/longer rest periods, but I'm hoping the shock to my usual routine will bring good results!


Week 11: Day 1

Barbell Squats
95lb x 12 x 3 sets

Incline Barbell Chest Press
65lb x 8 x 3

Barbell Row
55lb x 12 x 3

Dumbbell Shrug
30lb x 12 x 3

Dumbbell Curls
15lb x 10 x 3

Triceps Press
70 x 12 x 3

Hanging Leg Raise
Bodyweight x 8 x 3

Seated Calf Raise
40 x 12 x 3

I was pretty sore from Monday's workout so I deloaded some, kept squat same
Squat 115
OHP 45 (guess I'm back where I started)
Deadlift 125

Did my first run of the month yesterday. Feels good to be back at it!

Bit of a mixed bag in the workout today. I may have messed my back up a little, will have to see how it feels tonight/tomorrow. I did DL with the regular straight bar instead of the hex bar I usually use, and forgot to deload it a little to compensate for the slight differences in stance and setup. Definitely used my lower back more than I should have and failed a DL for the first time. Hopefully the soreness is just soreness and nothing more.

Squats: 3x5 @ 145
OHP (standing): 5x5 @ 57. Skinny bar for the win, even standing!
Deads: 1 @ 165 then failed the next. Deloaded to 155 and managed 1x4 but struggled and used my lower back too much.

I keep saying this, but I think I'm seriously going to have to consider switching to something like 5/3/1. The volume, even at 3x5 with squats, is just wearing me down lately. I'm sure being in a deficit makes lifting harder, but I think my legs being so fatigued also made it hard to DL properly. I've only been doing SL for 4-5 months but I feel like I've exhausted my noob gainz and am up against the wall on DL (sooooo close to bodyweight, argh!). Thoughts/advice?

I hope your back is ok Amy. You could try to mix up your reps. I've read from so many different places that it's really hard to gain muscle while being in a deficit (but not impossible). So for myself personally I'm just trying to maintain the strength I have and get stronger once I reach goal weight. If you find a way to gain strength after noob gains please let me know

Stronglift Workout A
Squats-1X5X 55/65/75/85, 5X5X 90
BP-1X5X 45/55/65, 5X5X 75
BR-1X5X 75

Kettlebell Swing
Goblet squats-3X5X 3
Russian kettle bell swing-13X7X 35

40lbs loss by May 27 Challenge
Nicer weather today! Just got back from the first of my 2 mile walks today! 2-2 mile walks!

Not really trying to increase the amount of weight on my lifts until I am done eating at a deficit. I did however increase the weight of my kettle bell. Supposedly it should tighten my muscles and increase strength. We'll see!