Anyone cutting after a bulk?
Replies
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So this is more of a vent - I just need to work on where my head is at and I know that. It has been a bit of a rough week. I have never before been that bothered by scale fluctuations. I have weighed myself daily for years and know what happens to my weight. Mid cycle and right before my period I have a scale increase. This is not surprising - I am fully aware of the fluctuations.
Yet for some reason this week it is been messing with my head. I increase my calories from losing 3 pounds a month to losing 2 pounds a month and boom scale increase. All these crazy thoughts immediately run through my head - My metabolisms f'd up! Why is my lower abdomen so fat, is that where I store fat first? I can't remember! I am never going to be able to eat cake again! OMG I need to drop calories - this increase is not working.
A few hours go by and I realize what is going on - mid cycle fluctuations. OK. I just need to ride this out, there is no reason to drop calories. Don't overreact.
It has been a few days now. I was peeing like crazy yesterday and my lower belly looks a little strange. I thought for sure I was going to whoosh. NOPE! I am the same weight as yesterday. I really feel like crying at this point. Grrrr stupid hormones.
I get you. This is why I first hired a coach (sidesteel) back in the day. I had such a hard time managing my emotions/calories, I needed it to be in someone else's hands.
And this week I had almost the opposite end of the roller coaster. Weighed in after my period at 152 last Saturday. Had a mini freak out. Started cutting and I'm down 5 lbs and letting the scale make me HAPPIER, fully knowing that is water weight.
And then it will all come back around again!!
Hold steady on the calories.3 -
So this is more of a vent - I just need to work on where my head is at and I know that. It has been a bit of a rough week. I have never before been that bothered by scale fluctuations. I have weighed myself daily for years and know what happens to my weight. Mid cycle and right before my period I have a scale increase. This is not surprising - I am fully aware of the fluctuations.
Yet for some reason this week it is been messing with my head. I increase my calories from losing 3 pounds a month to losing 2 pounds a month and boom scale increase. All these crazy thoughts immediately run through my head - My metabolisms f'd up! Why is my lower abdomen so fat, is that where I store fat first? I can't remember! I am never going to be able to eat cake again! OMG I need to drop calories - this increase is not working.
A few hours go by and I realize what is going on - mid cycle fluctuations. OK. I just need to ride this out, there is no reason to drop calories. Don't overreact.
It has been a few days now. I was peeing like crazy yesterday and my lower belly looks a little strange. I thought for sure I was going to whoosh. NOPE! I am the same weight as yesterday. I really feel like crying at this point. Grrrr stupid hormones.
I get you. This is why I first hired a coach (sidesteel) back in the day. I had such a hard time managing my emotions/calories, I needed it to be in someone else's hands.
And this week I had almost the opposite end of the roller coaster. Weighed in after my period at 152 last Saturday. Had a mini freak out. Started cutting and I'm down 5 lbs and letting the scale make me HAPPIER, fully knowing that is water weight.
And then it will all come back around again!!
Hold steady on the calories.
Holding steady!
Hey water weight drops mean things are headed in the right direction! That means fat loss is coming next! Be happy about that!
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So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
4 -
So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
I tend to drop my cals by 100/day each week until I start losing. I'm a slow and steady kind of gal!2 -
I'd love to know more about cutting. I've been maintaining for a few months as i learn more, but I know I could probably stand to lose 5-10 pounds... Unfortunately when I think about cutting calories I get hungrier0
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So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
I go straight to cutting. I like to take advantage of the full to the brim feeling. I usually cut pretty aggressively for about a week and then switch to a less aggressive cut.
Whatever is easiest for you would be the best approach!2 -
flowerhorsey wrote: »I'd love to know more about cutting. I've been maintaining for a few months as i learn more, but I know I could probably stand to lose 5-10 pounds... Unfortunately when I think about cutting calories I get hungrier
Honestly it really depends on your goals. Could I maintain at this weight and recomp, absolutely. But I need to fit into my summer clothes and I'm way too impatient for recomp. If you want to run a bulk getting lean first is usually ideal (depending on several factors of course).
If you do want to cut, my advice would be slow and steady.. don't slash calories too low from the beginning, don't start overdoing the cardio or unnecessarily reduce your lifting.. keep protein intake fairly high. All this to help reduce muscle loss.5 -
So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
I normally go 2 weeks at maintenance between transitions. Just finished a very lean bulk (about 100 calorie surplus per day). So, since the surplus was so low, I'm doing only a week of maintenance before cutting.2 -
So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
At the top of my lean bulk I was 3400 cals and I estimated my 500 cal Deficit at 2550. So I took that difference and divided by 3 and took 3 weeks to go from 3400 to 2550. So something like 3300 to 3050 to 2800 and then 2550.
For me I knew I would be hungry doing anything more aggressive. hell I was still hungry at 3400 but I admit I didn't eat for volume like I am now.
7 weeks in now cals at 2350 with an every other week refeed which consists of a normal day plus 720 cal pint of Ben and Jerry's Froyo. Down 12 ibs. About half way maybe. Starting to get hungry here and there without macros left.
also currently in that funky stage between looking super lean and beach lean and just feel like I am small, DYEL, and flat. staying the course.2 -
So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
At the top of my lean bulk I was 3400 cals and I estimated my 500 cal Deficit at 2550. So I took that difference and divided by 3 and took 3 weeks to go from 3400 to 2550. So something like 3300 to 3050 to 2800 and then 2550.
For me I knew I would be hungry doing anything more aggressive. hell I was still hungry at 3400 but I admit I didn't eat for volume like I am now.
7 weeks in now cals at 2350 with an every other week refeed which consists of a normal day plus 720 cal pint of Ben and Jerry's Froyo. Down 12 ibs. About half way maybe. Starting to get hungry here and there without macros left.
also currently in that funky stage between looking super lean and beach lean and just feel like I am small, DYEL, and flat. staying the course.
I am sooo familiar with that feeling! My favourite time is right after you get super lean then start to add the cals back for bulking.. those first few weeks all the muscles fill with water.. and it makes it all worth it
Sounds like you are doing amazing, keep it up
7 -
So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
At the top of my lean bulk I was 3400 cals and I estimated my 500 cal Deficit at 2550. So I took that difference and divided by 3 and took 3 weeks to go from 3400 to 2550. So something like 3300 to 3050 to 2800 and then 2550.
For me I knew I would be hungry doing anything more aggressive. hell I was still hungry at 3400 but I admit I didn't eat for volume like I am now.
7 weeks in now cals at 2350 with an every other week refeed which consists of a normal day plus 720 cal pint of Ben and Jerry's Froyo. Down 12 ibs. About half way maybe. Starting to get hungry here and there without macros left.
also currently in that funky stage between looking super lean and beach lean and just feel like I am small, DYEL, and flat. staying the course.
I am sooo familiar with that feeling! My favourite time is right after you get super lean then start to add the cals back for bulking.. those first few weeks all the muscles fill with water.. and it makes it all worth it
Sounds like you are doing amazing, keep it up
Ha! I'm about a month or so away from ending this bulk and I still don't look like I lift!1 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
At the top of my lean bulk I was 3400 cals and I estimated my 500 cal Deficit at 2550. So I took that difference and divided by 3 and took 3 weeks to go from 3400 to 2550. So something like 3300 to 3050 to 2800 and then 2550.
For me I knew I would be hungry doing anything more aggressive. hell I was still hungry at 3400 but I admit I didn't eat for volume like I am now.
7 weeks in now cals at 2350 with an every other week refeed which consists of a normal day plus 720 cal pint of Ben and Jerry's Froyo. Down 12 ibs. About half way maybe. Starting to get hungry here and there without macros left.
also currently in that funky stage between looking super lean and beach lean and just feel like I am small, DYEL, and flat. staying the course.
I am sooo familiar with that feeling! My favourite time is right after you get super lean then start to add the cals back for bulking.. those first few weeks all the muscles fill with water.. and it makes it all worth it
Sounds like you are doing amazing, keep it up
Ha! I'm about a month or so away from ending this bulk and I still don't look like I lift!
I don't think I'll ever look like I lift. I don't even know what that means though haha. I actually look almost the exact same as I did years ago when I was doing cardio. I mean I look more fit, I'm a bit more defined, booty is larger, tighter and separated but otherwise it would be hard to tell the difference.4 -
I’m trying to understand cutting more because I’m entering my first cut at the end of the month.
If I was eating at a maintenance of 3,500 and then I was to take 250 calories away to enter a cut after cutting for a few months if I was to then enter a bulk again and I was to add 250 calories again then that just means I would be eating back at 3,500 calories and then I would be back where I started from wouldn’t i?
Thanks all.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
At the top of my lean bulk I was 3400 cals and I estimated my 500 cal Deficit at 2550. So I took that difference and divided by 3 and took 3 weeks to go from 3400 to 2550. So something like 3300 to 3050 to 2800 and then 2550.
For me I knew I would be hungry doing anything more aggressive. hell I was still hungry at 3400 but I admit I didn't eat for volume like I am now.
7 weeks in now cals at 2350 with an every other week refeed which consists of a normal day plus 720 cal pint of Ben and Jerry's Froyo. Down 12 ibs. About half way maybe. Starting to get hungry here and there without macros left.
also currently in that funky stage between looking super lean and beach lean and just feel like I am small, DYEL, and flat. staying the course.
I am sooo familiar with that feeling! My favourite time is right after you get super lean then start to add the cals back for bulking.. those first few weeks all the muscles fill with water.. and it makes it all worth it
Sounds like you are doing amazing, keep it up
Ha! I'm about a month or so away from ending this bulk and I still don't look like I lift!
I don't think I'll ever look like I lift. I don't even know what that means though haha. I actually look almost the exact same as I did years ago when I was doing cardio. I mean I look more fit, I'm a bit more defined, booty is larger, tighter and separated but otherwise it would be hard to tell the difference.
That's exactly how I feel... total gain from 114 lbs to 136 lbs and I don't feel any different from six years ago.0 -
I’m trying to understand cutting more because I’m entering my first cut at the end of the month.
If I was eating at a maintenance of 3,500 and then I was to take 250 calories away to enter a cut after cutting for a few months if I was to then enter a bulk again and I was to add 250 calories again then that just means I would be eating back at 3,500 calories and then I would be back where I started from wouldn’t i?
Thanks all.
Your maintenance will drop over time as you lose wieght and metabolism adapts. In other words every few weeks or every so many pounds you have to cut calories again or Increase cardio but usually a combination.
Was 3500 just an example or is that really you maintenance? Because if so I'm jealous. most peoples maintenance is about bodyweight x16 but can certainly vary widely.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »So tomorrow I start my transition into maintenance. Probably spend about a week there until I cut my cals down more. Does anyone else do this, or do you go straight to cutting? The first few weeks are a bit of trial and error because of the usual huge water drop it's hard to know what's going on, plus I don't track my cals so sometimes it's like taking shots in the dark.
At the top of my lean bulk I was 3400 cals and I estimated my 500 cal Deficit at 2550. So I took that difference and divided by 3 and took 3 weeks to go from 3400 to 2550. So something like 3300 to 3050 to 2800 and then 2550.
For me I knew I would be hungry doing anything more aggressive. hell I was still hungry at 3400 but I admit I didn't eat for volume like I am now.
7 weeks in now cals at 2350 with an every other week refeed which consists of a normal day plus 720 cal pint of Ben and Jerry's Froyo. Down 12 ibs. About half way maybe. Starting to get hungry here and there without macros left.
also currently in that funky stage between looking super lean and beach lean and just feel like I am small, DYEL, and flat. staying the course.
I am sooo familiar with that feeling! My favourite time is right after you get super lean then start to add the cals back for bulking.. those first few weeks all the muscles fill with water.. and it makes it all worth it
Sounds like you are doing amazing, keep it up
Ha! I'm about a month or so away from ending this bulk and I still don't look like I lift!
I don't think I'll ever look like I lift. I don't even know what that means though haha. I actually look almost the exact same as I did years ago when I was doing cardio. I mean I look more fit, I'm a bit more defined, booty is larger, tighter and separated but otherwise it would be hard to tell the difference.
That's exactly how I feel... total gain from 114 lbs to 136 lbs and I don't feel any different from six years ago.
Oh I'm sure you don't look the same! I think if you compared a progress photo from 114 to 136 you would really see it.
I look very different from when I lost my pregnancy weight the first time and starting bulk/cut, but when I compare my pre-kids body to now it is kind of similar except my hips are smaller and I'm more tight and fit. In clothes I look almost identical though.
I think the biggest difference usually comes from the first bulk.. then as you go you are kind of adding sprinkles on top, at least that is how it worked for me.
7 -
Currently cutting from a bulk because of work (would have kept the bulk going
) here’s my progress thus far from bulk to cut. 3 -
pinggolfer96 wrote: »Currently cutting from a bulk because of work (would have kept the bulk going ) here’s my progress thus far from bulk to cut.
Looking great!3 -
I’m trying to understand cutting more because I’m entering my first cut at the end of the month.
If I was eating at a maintenance of 3,500 and then I was to take 250 calories away to enter a cut after cutting for a few months if I was to then enter a bulk again and I was to add 250 calories again then that just means I would be eating back at 3,500 calories and then I would be back where I started from wouldn’t i?
Thanks all.
Your maintenance will drop over time as you lose wieght and metabolism adapts. In other words every few weeks or every so many pounds you have to cut calories again or Increase cardio but usually a combination.
Was 3500 just an example or is that really you maintenance? Because if so I'm jealous. most peoples maintenance is about bodyweight x16 but can certainly vary widely.
@jdog022
Ahh thanks this helps me to understand things a bit more and yeah 3,500 is my current maintenance but I am on a bulk and this is my 5th month bulking I have been upping the calories slowly over the past five months.0 -
pinggolfer96 wrote: »Currently cutting from a bulk because of work (would have kept the bulk going ) here’s my progress thus far from bulk to cut.
Do you tend to drop weight from your stomach quickly? Digging the abs!
@sardelsa & @Davidsdottir I am sure that you are being overly critical of your bodies! I don't remember seeing pictures of you Davidsdottir but from your tiny little profile pictures it looks like you have nice shoulders! I have seen your progress pics Sardelsa and you look amazing!
I have 2 more pounds to go before I want to start reverse dieting! Funny is I was at this point early March and then went on vacation for 10 days. I ate so much and had to pretty much start over.
No regrets! I have another vacation coming up in June. It is only 4 days this time - hopefully not enough time to undo most of my progress. 2
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