Anyone cutting after a bulk?

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  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    Week 4 of RFL in the books and weight is down 9.3Lbs on the weekly average and 15.1Lbs from starting weight. Let off the gas Friday night and all day Saturday, letting myself have a couple drinks each night and killed some carbs throughout the day Saturday. But right back to it Sunday and I'm gonna be fairly strict for the next 2 weeks, maybe 3 if I can push it. Then 2 weeks off. Energy levels fluctuate but mostly tolerable and very little strength drop. Hunger isn't too bad but I've spaced my food out enough to combat it during the day. On a full EC stack but at this point I feel the effects have diminished to be hardly noticeable.
    Week 5 went pretty well. Skipped the free meal for the week. Had a couple drinks Friday evening but didn't indulge in any other extra calories. Sunday was my refeed and the carbs were as wonderful as I'd hoped. Weight is down another 2.2Lbs from last week on the weekly average. Overall, weekly average loss is 11.5Lbs, and, total weight loss is 16Lbs. Energy levels are still acceptable and hunger is always present but getting less noticeable. Lost a rep on a couple lifts yesterday but that's the first I've noticed any decrease in strength. Planning to grind out two more weeks then break for two weeks.
    Week 6 was a bit of a drag. Loss slowed and found myself really craving food. Managed to fight it off until Saturday night when I had a couple drinks that led me to snacking a few hundred calories. So, the planned refeed for Sunday had to be quite strict and ended up just being kinda miserable instead of relieving and satisfying. Going to grind out the rest of this week and then take my 2 week break. Weekly average loss is 13.1Lbs and overall loss from starting weight is 18.5. I'd really hoped to hit 200Lbs on the scale before my break but not looking likely.
    Started slowly back to maintenance calories throughout Friday & Saturday; so nice to have plenty of energy and eat carbs and all that good stuff. To close out my first phase of 7 weeks on RFL, I'm down 15Lbs on my weekly average and 21Lbs overall. Expecting around 5Lbs to come back on as water weight normalizes. My goal was to hit 200 this cycle but I ended up at 203.

    I'll take a two week break while running a normal lifting routine (and a hefty amount of adult beverages on the upcoming St Patty's Day :p ), followed by another 6 week RFL cycle to hopefully get and additional 10-15Lbs off. If I can get to 190Lbs I'll be ecstatic to start summer time.
    It's been really nice eating a regular diet and getting solid workouts in. St Paddy's was a successful day full of adult beverages and tasty treats without any guilt and my weight has stayed steady so far. Settled in at around 208Lbs so water weight checks out at about 5Lbs. Maintenance calories are around 2,500 with macro targets of 30%P/45%C/25%F; I'm lifting 4 days per week during the break. Gonna stick to the break the rest of this week and return to RFL next Monday.

    Seems a bit quiet in here given we're about 12 weeks from summer. Figured this thread would be busier :shrug:
    Back on RFL protocols today. Calorie goal is 1200/day, P195/C30/F33; supplements are EC stack 3x/day, 9 fish oils, daily vitamin, Potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and biotin.

    The 2 week break was fantastic, but, I crept back up to nearly 210 so it's important that I jump back in full force and make sure I don't fall off the cliff. Certainly less motivation this time around but there's goals to be met so I'll have to be diligent.

    Once I get through these next six weeks, I plan to post some progress photos; not that it's terribly impressive but hoping there's a noticeable enough difference to show off a bit.
    Phase 2, Week 1 in the books. Kept things pretty simple, eating nearly the same thing each day keeps it easy to adhere but is very boring. Luckily life was busy all week and kept me from worrying about hunger or boredom. Workouts were great and energy was ok depending on time of day. Sleep was a bit restless most of the week but settled out over the weekend. Skipped the free meal and only did a partial/moderate refeed yesterday. Day one I weighed in at 212Lbs, ended the week at 205Lbs (assuming approximately 5Lbs is water weight), and my weekly average was 207.1Lbs. Grind continues to week 2.

    Keep up the good work all you fellow cutters. Summer is coming soon!

    Phase 2 Week 2 wrapped up and I feel it went better than any other week so far. No free meal but I did a proper refeed Saturday. Lifts felt good all all week and energy levels were acceptable. Last weigh-in I hit 202LBs, dropping my weekly average to 204LBs. Have to go out of town this weekend so I'll most likely fall off a bit Friday and Saturday, but, my goal is to hit my protein cals and try to keep overall calories at or lower than maintenance. I'm sure to have a few drinks and eat out a time or two so we'll see how resolved I can be.

    Phase 2 Week 3 went pretty much as I expected except I missed a workout due to job & travel constraints. Weekend out of town didn't cause much damage and it was somewhat therapeutic to go out to eat and have some drinks and snacks without stressing over it. Ended last week at 201Lbs (same when I weighed in today so that's a plus), and the weekly average was 202.2Lbs.

    Keep up the good work, fellow cutters!
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So over the past week at the gym, I had a few interesting comments. People thought it was pretty ridiculous how I was able to heavy deadlift (325x3x5), squat (255x3x5) and hip thrust (255x3x8) on the same day. Was told that be a few separate individuals. I don't have any recovery issues and I am making progress weekly. Anyone else think that is weird?

    Ran PHUL which this sounds a lot like. I did end up with a very serious over use injury that I can’t recover from. However it really came down to my deload management and probably should have cycled out heavy lifting (RPE 9) every 8-10 weeks.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    jdog022 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So over the past week at the gym, I had a few interesting comments. People thought it was pretty ridiculous how I was able to heavy deadlift (325x3x5), squat (255x3x5) and hip thrust (255x3x8) on the same day. Was told that be a few separate individuals. I don't have any recovery issues and I am making progress weekly. Anyone else think that is weird?

    Ran PHUL which this sounds a lot like. I did end up with a very serious over use injury that I can’t recover from. However it really came down to my deload management and probably should have cycled out heavy lifting (RPE 9) every 8-10 weeks.

    Yep, its similar to the original PHUL but its focused around some of my strength goals. I run standard 6-8 week loads with a 1 week deload where i just run a bro week. This gives me a nice week where i have non structured lifts that are suboptimal and allow for recovery. The biggest benefit i get from it is additional sanity.

    The current issue i am running into is work travel. Almost every month, i am on travel which makes it a bit more difficult to stay very structured.

    But i am still working on my diet. Down another lb since Saturday, even with PSMF compliance issues. Even with cheating, i end up in a deficit.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So over the past week at the gym, I had a few interesting comments. People thought it was pretty ridiculous how I was able to heavy deadlift (325x3x5), squat (255x3x5) and hip thrust (255x3x8) on the same day. Was told that be a few separate individuals. I don't have any recovery issues and I am making progress weekly. Anyone else think that is weird?

    I haven’t ever programmed hip thrusts but almost always have squats and deads on the same day
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    edited April 2019
    Week 12(?) of my intuitive eating challenge... hopped on the scale this morning to see what's up and weighted in at a svelte 205... abs starting to show again. That's about 10 pounds down since I stopped tracking on MFP. I haven't made any mind blowing gains in the gym but I've been able to maintain all my lifts and even increase some a little bit. I definitely wouldn't call what is happening a "recomp" as I'm certainly not maintaining. What it has shown me is that even after years of bulking and eating huge amounts of food my natural instinct is to under-eat and that if I want to maintain my mass I'm going to have to log.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Welp, I had to travel for work this week and compounded a pretty calorie-tastic weekend. Scale hit me with a 179.2 this morning. I'd been doing pretty well doing IF but got away from it Saturday. Data is pretty undeniable that IF helps keep my calories where they need to be to cut, I'm just not all that big of a fan of doing it on the weekends but I think it's something I need to just deal with; rolling average dropped 4+lbs in 19 days, 74% under TDEE vs. 46% on non-IF days since 1/1/19.
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    New low weigh in today at 181. Been stuck at 183 for a while. Started at a fluffy 193 last week of feb. goal is 170 ish

    With that said shoulder is killing me again. Going Monday to talk another shot and surgery. Be nice to be lean pre surgery as I know it’s gonna suck from there for a while with training and diet
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    Well pretty much stalled this week...

    But taking my boy to see Mexico vs Paraguay at Levi's stadium last Tuesday and indulging a bit in saltyness was so worth...

    He even got to see his first drunken brawl break out like 15' away 🤷🏽‍♂️...

    Oy us Mexicans 🤦🏽‍♂️😂

    Well the previous weeks were basically a wash...

    But refocused this last week and got serious about tracking and sticking to the plan...

    Down about 4 lbs in the last 6 weeks...
    181.6 lbs as of this morning...

    Just gotta do my best to not blow it over the weekend and coming in too heavy Monday...

    I will say that despite decent sleep, my recovery from workouts has been less this week than previous... But it's part of the plan

    The plan is to get down to 170lbs, then regain about 5 lbs of glycogen lost within the muscles from the weight loss

    Down to 180.4 lbs today... So a little over 1lb in the last week...

    Feeling flatter and thinner, but also my recovery is dismal these days, definitely more sore and fatigued from my workouts but steadily dropping..

    About another 1/4" of the waistline and shoulder width is pretty much holding steady...

    I'm not sure if losing more is going to help achieve what I ultimately want tho, there's just too much skin at this point... If I get down to around 10% and my torso doesn't look any leaner and I just look smaller... Then it wasn't worth it 😂...

    This hit me deep this morning...
    But regardless, I'ma keep trying...

    [image removed by MFP mod]

    Today... 179.4 lbs
    So about another lb in the last week, not bad...
    Waist around 31.5"...so a little smaller
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    Week 4 of RFL in the books and weight is down 9.3Lbs on the weekly average and 15.1Lbs from starting weight. Let off the gas Friday night and all day Saturday, letting myself have a couple drinks each night and killed some carbs throughout the day Saturday. But right back to it Sunday and I'm gonna be fairly strict for the next 2 weeks, maybe 3 if I can push it. Then 2 weeks off. Energy levels fluctuate but mostly tolerable and very little strength drop. Hunger isn't too bad but I've spaced my food out enough to combat it during the day. On a full EC stack but at this point I feel the effects have diminished to be hardly noticeable.
    Week 5 went pretty well. Skipped the free meal for the week. Had a couple drinks Friday evening but didn't indulge in any other extra calories. Sunday was my refeed and the carbs were as wonderful as I'd hoped. Weight is down another 2.2Lbs from last week on the weekly average. Overall, weekly average loss is 11.5Lbs, and, total weight loss is 16Lbs. Energy levels are still acceptable and hunger is always present but getting less noticeable. Lost a rep on a couple lifts yesterday but that's the first I've noticed any decrease in strength. Planning to grind out two more weeks then break for two weeks.
    Week 6 was a bit of a drag. Loss slowed and found myself really craving food. Managed to fight it off until Saturday night when I had a couple drinks that led me to snacking a few hundred calories. So, the planned refeed for Sunday had to be quite strict and ended up just being kinda miserable instead of relieving and satisfying. Going to grind out the rest of this week and then take my 2 week break. Weekly average loss is 13.1Lbs and overall loss from starting weight is 18.5. I'd really hoped to hit 200Lbs on the scale before my break but not looking likely.
    Started slowly back to maintenance calories throughout Friday & Saturday; so nice to have plenty of energy and eat carbs and all that good stuff. To close out my first phase of 7 weeks on RFL, I'm down 15Lbs on my weekly average and 21Lbs overall. Expecting around 5Lbs to come back on as water weight normalizes. My goal was to hit 200 this cycle but I ended up at 203.

    I'll take a two week break while running a normal lifting routine (and a hefty amount of adult beverages on the upcoming St Patty's Day :p ), followed by another 6 week RFL cycle to hopefully get and additional 10-15Lbs off. If I can get to 190Lbs I'll be ecstatic to start summer time.
    It's been really nice eating a regular diet and getting solid workouts in. St Paddy's was a successful day full of adult beverages and tasty treats without any guilt and my weight has stayed steady so far. Settled in at around 208Lbs so water weight checks out at about 5Lbs. Maintenance calories are around 2,500 with macro targets of 30%P/45%C/25%F; I'm lifting 4 days per week during the break. Gonna stick to the break the rest of this week and return to RFL next Monday.

    Seems a bit quiet in here given we're about 12 weeks from summer. Figured this thread would be busier :shrug:
    Back on RFL protocols today. Calorie goal is 1200/day, P195/C30/F33; supplements are EC stack 3x/day, 9 fish oils, daily vitamin, Potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and biotin.

    The 2 week break was fantastic, but, I crept back up to nearly 210 so it's important that I jump back in full force and make sure I don't fall off the cliff. Certainly less motivation this time around but there's goals to be met so I'll have to be diligent.

    Once I get through these next six weeks, I plan to post some progress photos; not that it's terribly impressive but hoping there's a noticeable enough difference to show off a bit.
    Phase 2, Week 1 in the books. Kept things pretty simple, eating nearly the same thing each day keeps it easy to adhere but is very boring. Luckily life was busy all week and kept me from worrying about hunger or boredom. Workouts were great and energy was ok depending on time of day. Sleep was a bit restless most of the week but settled out over the weekend. Skipped the free meal and only did a partial/moderate refeed yesterday. Day one I weighed in at 212Lbs, ended the week at 205Lbs (assuming approximately 5Lbs is water weight), and my weekly average was 207.1Lbs. Grind continues to week 2.

    Keep up the good work all you fellow cutters. Summer is coming soon!
    Phase 2 Week 2 wrapped up and I feel it went better than any other week so far. No free meal but I did a proper refeed Saturday. Lifts felt good all all week and energy levels were acceptable. Last weigh-in I hit 202LBs, dropping my weekly average to 204LBs. Have to go out of town this weekend so I'll most likely fall off a bit Friday and Saturday, but, my goal is to hit my protein cals and try to keep overall calories at or lower than maintenance. I'm sure to have a few drinks and eat out a time or two so we'll see how resolved I can be.

    Phase 2 Week 3 went pretty much as I expected except I missed a workout due to job & travel constraints. Weekend out of town didn't cause much damage and it was somewhat therapeutic to go out to eat and have some drinks and snacks without stressing over it. Ended last week at 201Lbs (same when I weighed in today so that's a plus), and the weekly average was 202.2Lbs.

    Keep up the good work, fellow cutters!

    Phase 2 Week 4, this update is a little bittersweet as I was able to get the scale below 200Lbs for both my single day weigh-in (198Lbs) and weekly average (199.9Lbs), but, followed that up with a terrible weekend of overeating and not meeting protein intake. Overall, not too upset about it but would have felt much better if I'd been able to eat better and enjoy the scale victory for at least a couple days, lol. Gotta really buckle back down these next two weeks cause I don't want to run a third phase before I hit vacation in mid-June. Time to dial in and grind out a few more pounds.

    Hope everyone else is doing good with their cuts!
  • stephaniedenise28
    stephaniedenise28 Posts: 104 Member
    stephaniedenise28 wrote: »
    stephaniedenise28 wrote: »
    mkgoodson1007 wrote: »
    stephaniedenise28 wrote: »
    After an awkward weigh day with my personal trainer last night- it would seem that after my competition this weekend it is time for me to consider stopping eating all of the food :'(

    Long time lurker of this thread, and I want some accountability so thought I would join in :)

    I think my maintenance is around 2,400cal, so I will look to drop it to 2,150 and see how it goes for a couple of months! Not actively looked to lose weight for a couple of years now, so not looking forward to it!

    What type of competition? I find it’s easier to cut then it is to lean bulk. Good luck this weekend!

    Sorry for the delay in reply- was away Friday- Sunday and then started a new job! I competed at the Rainhill Trials, which is a relatively large crossfit competition in the UK.. went into the competition in 40th place through seeding workouts and managed to gain 11 places to finish 29th, so very happy for my first induvidual competition!

    Now to the hard part :( Gained a kg with pre and post comp feeding- amazing hot dogs and bbq resturants were visited! So have spent this week feeling sorry for myself and pretty hungry- heres hoping I dont need to drop my calories too far!

    Everyone is doing so well!

    Okay- so one week down, new job has me eating a lot less as the new office dont seem to buy daily biscuits and cake, thank god! It means I have been able to just eat what I have prepped without being tempted into eating other things. However, the trade off is a lot less walking around, perhaps I will have to offset this with getting out and having a walk at lunchtime when the weather brightens!

    I started at 71.4kg and now sat at 70.6kg, so a bit of a loss, hopefully it continues! Calories may have to drop after the next week as I am dropping back from so much crossfit and into my new olympic lifting block, which means much less all out effort.

    Hope everyone is having a good week!

    Frustrating couple of weeks- Eating pretty much on track which saw a low of 69.7kg.. but now what I am hoping is TOM has seen me jump up to 71kg, back down to 70.4 and now back up to 70.7.. aghh!!

    I forget how annoying hormonal fluctuations are.. and how long they last :(

  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I finally feel like I've been back on track the last few days. Tracking my food honestly, and healthy enough for the gym.

    This morning's weight was 183.2. Coach wants me down another 3 pounds in the next 2-3 weeks, so I can eat up into my next meet, June 8. Completely do-able.

    3lbs doesn't sound bad; no doubt you can handle that!
  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
    4lbs to go...then I eat all the food to rebulk 😏
  • Tic78
    Tic78 Posts: 232 Member
    wqsxba0p5b4n.png

    Ok my cut was going well. Started this cut Jan 1st. I had one week off a couple of weeks ago as I was away on holiday.

    I’m lower than I have been in both weight and bodyfat but I’m struggling. For the second week in a row I’ve ruined my week by binging a bit at the weekend. I know this isn’t the end of the world but I need this cut to end soon. This binging isn’t like me I’m normally able to not deviate from my weekly calorie balance. The foods I’m binging on are high calorie and frankly not worth the empty calories, damn you Easter eggs 😆

    My goal has been lowered to 160lbs so I’m posting my chart up to try and inspire me to suck it up for another few weeks.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2019
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    Week 4 of RFL in the books and weight is down 9.3Lbs on the weekly average and 15.1Lbs from starting weight. Let off the gas Friday night and all day Saturday, letting myself have a couple drinks each night and killed some carbs throughout the day Saturday. But right back to it Sunday and I'm gonna be fairly strict for the next 2 weeks, maybe 3 if I can push it. Then 2 weeks off. Energy levels fluctuate but mostly tolerable and very little strength drop. Hunger isn't too bad but I've spaced my food out enough to combat it during the day. On a full EC stack but at this point I feel the effects have diminished to be hardly noticeable.
    Week 5 went pretty well. Skipped the free meal for the week. Had a couple drinks Friday evening but didn't indulge in any other extra calories. Sunday was my refeed and the carbs were as wonderful as I'd hoped. Weight is down another 2.2Lbs from last week on the weekly average. Overall, weekly average loss is 11.5Lbs, and, total weight loss is 16Lbs. Energy levels are still acceptable and hunger is always present but getting less noticeable. Lost a rep on a couple lifts yesterday but that's the first I've noticed any decrease in strength. Planning to grind out two more weeks then break for two weeks.
    Week 6 was a bit of a drag. Loss slowed and found myself really craving food. Managed to fight it off until Saturday night when I had a couple drinks that led me to snacking a few hundred calories. So, the planned refeed for Sunday had to be quite strict and ended up just being kinda miserable instead of relieving and satisfying. Going to grind out the rest of this week and then take my 2 week break. Weekly average loss is 13.1Lbs and overall loss from starting weight is 18.5. I'd really hoped to hit 200Lbs on the scale before my break but not looking likely.
    Started slowly back to maintenance calories throughout Friday & Saturday; so nice to have plenty of energy and eat carbs and all that good stuff. To close out my first phase of 7 weeks on RFL, I'm down 15Lbs on my weekly average and 21Lbs overall. Expecting around 5Lbs to come back on as water weight normalizes. My goal was to hit 200 this cycle but I ended up at 203.

    I'll take a two week break while running a normal lifting routine (and a hefty amount of adult beverages on the upcoming St Patty's Day :p ), followed by another 6 week RFL cycle to hopefully get and additional 10-15Lbs off. If I can get to 190Lbs I'll be ecstatic to start summer time.
    It's been really nice eating a regular diet and getting solid workouts in. St Paddy's was a successful day full of adult beverages and tasty treats without any guilt and my weight has stayed steady so far. Settled in at around 208Lbs so water weight checks out at about 5Lbs. Maintenance calories are around 2,500 with macro targets of 30%P/45%C/25%F; I'm lifting 4 days per week during the break. Gonna stick to the break the rest of this week and return to RFL next Monday.

    Seems a bit quiet in here given we're about 12 weeks from summer. Figured this thread would be busier :shrug:
    Back on RFL protocols today. Calorie goal is 1200/day, P195/C30/F33; supplements are EC stack 3x/day, 9 fish oils, daily vitamin, Potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and biotin.

    The 2 week break was fantastic, but, I crept back up to nearly 210 so it's important that I jump back in full force and make sure I don't fall off the cliff. Certainly less motivation this time around but there's goals to be met so I'll have to be diligent.

    Once I get through these next six weeks, I plan to post some progress photos; not that it's terribly impressive but hoping there's a noticeable enough difference to show off a bit.
    Phase 2, Week 1 in the books. Kept things pretty simple, eating nearly the same thing each day keeps it easy to adhere but is very boring. Luckily life was busy all week and kept me from worrying about hunger or boredom. Workouts were great and energy was ok depending on time of day. Sleep was a bit restless most of the week but settled out over the weekend. Skipped the free meal and only did a partial/moderate refeed yesterday. Day one I weighed in at 212Lbs, ended the week at 205Lbs (assuming approximately 5Lbs is water weight), and my weekly average was 207.1Lbs. Grind continues to week 2.

    Keep up the good work all you fellow cutters. Summer is coming soon!
    Phase 2 Week 2 wrapped up and I feel it went better than any other week so far. No free meal but I did a proper refeed Saturday. Lifts felt good all all week and energy levels were acceptable. Last weigh-in I hit 202LBs, dropping my weekly average to 204LBs. Have to go out of town this weekend so I'll most likely fall off a bit Friday and Saturday, but, my goal is to hit my protein cals and try to keep overall calories at or lower than maintenance. I'm sure to have a few drinks and eat out a time or two so we'll see how resolved I can be.
    Phase 2 Week 3 went pretty much as I expected except I missed a workout due to job & travel constraints. Weekend out of town didn't cause much damage and it was somewhat therapeutic to go out to eat and have some drinks and snacks without stressing over it. Ended last week at 201Lbs (same when I weighed in today so that's a plus), and the weekly average was 202.2Lbs.

    Keep up the good work, fellow cutters!

    Phase 2 Week 4, this update is a little bittersweet as I was able to get the scale below 200Lbs for both my single day weigh-in (198Lbs) and weekly average (199.9Lbs), but, followed that up with a terrible weekend of overeating and not meeting protein intake. Overall, not too upset about it but would have felt much better if I'd been able to eat better and enjoy the scale victory for at least a couple days, lol. Gotta really buckle back down these next two weeks cause I don't want to run a third phase before I hit vacation in mid-June. Time to dial in and grind out a few more pounds.

    Hope everyone else is doing good with their cuts!

    That bad week really set me back. Ended Phase 2, Week 5 at 197.5Lbs but weekly average was 199.8; a weeks loss of only 0.1LB ARRRGGGHHH!!! This was supposed to be my last week but I'm nowhere near my goal so I'll most likely run another phase. Also need to recalculate my intake totals and see if that helps accelerate things.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    edited May 2019
    psuLemon wrote: »
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.

    Hit 175.4 this morning, although its going to be water/glycogen depletion since i am trying a 30-day ketogenic challenge for myself. Seeing if a very restrictive diet helps with compliance. So far, its working really well. Also, been discovering some need and good foods.

    A side note, i am finding that I'm much more vascular with this diet. I suspect its due to the increase in FFAs. But that would be just a guess.
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.

    Hit 175.4 this morning, although its going to be water/glycogen depletion since i am trying a 30-day ketogenic challenge for myself. Seeing if a very restrictive diet helps with compliance. So far, its working really well. Also, been discovering some need and good foods.

    A side note, i am finding that I'm much more vascular with this diet. I suspect its due to the increase in FFAs. But that would be just a guess.

    It's a good feeling when you can start to notice those kinda things! Awesome work, man👍
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    Week 4 of RFL in the books and weight is down 9.3Lbs on the weekly average and 15.1Lbs from starting weight. Let off the gas Friday night and all day Saturday, letting myself have a couple drinks each night and killed some carbs throughout the day Saturday. But right back to it Sunday and I'm gonna be fairly strict for the next 2 weeks, maybe 3 if I can push it. Then 2 weeks off. Energy levels fluctuate but mostly tolerable and very little strength drop. Hunger isn't too bad but I've spaced my food out enough to combat it during the day. On a full EC stack but at this point I feel the effects have diminished to be hardly noticeable.
    Week 5 went pretty well. Skipped the free meal for the week. Had a couple drinks Friday evening but didn't indulge in any other extra calories. Sunday was my refeed and the carbs were as wonderful as I'd hoped. Weight is down another 2.2Lbs from last week on the weekly average. Overall, weekly average loss is 11.5Lbs, and, total weight loss is 16Lbs. Energy levels are still acceptable and hunger is always present but getting less noticeable. Lost a rep on a couple lifts yesterday but that's the first I've noticed any decrease in strength. Planning to grind out two more weeks then break for two weeks.
    Week 6 was a bit of a drag. Loss slowed and found myself really craving food. Managed to fight it off until Saturday night when I had a couple drinks that led me to snacking a few hundred calories. So, the planned refeed for Sunday had to be quite strict and ended up just being kinda miserable instead of relieving and satisfying. Going to grind out the rest of this week and then take my 2 week break. Weekly average loss is 13.1Lbs and overall loss from starting weight is 18.5. I'd really hoped to hit 200Lbs on the scale before my break but not looking likely.
    Started slowly back to maintenance calories throughout Friday & Saturday; so nice to have plenty of energy and eat carbs and all that good stuff. To close out my first phase of 7 weeks on RFL, I'm down 15Lbs on my weekly average and 21Lbs overall. Expecting around 5Lbs to come back on as water weight normalizes. My goal was to hit 200 this cycle but I ended up at 203.

    I'll take a two week break while running a normal lifting routine (and a hefty amount of adult beverages on the upcoming St Patty's Day :p ), followed by another 6 week RFL cycle to hopefully get and additional 10-15Lbs off. If I can get to 190Lbs I'll be ecstatic to start summer time.
    It's been really nice eating a regular diet and getting solid workouts in. St Paddy's was a successful day full of adult beverages and tasty treats without any guilt and my weight has stayed steady so far. Settled in at around 208Lbs so water weight checks out at about 5Lbs. Maintenance calories are around 2,500 with macro targets of 30%P/45%C/25%F; I'm lifting 4 days per week during the break. Gonna stick to the break the rest of this week and return to RFL next Monday.

    Seems a bit quiet in here given we're about 12 weeks from summer. Figured this thread would be busier :shrug:
    Back on RFL protocols today. Calorie goal is 1200/day, P195/C30/F33; supplements are EC stack 3x/day, 9 fish oils, daily vitamin, Potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and biotin.

    The 2 week break was fantastic, but, I crept back up to nearly 210 so it's important that I jump back in full force and make sure I don't fall off the cliff. Certainly less motivation this time around but there's goals to be met so I'll have to be diligent.

    Once I get through these next six weeks, I plan to post some progress photos; not that it's terribly impressive but hoping there's a noticeable enough difference to show off a bit.
    Phase 2, Week 1 in the books. Kept things pretty simple, eating nearly the same thing each day keeps it easy to adhere but is very boring. Luckily life was busy all week and kept me from worrying about hunger or boredom. Workouts were great and energy was ok depending on time of day. Sleep was a bit restless most of the week but settled out over the weekend. Skipped the free meal and only did a partial/moderate refeed yesterday. Day one I weighed in at 212Lbs, ended the week at 205Lbs (assuming approximately 5Lbs is water weight), and my weekly average was 207.1Lbs. Grind continues to week 2.

    Keep up the good work all you fellow cutters. Summer is coming soon!
    Phase 2 Week 2 wrapped up and I feel it went better than any other week so far. No free meal but I did a proper refeed Saturday. Lifts felt good all all week and energy levels were acceptable. Last weigh-in I hit 202LBs, dropping my weekly average to 204LBs. Have to go out of town this weekend so I'll most likely fall off a bit Friday and Saturday, but, my goal is to hit my protein cals and try to keep overall calories at or lower than maintenance. I'm sure to have a few drinks and eat out a time or two so we'll see how resolved I can be.
    Phase 2 Week 3 went pretty much as I expected except I missed a workout due to job & travel constraints. Weekend out of town didn't cause much damage and it was somewhat therapeutic to go out to eat and have some drinks and snacks without stressing over it. Ended last week at 201Lbs (same when I weighed in today so that's a plus), and the weekly average was 202.2Lbs.

    Keep up the good work, fellow cutters!
    Phase 2 Week 4, this update is a little bittersweet as I was able to get the scale below 200Lbs for both my single day weigh-in (198Lbs) and weekly average (199.9Lbs), but, followed that up with a terrible weekend of overeating and not meeting protein intake. Overall, not too upset about it but would have felt much better if I'd been able to eat better and enjoy the scale victory for at least a couple days, lol. Gotta really buckle back down these next two weeks cause I don't want to run a third phase before I hit vacation in mid-June. Time to dial in and grind out a few more pounds.

    Hope everyone else is doing good with their cuts!


    That bad week really set me back. Ended Phase 2, Week 5 at 197.5Lbs but weekly average was 199.8; a weeks loss of only 0.1LB ARRRGGGHHH!!! This was supposed to be my last week but I'm nowhere near my goal so I'll most likely run another phase. Also need to recalculate my intake totals and see if that helps accelerate things.

    Bounced back fairly well for Phase 2, Week 6; ended at 195.5Lbs and weekly average of 197.2. Taking a diet break for 1 week then going to run a mini phase of about 3 weeks to hopefully get below 190 for at least one day, lol. It's getting there so I'm still encourage by the progress but the reality of just how much extra fat I've always had is taking time to accept. Keep cutting friends, summer sun is coming soon!
  • dozenmonkeyz
    dozenmonkeyz Posts: 150 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.

    Hit 175.4 this morning, although its going to be water/glycogen depletion since i am trying a 30-day ketogenic challenge for myself. Seeing if a very restrictive diet helps with compliance. So far, its working really well. Also, been discovering some need and good foods.

    A side note, i am finding that I'm much more vascular with this diet. I suspect its due to the increase in FFAs. But that would be just a guess.

    Even though tomorrow is my official weigh in day, i hit 173.5 today. 173 was my low weight after my 50lb loss 7 years ago and my lowest weight since middle school (i was 175 and lean as *kitten* all through highschool).

    I do know a bulk is in my future but it seems as keto is a good cutting option for me. But no way am i doing this *kitten* long term. I miss oats and fruit.

    That's amazing progress! Well done, sir!

    I know what you mean too. Figured my cravings would be the chips and ice cream, but, nope oatmeal with brown sugar at breakfast and and apple with lunch are the things I get so excited about when I'm off the diet. Weird, but hey, eat what you like and like what you eat :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.

    Hit 175.4 this morning, although its going to be water/glycogen depletion since i am trying a 30-day ketogenic challenge for myself. Seeing if a very restrictive diet helps with compliance. So far, its working really well. Also, been discovering some need and good foods.

    A side note, i am finding that I'm much more vascular with this diet. I suspect its due to the increase in FFAs. But that would be just a guess.

    Even though tomorrow is my official weigh in day, i hit 173.5 today. 173 was my low weight after my 50lb loss 7 years ago and my lowest weight since middle school (i was 175 and lean as *kitten* all through highschool).

    I do know a bulk is in my future but it seems as keto is a good cutting option for me. But no way am i doing this *kitten* long term. I miss oats and fruit.

    That's amazing progress! Well done, sir!

    I know what you mean too. Figured my cravings would be the chips and ice cream, but, nope oatmeal with brown sugar at breakfast and and apple with lunch are the things I get so excited about when I'm off the diet. Weird, but hey, eat what you like and like what you eat :)

    It is so weird. I would have thought my cravings would have been either ice cream or candy, but honestly, it seems I can give that stuff up much easier.

    Had a date night with the wife last night. Overall, keto compliance wasn't too bad. Had some vension, deviled duck eggs, and lamb chop. Did have some popcorn though at a movie. Overall, was up 1.5lbs this morning, but I should be back down. Pushing hard of little carbs today, plus I walked 18 holes for golf.

    Side note: Long Shot is hilarious.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.

    Hit 175.4 this morning, although its going to be water/glycogen depletion since i am trying a 30-day ketogenic challenge for myself. Seeing if a very restrictive diet helps with compliance. So far, its working really well. Also, been discovering some need and good foods.

    A side note, i am finding that I'm much more vascular with this diet. I suspect its due to the increase in FFAs. But that would be just a guess.

    Even though tomorrow is my official weigh in day, i hit 173.5 today. 173 was my low weight after my 50lb loss 7 years ago and my lowest weight since middle school (i was 175 and lean as *kitten* all through highschool).

    I do know a bulk is in my future but it seems as keto is a good cutting option for me. But no way am i doing this *kitten* long term. I miss oats and fruit.

    That's amazing progress! Well done, sir!

    I know what you mean too. Figured my cravings would be the chips and ice cream, but, nope oatmeal with brown sugar at breakfast and and apple with lunch are the things I get so excited about when I'm off the diet. Weird, but hey, eat what you like and like what you eat :)

    It is so weird. I would have thought my cravings would have been either ice cream or candy, but honestly, it seems I can give that stuff up much easier.

    Had a date night with the wife last night. Overall, keto compliance wasn't too bad. Had some vension, deviled duck eggs, and lamb chop. Did have some popcorn though at a movie. Overall, was up 1.5lbs this morning, but I should be back down. Pushing hard of little carbs today, plus I walked 18 holes for golf.

    Side note: Long Shot is hilarious.

    Like you, I'm kind of debating about going keto/low carb for a few weeks just to shed a couple of pounds before summer rolls around. I've done it in the past for up to 2 weeks and it's been pretty successful. I just wonder how much water weight I'll actually put back once I stop.

    Heading to the movies myself to see Hustle. I hope it's funny.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    mom23mangos wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    dozenmonkeyz wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    At 177.0 today (started at 184). I seem to be done with travel for awhile, so hopefully i can mentally commit. At this point. Taking things one week at a time to make some progress.


    Moved onto my summer lifting routine. Pretty much hit the big lifts and bro out with accessory moves. It is a great mental break from a pure structured routine. Also, i generally do this so i have time to fit in some tennis for cardio.

    Hit 175.4 this morning, although its going to be water/glycogen depletion since i am trying a 30-day ketogenic challenge for myself. Seeing if a very restrictive diet helps with compliance. So far, its working really well. Also, been discovering some need and good foods.

    A side note, i am finding that I'm much more vascular with this diet. I suspect its due to the increase in FFAs. But that would be just a guess.

    Even though tomorrow is my official weigh in day, i hit 173.5 today. 173 was my low weight after my 50lb loss 7 years ago and my lowest weight since middle school (i was 175 and lean as *kitten* all through highschool).

    I do know a bulk is in my future but it seems as keto is a good cutting option for me. But no way am i doing this *kitten* long term. I miss oats and fruit.

    That's amazing progress! Well done, sir!

    I know what you mean too. Figured my cravings would be the chips and ice cream, but, nope oatmeal with brown sugar at breakfast and and apple with lunch are the things I get so excited about when I'm off the diet. Weird, but hey, eat what you like and like what you eat :)

    It is so weird. I would have thought my cravings would have been either ice cream or candy, but honestly, it seems I can give that stuff up much easier.

    Had a date night with the wife last night. Overall, keto compliance wasn't too bad. Had some vension, deviled duck eggs, and lamb chop. Did have some popcorn though at a movie. Overall, was up 1.5lbs this morning, but I should be back down. Pushing hard of little carbs today, plus I walked 18 holes for golf.

    Side note: Long Shot is hilarious.

    Like you, I'm kind of debating about going keto/low carb for a few weeks just to shed a couple of pounds before summer rolls around. I've done it in the past for up to 2 weeks and it's been pretty successful. I just wonder how much water weight I'll actually put back once I stop.

    Heading to the movies myself to see Hustle. I hope it's funny.

    It was actually interesting, once i put carbs real low, and pushed to increase fats a lot, i found hunger wasn't a huge issue. So when i hit 30g with 120g of fat, i do well. On my carb days where i incorporate berries, i tend to not do as well.

    Although, the exception of when i add a lot of avocado. Those days seem pretty good.

    The one good thing is i am learning a bunch of new recipes.
  • hnself
    hnself Posts: 4 Member
    Just had my first bulk, lasted about 5 months, starting week 2 of my first cut. I gained 12 pounds during the bulk. I rarely stepped on a scale during the bulk, but the times I did I was nervous.
    3 years ago I weighed 224lbs. I lost 58 pounds doing straight cardio, then a friend introduced me to weightlifting. I have been lifting for about a year and a half. In the process of losing weight, I had become obsessed with seeing the numbers on the scale decrease.
    Once I began weightlifting and learning about nutrition and that it is was unhealthy for me to eat 800-900 calories with the amount of activity I was doing, I began to gain weight.
    The first year of light lifting and low calorie eating, I gained about 8 pounds. These past five months, I have put on an additional 12 pounds by significantly increases my caloric intake and lifting heavy (I have grown to love seeing how my body grows and adapts- it is capable of so much more than I was giving it credit for).
    All of that to say, this bulk has taught me a lot. I stepped on the scale before I began the cut and was in absolute shock at my weight. I immediately began criticizing myself for my weight gain. Then I realized 1) I feel better- happier, stronger, more confident- than I ever have 2) Though I gained weight, I look better now than I ever did at my lightest.
    I am cautious to start this cut, but have gotten rid of my scale because of my past tendency to obsession with the numbers on it.
    In my bulk i was eating 2800 kcals: 45c,35p,20f. I am slowly decreasing my kcals for the cut, but my goal is eat 1800 kcals: 40,40,20. I want to lose about 6 lbs, but to be honest I am not going to weigh and will just rely on the mirror and past pictures. I will add 3 days of HIIT cardio. I plan on cutting for 13-15 weeks (Aiming for end of August).
  • MichaelK1007
    MichaelK1007 Posts: 136 Member
    hnself wrote: »
    Just had my first bulk, lasted about 5 months, starting week 2 of my first cut. I gained 12 pounds during the bulk. I rarely stepped on a scale during the bulk, but the times I did I was nervous.
    3 years ago I weighed 224lbs. I lost 58 pounds doing straight cardio, then a friend introduced me to weightlifting. I have been lifting for about a year and a half. In the process of losing weight, I had become obsessed with seeing the numbers on the scale decrease.
    Once I began weightlifting and learning about nutrition and that it is was unhealthy for me to eat 800-900 calories with the amount of activity I was doing, I began to gain weight.
    The first year of light lifting and low calorie eating, I gained about 8 pounds. These past five months, I have put on an additional 12 pounds by significantly increases my caloric intake and lifting heavy (I have grown to love seeing how my body grows and adapts- it is capable of so much more than I was giving it credit for).
    All of that to say, this bulk has taught me a lot. I stepped on the scale before I began the cut and was in absolute shock at my weight. I immediately began criticizing myself for my weight gain. Then I realized 1) I feel better- happier, stronger, more confident- than I ever have 2) Though I gained weight, I look better now than I ever did at my lightest.
    I am cautious to start this cut, but have gotten rid of my scale because of my past tendency to obsession with the numbers on it.
    In my bulk i was eating 2800 kcals: 45c,35p,20f. I am slowly decreasing my kcals for the cut, but my goal is eat 1800 kcals: 40,40,20. I want to lose about 6 lbs, but to be honest I am not going to weigh and will just rely on the mirror and past pictures. I will add 3 days of HIIT cardio. I plan on cutting for 13-15 weeks (Aiming for end of August).

    This sounds like a excellent plan and well thought out. For me as I cut calories I cut carbs as well while keeping protein and fats the same. I need carbs to stay low when I cut. I also carefully watch my sugar intake. Question, what type of programming are you planning to do for your cut and how long will your HIIT cardio sessions be?

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