Anyone cutting after a bulk?

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Replies

  • happysquatter
    happysquatter Posts: 91 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Had a bit of a discouraging moment over the weekend. I have a few functions coming up, and I didn't expect to fit/look good in all my old dresses, but, arggg, it's so frustrating having your fave clothes not fit. :s Shopping is not an option right now, so it might just be the same 2-3 meh ones I keep wearing over and over. I am so tempted to run a small cut and scrap this recomp for a bit... someone please talk me out of it!!

    Don't I know it - my suits are getting tight around the chest and barely fit around my quads.

    Thankfully! I'm finally (finally) on a cut. Starting now at around 170~ and 24.5%~ bf

    Let's see how it comes along.

    Good luck with your events
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Had a bit of a discouraging moment over the weekend. I have a few functions coming up, and I didn't expect to fit/look good in all my old dresses, but, arggg, it's so frustrating having your fave clothes not fit. :s Shopping is not an option right now, so it might just be the same 2-3 meh ones I keep wearing over and over. I am so tempted to run a small cut and scrap this recomp for a bit... someone please talk me out of it!!

    Don't I know it - my suits are getting tight around the chest and barely fit around my quads.

    Thankfully! I'm finally (finally) on a cut. Starting now at around 170~ and 24.5%~ bf

    Let's see how it comes along.

    Good luck with your events

    I bought a "slim cut" suit four years ago for my honeymoon. Had it tailored and it fit beautifully. The wife and I are going on another cruise in May and there are two formal nights, so I tried my expensive Italian custom made suit.... lol. I can't even get my ARMS into the sleeves. Pants still fit, but that jacket is a lost cause.
  • happysquatter
    happysquatter Posts: 91 Member
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Had a bit of a discouraging moment over the weekend. I have a few functions coming up, and I didn't expect to fit/look good in all my old dresses, but, arggg, it's so frustrating having your fave clothes not fit. :s Shopping is not an option right now, so it might just be the same 2-3 meh ones I keep wearing over and over. I am so tempted to run a small cut and scrap this recomp for a bit... someone please talk me out of it!!

    Don't I know it - my suits are getting tight around the chest and barely fit around my quads.

    Thankfully! I'm finally (finally) on a cut. Starting now at around 170~ and 24.5%~ bf

    Let's see how it comes along.

    Good luck with your events

    I bought a "slim cut" suit four years ago for my honeymoon. Had it tailored and it fit beautifully. The wife and I are going on another cruise in May and there are two formal nights, so I tried my expensive Italian custom made suit.... lol. I can't even get my ARMS into the sleeves. Pants still fit, but that jacket is a lost cause.

    Ahh that is such a shame! And I know what you mean about Italian slims; they're really quite next level. Nice choice though!

    My bespoke still fits me, thankfully. And it has adjustable tabs for my waist (one of the few times my overthinking came in handy). One of the reasons a straight bulk to 200 is never going to be my cuppa!

    Hey, have fun in May! You could just do an odd waistcoat look and still pull off formal
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    It's been over a week since I could spend any time on the forums so I'm catching up on some of the conversations I missed with this comment

    - Regarding the Arnold program, I've been running it as well and it's not on the verge of overtraining, at least for me and where the intensity is. Granted, given the time needed I can't say I've gotten to every single set for some of the accessories but I definitely think its' doable

    - All my suits definitely fit differently too. I'm not to JSeams point where the jackets are a lost cause but some definitely have the Ari Gold (Entourage character) look. The custom fit suit I had made about 18 months ago is even starting to get like that in the jacket but the waist is loose. My other two favorites I've had since 2013 and could use some adjusting. The custom shirts I have are getting a little snug in the chest to the point I've had two get small rips right at the placket. Luckily they're small and a tie covers them up.

    Weight wise I'm trending up at 180.6 after the last two weeks have been calorie-tastic. I thought I'd turned the corner and had some good trending data on 2/13 but my graph took a comedic upward turn and I've gone from 176.8 to 179.8 in that span. Overall it's fluffier than I'd like but workouts have been solid and I feel like I've been getting a lot more positive comments from friends and coworkers which makes me think I need to ride this upward trend for a little longer
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    Diet and training need to be spot on going forward. I got 7 weeks before I have a trip to Miami Beach and Key West.

    Hopefully this will be the event push i need to get lean enough.
  • alexmose
    alexmose Posts: 792 Member
    I’m feeling a bit unhappy with bulking. I’m gaining a bit faster than I’d like. So trending up 2.5 pounds over last 30 days. I have to keep telling myself this is ok and not the end of the world. Also feeling a bit bloated today which doesn’t help. I have to silence the inner voice saying” what ya doing fat girl.” Cos I am no longer that girl.

    I made the decision to stop tracking my food as it makes me a bit obsessive and I also find it quite stressful remembering to log stuff. I’m gonna stick with the plan but eat a bit less and see if I can achieve a gain of about 1.5 pounds a month.

    My jeans are getting a bit tighter round the thighs ( and waist). I may be living in Lycra for a few months.

    Progress in the gym is going well.

    How’s everyone else?

    Still working to try and find my balance to gain .5lb/week. Currently at 2200 cals. Gym is ok. Really sore this week. I didn’t have great sleep Monday so I think that’s part of it.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    How’s everyone else?

    I'm deciding what direction to take as we've decided on a beach vacation in July, so just over 19 weeks away. As is well-documented, I'm pretty dreadful at cutting to get properly lean but I've never had much in the way of events or deadlines to work with. Pre-lifting I got down <160 for our wedding in 2013 which may or may not have been leaner than I have been recently, but that's the closest comp for cutting with a deadline I have. Since my post last week the scale trend dropped by 2 lbs of water that I must've been hanging onto from flying around for work.

    I'm thinking to stay the course with the recomp+/lean bulk I've fallen into though April and then switch to a fairly agressive cut through May and June, which would give me about 11 weeks. I'd expect to be around 180 at the end of April and would target <170 for the trip.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,443 Member
    I’m feeling a bit unhappy with bulking. I’m gaining a bit faster than I’d like. So trending up 2.5 pounds over last 30 days. I have to keep telling myself this is ok and not the end of the world. Also feeling a bit bloated today which doesn’t help. I have to silence the inner voice saying” what ya doing fat girl.” Cos I am no longer that girl.

    I made the decision to stop tracking my food as it makes me a bit obsessive and I also find it quite stressful remembering to log stuff. I’m gonna stick with the plan but eat a bit less and see if I can achieve a gain of about 1.5 pounds a month.

    My jeans are getting a bit tighter round the thighs ( and waist). I may be living in Lycra for a few months.

    Progress in the gym is going well.

    How’s everyone else?

    Two weeks into my cut, officially down one pound. Coach cut carbs a little again this morning. Still a little sad about the loss of food. :laugh:

    I feel you on the bulking. I had to go buy bigger pants (with Lycra) about half-way through my bulk. That was hard mentally. I now have sizes between 8-14 US. LOL I did learn to keep my "fat" pants now.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I’m feeling a bit unhappy with bulking. I’m gaining a bit faster than I’d like. So trending up 2.5 pounds over last 30 days. I have to keep telling myself this is ok and not the end of the world. Also feeling a bit bloated today which doesn’t help. I have to silence the inner voice saying” what ya doing fat girl.” Cos I am no longer that girl.

    I made the decision to stop tracking my food as it makes me a bit obsessive and I also find it quite stressful remembering to log stuff. I’m gonna stick with the plan but eat a bit less and see if I can achieve a gain of about 1.5 pounds a month.

    My jeans are getting a bit tighter round the thighs ( and waist). I may be living in Lycra for a few months.

    Progress in the gym is going well.

    How’s everyone else?

    Yea bulking is hard especially when those thoughts get to you. Also I am with you on the food logging. It was a great tool but it was ultimately not healthy for me. I usually try to keep most of my meals the same, add or subtract snacks or portions if I can. It can take some trial and error but it can be done!

    I am still maintaining. Honestly, recomp stinks! :s I am really not enjoying it, and it's only been a month or so. I think if I was at goal or really close it would be different (but also likely less optimal...) so... I am just trying to trust the process. I am still very tempted to cut but I know that will be temporary satisfaction, gotta keep my eye on the prize. I know it is a really long process, and right now it is really more of a stopover between bulks and a way to get my strength and volume numbers back up without burning out. I'm really not expecting much in the physique department. At least not until I eventually do cut down.

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Oh and I don't mention upper mostly because carrying my 18lb baby for hours really affects those PRs! :p
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So it sucks trying to get lean. Dropped a few pounds while adding carbs back (100-130g) but holy *kitten*, has my hunger returned like no other.

    Its a crappy predicament, keto suppressed my appetite but I couldn't get passed the frequent cramping. It got me leaner than i ever have been since middle school. Carbs help my performance, get rid of my cramps but increases hunger which makes it difficult to stay in a deficit.

    Struggling to decide how i can attack this. Any ideas or personal experiences? I have unintentionally recomped over the past 2 years but no where as lean as I want.

    IMHO...

    I'm not really a believer of the whole keto surpresses appetite thing... Just as many people will say that fibrous carbs surpress hunger...

    It sounds like it could psychosomatic...
    But consider the source of the carbs... A lot of foods are designed to make you crave more, making it difficult to stay in a deficit...

    Also consider that you may just be over critical of what you are looking at in the mirror... I've tried for years to get abs to show, it was basically the goal of my last attempt at cutting... I got down to a point where it was just not worth it for me to go any lower, a few times actually...

    However this last time I took a good a good hard look at myself at the end of it and realized, you know what... I do have abs... Sure they may be covered by some loose skin and cellulite, and no they are not granite carved... But they are nonetheless MY abs, it's what abs are going to look like for me...

    I'm happy with it and it now and it's giving me direction on my continuing journey and has left me less afraid of gaining weight... It's really just a change of mindset, I bet they are there for you... But you know, we are our own worst critic 🤷🏽‍♂️
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    @psuLemon
    It could take some time to adjust to the carb intake. Have you considered carb/calorie cycling? This worked so well for me for my last cut. I would have 2 days a week (my non-lifting days), low calorie, low carb, high protein, low fat (you can adjust it how you please) and either all days at maintenance or higher with higher carbs. Also lots of coffee and distraction! I also took frequent diet breaks every 8-12 weeks. What about IF or anything like that? Sometimes it takes some experimenting to find something that can work.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So it sucks trying to get lean. Dropped a few pounds while adding carbs back (100-130g) but holy *kitten*, has my hunger returned like no other.

    Its a crappy predicament, keto suppressed my appetite but I couldn't get passed the frequent cramping. It got me leaner than i ever have been since middle school. Carbs help my performance, get rid of my cramps but increases hunger which makes it difficult to stay in a deficit.

    Struggling to decide how i can attack this. Any ideas or personal experiences? I have unintentionally recomped over the past 2 years but no where as lean as I want.

    IMHO...

    I'm not really a believer of the whole keto surpresses appetite thing... Just as many people will say that fibrous carbs surpress hunger...

    It sounds like it could psychosomatic...
    But consider the source of the carbs... A lot of foods are designed to make you crave more, making it difficult to stay in a deficit...

    Also consider that you may just be over critical of what you are looking at in the mirror... I've tried for years to get abs to show, it was basically the goal of my last attempt at cutting... I got down to a point where it was just not worth it for me to go any lower, a few times actually...

    However this last time I took a good a good hard look at myself at the end of it and realized, you know what... I do have abs... Sure they may be covered by some loose skin and cellulite, and no they are not granite carved... But they are nonetheless MY abs, it's what abs are going to look like for me...

    I'm happy with it and it now and it's giving me direction on my continuing journey and has left me less afraid of gaining weight... It's really just a change of mindset, I bet they are there for you... But you know, we are our own worst critic 🤷🏽‍♂️

    I appreciate the feedback.

    The hunger suppression thing was more observational data on experience. It was certainly easier for me to stay at 1800 calories or less.

    I do also recognize i am my worst enemy. I have seen some improvements in my arms, chest, legs and v-taper but my bellybutton area is still big. I have some upper ab definition. Its part of the reason i noticed an unintentional recomp.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    sardelsa wrote: »
    @psuLemon
    It could take some time to adjust to the carb intake. Have you considered carb/calorie cycling? This worked so well for me for my last cut. I would have 2 days a week (my non-lifting days), low calorie, low carb, high protein, low fat (you can adjust it how you please) and either all days at maintenance or higher with higher carbs. Also lots of coffee and distraction! I also took frequent diet breaks every 8-12 weeks. What about IF or anything like that? Sometimes it takes some experimenting to find something that can work.

    I have done UD2, so a version of calorie cycling but not in the way you have cycled. The high protein low carb, low/moderate fat could be interesting to throw in there.

    What is interesting, i only eat two meals on the weekend. But struggle to implement that during the week. I suspect that is more mental than anything else.
  • happysquatter
    happysquatter Posts: 91 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    So it sucks trying to get lean. Dropped a few pounds while adding carbs back (100-130g) but holy *kitten*, has my hunger returned like no other.

    Its a crappy predicament, keto suppressed my appetite but I couldn't get passed the frequent cramping. It got me leaner than i ever have been since middle school. Carbs help my performance, get rid of my cramps but increases hunger which makes it difficult to stay in a deficit.

    Struggling to decide how i can attack this. Any ideas or personal experiences? I have unintentionally recomped over the past 2 years but no where as lean as I want.

    I hear you, it's not easy cuttings cals

    Fairly new to this thread so I don't know exactly when you started however it could just be a factor of giving it a bit more time. The body is immensely adaptable but maybe the transition from low(keto to mod carbs was too fast?

    My current cut, I slowly tapered my carbs and fats reducing them in the order of 10's of grams. It's a mental hack has that worked for me (vs the standard 500 cals or what have you) and is still working about 2 weeks in.
  • happysquatter
    happysquatter Posts: 91 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Carbs help my performance, get rid of my cramps but increases hunger which makes it difficult to stay in a deficit.

    If I can throw in another question. How has sleep been for you?

    Lower sleep always increases hunger for me. (Leptin/Ghrelin and all that jazz)

    That is the case as we speak and I could eat a 1000 cals in a minute but my meals are done for the day :(