Anyone cutting after a bulk?

19899101103104108

Replies

  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    nexangelus wrote: »
    Started slowly cutting. Having a hard time balancing muscle and strength loss. Have to find a slow balance. Is there a way to have both? SCIENCE! LOL!

    If you really are cutting slowly then neither will happen substantially...in my experience...as I have said before my strength has increased or stayed the same after 2 to 3 years on a slow cut...I am female, 47 and now training 5 times a week again....strength is going up still...am now 16 kg/35 lbs down....

    Same. I don't find I have any problem with strength losses, though I'm pretty consistently in about a 10-15 lb range.
  • RJSDFGS
    RJSDFGS Posts: 2 Member
    I am 3 weeks into my cut and I find weighing the ingredients out for every meal in order to hit my target macros, time consuming and not something that I could stick to for the duration of my cut, for example.
    I feel like for 2 of my 3 meals a day, I am eating for a purpose, opposed to for enjoyment. Does anyone else feel like this?
    I.e breakfast and lunch have now become functional meals, that I am trying to consume my correct macros, with not too much regard to the flavour. Breakfast is usually a green smoothie, packed with as much nutrients, fats and protein as possible (it is not the tastiest, but it ticks a lot of boxes).
    Whereas, dinner with my family in the evening is more of an enjoyable meal, which generally picks up the remaining macros with a protein shake in the evening or after a workout to hit my daily protein goal.
    Is anyone else here starting off a cut/ bulk well, but then having less time for meal prep in the week, so gains start to slip? For me it’s a real tricky balancing act to get right, work, gym, meal prep and family time. Has anyone got any good advice on how to tread this fine line well?
    As some days I end up in a rush to get out of the door in the morning, I don’t have time to make lunch and end up with the dreaded meal deal from the local shop. Any tips or advice would be massively appreciated.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    RJSDFGS wrote: »
    I am 3 weeks into my cut and I find weighing the ingredients out for every meal in order to hit my target macros, time consuming and not something that I could stick to for the duration of my cut, for example.
    I feel like for 2 of my 3 meals a day, I am eating for a purpose, opposed to for enjoyment. Does anyone else feel like this?
    I.e breakfast and lunch have now become functional meals, that I am trying to consume my correct macros, with not too much regard to the flavour. Breakfast is usually a green smoothie, packed with as much nutrients, fats and protein as possible (it is not the tastiest, but it ticks a lot of boxes).
    Whereas, dinner with my family in the evening is more of an enjoyable meal, which generally picks up the remaining macros with a protein shake in the evening or after a workout to hit my daily protein goal.
    Is anyone else here starting off a cut/ bulk well, but then having less time for meal prep in the week, so gains start to slip? For me it’s a real tricky balancing act to get right, work, gym, meal prep and family time. Has anyone got any good advice on how to tread this fine line well?
    As some days I end up in a rush to get out of the door in the morning, I don’t have time to make lunch and end up with the dreaded meal deal from the local shop. Any tips or advice would be massively appreciated.

    Not that I don't like the food I have during the rest of the day but dinner is usually the only meal of the day that factors in anything beyond macros, the rest are basically means to an end. To a degree, I find this trade off necessary, but worthwhile.

    For me, I can't trust myself to make consistently good choices if I'm ad libbing lunches. It takes time to build any habit but pre-planning, logging and packing/prepping is the best way for me to be consistent. I'm very guilty of getting caught up in the minutia but try to make sure you nail the basics; appropriate calories, sufficient protein spread throughout the day, whatever level of food quality you define as "good enough" but allows for life to happen. I know it's not perfect but the best solution I've found for me involves having a protein shake for most of my protein doses throughout the day as it gets me to my macros and is low effort enough for me to prep so I don't find myself wandering around a store or hitting the drive thru for lunch.

    I've been loosely following the RP diet templates for the last few weeks as far as protein dosing and meal timing and it's been working out pretty well and meshes with my tolerance level for prep. I have my morning routine of about 10 minutes where I mix up my protein shakes (pre/intra workout, post workout, 11am, 3pm) across three shaker cups (11am and 3pm get combined in a large cup and I drink 1/2 each time) and requisite non-refrigerated foods requisite to my other macro targets before I train in the morning. I eat the same thing on a daily basis for those meals so it takes away some decision; I know what I eat and at what times for at least 3/4 of the day. I know I should eat more vegetables and what not but a more involved level of prep with containers and reheating food isn't appealing. It'd be a different story if I worked from home on a permanent basis but I don't see that happening any time soon (much to my chagrin).
  • wiigelec
    wiigelec Posts: 503 Member
    edited May 2021
    10 weeks and very pleased with results so far, though I'm definitely getting burned out with the process. I've got four pounds till I reach my hard floor of 180 to start moving towards a surplus. Not sure yet if I'm going to press on here or go to maintenance for a few weeks and decide from there.

    Start
    date: 2/21/2021
    weight: 195.8 #
    caliper: 18mm
    bf%: 22.9
    fat mass: 44.8
    lean mass: 151.0

    Week 10
    date: 5/1/2021
    weight: 184.0 #
    caliper: 13mm
    bf%: 18.8
    fat mass: 34.5
    lean mass: 149.5

    Results
    total weight change: -11.8 #
    total fat mass change: -10.24 (86.7%)
    total lean mass change: -1.56 (13.3%)
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    wiigelec wrote: »
    10 weeks and very pleased with results so far, though I'm definitely getting burned out with the process. I've got four pounds till I reach my hard floor of 180 to start moving towards a surplus. Not sure yet if I'm going to press on here or go to maintenance for a few weeks and decide from there.

    Start
    date: 2/21/2021
    weight: 195.8 #
    caliper: 18mm
    bf%: 22.9
    fat mass: 44.8
    lean mass: 151.0

    Week 10
    date: 5/1/2021
    weight: 184.0 #
    caliper: 13mm
    bf%: 18.8
    fat mass: 34.5
    lean mass: 149.5

    Results
    total weight change: -11.8 #
    total fat mass change: -10.24 (86.7%)
    total lean mass change: -1.56 (13.3%)

    Why the hard floor at 180?
  • wiigelec
    wiigelec Posts: 503 Member
    I've been super skinny all my life (6'1" 135# after college), so it's a mental thing for me. I'm already feeling really thin, but the lower body fat has seemed to help my performance a bit in hockey and jiu jitsu, and is most likely better overall health wise.

    At 180 I will probably be around 17-18% and at this point I don't see too much to gain by going lower, especially if I can bulk back up to around 200 at around 20%, then start the whole thing over again. I'm ok with this gaining lean mass and losing fat mass being a slow process, particularly at my age (44).
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    Finally woke up this morning under 220lb
    A nice 219.5, next goal is 215lb over the next 4-6 weeks
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    Coming off vacation and a work trip.. hoping to get back on track after mother's day.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    174.0 this morning. Coming back down after three family birthdays in two weeks (wife, myself, and Dad)
  • alexmose2
    alexmose2 Posts: 208 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Coming off vacation and a work trip.. hoping to get back on track after mother's day.

    same to both but i'll be back on it in june
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    alexmose2 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Coming off vacation and a work trip.. hoping to get back on track after mother's day.

    same to both but i'll be back on it in june

    Best of luck!
  • alexmose2
    alexmose2 Posts: 208 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    alexmose2 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Coming off vacation and a work trip.. hoping to get back on track after mother's day.

    same to both but i'll be back on it in june

    Best of luck!

    You as well!
  • happyness4me
    happyness4me Posts: 58 Member
    I am officially on a weightloss plan now. I have gained almost 15 pounds in the last 1.5 years. I wasn't purposely gaining weight (bulking) but I was still lifting so I know some of this weight is muscle. I definitely look better than I did last time I weighed this much. But I want to lose it now and see if I look better at a lighter weight than last time. I'm planning on 10 pounds by 8/10/21. I think that should be a healthy way to do it.

    Can I expect to continue to progress in my lifting or will that stall with a cut? I've tried cutting before and failed but I think my calorie restriction was way too much. So I really don't know what to expect with energy levels and progression.
  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
    I am officially on a weightloss plan now. I have gained almost 15 pounds in the last 1.5 years. I wasn't purposely gaining weight (bulking) but I was still lifting so I know some of this weight is muscle. I definitely look better than I did last time I weighed this much. But I want to lose it now and see if I look better at a lighter weight than last time. I'm planning on 10 pounds by 8/10/21. I think that should be a healthy way to do it.

    Can I expect to continue to progress in my lifting or will that stall with a cut? I've tried cutting before and failed but I think my calorie restriction was way too much. So I really don't know what to expect with energy levels and progression.

    In general, if your body fat isn't too low and your lifting program properly applies progressive overload and you have sufficient recovery in your fitness plan and your calorie deficit isn't too large, you can expect to keep making gains. A lot of that just depends on your experience level and genetics, and they'll almost certainly be more moderate gains than when you're in a calorie surplus, but some progress isn't out of the question.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,081 Member
    I am officially on a weightloss plan now. I have gained almost 15 pounds in the last 1.5 years. I wasn't purposely gaining weight (bulking) but I was still lifting so I know some of this weight is muscle. I definitely look better than I did last time I weighed this much. But I want to lose it now and see if I look better at a lighter weight than last time. I'm planning on 10 pounds by 8/10/21. I think that should be a healthy way to do it.

    Can I expect to continue to progress in my lifting or will that stall with a cut? I've tried cutting before and failed but I think my calorie restriction was way too much. So I really don't know what to expect with energy levels and progression.

    As GaryRuns said, strength gains in a caloric deficit can be done and I have gained strength every time I have cut weight....as long as the deficit is not too large, your recovery strategies are up together (sleep and macro split, low levels of stress)
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    nexangelus wrote: »
    I am officially on a weightloss plan now. I have gained almost 15 pounds in the last 1.5 years. I wasn't purposely gaining weight (bulking) but I was still lifting so I know some of this weight is muscle. I definitely look better than I did last time I weighed this much. But I want to lose it now and see if I look better at a lighter weight than last time. I'm planning on 10 pounds by 8/10/21. I think that should be a healthy way to do it.

    Can I expect to continue to progress in my lifting or will that stall with a cut? I've tried cutting before and failed but I think my calorie restriction was way too much. So I really don't know what to expect with energy levels and progression.

    As GaryRuns said, strength gains in a caloric deficit can be done and I have gained strength every time I have cut weight....as long as the deficit is not too large, your recovery strategies are up together (sleep and macro split, low levels of stress)

    Likewise, gains and even PRs don't have to be off the table on a cut.

    How does 10 lbs in three months relate to your current weight and what that means in terms requisite loss rate per week to reach that goal?
  • happyness4me
    happyness4me Posts: 58 Member
    steveko89 wrote: »
    nexangelus wrote: »
    I am officially on a weightloss plan now. I have gained almost 15 pounds in the last 1.5 years. I wasn't purposely gaining weight (bulking) but I was still lifting so I know some of this weight is muscle. I definitely look better than I did last time I weighed this much. But I want to lose it now and see if I look better at a lighter weight than last time. I'm planning on 10 pounds by 8/10/21. I think that should be a healthy way to do it.

    Can I expect to continue to progress in my lifting or will that stall with a cut? I've tried cutting before and failed but I think my calorie restriction was way too much. So I really don't know what to expect with energy levels and progression.

    As GaryRuns said, strength gains in a caloric deficit can be done and I have gained strength every time I have cut weight....as long as the deficit is not too large, your recovery strategies are up together (sleep and macro split, low levels of stress)

    Likewise, gains and even PRs don't have to be off the table on a cut.

    How does 10 lbs in three months relate to your current weight and what that means in terms requisite loss rate per week to reach that goal?

    Ok, so it sounds like as long as I keep my deficit modest I can still make progressions. My starting weight as of this morning was 130.6 pounds. I'd like to get to 120 by August 10th, I think that works out to be about 0.75 pounds per week.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    steveko89 wrote: »
    nexangelus wrote: »
    I am officially on a weightloss plan now. I have gained almost 15 pounds in the last 1.5 years. I wasn't purposely gaining weight (bulking) but I was still lifting so I know some of this weight is muscle. I definitely look better than I did last time I weighed this much. But I want to lose it now and see if I look better at a lighter weight than last time. I'm planning on 10 pounds by 8/10/21. I think that should be a healthy way to do it.

    Can I expect to continue to progress in my lifting or will that stall with a cut? I've tried cutting before and failed but I think my calorie restriction was way too much. So I really don't know what to expect with energy levels and progression.

    As GaryRuns said, strength gains in a caloric deficit can be done and I have gained strength every time I have cut weight....as long as the deficit is not too large, your recovery strategies are up together (sleep and macro split, low levels of stress)

    Likewise, gains and even PRs don't have to be off the table on a cut.

    How does 10 lbs in three months relate to your current weight and what that means in terms requisite loss rate per week to reach that goal?

    Ok, so it sounds like as long as I keep my deficit modest I can still make progressions. My starting weight as of this morning was 130.6 pounds. I'd like to get to 120 by August 10th, I think that works out to be about 0.75 pounds per week.

    That rate should be pretty sustainable at ~0.6% body weight. I would expect a 375 cal/day deficit to be doable.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
    Moving average finally crept down into the 174s over the last few days. Over a month incorporating meal timing and macro recommendations from the RP template and I'm continuing to see the merits. Though my scale weight hasn't changed much I'm seeing some nice qualitative improvements to body composition in some areas. My wife even noted "you're starting to get those V things" getting ready for bed last night.

    Interestingly, my observed TDEE continues to remain elevated at ~2650 (+~5% vs. three years of historic data pre-fall lean bulk).

    Looking forward to the Virtual Garage Gym Competition next week. I've basically been averaging out to maintenance cals so I'll stay the course through getting my lifts documented.