My Training Journal

[SouthernLord]

Up your kcal!

1600 is less than most girls with eating disorders consume.

Are you keeping up with how much weight you're losing per week?

 

[ExtraMile]

Up your kcal!

1600 is less than most girls with eating disorders consume.

Are you keeping up with how much weight you're losing per week?

why would I change it if it seems to be working lol. I am however adding in a small cheat meal every 3 days or so (but only post workout) just soemthing like a slize of pizza.

and yes I have a record of my weight gain/loss from December 16 2009, but this is my cutting progress:

Oct 21: 173.8lb
Oct 17: 175.0lb
Oct 13: 175.5lb
Oct 9: 180lb (carb loaded)
Oct 5: 176lb
Sep 27: 182lb
Sep 18: 186lb
Sep 15: 188lb
Sep 5: 192.5lb
Sep 3: 190lb
Aug 26: 192.5lb
Aug 12: 197.6lb
Aug 8: 198.5lb
Jul 20: 200.5lb
Jul 6: 203lb
Jun 26: 209lb

I have it going all the way back until December 16th 2009. On a graph it looks like this:

 

[Tblock1]

why would I change it if it seems to be working lol. I am however adding in a small cheat meal every 3 days or so (but only post workout) just soemthing like a slize of pizza.

and yes I have a record of my weight gain/loss from December 16 2009, but this is my cutting progress:

Oct 21: 173.8lb
Oct 17: 175.0lb
Oct 13: 175.5lb
Oct 9: 180lb (carb loaded)
Oct 5: 176lb
Sep 27: 182lb
Sep 18: 186lb
Sep 15: 188lb
Sep 5: 192.5lb
Sep 3: 190lb
Aug 26: 192.5lb
Aug 12: 197.6lb
Aug 8: 198.5lb
Jul 20: 200.5lb
Jul 6: 203lb
Jun 26: 209lb

I have it going all the way back until December 16th 2009. On a graph it looks like this:

http://i52.tinypic.com/9tmtj8.jpg

where should I start here? You've lost 35.2 lbs of bodyweight. If you were say 20% bodyfat at 209 that means you had 41.8 lbs of fat. Now you are 173.8. You are much weaker, and now around 15% you say? That would put you at losing 15.7 lbs of fat. What's the other 20 pounds of loss? I'll be really generous and say you're at 12% bodyfat. You've lost 20 lbs of fat. What is the rest? It's not water weight I guarantee man you've probably lost a lot of muscle and you are way weaker now. I would definitely up the calories. I don't mean to be a dick here I'm just trying to make a point

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Except for the few genetically gifted people cutting bodyfat while retaining most if not all the muscle mass is a difficult process.

You have to hit the gym hard to keep working the muscle you have even as you are going into a caloric deficit which makes training harder because you got less glycogen, less water bloat etc.

Then you have to be spot on with your calorie intake and "gradually" lower it. 1-1.5 pounds a week being ideal. I don't keep a log of what I eat when bulking, but I do know what I eat on a typical day and keep dibs on my bodyweight via the scale a couple times a week.

I haven't dieted down in a long time, but I was making similar mistakes as you. Tblock1 is correct that based off the weight you have lost and your possible bodyfat you have lost ALOT of muscle whether you realize it or not.

When I cut down I start at 4k calories a day as a safe place and then add in 30 minutes of cardio after my workout days so typically 3-4 light-moderate cardio sessions a week.

Then drop the cals by like 250 every 2 weeks. That in combination with the cardio should slowly shed fat yet supply enough fuel to keep the muscles going. I don't believe in all the carb cycling or funky diet ratios for dieting down, but I do believe in calorie spiking to re-boost the metabolism. 1 cheat day a week eating a metric shit ton of calories can greatly aid in the process. In hindsight I would not drop my calorie intake below 3000 a day.

It's a subtle balance especially doing it natural.

I'll take my current job for example. In 4 weeks I've lost nearly 10lbs even though I eat quite abit of food and not all of it is clean. So I know I am burning bookoo ass calories from this. I have also noticed over the course of those 4 weeks that my strength has remained roughly the same or minor improvements vs the constant steady progression I was getting before this job when calorie intake was high and activity level was fairly low.

It sounds like you want to be 160lbs for whatever reason and if that's the case more power to ya, but in the end losing so much muscle I think you'll find you just look like a smaller version of yourself and not quite the built figure you were hoping for possibly.

Now if you do manage to get super lean and let's say you weight 150lbs just remember don't mistake definition for muscle.

Anyhow, good luck with your diet.

 

[ExtraMile]

SouthernLord is the only one on here who has seen my current progress pics and he didnt really say anything about muscle loss, maybe he will chime in here with his opinion of how I have done so far.

I was above 20% when I was 209 and I was very bloated. I actually just typed out a reply and put a link to a progress pic but decided not to put any up yet.

Im pretty sure I could add 5-6lbs in a few days if I carb loaded again, thats what happened last time I carb loaded. Yes I have probably lost some muscle I know I will have and Im not denying this.

I ate a little cheat food today lol so my calories were higher too

lets say i was 24% bodyfat at 209, so 50lbs of fat on my body (like I have said several times your all thinking I was leaner than I actually was at 209). I have lost 35lbs total. Just for example's sake lets say 25lbs of this was fat weight. 5lbs was water and another 5lbs was muscle. I would be weighing 174 (which I am) I would have 25lbs less fat. So I would be 174 with 25lbs of fat, this puts me at ~14% bodyfat....

Anyway. Today I did chest and grip

Flat DB Press
27.5's x 10
39's x 10
50's x 5
61's x 13 (pr while cutting)
61's x 12
61's x 11
61's x 8
61's x 8

15 Degree Incline Flye
27.5's x 20
27.5's x 20
27.5's x 20
27.5's x 20
27.5's x 20

I did static BB grip holds inbetween every set except for the 3 warm up sets on my presses.

Cardio
20mins outdoor walking (no treadmill cardio on the last workout of the week)

basic, simple and fun

 

[SouthernLord]

I did see Em's pic a few weeks back. He was well over 20% in the first pic. He looks 100% better now. Even though he's smaller he's looking rather jacked.

I'm sure he'll eventually be satisfied with his weight loss and then he can go back to lean bulk mode and the strength gains will return.

2 pounds of weight loss per week would be the max I'd shoot for. Don't be afraid of having a big ass cheat meal once a week. Give yourself an hour to binge the night before a big workout.

It also might not hurt to reset for a week or two. Eat at your new maintenance, then lower your kcal slightly. Say 250-500 below maintenance max. After the reset of course. This will give your body a break and recharge your metabolism.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I respect dieting even though I'm clearly not a fan of it. I hate having to keep track of all the ratios, total caloric intake and what not. Plus the extra cardio lol.

I dislike trying to clean bulk even more, buuuut for someone trying to add quality muscle to their frame rather than long-term bulking up and focusing on pure size and strength at all costs it's probably the way to go.

Once you are happy with your definition and want to add muscle you could start at 500 extra calories a day and that would add weight to you add a reasonable rate. Not too fast and not too slow.

Keep up the good work man. Dieting takes dedication and I admit I am too fuckin lazy too bother with it at this point.

 

[ExtraMile]

I did see Em's pic a few weeks back. He was well over 20% in the first pic. He looks 100% better now. Even though he's smaller he's looking rather jacked.

I'm sure he'll eventually be satisfied with his weight loss and then he can go back to lean bulk mode and the strength gains will return.

2 pounds of weight loss per week would be the max I'd shoot for. Don't be afraid of having a big ass cheat meal once a week. Give yourself an hour to binge the night before a big workout.

It also might not hurt to reset for a week or two. Eat at your new maintenance, then lower your kcal slightly. Say 250-500 below maintenance max. After the reset of course. This will give your body a break and recharge your metabolism.

THANKS bro. I have no idea what my maintanance is though and I never did in the first place. I have basically tryed to cheat as little as possible the whole time and gotten pretty good at it lately, but I think a cheat meal either pre or post workout once a week would be a good idea now. Last time I had a cheap meal pre workiout i had macdonalds before a chest workout and I hit some all time pr's in my dumbell presses that I hadnt even been able to do when I was bulked up!

oh man binging sounds so good, I would totally load up on oatmeal, bagels and fruit lol

 

[SouthernLord]

Dieting fucking sucks.

The only upside I see to it is the cheaper food bill haha

 

[ExtraMile]

I did see Em's pic a few weeks back. He was well over 20% in the first pic. He looks 100% better now. Even though he's smaller he's looking rather jacked.

I'm sure he'll eventually be satisfied with his weight loss and then he can go back to lean bulk mode and the strength gains will return.

2 pounds of weight loss per week would be the max I'd shoot for. Don't be afraid of having a big ass cheat meal once a week. Give yourself an hour to binge the night before a big workout.

It also might not hurt to reset for a week or two. Eat at your new maintenance, then lower your kcal slightly. Say 250-500 below maintenance max. After the reset of course. This will give your body a break and recharge your metabolism.

THANKS bro. I have no idea what my maintanance is though and I never did in the first place. I have basically tryed to cheat as little as possible the whole time and gotten pretty good at it lately, but I think a cheat meal either pre or post workout once a week would be a good idea now. Last time I had a cheap meal pre workiout i had macdonalds before a chest workout and I hit some all time pr's in my dumbell presses that I hadnt even been able to do when I was bulked up!

oh man binging sounds so good, I would totally load up on oatmeal, bagels and fruit lol

Dieting fucking sucks.

The only upside I see to it is the cheaper food bill haha

the milk food bill has gone down but i get through 8 or 9 eggs almost every day now and eat alot more meat than i did so not really any cheaper!

and yes i am excited to get back to gaining weight and strength, but very excited to get lean too!

I respect dieting even though I'm clearly not a fan of it. I hate having to keep track of all the ratios, total caloric intake and what not. Plus the extra cardio lol.

I dislike trying to clean bulk even more, buuuut for someone trying to add quality muscle to their frame rather than long-term bulking up and focusing on pure size and strength at all costs it's probably the way to go.

Once you are happy with your definition and want to add muscle you could start at 500 extra calories a day and that would add weight to you add a reasonable rate. Not too fast and not too slow.

Keep up the good work man. Dieting takes dedication and I admit I am too fuckin lazy too bother with it at this point.

thanks man, yes me and yuo seem to have a differant outlook on how important aesthetics are btu thats not a problem. I used to eat like you talk about eating and it worked well for strength gains but i ended up gettign very chunky. now I am trying to undo all of those mistakes and finally getting slimmer, it feels too good to be true because I have never been lean in my life! thanks for your input and interest along the way though bro

and i dont mind the diet i just hate the cardio!