ITT I will answer all your "losing fat" questions.

[coals]

In all likelihood, your question will be answered faster and you will receive a better response in this thread vs. if you go make a new thread (no-one reads the repeat threads, serious). Last Updated 8/2/10

This thread is an attempt to consolidate all the useless questions in this forum category. Ask whatever you like, i'll try to give serious answers and keep the sarcastic remarks to a minimum. I encourage you to ask questions, but keep in mind that when (if) this thread gets large, there is always a "search this thread" to the top right side of the first post on the page to assist you.

Worth noting that i'm not a doctor or otherwise any kind of professional. I'm a 19 (20 in sept) year old university student studying biochemistry. I cut from 260lbs with minimal muscle to currently 180-185 with a reasonable amount of muscle mass in about a year. My current project is a 6 week cut (first week finished today) to single digit BF. I have tried a HUGE number of different strategies and settled on Intermittent fasting for general life and currently doing UD2.0 to get to single digits. Without further ado:

READ THE DAMN STICKIES!!!!!



Question: "OH NO I BINGED WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!?!?!"

Short answer: Absolutely nothing, proceed as normal.

Long answer: Don't make this a habit. If you have a binge every 2-3 weeks and your super strict. You can safely say it's not going to substantially affect your progress. That said if you're taking two cheat meals a week + a weekly refeed and then BINGE... well calm down and get out of the kitchen.



Question: "OH NO I BINGED IS MY CUT RUINED?"

Short answer: See question 1 damnit!

Long answer: See question 1, and next time use the search cause rephrasing the damn question will not get you a new answer!



Question: "I ate 30k calories how many got processed into fat?!"

Short answer: 30k calories wtf... .I don't even ... Is this real life?!

Long answer: You'll puke/rupture stomach long before you get to the point where your body can no longer process efficiently. That said if you've been cutting for a while and strictly, you'll find yourself sweating and restless and hot. That is your body burning off that extra. IT WILL NOT GET RID OF ALL OF IT, just trying to cope with that 16 slices of cheesecake you just stuffed in your gullet.


Question: "How many times a week can i "binge" "?

short answer: 0... are you even trying to cut?

Long answer: If you're cutting hard enough you can warrant a cheat meal here and there (once a week MAX or twice a week if your cheats are reasonable, most don't have self control required so limit to once. If you're already fairly lean, working hard in the gym, AND doing a very low calorie diet then it may even be a good idea to set up a refeed once a week instead of a cheat meal.


Question: "Whats a refeed?!?! CAN I EAT LOTS OF FOOOOOOOD!"

Short answer: Calm down! Not all you can eat. Moderate protein + minimal fat + carbs.

Long answer: Set protein where you normally have it, keep fat as low as possible. Do NOT exceed 50g of fat during your refeed. Consume LOTS of carbohydrates, preferably from starchy sources. Keep fructose/sucrose moderate to low. Carbs should be set anywhere from 2.5 - 7 g/lb LBM . This depends on how hard you are cutting. Do not jump into 1000g carbohydrates in one day without seriously warranting it. (IE a UD2.0 style diet, see my log for what kind of effort requires a 1000g carbup lols).



QUESTION: What about thermogenics , fat burners, appetite-suppressants, etc? This magic pill gon' get me ripped? ! ? !

My other question is how much do you think an EC stack raises metabolism? If my maintenance is 3400 cals/day and I take 2 doses, each one 200mg Caffeine/25mg Ephedrine(Bronkaid), what do you think that would roughly boost it by?

This is a common question, thanks for asking but...

You are asking the wrong question. The benefit of EC is not to boost your metabolism. Anything short of the Clen to DNP range drugs will not significantly increase calories burned.

Rather, the point of EC is to allow you to Cut without feeling like you are on a cut, or cut HARD without crashing and burning.

To put it in other terms, (real life example, myself). I can cut 1600 calories a day without assistance before i start to feel too awful to continue. Any lower than 1600 and the lethargy, hunger, irritatbility, insomnia, etc get so bad I cannot continue for more than 2-3 weeks at a time (that said, I have utilized 2-week PSMF's without EC but thats a different story).

When I add EC into the mix , Now i can go to 1200 cals/day with 1 refeed a week before i start to crash and burn.

If i were to cut at 1800 AND use EC, I probably wouldn't even feel like i'm cutting. But i'm a stickler for fast progress so if i Cut i'm going to cut hard.

This is where the power of "thermogenics" lie. But for a hard science answer expect about 3% average metabolic boost for EC, 5% if you're one of those who react strongly. Overall 100 calories a day is insignificant compared to the effects of cutting at an extra 500 calorie deficit.




QUESTION: How much should I sleep?

As much as you need to. I feel worse if i sleep more than 9.5-10 hours, but too little sleep is equally bad.


Question: "IS MY CALORIE LEVEL SET TOO LOW?!?! AM I GONNA LOOOOZE MUZLES?!"

Short answer: PSMF is the lowest you can reasonably diet. Set your protein at a reasonable level depending on your weight/activity. Multiply grams of protein by 4. That is your minimum amount of calories if you decide to eat no carbs or fats. This requires you push some heavy ass weight in the gym. Like 3-8 rep sets, heavy as you can, keep cardio to no more than 2-3x a week , low -moderate intensity.

Long answer:
1) Set protein at a reasonable level (1g /lb lbm works for most, may need to go to 1.25-1.5 for those under 10% bf).
2) Get your multivitamin and Essential fatty acids (fish oil, or a can of sardines or small serving of fatty fish works well here).
3) Reduce cardio to 2-3x a week, low/moderate intensity.
4) Lift as heavy as you're able to. Reduce overall volume as needed but keep that weight on the bar HIGH.
5) Enjoy cutting 3-4 lbs a week of fat

This is the basic set up of a protein sparing modified fast (PSMF). Do a search for more answers.



Question: " Oh no guys What should I eat before bed?!!?"

Short answer: Meal timing doesn't matter, eat whatever you want.

Long answer: Meal timing doesn't matter (get adequate nutrition around workout), eat whatever you want as long as you can fit it into your daily caloric/protein goals. I hate going to bed hungry and thats what got me started on IF. Now i eat pretty much 80% of my daily calories and when I lick that last drop of food off the plate. I brush teeth and go sleep. I never noticed any difference in how fast I cut except that i was much less miserable and slept a LOT better.

Whats the best Thermogenic?!?!?!
Short answer: EC (best legal, for otherwise use this order, DNP > T3 + Anabolics > ??? >Clen > EC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>crappy supplements that do not work.

Long answer: Get your diet in check. Exercise. THEN consider EC. It's not a miracle drug, just lets you cut out more calories before you feel too ****ty to continue with daily life.

Question: "OH NO I PLATEAUED!"
Short answer: No, you didn't.
Long answer: If you are eating 100% PERFECT and doing your alotted exercise and maintain the same weight for at LEAST 3 weeks. You probably still have not plateaued. Water retention is masking your fat loss. If you are convinced you plateaued, reduce # of calories! . Yes you brought this on yourself.



Question: "I haven't lost any weight on the scale!!!! How do i know i'm still losing fat?"

The thing is that i keep bouncing around from 88-90kg [...] its really tearing on my selfesteem, even though i look slimmer in the mirrior, i feel that the weight jumping around like a freaking kid on a suger rush is really getting the worse of me. Anyway i can actually confirm that i am loosing weight and maybe even gaining muscle? should i take more progress pictures to compare or what?

4 Suggestions
1) Progress Pictures, have someone else look at them and compare. Ideally post on the forums and don't forget the (Serious) tag. Stay away from posting them in the misc lol. Rule #1 of judging your own pictures is that you are NOT objective, no matter what you think.
2) Tape Measure, measure at the navel, legs, arms everything you can. Tape measure will provide accurate feedback, although changes will be slow
3) Clothes, notice any looser clothes around the waist?
4) All else fails, this will not: BF Measure. Calipers if you can find a pro to do it or hydrostatic testing if it's available in your area.



Question: "Should I eat more fat more carbs x/y/z macro SO CONFUSEED?! Whats the best?!"

Short answer: All that matters in losing weight is your caloric deficit. All that matters in losing fat is your caloric deficit + enough stimulus to keep the muscle there. Go with whatever makes you feel the best and is easiest to stick to. Don't get suckered into Keto because "Oh noes im fat, therefore i'm endomorph, therefore i must do keto" I did this, i found a small but reasonable amount of carbs is worth keeping me sane. (for those who are curious, it came from a big glass of milk (comforting in itself) and a small serving of starch).

Long answer:
1) Figure out your maintainance and decide how fast you really want to cut. 2) Decide if the ridiculous number of lbs of fat/week you want to cut is worth feeling like absolute sh*t.
3) Make a more reasonable backup plan when you fail at PSMF after a week.
4) Proceed with Plan B AS YOU LAID OUT.

Note theres no mention of what % of carbs/fat/protein whatever garbage because it doesn't matter. Create a caloric deficit, and stick to it. Don't analyze every little detail because IT DOES NOT MATTER.
When you realize this you will become a much happier person and a much more successful cutter.



Question: "What about alcohol?!?"

Short answer: See my old thread http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=125340301
Long answer: See short answer.



Question: What if I just want to get a little more tone?

Short answer: Seriously?

Long answer: You are obviously new. Do not ever use the words tone/sculpt/littlebitofjiggleonmythighs etc again. Looking good is a matter of: 1) Having some muscle mass 2) Having a low enough bf% to see said muscle mass. You want to tone? Lose fat. Skinny fat? Pick up some weight.


Now taking specific requests.

Yes i realize no-one will read this and the same silly questions will continue to get spammed on this board thus requiring the need for an Advanced losing fat section.

EDIT: Post has reached maximal length, Continued halfway down on page 2.

[SUPER_MANLET]

Potential thread is potential

[AJamesE]

finally one of these threads in here, hopefully i will get an answer now.

Stats
Weight: 227lbs
Height: 5'11
Age: 16 (17 soon)


I've began carb cycling, 3 days low-no carbs, 1 day carb load.

For cardio i'd usually either go low intensity long duration to burn 500 cals or mix it up and go HIIT and burn 300-350, all done on the elliptical.

I lift, but it's not really necessary to the question.

Is carb cycling optimal for a loss of about 40lbs? I mean, im on my 3rd cycle now, and i've already noticed a reduction in love handles, looser clothes. Maybe it was water weight, maybe not.

Can you offer any advice on any other diet?


also, i have experimented with intermittent fasting before, but i didn't eat perfectly when i broke the fast. I did find however that i felt a different mental an physical clarity opposed to other diets. I dropped it cause i wasnt loosing the fat, and i didnt enjoy it much.

[Crush086]

tl;dr j/k

I remember having some of those concerns when I started too. I've found that I (and undoubtedly others) make this way too complicated. Thread should be helpful to some.

[coals]

finally one of these threads in here, hopefully i will get an answer now.

Stats
Weight: 227lbs
Height: 5'11
Age: 16 (17 soon)


I've began carb cycling, 3 days low-no carbs, 1 day carb load.

For cardio i'd usually either go low intensity long duration to burn 500 cals or mix it up and go HIIT and burn 300-350, all done on the elliptical.

I lift, but it's not really necessary to the question.

Is carb cycling optimal for a loss of about 40lbs? I mean, im on my 3rd cycle now, and i've already noticed a reduction in love handles, looser clothes. Maybe it was water weight, maybe not.

Can you offer any advice on any other diet?


also, i have experimented with intermittent fasting before, but i didn't eat perfectly when i broke the fast. I did find however that i felt a different mental an physical clarity opposed to other diets. I dropped it cause i wasnt loosing the fat, and i didnt enjoy it much.

Cliffs for those who are lazy:
Calories.... count them.
Deficit... create one.
Patience.


Question is a perfect example of the most frequent cause of frustration on this forum. Paralysis by analysis. You have to get this in your mind: The optimal diet is the one on which 1) You can create the desired caloric deficit and 2) Matches your lifestyle (ie you can tolerate it without feeling the need to cheat).

Water weight makes a difference but if you have a lot of weight to lose it's not as noticeable. Looser clothes? Reductions in size? Congratulations! You're losing fat.

Lifting IS COMPLETELY necessary for this equation. But not what type of lifting. As long as it's heavy and you're doing it, you're good to go. I'd advise focusing on compound lifts however, for obvious reasons deadlifts squats bench powercleans Standing military's etc should be the core of your workout. Remember, heavy weight is what put muscle there, heavy weight is what will keep it there. And if you haven't lifted before, take advantage of the fact that starting lifting on a reasonable program focusing on compounds will produce rediculous results. It was funny back in sept/oct 2009 I started lifting (after doing 3 months of "cutting" retardedly with too much cardio) i got frustrated because the scale wasn't moving. What i didn't realize was 3 months later i weighed a little bit less but looked substantially better.

Recomping is not a myth for those who are new to lifting. But remember to watch the diet.
If you're a younger guy like myself, the puberty/post-puberty hormones def make the process faster

Can you offer any advice on any other diet?

Yes, but every answer will boil down to. 1) Are you creating a caloric deficit? 2) Can you reasonably tolerate it?

[QUOTE] I have experimented with intermittent fasting before, but i didn't eat perfectly when i broke the fast. I did find however that i felt a different mental an physical clarity opposed to other diets. I dropped it cause i wasnt loosing the fat, and i didnt enjoy it much.[QUOTE]

IF requires a week or two adaptation period. IT works best for those who have busy lives and don't have much free time during the day. It probably has much to do with the fact that most people won't notice any hunger or w/e if they're busy.

What do you mean by eating perfectly? Statement is vague. '

I dropped it cause i wasnt loosing the fat, and i didnt enjoy it much.

You weren't losing fat becuase you werent at a deficit. IF isn't a magical system that allows you to eat whatever you want. It's simply a more convenient way of life for some (usually those who are busy and who'se gluttony, like myself, knows no end. Bottomless stomach ftl)

didn't enjoy it much
Well frankly no-one enjoys cutting. But if you don't like a diet... don't do it? Pick something you enjoy. If you are comfortable with carb cycling... carb cycle.


EVERYONE READ THIS

You can have the perfect diet. The perfect exercise regime. The perfect supplementation. Fact of the matter is, losing fat will still take some time. You will need patience.
Is that a reason to not seek the "optimal" ? No, but don't stress over it because the difference in speed will be minimal. What will determine 95-98% of your success while cutting is
1) Caloric Deficit - COUNT CALORIES!
2) Lift Heavy
3) Patience.

supplements, dieting strategies, ratio of macronutrients, supplements, different types of useless garbage...

All that makes up the 2-5%

[AJamesE]

Cliffs for those who are lazy:
Calories.... count them.
Deficit... create one.
Patience.

I did. Not so much patience with it, it was'nt my thing.

Question is a perfect example of the most frequent cause of frustration on this forum. Paralysis by analysis. You have to get this in your mind: The optimal diet is the one on which 1) You can create the desired caloric deficit and 2) Matches your lifestyle (ie you can tolerate it without feeling the need to cheat).

Water weight makes a difference but if you have a lot of weight to lose it's not as noticeable. Looser clothes? Reductions in size? Congratulations! You're losing fat.

Alright. That's the way i feel on carb cycling, i don't need to binge. I'd say thankyou, but i smell sarcasm.

Lifting IS COMPLETELY necessary for this equation. But not what type of lifting. As long as it's heavy and you're doing it, you're good to go. I'd advise focusing on compound lifts however, for obvious reasons deadlifts squats bench powercleans Standing military's etc should be the core of your workout. Remember, heavy weight is what put muscle there, heavy weight is what will keep it there. And if you haven't lifted before, take advantage of the fact that starting lifting on a reasonable program focusing on compounds will produce rediculous results. It was funny back in sept/oct 2009 I started lifting (after doing 3 months of "cutting" retardedly with too much cardio) i got frustrated because the scale wasn't moving. What i didn't realize was 3 months later i weighed a little bit less but looked substantially better.

I have my own split which i use every week. I'll be sure to keep it up, thanks!

Recomping is not a myth for those who are new to lifting. But remember to watch the diet.
If you're a younger guy like myself, the puberty/post-puberty hormones def make the process faster

I'm almost 17, so i should have alot of hormones right?

[QUOTE]


Yes, but every answer will boil down to. 1) Are you creating a caloric deficit? 2) Can you reasonably tolerate it?

[QUOTE] I have experimented with intermittent fasting before, but i didn't eat perfectly when i broke the fast. I did find however that i felt a different mental an physical clarity opposed to other diets. I dropped it cause i wasnt loosing the fat, and i didnt enjoy it much.

IF requires a week or two adaptation period. IT works best for those who have busy lives and don't have much free time during the day. It probably has much to do with the fact that most people won't notice any hunger or w/e if they're busy.

What do you mean by eating perfectly? Statement is vague. '


You weren't losing fat becuase you werent at a deficit. IF isn't a magical system that allows you to eat whatever you want. It's simply a more convenient way of life for some (usually those who are busy and who'se gluttony, like myself, knows no end. Bottomless stomach ftl)

I studied IF intensly before taking it up. I know almost everything there is to know about it.

I meant that i was eating alot of starchy carbs, a take away every now and again (once, twice a month, maybe more!)

didn't enjoy it much
Well frankly no-one enjoys cutting. But if you don't like a diet... don't do it? Pick something you enjoy. If you are comfortable with carb cycling... carb cycle.


EVERYONE READ THIS

You can have the perfect diet. The perfect exercise regime. The perfect supplementation. Fact of the matter is, losing fat will still take some time. You will need patience.
Is that a reason to not seek the "optimal" ? No, but don't stress over it because the difference in speed will be minimal. What will determine 95-98% of your success while cutting is
1) Caloric Deficit - COUNT CALORIES!
2) Lift Heavy
3) Patience.

supplements, dieting strategies, ratio of macronutrients, supplements, different types of useless garbage...

All that makes up the 2-5%

Thanks for the reply mate.

[Mrredundant]

Excellent thread, repped.

[coals]

That's the way i feel on carb cycling, i don't need to binge. I'd say thankyou, but i smell sarcasm.

I swear i'm trying to keep sarcasm to a minimum in this thread. It's the reason i'm not quite as popular in the losing fat section

Congratulations for real, any progress is good progress.


People need to stop thinking they are "wrong" and realize losing fat is as simple as wavelength outlined in his sticky.

[saidmusician]

LMAO. Great post.

[HYDRAE]

Whats the best Thermogenic?!?!?!
Short answer: EC (best legal, for otherwise use this order, DNP > T3 + Anabolics > ??? >Clen > EC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>crappy supplements off bb.com

in b4 lock
in b4 ban
in b4 negs
in b4 Ryan DeLuca claims your soul

[coals]

in b4 lock
in b4 ban
in b4 negs
in b4 Ryan DeLuca claims your soul

fixed lmao.

[a4a]

Great thread, I actually hope it doesn't get stickied though, because it seems like whatever thread is ON TOP OF THE FORUMS is the one people refuse to look at for simple answers they can find on their own.

[Chessmaster1000]

Hi there,

As a vegetarian, carbs are ****ing everywhere. So is it nessessary to cut carbs to lose weight or is calorie control enough. I work out 4/ week and have enough protein from supp.

thanks in advance

[coals]

Hi there,

As a vegetarian, carbs are ****ing everywhere. So is it nessessary to cut carbs to lose weight or is calorie control enough. I work out 4/ week and have enough protein from supp.

thanks in advance

Calorie control is enough. Vegetarian bodybuilders exist and do quite well. Theres no need to avoid carbs just because someone said so. If having carbs are more convenient and you can adhere to your diet so long as it has carbs, then that is the optimal diet. You say you're getting enough protein so im' not gonna delve into that. Make sure you're getting enough EFAs. And have patience! Fat will be burned, just not all that quickly.

[strong_strength]

sigh..... of course everyone makes endless threads about the stuff i just answered and this gets bumped to second page. F this forum.

[Rahul10019]

I smell a lot of sarcasm. Anyone who would start losing fat for the first time is bound to have some stupid questions bothering them. It might be their fault if they dont "search" the forum for already answered questions but are you supposed to answer their questions(how stupid they might be) with a sarcastic attitude?

Fat Loss is simple. Just eat clean, eat less than maintainance calories, do cardio @ gym. Will power and determination are the pure catalysts. Paitence is a virtue! And sarcasm not required for fat loss!

[a4a]

I smell a lot of sarcasm. Anyone who would start losing fat for the first time is bound to have some stupid questions bothering them. It might be their fault if they dont "search" the forum for already answered questions but are you supposed to answer their questions(how stupid they might be) with a sarcastic attitude?

Fat Loss is simple. Just eat clean, eat less than maintainance calories, do cardio @ gym. Will power and determination are the pure catalysts. Paitence is a virtue! And sarcasm not required for fat loss!

Sure, what you just said is true, fat loss is simple, eat less than maintenance etc, but once again, people have overcomplicated questions regarding it and those that have been answered are still being overlooked unfortunately, even when stickied. Mostly everyone here has lost their patience, only a few remain that would actually take the time to answer the same question three hundred times.

[coals]

@ a4a:

Exactly, I'm tryin to help these people. repped.

[OhioStateBucki]

I am lazy and rather than use google I will see if you have any information on this. I have been hearing about the reason weight seems to remain the same for a while before suddenly dropping is that fat cells have already gotten rid of the "fat" but are holding onto a lot of water. It takes time to flush this before the fat cells shrink. What are your thoughts on this?

[coals]

I am lazy and rather than use google I will see if you have any information on this. I have been hearing about the reason weight seems to remain the same for a while before suddenly dropping is that fat cells have already gotten rid of the "fat" but are holding onto a lot of water. It takes time to flush this before the fat cells shrink. What are your thoughts on this?

Agreed on all points. No real cause is known. The prevalent theory seems to be that when fat cells empty, the hydrophilic portions attract water into the cell. When it empties, you see a "whoosh." This is just a theory. Makes sense to me but I dont really worry about it. There are ways to get yourself to forcibly drop water weight if you really are convinced you stalled but want to be sure.

[OhioStateBucki]

Agreed on all points. No real cause is known. The prevalent theory seems to be that when fat cells empty, the hydrophilic portions attract water into the cell. When it empties, you see a "whoosh." This is just a theory. Makes sense to me but I dont really worry about it. There are ways to get yourself to forcibly drop water weight if you really are convinced you stalled but want to be sure.

Not a huge concern, I have just noticed it seems to hold true as far as weight/looks are considered. I, like most others it seems, will wake up one morning 2 lbs lighter and can see a visual difference, after stalling for 10 days.

I think I am just nearing that 10 dayish period and looking for reassurance. I havent eaten above my maintenance in a couple months now so when I dont lose any inches or lbs for a while I lose a bit of motivation for a couple days(Doesn't affect my diet/workouts, just annoys me).

Which I suppose leads me to ask, what are your thoughts on not eating above maintenance for that long? I am 5' 10" currently 226lbs (264 2.5 months ago) and my diet has been to eat roughly 2000 cals/day w/ 175g protein. Maintenance calcs put me at around 3500/day. Rather than have large refeed days like a lot of people, I usually just have two small refeeds per week(2500-2800 cals) focused on as many carbs as possible while hitting protein requirements. It feels better to do it this way, because with this large of a deficit after 3-4 days I get the feeling where I am not hungry but feel that my body NEEDS the food if I want to keep going at a fast pace in life.

[coals]

As long as you feel okay, I dont see the harm in a couple months cutting. If you think it will be beneficial (it is for some, including myself) Every 6-8 weeks I take a week and cycle up to maintainance, then stay there for an additional week before returning to the cut. It prolongs things but it keeps me happy. You've med incredible progress (264-->226 in 2.5 months? wow). The issue really comes when you're lower % bf, and your body starts fighting back hard (i haven't reached that point yet...). Those with a lot of weight to lose can safely spend a long-ish period of time below maintainance with no harm.

I would say take a break after 6-8 months if only for 2 weeks for psychological purposes. A good measure is strength. Have you found your strength increasing or on a steady decline? Don't fix what ain't broke, you're doing fantastic just stick to it.

[OhioStateBucki]

As long as you feel okay, I dont see the harm in a couple months cutting. If you think it will be beneficial (it is for some, including myself) Every 6-8 weeks I take a week and cycle up to maintainance, then stay there for an additional week before returning to the cut. It prolongs things but it keeps me happy. You've med incredible progress (264-->226 in 2.5 months? wow). The issue really comes when you're lower % bf, and your body starts fighting back hard (i haven't reached that point yet...). Those with a lot of weight to lose can safely spend a long-ish period of time below maintainance with no harm.

I would say take a break after 6-8 months if only for 2 weeks for psychological purposes. A good measure is strength. Have you found your strength increasing or on a steady decline? Don't fix what ain't broke, you're doing fantastic just stick to it.

Yeah mentally I am still going full force into this, I am around 23% so I have plenty of extra weight. Was more curious of potential physical effects. My ultimate goal is sub 10%, but around 15% I plan to maintain for a month or so just kind of regroup like you said.

My strength is relatively the same. My endurance is down a little bit it seems, by that I mean at 250lbs I was benching 3x10 for 225lbs, now I do 1x10 225lbs, 1x8 225lbs, and 1x6-8 225lbs. Similar with most other muscle groups (Except shoulders seem to be a bit stronger) where I can do as much weight as before just not as many sets at that weight. I am eating a lot of carbs and I have energy so I am not completely sure why? Will it come back once I start eating more around maintinence?

[coals]

I'd be surprised if it didn't. It's more important to maintain intensity (Weight on bar) then volume. A decrease in volume is expected, although in my 19 year old hormone raged newbi-lifter state i managed to increase weight by like 10 lbs across the board on my last 6 week cut (1200 cals a day, 1g/lb protein, 1-2 day refeed a week) . Go figure.

[antonioNHB]

really, really great post!
the more i read here (daily), the more myths and rumors are cleared.

losing fat is just as simple as the 3 basic rules (sticky by wavelength)

thanks for clearing up MOST of the questions i see here daily that fall in between the cracks.

STICKY THIS POST or merge it with the wave length post mods!!

Thank you everyone!

[coals]

Thanks antonio, I appreciate your enthusiasm.

Don't be shy guys/ladies, the whole point of this experiment was for me to answer your questions as opposed to making new threads about them. I am, in fact, on occasion known to know what i'm talking about.

[houndstoothgrin]

Thanks for the thread. There's so much information out there that sometimes it's nice to see the right information repeated and reinforced by different people, although I can understand the frustration at seeing the same questions posted over and over again. I'm currently trying to cut tons of fat and this thread perked me up in that I'm doing it the right way.

[coals]

Bump for you people.

[Jerok88]

Bump for you people.

IMO... people ask questions for only answers a small % of the time.

They post mostly for psychological help - it's hard to start losing weight and to keep doing it, especially for some people. They want people to look at them and say 'Wow you can do it! You just gotta do this and you'll look SO good!"

Threads like this are wonderful but won't stop people from posting and won't solve their psychological needs.

[coals]

At 5'8" 260 lbs (no muscle, all lard) I've been there. I know what it's like to doubt what you're doing and the whirlwind of random misinformation hitting you from all sides doesn't help. But...

I just wish those people would head over to the motivation section then >.>. Anyway, it's 5 am, I gotta get ready for class, Will check back for new questions circa 1-2 pm before my depletion workout.