Step away from the peanut butter

[happyplace]

Hoping this will help me stay accountable while I attempt a cut for the first time ever. Expecting to be very hangry, dreading the next 6 weeks. Background is that I bulked for over a year, then got fat on a long holiday, and now my butt is too big for my clothes but my bank balance is in the red so no money for food or clothes therefore cutting.

End goal: drop 5lb of fat, don't get weak.

Food things: 1800 cals/day (deficit of 500 accounting for drop in daily activity from being hangry and tired) 6 days per week. 2500 cals/day on long run day. Lots of protein. Take my calcium, vitD, fish oil and B vits EVERY DAY.

Training things: 3 days lift, 2 days run. Starting with a *free* PT tomorrow morning to determine training schedule. Priorities are maintaining big lifts at S:90kg, B:50kg, D:85kg. Sort out cr@ppy DL. Increase reps on bodyweight stuff (pull ups etc). Run 1/2 marathon on Sept 8th. Stretching, yoga, foam rolling etc.

NO QUITTING ALLOWED.

[happyplace]

Day 1. 118lbs.

1766 cals (208C/119P/54F).
Coconut pancakes w/ quark and berries was delish. Tarka daal likewise. Must make both again tomorrow.

30 mins pm cardio split between bike, elliptical, row.
25 mins am yoga.
1 hour-ish walking.

V grumpy and lightheaded in the morning. Need to figure out better meal timings to stave off hunger better. I <3 green tea and pancakes. Tomorrow PT session and deadlifts, yay.

[happyplace]

Day 2. 119lbs. Sigh.

1867 cals (239C/124P/49F)

Today was BAD. VERY BAD. Woke up hungry, cracking headache all day, brain uninterested in functioning. Guess that this big deficit will take some adjusting. Probably the reason is that I'm down about 150g/day in carbs. Poor me.

Deadlifts
Warm up... 10@15kg, 35kg. 8@45kg. 5@55kg, 65kg.
3@75kg
1,1,2@85kg
Fail, fail @90kg <- pissed off, threw weights around
3x3@75kg <- to make up for fails

Clean and press
3x10@30kg <- lots of grunting

Lat pulldowns
3x5@49.6kg
4@47.4kg, 45kg

Circuits, total contents below
100 push-ups
2x8 DB side raises @6kg
2x8 DB front raises @6kg
3x15 stability ball glute raise (back on floor, legs on ball)
3x15 stability ball glute raise (back on ball, feet on floor)

Stretching, short cycle ride.

Pancakes for breakfast. Put cocoa in the batter bc I am a genius.

[coconuttree2009]

Hi HappyPlace!

Good to see you started a jounal.

Subbed!

[happyplace]

Hi HappyPlace!

Good to see you started a jounal.

Subbed!

Yay, thanks

[happyplace]

Day 3. 119lbs. (Not going to lie, was hoping for at least a water weight drop.)

1775 cals (190C/145P/53F)

190 carbs, wow. I was on 350+ before this cut started. Really impressed how body is dealing with the sudden reduction.

Felt great today. Planned for a rest day but boyfriend wanted to go for an evening bike ride. Ended up going 25km. Pretty zonked by the time we got back. Awesome eats included frozen banana with home-made nutella and a roast chicken with garlic, ginger and lime marinade. But no pancakes.

[thehobbes]

Hai HP! I lol'd at your title, but why the angry face, there should be no angry face next to the words "peanut butter"!

Deadlifts
Warm up... 10@15kg, 35kg. 8@45kg. 5@55kg, 65kg.
3@75kg
1,1,2@85kg
Fail, fail @90kg <- pissed off, threw weights around
3x3@75kg <- to make up for fails

May be able to nail 90kg if you dropped the 85 down to one set, just a thought. DL tires me the fark out, I do maybe 6 sets total. Way to rage out the last bit!

[coconuttree2009]

Need pics of the epic foods you eat!

Don't sweat the no weight loss- you'll have a nice whoosh soon.
Carbs are still at decent levels, hence no water weight loss that most get when they get on a diet and drop the carbs.

[happyplace]

Hai HP! I lol'd at your title, but why the angry face, there should be no angry face next to the words "peanut butter"!

Oh hai! Thanks for dropping by
I bulk bought peanut butter online right before this cut. Knowing there's 2kg of it in the house, and nobody else to eat it, is kind of sad

May be able to nail 90kg if you dropped the 85 down to one set, just a thought. DL tires me the fark out, I do maybe 6 sets total. Way to rage out the last bit!

Yup, agreed. I wasn't planning on trying 90kg but since I hit 2 reps on that 3rd set of 85 and felt ok, figured 90 would be ok. But got stuck about 3 inches off the ground both times. That's my weak point, no idea what I can do to help that. Maybe deads starting from a couple of inches higher? :/ Deffo would help if I actually picked a plan rather than freestyling every workout.

Need pics of the epic foods you eat!

Don't sweat the no weight loss- you'll have a nice whoosh soon.
Carbs are still at decent levels, hence no water weight loss that most get when they get on a diet and drop the carbs.

Hope so! My previous weight loss attempts suggest it might take a couple of weeks to see any movement. That's ok - I know 1800 is a decent deficit and I feel suitably cr@p, so things will be happening for sure Pics will come!

[schnauzers]

Hey! I'm also doing a year long bulk (well that's the plan) and figure I'll hate cutting later. So c'mon and show me that it's not so bad 5 lbs should be easy to lose.

[happyplace]

Hey! I'm also doing a year long bulk (well that's the plan) and figure I'll hate cutting later. So c'mon and show me that it's not so bad 5 lbs should be easy to lose.

Yay for long bulks. I had the best bulk experience. Gained from 26lbs in 18 months of which about 20lbs was muscle (thanks to n00b gains) and enjoyed every second of it. I'll be enjoying yours vicariously

[schnauzers]

Yay for long bulks. I had the best bulk experience. Gained from 26lbs in 18 months of which about 20lbs was muscle (thanks to n00b gains) and enjoyed every second of it. I'll be enjoying yours vicariously

I WISH I had known about bulking when I started lifting so that I could have eaten properly while taking advantage of those sweet newbie gains. If I knew then what I know now....sigh. I'm only up 12 lbs so far; so got a bit of a ways to go.

[happyplace]

I WISH I had known about bulking when I started lifting so that I could have eaten properly while taking advantage of those sweet newbie gains. If I knew then what I know now....sigh. I'm only up 12 lbs so far; so got a bit of a ways to go.

Slow and steady is definitely the way to go IMO. Looks like you know what you're doing. 12lbs is great! And I think any lady who has the courage to bulk for a year is pretty amazing. When are you planning on finishing your bulk? I'm wondering if I'll get to join you at some point...

[schnauzers]

Slow and steady is definitely the way to go IMO. Looks like you know what you're doing. 12lbs is great! And I think any lady who has the courage to bulk for a year is pretty amazing. When are you planning on finishing your bulk? I'm wondering if I'll get to join you at some point...

I figure I'll bulk til the new year. I don't wanna be cutting around Xmas/new years because I want to go to town on food/booze around that time lol.

[happyplace]

I figure I'll bulk til the new year. I don't wanna be cutting around Xmas/new years because I want to go to town on food/booze around that time lol.

Plus you can take advantage of the fact that the whole world diets in January, which makes the social stuff easier. I'm planning on a very slow bulk from Nov/Dec for 4 months or so. Christmas will be awesome.

[Cardioconvert]

I figure I'll bulk til the new year. I don't wanna be cutting around Xmas/new years because I want to go to town on food/booze around that time lol.

Plus you can take advantage of the fact that the whole world diets in January, which makes the social stuff easier. I'm planning on a very slow bulk from Nov/Dec for 4 months or so. Christmas will be awesome.

I just popped into this journal for the first time and think I've found some new friends Holiday eating / drinking is pivotal in all my training planning

Excited to read along - next stop, I think I"ve seen a journal by schnauzers that I guess I should check out!

CC

[lotusdeva]

26 lbs in a year is awesome! I would probably gain 100 if I was bulking for a year I come from a place of doing long cardio and not eating, so I think it will take me several cycles of bulking and cutting to get my metabolism back on track. Congrads on a year long bulk, keep going!

[coconuttree2009]

26 lbs in a year is awesome! I would probably gain 100 if I was bulking for a year I come from a place of doing long cardio and not eating, so I think it will take me several cycles of bulking and cutting to get my metabolism back on track. Congrads on a year long bulk, keep going!

I remember HappyPlace got some undeserved bashing about super slow and controlled bulk but look the results! 26lbs later only 5 lbs to cut on 1800 kcals- my dream bulk scenario!

[happyplace]

26 lbs in a year is awesome! I would probably gain 100 if I was bulking for a year I come from a place of doing long cardio and not eating, so I think it will take me several cycles of bulking and cutting to get my metabolism back on track. Congrads on a year long bulk, keep going!

Well, 18 months, but who's counting I *hate* restricting, and don't get any extra enjoyment whether I bulk at a surplus of 100 or 500 cals, so I just didn't see the point dealing with fat gains when I didn't need to. Not one single regret! But I am lucky that my TDEE is sky high so I can eat tasty things all year around and 1800 gives me a huge deficit
Good luck with your metabolism reboot. It's worth it. You already look fab.

I remember HappyPlace got some undeserved bashing about super slow and controlled bulk but look the results! 26lbs later only 5 lbs to cut on 1800 kcals- my dream bulk scenario!

Yeah, looking at it that way you're so right. I'd better quit complaining huh?

[happyplace]

Day 4. 119lbs. Must stop weighing daily, depressing.

Epic run day
16km (10 miles) in 1h28.

Cals: about 2500 but lots of eating out so not 100% sure. Definitely plenty of protein and fats. This was my first maintaining day, which I plan to do every weekend on my long run day. I'd be concerned about losing muscle if I tried to do this 1/2 marathon training without eating at *least* this much. 16km burns about 900 cals, so once you subtract that I'm down to 1600 - the same net intake as a lifting day.

Awesome food included 2 chocolate brownies, chocolate for breakfast whole foods for lunch (salmon, chicken, spinach, curried califlower rice salad - wow, I ate a stereotypical bodybuilder meal and didn't even realise it, they're my fave foods right now) and curry at a restaurant for dinner (tandoori mixed grill and tarka daal). Yummo.

[happyplace]

Had a bit of a nutrition fail since my heart started skipping beats at 1am. Probably 2500 calories isn't enough on a long run day since I also walked for maybe 3-4 hours. Choked down a banana, 2 tbsp PB and some marzipan. It is SO HARD to work out a good nutrition plan to stay in a safe place while burning through so many cals, perhaps time to work on that properly and get a good 1k in before running, so I could be looking at 5tbsp peanut butter for half my breakfast at this rate. Apparently I'm cutting on 3000 cals, ha.

Fingers crossed that will settle my heart for the night and normal service will resume in the morning.

[Miranda]

Yay for long bulks. I had the best bulk experience. Gained from 26lbs in 18 months of which about 20lbs was muscle (thanks to n00b gains) and enjoyed every second of it. I'll be enjoying yours vicariously

nice, but how'd you measure it? it was dexa if i'm correct? dexa can't differentiate between water, glycogen, muscle and the rest.

nice to see you journal btw

[thehobbes]

Had a bit of a nutrition fail since my heart started skipping beats at 1am.

WTF? Is that an actual medical condition? That would freak me the hell out.

[coconuttree2009]

Had a bit of a nutrition fail since my heart started skipping beats at 1am. Probably 2500 calories isn't enough on a long run day since I also walked for maybe 3-4 hours. Choked down a banana, 2 tbsp PB and some marzipan. It is SO HARD to work out a good nutrition plan to stay in a safe place while burning through so many cals, perhaps time to work on that properly and get a good 1k in before running, so I could be looking at 5tbsp peanut butter for half my breakfast at this rate. Apparently I'm cutting on 3000 cals, ha.

Fingers crossed that will settle my heart for the night and normal service will resume in the morning.

Ouch! You are are serious runner, so need to fuel properly.

Stay safe.

[happyplace]

nice, but how'd you measure it? it was dexa if i'm correct? dexa can't differentiate between water, glycogen, muscle and the rest.

nice to see you journal btw

Thanks and hello I don't truthfully remember, but I do know the scan told me my water weight both times so I guess the fat amount must be pretty darn accurate. I still have 2 pack abs and oblique definition the whole way down, and a little quad separation, so I'm going to say I can't be above 22% at the absolute most...? I'm not doing this to compete so it doesn't *really* matter, just to fit my ass back into the clothes I own

WTF? Is that an actual medical condition? That would freak me the hell out.

Yep, don't get anorexia folks, it can do bad things. During a low point in my ED, I ended up in resus because my heart was basically stopping. Since then, I have to be super careful to eat every 4 hours at the absolute least, and to drink a huge amount of water, no caffeine etc, because my heart skips like crazy. Docs have done tests and it's not dangerous at the moment, but it is a total pain in the butt when you're trying to sleep or achieve, ya know, anything.

Ouch! You are are serious runner, so need to fuel properly.

Stay safe.

Thanks hun. It's a mindfark to be needing 3000 cals every weekend while cutting though ya know? Seems a bit...self-defeating...especially when it's such a challenge to stay at 1800 the other 6 days. Might actually go see a sports nutritionist/dietitian to get some advice because it's a weird situation and my goals are specific and unusual.

Woke up pretty hungry this morning so I guess the extra food really was necessary. Going to a beer festival today. Wish me luck!

[coconuttree2009]

How do you know your energy expanditure? Bodymedia or estimating?

I think you are doing a right thing by getting up to maintenance on heavy running days to fuel your body and in not too low deficit the rest of the week- will prevent muscle loss.

Beer festival today? Where? Not that I drink- been T total for the last 7 years.

Have fun!

[happyplace]

How do you know your energy expanditure? Bodymedia or estimating?

I think you are doing a right thing by getting up to maintenance on heavy running days to fuel your body and in not too low deficit the rest of the week- will prevent muscle loss.

Beer festival today? Where? Not that I drink- been T total for the last 7 years.

Have fun!

I don't drink either, especially not beer because of the gluten, but there's food. And it's by a really good gelato place. It's in Greenwich, at the Meantime Brewery.

I'm guessing my TDEE. I was maintaining on about 2500, but in the summer I'm less busy so more like 2200, and I know my calorie burn per km (16km burns 900 cals). Not 100% sure how much I need based on that.

[coconuttree2009]

I don't drink either, especially not beer because of the gluten, but there's food. And it's by a really good gelato place. It's in Greenwich, at the Meantime Brewery.

I'm guessing my TDEE. I was maintaining on about 2500, but in the summer I'm less busy so more like 2200, and I know my calorie burn per km (16km burns 900 cals). Not 100% sure how much I need based on that.

Oh, I am few miles down the road from Greenwich and did not know about it!

[LHarwood]

in ITT.

haiii you

[happyplace]

Day 5.

Proper total awesome rest day.

1758 cals (178C/62F/119P) - pretty good macros

Nothing much to report. Spent the morning studying for the GRE (less than 3 weeks away, cr@p, terrified and desperate to hit 160+ in both sections for my PhD applications) while my sister and bf were sleeping in. Then hit up the beer festival for the rest of the day with a few friends, just lying on the grass taking tiny gluten-filled sips of everyone's delicious beers. Followed by dinner and film with the boy back home.

Decided against the gym since I've not had a proper rest day in over a week and feel like my CNS is a little overloaded, which happens easily since I have this lymph node condition at the moment. Starting with the PT soon and hoping we can work out an appropriate training schedule for my goals. I want these European records on Dec 1.

Bones are re-appearing in my shoulders. Boom.