Countdown To Christmas Support Thread

**Winfamy** · 10-03-2012, 05:55 AM

Time for the monthly picture update!

Sept 1 -

Oct 1 -

Think I'm making some good progress, this will likely be my last week of cut before I start reverse dieting by adding 200kcal a week, so I'll still be at a 300kcal deficit next week and 100 the following one. Think I'm at about 10%BF atm, which is what I wanted when I started this cut at ~15%.

Honestly can't wait to start reverse dieting. The cut is finally getting to me even with the weekly refeed but thankfully it'll be over by the end of the week

hope everyone's having success in their journeys as well!

**HipsterPat** · 10-03-2012, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by Voxmusculus

Good luck! I did a couple of rounds of P90X -- it's a great program if you stick to it, and I found YogaX to be particularly difficult. Ironically, even though I'm doing a different program now, I still do YogaX (and Ab RipperX) because it improves my sense of balance and flexibility. But as always, YMMV.

You don't need to follow the paleo diet -- at the end of the day, weight loss is dictated by how much you eat vs. how much you burn. Even if you only ate ice cream and donuts and burned more, you will lose weight. However, I would strongly recommend that you follow the P90X diet. While the workouts themselves are great, the diet is key to getting in shape. It's also simple and easy for beginners since it tells you exactly what to eat and how much to eat.

Ultimately, weight loss comes down to two things: burning more than you eat. I strongly recommend that you read these two threads:

* Losing fat for newbies:
* Nutrition and calculating calories for newbies:

Since you are already on a workout program, you have two options:

1. Follow the P90X diet, and take a checkpoint at the end of round 1.
2. Calculate your calories and macros, and start tracking what you eat on an online tracker like LiveStrong MyPlate or MyFitnessPal.

Tracking your calories is a good habit to cultivate because it forces you to be accountable for what goes in your mouth, and over time, you realize who the offenders in your diet are. More importantly, it's not something you do once and let go -- once it becomes a habit, you will be healthy for life.

Also, I am not trying to discourage you but rather set some realistic expectations -- at your height, it is unlikely that you will see a six pack at 195 lbs. Now, you never know, since genetics, your previous workout experience and body composition all play a role. However, often, people find that they need to drop another 20-40 lbs from their "ideal" weight before they can see any serious abs. However, if you work hard enough, you can lose ~1lb/week, and given that Christmas is about 12 weeks out, you could easily lose 12-15 lbs by then.

You're on the right track, giving that you are here and given the progress you've already made. Good luck!

Well, the last time I was at 195, I had a 6-pack or at least could see it when I flexed. But I was also pretty muscular. My goal is to get down to 200, for now. When I get there, I will reevaluate and see what my new goals are. I skipped the core synergistics yesterday, which I wish I didn't. I biked instead. I don't know how helpful you think that is. I won't miss it next time. I like the paleo diet, because you can eat a lot, but not eat a lot of calories. I also think that you can lose more than 1pound/week, so I know that my goals can be reached well before Christmas. Right now, I'm really focusing on looking good for Thanksgiving as I'm going to the beach. I think that if I eat right and exercise well, I can lose 15 pounds in the 50 or so days until then, but that's probably the max it's healthy to lose. Did you get like a 6-pack from p90x?

**Voxmusculus** · 10-03-2012, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by HipsterPat

Well, the last time I was at 195, I had a 6-pack or at least could see it when I flexed. But I was also pretty muscular. My goal is to get down to 200, for now. When I get there, I will reevaluate and see what my new goals are. I skipped the core synergistics yesterday, which I wish I didn't. I biked instead. I don't know how helpful you think that is. I won't miss it next time. I like the paleo diet, because you can eat a lot, but not eat a lot of calories. I also think that you can lose more than 1pound/week, so I know that my goals can be reached well before Christmas. Right now, I'm really focusing on looking good for Thanksgiving as I'm going to the beach. I think that if I eat right and exercise well, I can lose 15 pounds in the 50 or so days until then, but that's probably the max it's healthy to lose. Did you get like a 6-pack from p90x?

I did not get a six pack from P90X, but part of that also has to do with the fact that there were no abs to show.

The last time I had great abs was about 6 years ago -- I weighed 132 lbs, was in phenomenal shape, crewed regularly, climbed regularly, ate whatever I wanted and was just wiry and strong. Fast forward to now -- five years later -- I tried cutting down to that level and realized that I'd just be skinny as hell with almost no muscle mass.

So now, I'm doing a clean bulk with All Pro's -- hoping that it would help me add some muscle mass before I cut again. And when I do cut, I will do a slow cut, one where I actually keep my muscle mass.

You can certainly lose more than 1lb/week, but here is the question: do you want to lose fat or lose weight? Because if you cut too much, odds are you will lose both fat and muscle. Even just cutting, some muscle loss may yet happen. That is why people here recommend that you go with a slow, steady cut and lift heavy while getting enough protein. That way, you cut, but you also preserve (or as a newbie, even add) some muscle.

**earthshieldlol** · 10-03-2012, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by Voxmusculus

You can certainly lose more than 1lb/week, but here is the question: do you want to lose fat or lose weight? Because if you cut too much, odds are you will lose both fat and muscle. Even just cutting, some muscle loss may yet happen. That is why people here recommend that you go with a slow, steady cut and lift heavy while getting enough protein. That way, you cut, but you also preserve (or as a newbie, even add) some muscle.

I dunno man, I think with a pretty good base of muscle you can cut at 2lbs/week or more and still maintain most of your mass. I think a lot of the people who cut hard and get to the end and feel like they lost all their mass really didn't have much to begin with and probably aren't eating enough protein. A lot of competitive BBers cut at retardmode deficits and don't lose mass. The key is just to get the bulk of your calories from protein when cutting hard and you can drop fat at a pretty phenomenal rate without destroying your base.

**earthshieldlol** · 10-03-2012, 10:41 PM

oh yeah, here's some new progress pics. haven't posted any in here in awhile. gettin really close to where i want to be, probably only another 6 or 8 more weeks of cutting to go!

here's back in july for comparison (yeah crappy picture but w/e)

**Voxmusculus** · 10-03-2012, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by earthshieldlol

I dunno man, I think with a pretty good base of muscle you can cut at 2lbs/week or more and still maintain most of your mass. I think a lot of the people who cut hard and get to the end and feel like they lost all their mass really didn't have much to begin with and probably aren't eating enough protein. A lot of competitive BBers cut at retardmode deficits and don't lose mass. The key is just to get the bulk of your calories from protein when cutting hard and you can drop fat at a pretty phenomenal rate without destroying your base.

I agree with you completely. In fact, when I cut, I think I may have cut pretty drastically myself (~1200-1400).

But what are the odds that the OP who is just starting P90X has a good enough base that he will look ripped when he's done? More importantly, I think going too low is also setting yourself up for failure, especially if you are a newbie.

I just think that while low calorie cuts are certainly possible, they aren't for everyone, and doing that as a newbie would mean you'd get disillusioned pretty darn quickly.

**Ummabeast** · 10-04-2012, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by earthshieldlol

oh yeah, here's some new progress pics. haven't posted any in here in awhile. gettin really close to where i want to be, probably only another 6 or 8 more weeks of cutting to go!

here's back in july for comparison (yeah crappy picture but w/e)

Good progress bro. Keep it up.

**Earlbolus** · 10-04-2012, 03:16 AM

Everything is going great so far this week. Today is going good too, let's see if the scale rewards me tomorrow.

**zipitlisten** · 10-04-2012, 08:10 AM

Weighed in at 152 yesterday morning.

Sooo happy

**MdavisUSF** · 10-04-2012, 08:13 AM

Finished a round of P90X and will be finishing Insanity on Sat (my birthday). I have certainly lost fat on both I just dont know how much as my weight has stayed relatively the same. I can certainly do more than I could before both and am in overall much better shape.

My one recommendation for p90x, after going through the videos one or 2 times, for the "weight" videos, just do the score sheet for the whole workout and skip the video. You would not believe how much this can condense your time on the workout, and moving along faster will keep your heart rate up. Make sure you set it up so you know if the move was timed or to failure whatever. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed tony's quirkiness and funny sayings but when hes taking 45 seconds to get to the next set and I dont need that long of a break it is unnecessary.

**Metspride129** · 10-04-2012, 08:21 AM

man this week is really dragging ass for me. started another 48 hour fast, and am 37 1/2 hours in, and am not losing anything this time around. Instead of juice, i'm just doing 3 low cal muscle milk shakes a day (150 cals of muscle milk, 90 cals for a cup of skim). As of thismorning i was 220.6??? weird

**Ummabeast** · 10-04-2012, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Metspride129

man this week is really dragging ass for me. started another 48 hour fast, and am 37 1/2 hours in, and am not losing anything this time around. Instead of juice, i'm just doing 3 low cal muscle milk shakes a day (150 cals of muscle milk, 90 cals for a cup of skim). As of thismorning i was 220.6??? weird

That's weird man. I'd think you would lose on a fast. Somewhat.
How hard is a 2 day fast??.

On a side note. On my way to get my cast off.

woot.

**PunkyCindy** · 10-04-2012, 04:37 PM

Hi everyone! How's it going.

Congrats to everyone on the progress and weight loss!

This week has been ok for me....we'll see the numbers in the morning. I am tracking everything to a T and working hard to get in a routine. I'm eating several times a day because I feel better doing that and don't get sleepy mid day. I was out of the gym for two weeks, but I went back at it monday and yesterday...I'm sore but feel great.

Good luck on weigh in!

**Metspride129** · 10-04-2012, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Ummabeast

That's weird man. I'd think you would lose on a fast. Somewhat.
How hard is a 2 day fast??.

On a side note. On my way to get my cast off.

woot.

2 day fast is cake man, doing protein shakes def keeps you feelin full through the day, and you're only taking in around 800-900 cals, so its not a full blown fast. when i did the juice fast, i was taking in 80 calories a day (1/2 gallon of diet v8 splash), and i dropped a ton of weight

**Metspride129** · 10-04-2012, 05:43 PM

on another note, here are my 1 month progress pics (well, 4 days more, but who's counting)

My weigh in this week, i did a night early. 218.8 these pics were done after i broke fast and ate a nice size dinner, little bloating, but not bad

Yellow = 236 Silver = 219 (i cant see a difference)

i've really been busting hump lately, cuz i met an amazing girl on "my fitness pal" (go figure) and we are going to have a get together early next month, so i really wanna look good for her and be near goal weight. I never thought i'd find someone like this, and everything about her is amazing, the timing and how everything has happened is like it was meant for a movie haha. anyway, got more motivation now then ever =)

**Winfamy** · 10-04-2012, 11:45 PM

Weighed in at 147.0lbs today for a -0.4 for the week. Been losing quite slowly the past two weeks, guess this is the point where I'd have to reduce my calories a bit further to compensate the lower TDEE but... LAST DAY OF CUTTING

Will start reverse dieting tomorrow by adding 200kcal. Think I've had my share of cutting for a long, long time! Wanted to get down to 145 (which might still happen since I'll be at a 300kcal deficit next week and 100 the next, but not counting on it, even with water fluctuation :P) but I'm sooo sick of cutting that I'll just follow my schedule and start my way to ~160lbs now!

Hope everyone's done great this week!

**Earlbolus** · 10-05-2012, 03:13 AM

Originally Posted by Winfamy

Weighed in at 147.0lbs today for a -0.4 for the week. Been losing quite slowly the past two weeks, guess this is the point where I'd have to reduce my calories a bit further to compensate the lower TDEE but... LAST DAY OF CUTTING

Will start reverse dieting tomorrow by adding 200kcal. Think I've had my share of cutting for a long, long time! Wanted to get down to 145 (which might still happen since I'll be at a 300kcal deficit next week and 100 the next, but not counting on it, even with water fluctuation :P) but I'm sooo sick of cutting that I'll just follow my schedule and start my way to ~160lbs now!

Hope everyone's done great this week!

Good luck man!

213.0 lbs, that's -3.6 lbs. Finally! But, still too early to celebrate, not yet back where I was, gotta keep going.

**SilvaMan61** · 10-05-2012, 05:38 AM

I don't ****ing understand it.

Hitting stickies to recalculate.

**Metspride129** · 10-05-2012, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by Earlbolus

Good luck man!

213.0 lbs, that's -3.6 lbs. Finally! But, still too early to celebrate, not yet back where I was, gotta keep going.

good job bro, way to get back on track

**Ummabeast** · 10-05-2012, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by Metspride129

2 day fast is cake man, doing protein shakes def keeps you feelin full through the day, and you're only taking in around 800-900 cals, so its not a full blown fast. when i did the juice fast, i was taking in 80 calories a day (1/2 gallon of diet v8 splash), and i dropped a ton of weight

I'm guessing the juice fast was harder?.
I did a 24 hour water only fast.
Only had the 10 calories from my vitamins.

Congrats on all the weight lost though. I can Deff tell a difference

**Metspride129** · 10-05-2012, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by Ummabeast

I'm guessing the juice fast was harder?.
I did a 24 hour water only fast.
Only had the 10 calories from my vitamins.

Congrats on all the weight lost though. I can Deff tell a difference

yeah the juice fast was harder. i also did it when i was sick as hell with a fever and chest cold...so i'm sure that added to it

**Ummabeast** · 10-05-2012, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by Metspride129

yeah the juice fast was harder. i also did it when i was sick as hell with a fever and chest cold...so i'm sure that added to it

Oh yeah.. being sick will really take a toll on your body, and your mind.

**Ummabeast** · 10-05-2012, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by Earlbolus

Good luck man!

213.0 lbs, that's -3.6 lbs. Finally! But, still too early to celebrate, not yet back where I was, gotta keep going.

Congrats man. On the loss, and the no alcohol intake.
It takes someone strong and with a lot of willpower to do it.

**PunkyCindy** · 10-05-2012, 08:26 AM

184 this morning -2 lbs

nevermind about the rest....too hormonal

**PunkyCindy** · 10-05-2012, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Ummabeast

On my way to get my cast off.

woot.

yaaaay

**PunkyCindy** · 10-05-2012, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by Earlbolus

Good luck man!

213.0 lbs, that's -3.6 lbs. Finally! But, still too early to celebrate, not yet back where I was, gotta keep going.

great job...no it's not too early to celebrate. You celebrate every pound even if you are loosing what you gained...the fact is you chose to start loosing again rather than gaining even more. I know you've got it in you to get where you want to be.

**PunkyCindy** · 10-05-2012, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by SilvaMan61

I don't ****ing understand it.

Hitting stickies to recalculate.

don't give up, lower cals a little and just keep going. you can do it

**PunkyCindy** · 10-05-2012, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Winfamy

Weighed in at 147.0lbs today for a -0.4 for the week. Been losing quite slowly the past two weeks, guess this is the point where I'd have to reduce my calories a bit further to compensate the lower TDEE but... LAST DAY OF CUTTING

Will start reverse dieting tomorrow by adding 200kcal. Think I've had my share of cutting for a long, long time! Wanted to get down to 145 (which might still happen since I'll be at a 300kcal deficit next week and 100 the next, but not counting on it, even with water fluctuation :P) but I'm sooo sick of cutting that I'll just follow my schedule and start my way to ~160lbs now!

Hope everyone's done great this week!

congrats and good luck on bulk. You have the same body type as my hubby...except you're a tiny bit leaner (he's not giving up teh beer lol)

**PunkyCindy** · 10-05-2012, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Metspride129

on another note, here are my 1 month progress pics (well, 4 days more, but who's counting)

My weigh in this week, i did a night early. 218.8 these pics were done after i broke fast and ate a nice size dinner, little bloating, but not bad

Yellow = 236 Silver = 219 (i cant see a difference)

i've really been busting hump lately, cuz i met an amazing girl on "my fitness pal" (go figure) and we are going to have a get together early next month, so i really wanna look good for her and be near goal weight. I never thought i'd find someone like this, and everything about her is amazing, the timing and how everything has happened is like it was meant for a movie haha. anyway, got more motivation now then ever =)

looking good!

I'm so happy for you meeting someone...wish you all the luck in the world.

**DSUP** · 10-05-2012, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by PunkyCindy

184 this morning -2 lbs

tl/dr.

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