20lbs in 2 months

[aclockworkoi]

Well I guess it's not a fluke. 1700 calories yesterday and weighed in right at 170.4 again. Lifting was a good bit lighter as I have the meet coming up. Only messed around with 225 on the squats. Did a couple sets of 6 with wraps, a set of 15, a set of two count paused for 5. Rest of my routine I stuck to mostly normal weights as I am still just incline dumbbell benching. Dropped my pendlay rows down to 185.

[aclockworkoi]

170.2 this morning. Was really hoping to be into the 160s but still progress.

Here is a recap of calories for the last 10 days. Definitely notice what staying on point does for you:




After some volume deads(sets of 15 with 300ish) on lunch yesterday mixed with some light squats, powercleans, and some accessory work I took some advice from the internets and tried my opening squat in wraps/singlet/belt last night to try to get depth. Was also messing around with different shoes. Here is a not so pretty 405x2:

[GravyVeins]

What types of food have you been eating lately dude?

Looks like you are keeping calories and macros under control too.

[aclockworkoi]

I tend to skip breakfast most days, but on lifting days I will have a frozen Chimichanga around 1030 to get something in me. Sometimes I just have that, other times I'll have a sausage after I lift. Sometimes on non lifting days I'll just eat a sausage for lunch. I tend to look for links that are around 200-250 calories with 15g of protein.

This leaves me open to massive meals for dinner. Yesterday for dinner I had 160g of leftover ground beef with 0cal hot sauce followed by 5 tacos from Chiptole. Another day I had pasta with a ton of ground beef and some canned sauce that had italian sausage in it too. I have to eat a ton of protein at dinner. If it looks like we are having something that will be hard to hit protein numbers without going over in calories, I will have a protein shake made with ON protein powder and milk. I always try to save room for one of those Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches or a fudge bar at the end of the day. They aren't the best ice creams out there but still a treat!

Sometimes I will make an evening run to In-N-Out for a protein style cheeseburger without spread instead of the protein shake .

EDIT: I kind of left out the fact that I also try to have a ton of green veggies with dinner. I really like steamed spinach, green beans, or just a big salad with jalapeños. I have a TON of sodium intake, I don't even track the 1-2 zero cal Monsters I drink a day. This is a problem with my diets, I actually prefer canned green beans. Next week is gonna be rough because I will be doing a water weight cut and can't intake much sodium at all.

[GravyVeins]

Cool. I also try to create my deficit during the day so that I can feast at dinner (and not force my wife to worry about cooking two different dinners).

[aclockworkoi]

169lbs on the dot today. Looking good for Saturday's weigh in. Just have to hit 165 . High protein lunch, last day of sodium for the week

Chicken Hearts and Gizzards, wish I could find a place that sold just the hearts around here:

[aclockworkoi]

^Those gizzards were not cool to eat. I am fine chopping them up for something like a stuffing or gravy or whatever but no bueno pan-fried. I ended up just eating the hearts. Thankfully I had weighed them separately.

Today I weighed in at 168.6. This means I have less than 4lbs to lose to weigh in for the meet on Saturday. Probably don't have to do the drastic water-weigh cut but whatever. We will see what my weight does and maybe I will get to hydrate throughout the day on Saturday . At least I won't be spitting in a cup.

Messed around with EC today and started my no-sodium no-carb diet for the week. Steak and veggies for lunch and dinner. No energy drinks, diet soda, whatever. Seasoned my steaks with marjoram and cayenne pepper. I am not going to be a pleasant person to be around for the next week, I can tell:



It does wonders for getting low cals and still hitting macros though (though I could actually use some more fat) Damn shame peanut butter even has too much sodium for me. Cals are actually too low but there is nothing I want to eat that fits the bill. Might have a couple tomatoes later but I will miss dumping salt all over them....


EDIT: I just looked at the sodium numbers and it is BS. I realized it came because I had chosen "Cooked Spinach from Canned" instead of fresh like it actually was. Brocolli had a bunch in there too. All was fresh veggies and steak that I grilled up myself. I would be surprised if I hit 100mg of sodium today.

[aclockworkoi]

Dropped a bunch of water from yesterday. Weighed in at 166.4.

[Paulie_G]

Really nice work here. I'm pretty much in the same spot you were in September. My biggest challenge will be staying disciplined with logging everything, and not obsessing with losing strength while cutting. I'll be checking in here for inspiration.

[aclockworkoi]

Get your protein intake in and lift heavy following a solid program(not one you designed) and your strength should stay up fairly well. I don't see this log going more than the end of next week. I hope to have weighed in at or below 162 by then. I will then probably start up a general workout log. My next goal will be to hit a 600lb deadlift and a 1300lb total. Don't want to put on too much fat though so I'll have to keep an eye on that. I tell you what, I'm on the second day of the "extreme" week and I already am not looking forward to the steak I'm about to make for lunch. Gonna be a brutal week.

[aclockworkoi]

I told myself I wasn't gonna do this but meh. The first picture below is the start of this. The second picture was yesterday morning. But misleading because of different angle and the first being relaxed and second being flexed, but it makes me feel better and gives continued motivation

[Paulie_G]

Get your protein intake in and lift heavy following a solid program(not one you designed) and your strength should stay up fairly well. I don't see this log going more than the end of next week. I hope to have weighed in at or below 162 by then. I will then probably start up a general workout log. My next goal will be to hit a 600lb deadlift and a 1300lb total. Don't want to put on too much fat though so I'll have to keep an eye on that. I tell you what, I'm on the second day of the "extreme" week and I already am not looking forward to the steak I'm about to make for lunch. Gonna be a brutal week.

In my case, I have 15+ years experience lifting, with 305/335/460 totals (at 175), and was a Certified Personal Trainer for 8 years. Designing programs is what I'm good at. Having my own discipline with calorie reduction, and getting some consistent cardio have been my personal barriers, despite helping others do it. For this cut I need to stay disciplined and do it right.

[aclockworkoi]

Weighed in at 165 this morning. 1100 cals yesterday. Had two tablespoons of peanut butter despite the salt to up my fat and protein and make me feel better. May do again today. This is the weight I need for my meet but I am nervous to back off because I don't want water to shoot up. Also nervous about strength loss though.

In my case, I have 15+ years experience lifting, with 305/335/460 totals (at 175), and was a Certified Personal Trainer for 8 years. Designing programs is what I'm good at. Having my own discipline with calorie reduction, and getting some consistent cardio have been my personal barriers, despite helping others do it. For this cut I need to stay disciplined and do it right.

Ah well then no better time than now . The shoemakers children go shoeless... I appreciate any advice you can offer here, stop in any time!

[aclockworkoi]

Wife got me some sodium free crunchy peanut butter from Trader Joe's today. I will say it has helped boost my fat, protein, general calorie count, and MOST importantly, I do not feel like crap this evening .

[aclockworkoi]

Oh and today is officially 2 months! I didn't make 20lbs but weighed in at 165 on the dot this morning. 17lbs FTW

[GravyVeins]

Those chicken guts though!

[aclockworkoi]

Going to end this log here. I weighed in Saturday late morning at 162 on the dot. Saturday around 4PM for the meet I actually weighed in at 160.1 .

Here is a weight history for the last week, I know a lot of it is water but my goal was to get to 162 by the meet and I made it:



Here is a history of calories for that week, went REALLY low on a couple of days and I'm sure it hurt my strength:



I will probably be starting a "Workout Journal" and may link that here.

I'm not super lean or cut now but I think I did pretty well: