Fat Becoming Flu

[becomingflu]

over the past several months i've been struggling a little with piriformis pain (now i know how to spell it). it hurt worse than ever yesterday while doing de-loaded deadlifts. i've felt a problem in that area (deep in the butt and up into my lower back) since August I think. I stretch it and roll it out and even use a hard baseball on it and it helps, but lately when I start lifting again it can flare up, hence why I've needed to roll it between sets sometimes. That's not good or sustainable, so . . .

I think I'm going to take the next two weeks (where I only have 3 gym days per week since closures for the holidays) and do my upper body lifts and assistance work and really focus on building my upper body strength and then do a lot of lower-body (with focus on piriformis/SI-region) mobility and stretching and rehab work. Hopefully this will be enough to give it the rest and healing it needs because I really don't want to seriously injure myself or have to go to any doctors or therapists. Also hopefully I will not lose any strength by taking 2 weeks off from heavy lifting, but in the end, a healthy body will allow for longterm strength and wellness, so I need to shut up that voice in my head.

I'm doing lots of research on best methods but if anyone has suggestions, please let me know!

[becomingflu]

After my 2nd 4 week cycle of Wendler's 5/3/1, I took measurements to see how I'm doing on my goals (fat loss & strength maintenance or gain).

Body Fat %: Great!! (This is being calculated by the Navy Measurement Calculations, so it's just a relative loss)
- Decrease by 3% (28% to 25% change) // Lean mass: 49 kg (107.8 lbs)
- This is in line with my most optimistic goal of 2% loss every 4 weeks or 12% in 6 months.

Body Size Measurements: Good
- 0.67 cm decrease in neck
- 2.5 cm decrease in waist
- 0.33 cm decrease in calf
- 2.67 cm decrease in hips
- 1.33 cm decrease in thigh (right)
- 5.17 cm decrease at bellybutton
- 2 cm increase in chest
- 3.1 kg/6.82 lb loss in bodyweight

Strength: Improvements in all but the press
5/3/1 PRs:
Deadlift: 90kg x 7 // Squat: 62.5kg x 7 // Bench: 50kg x 3 // Press: 35kg x 3 //
& 3 strict pull-ups in a row!!

I'll be spending the next two weeks rehabbing my piriformis pain & focusing on upper body strength, to start back on my 3rd cycle of 5/3/1 the first full week of 2015!

[shesprints]

(Wow, what a long and thoughtful answer to my earlier comment.) I also have experience with piriformis syndrome and SI joint issues. The piriformis problems were from running and too much movement in a single plane; the SI joint issues came from squatting, I think, and also from tight psoas leading to anterior pelvic tilt. (I mention this only because I think this is common). I'm sure you know your body best, but something that helped me to avoid this stuff in the past has been incorporating a lot more lateral and single-leg training once I trained legs again and not always going heavy. So, you know, lateral lunges/squats, more lunges in general, lateral band walks, clamshells to warm up. A powerlifter friend of mine actually suggested the band walks, oddly enough.

And I don't think 2 weeks off does anything to strength. Aerobic capacity can decrease in that time period (only slightly) but strength? Nah, the time off lower body training is minor. Smart decision to take time off now, hope you get better.

BTW I'm incredibly impressed you can do pullups. .

[becomingflu]

(Wow, what a long and thoughtful answer to my earlier comment.) I also have experience with piriformis syndrome and SI joint issues. The piriformis problems were from running and too much movement in a single plane; the SI joint issues came from squatting, I think, and also from tight psoas leading to anterior pelvic tilt. (I mention this only because I think this is common). I'm sure you know your body best, but something that helped me to avoid this stuff in the past has been incorporating a lot more lateral and single-leg training once I trained legs again and not always going heavy. So, you know, lateral lunges/squats, more lunges in general, lateral band walks, clamshells to warm up. A powerlifter friend of mine actually suggested the band walks, oddly enough.

And I don't think 2 weeks off does anything to strength. Aerobic capacity can decrease in that time period (only slightly) but strength? Nah, the time off lower body training is minor. Smart decision to take time off now, hope you get better.

BTW I'm incredibly impressed you can do pullups. .

No! Thank you so much for your thoughts! You make great points about lateral strength and I was considering adding in some clamshells, so you helped seal the deal on that one!

Yeah I've really earned my pull-ups with all the annoying and hateful negatives I've been doing since August! BLEH I hate negatives so much. I do pull-up and chin-up negatives. It took me almost 2 months to get one pull-up but keeping consistent with the negatives and losing some weight has made a huge difference. I also give myself a week or so rest after a few weeks of lots of negatives. That really helps me for some reason (an accidental discovery).

Well today I discovered that I somehow wrongly entered a recipe in MFP for the fat bombs that I've been eating every day for a week. The calorie addition is about 60 calories more a serving, which isn't crazy-more but still . . . I am glad it didn't seem to cause issues, since I've been losing weight just fine. I went back and added the calories to my data.

I tried a new recipe today for cauliflower fritters which were really great. Cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes really works a lot of the time! It did mean that I ingested about 4-5 tbsp of coconut oil, though, lol. This means that with my BP coffees this morning I got 6-7 tbsp of coconut oil today!

Woah Nelly.

I was going to buy some wine and some kind of yummy "cheat/treat" to celebrate christmas with, but standing in the bakery and looking around I decided that I didn't need them. It's going to be mostly a normal day for me, and I'll be on my own, so what's the point? I may as well keep eating the way that makes me feel best. It's a little sad, but it doesn't have to be. I'll be skyping with the family in the morning. Hopefully the sun'll be out and I can go to the beach.

I've been reading The Ketogenic Diet today. I'm at Chapter 17 where he talks about different types of exercise physiology. It reawakened my little fears about how quickly my weight loss has been going (average of slightly over 2 lbs a week since I started this way of eating). I seriously was expecting it to slow by now.

I know I should just shut up and let things happen but seriously it's just so weird that I am losing 2 lbs a week eating 2k calories a day and lifting 4 days a week with like 2-3 short bike rides to the store/beach. Is my metabolism just super high? Am I really over-estimating my caloric intake? Am I just really kicking a lot more ass than I think I am doing such a low-volume program like Wendler? I seriously sit on my butt most of the day reading and writing. Idk . . . I'm grateful for it, believe me, but I guess it's just not adding up the way everyone says it should and that makes my brain all cray. Anywho . . . No gym or workouts today or tomorrow! We'll see how it goes!

Tah-tah

[XinApoK]

Stop all your worrying. Just relax about your weight loss and enjoy the fact that its happening so well for you. Keep banging out pullups too, its quite impressive.

In for more reps!

[becomingflu]

Stop all your worrying. Just relax about your weight loss and enjoy the fact that its happening so well for you. Keep banging out pullups too, its quite impressive.

In for more reps!

true dat. i will obey.

[becomingflu]

It is the end of my next 2 week data cycle. Attached is a pdf of that data.

In the last two weeks I've lost 4.62 lbs. The two weeks previous I lost 4.18 lbs.

Here is the snapshot:

-2056.79: Avg Calories
-12.29g/4.58%: Avg. Net Carbohydrate
-182.5g/67.97%: Avg. Fat
-73.71g/27.45%: Avg. Protein (0.68 x lbm)
-2.79L: Avg. Water Intake
-7.79hr: Avg. Sleep

Things different from previous two weeks, etc:

Nutrition:
----------
-Carbs lower by ~3.3%
-Fat higher by ~7%
-Protein lower by ~3.7%
-Consumed a lot more coconut oil
-Consumed Fat bombs almost daily
-Consumed a little bit more water

Exercise/Training:
--------------------
-One less day of lifting
-Week one was deload week in lifting program (Wendler's 5/3/1)
-Week two was no squat or deadlift, just upper body lifting & lower body rehab of SI/piriformis)

Meal Timing:
--------------
-Without exception I only consumed fatty coffee (BP coffee) until 12-2ish, and sometimes trained on just that before eating anything.
-Post-Workout shower (2-3pm) I always ate a bell pepper and 50g cheddar cheese
-Ate one big meal between 4-6pm

Thoughts:
-----------
I've already talked about my "concerns" previously in this log and elsewhere with regard to my rate of weight loss. If I were at a higher body fat % I wouldn't be concerned at all, because I know it is normal to lose ~2 or more lbs a week in that situation. However, I am like 6 lbs away from what many would say is my height's "ideal" weight (135).

I am worried about losing muscle at this point, particularly since the rate was faster this cycle than the last and I did not lift heavy during this timeframe either. There are so many reasons why this could be the case, and I probably shouldn't be worried because I am eating a healthy amount of calories, not over-exercising at all, and still eating within the protein range I've read is good.

Possible Reasons:
--------------------
-I am expending more calories than I think (doubtful; 4 x wk low vol lifting & ~3 x 20 min - 40 min bike rides on flat ground & then sitting/laying around the rest of the day)
-My metabolism is higher than an "average" person with my stats (?)
-I am seriously overestimating the amount of calories I'm eating (def. possible, though statistically people underestimate)
-I am not eating enough protein and/or muscle loss accelerating (possible)
-I am not eating enough of something (?)
-I have some illness/disease/parasites (doubtful)
-My body just ****ing loves this **** (certainly feels that way)
-I'm one of those *******s that loses weight easily (This is really only my second time actively trying to lose weight in my life, and the first time I've ever counted calories, so . . . ?)

My initial thoughts for the next cycle is to try for a little bit more protein and keep my calories at this level. I know I'm likely seriously over-analyzing, but that's just my personality when something seemingly illogical is happening.

So there's the data and my thoughts and here's me calming down and ketoing on.

[xJellyBirdx]

lololol @ the name translation.

BecomingFlu = BecomingSick

That's so awesome, haha.

[becomingflu]

Good news on the piriformis/SI pain: I did deloaded back squats Monday and then deloaded SL deadlifts yesterday all with NO pain! I am a tad sore, especially in the hammies, but I like it. I haven't felt soreness in quite a while. Now to figure out where I should start weight-wise when I return to 5/3/1 next week.

I am pretty sure I'll be drinking a little wine tonight for the first time since Dec 2nd, though I am "afraid" of a hangover.

It's threatening rain, so I better get my ass in gear and head to the grocery store. Speaking of which, with my weight stabilizing for several days in a row there were some interesting developments as far as how my body was "acting"/"feeling":

I have been really craving vegetables, so I've been adding more to my evening meal. I must be a tad deficient on something. My water consumption has also gone down quite a bit (from an easy 3L a day to forcing 2L a day) in that timeframe. I am just not as thirsty as the previous few weeks with relatively the same level of salt, activity, and heat. Hunger has also mostly disappeared. Workouts feel good. Interesting indeed.

[XinApoK]

Good news on the piriformis/SI pain: I did deloaded back squats Monday and then deloaded SL deadlifts yesterday all with NO pain! I am a tad sore, especially in the hammies, but I like it. I haven't felt soreness in quite a while. Now to figure out where I should start weight-wise when I return to 5/3/1 next week.

I am pretty sure I'll be drinking a little wine tonight for the first time since Dec 2nd, though I am "afraid" of a hangover.

It's threatening rain, so I better get my ass in gear and head to the grocery store. Speaking of which, with my weight stabilizing for several days in a row there were some interesting developments as far as how my body was "acting"/"feeling":

I have been really craving vegetables, so I've been adding more to my evening meal. I must be a tad deficient on something. My water consumption has also gone down quite a bit (from an easy 3L a day to forcing 2L a day) in that timeframe. I am just not as thirsty as the previous few weeks with relatively the same level of salt, activity, and heat. Hunger has also mostly disappeared. Workouts feel good. Interesting indeed.

That's awesome. great to hear. And make sure you keep force drinking to stay hydrated. Maybe supplement creatine. it could help.

[becomingflu]

That's awesome. great to hear. And make sure you keep force drinking to stay hydrated. Maybe supplement creatine. it could help.

Oh i use creatine.

[becomingflu]

Well, I had a calorie roller coaster the last few days . . . I "listened to my body" and ate way more calories two days in a row (still keto calories) and then the days afterwards have been way less hungry and the brief water weight is gone with a small continued loss. It's so interesting.

I'm excited to start my third cycle of Wendler tomorrow, even though I'm going back to my starting weights. I think it will be great for improved form.

I am also excited to start on some new years resolution goals this week. Except working on double unders again. Blah! I'm going to post about my programming for my 3rd cycle tomorrow if anyone is interested.

It's going to be a good week, people!

[becomingflu]

Well today at the gym my piriformis pain was BACK. I was lazy about stretching over the 6 days I had between gym sessions. I took it easy on my front squats and did a long mobility session afterwards. And yeah, my strength is stalling or regressing this week. I'm looking forward to that recomp!

I was super stoked when I went to the grocery store here today and found that they were finally back in stock of BROCCOLI. I almost yelled out. I'm super obsessed these days. I had salmon & broccoli for dinner tonight and was so stuffed before I even finished, I couldn't believe it! I will finish it off with a nice glass of red wine.

Non-scale victory: Today at the gym one of the coaches yelled out across the room asking if I've lost a lot of weight. He said he could see it in my overall figure and especially in my face and all the guys in the gym nodded in agreement. It felt really good, I admit it.

I've been a little bloated the last few days. I'm not sure the reason, but I have been drinking a glass of wine after dinner the last few days and upped my salt intake yesterday because I was feeling dizzy during my workout. I have to finish this bottle before it goes bad, so I'll be drinking a glass tonight and tomorrow as well. I certainly hope that wine isn't the reason.

Anywho . . . keeping calm and ketoing on.

[becomingflu]

It's another end of a 2 week data cycle!!

Weight Lost: 0.66 lbs
Avg Cals: 1892.43 kcal
Net Carbs: 12.7 g
Fats: 152.93 g
Protein: 71.21 g
Water: 2.88 L
Sleep: 7.79 hrs

Total Weight Lost: 16 lbs
Body Fat (per Navy Calc): 24%

My goal was to eat a little more protein, but I didn't end up hitting that goal, so this next cycle my target is 80-100g a day.

So obviously my weight loss rate has finally slowed to normal and this makes sense. I've been bloated and dealing with my injury but other than all that, I may have to face the facts that at 16 lbs lighter, I may need to lower my calorie intake if I want to continue to lose fat. I'm not worried about that, as my appetite has gone down and I am feeling satisfied far more often on less so far. So, I'll be trying that this next 2 week cycle.

Overall, at this point I am at a good weight for my height as-is and I look & feel tons better, so losses should likely be slow.

I really want to hit 135 lbs / 20% bodyfat to start a (long) recomp doing weekly cycling, having higher calories on lifting days. So far I am planning on probably starting with a CUT/BULK/BULK/MAINT cycle and seeing how that goes. This way it would match up well with my two toughest lifting weeks for the bulk and a maintenance week for the deload. If I'm feeling too puffy I could turn that into a cut week as well. So when I start that I may start a new journal. We'll see.

Next week I'll likely take progress pics, and if I'm brave I'll post 'em. Adios.

[becomingflu]

So two nights ago I agreed to go to happy hour with my neighbor. This is the first time I've gone out in months while living here, so it was a big deal. It is a resolution that I try to meet more people, be more social, have more sex, etc . . .

Well "happy hour" turned into going to a birthday party at a villa, which turned into an all-nighter because it was pouring rain and we couldn't motorbike home in it. Lots of alcohol (and WATER!) was consumed, mostly in shot-form or wine. I had 1 beer, 2 glasses of wine, 1 vodka-y drink, and probably 4-5 oz of silver patron tequila. I've had some water loss since then. We'll see if it sticks.

My injury has been feeling a lot better and I wonder if it is because I have continued doing my lifting, and even added in some hip thrusts. I've kept the weights pretty low for squats and deadlifts. With the mobility and lower weights, but still strengthening exercises, perhaps that is all that is needed. We'll see. I'm so afraid of losing my hard-earned muscle in my butt and legs!

Speaking of muscle, my abs are making me very happy. It has been kind of a goal of mine to lose enough body fat to show abs, mostly because I could tell early-on that I was going to be one of those women that can have abs even if their butt and legs aren't showing a ton of definition and lose fat more slowly. I don't have boobs really (lost those the first time I lost a lot of weight), so having an athletic upper-body look would be nice. SOMETHING to show off at least, right? I'm enjoying it, which is all that really matters.

[becomingflu]

I am blown away by my measurement results for these past 4 weeks! I lost less weight but lost so much more size than the previous 4 week cycle. Wow!

Results are:

Body Fat % (Navy Calculation): Great!!
- Decrease by 3% (25% to 22% change) // Lean mass: 49 kg (107.8 lbs) - Same as 4 wks ago.

Body Size Measurements: Best Yet!
- 1.5 cm decrease in neck
- 4.5 cm decrease in waist
- 1 cm decrease in calf
- 3.5 cm decrease in hips
- 3 cm decrease in thigh (right)
- 4.5 cm decrease at bellybutton
- 4.5 cm decrease in chest
- 2.9 kg/6.38 lb loss in bodyweight

Strength: Loss in DL & Squat due to injury, improvement in Bench & Pull-Ups/Chin-ups/Dips
5/3/1 PRs:
Deadlift: 90kg x 7 // Squat: 62.5kg x 7 // Bench: 42.5kg x 9 // Press: 35kg x 3 //
& Now 4 strict pull-ups or chin-ups in a row (or tons of sets of 3 in one session)

[becomingflu]

This morning I finally took some progress photos, though technically I should've done that a few days ago. Anyways, I replaced my avatar photo . . . I think there is some progress.

Non-scale victory would be my neighbor returning after a month or so being gone and we talked for a while, then I bumped into her at the deli a few hours later. She said "Oh, I was just talking with our neighbors about you!" I asked her what they were talking about and she said "You going to the gym! You just look SO fit!"

My piriformis is doing a lot better. I've been continuing with my regularly scheduled lifts but easing back on the weights as soon as I reach a weight that "hurts" afterwards. There is no pain during any of my lifts these days, but afterwards I sometimes feel the ache in my lower back on the right side, no longer in my butt (piriformis) at all. I am still religiously stretching and mobilizing for 30 mins before and 30 mins afterward but not so great at doing it at home on my off-days. I miss lifting heavy and worry about my lower body progress, but I'm just moving forward and doing what doesn't hurt but not giving up and resting it too much.

My calorie intake has gone down a little. I've been working harder on getting my protein up to ~75-80g a day (don't hit it every day but it's averaged out to hit that target). I've also been eating more fish! I came up with this great idea - I do this minced beef & veggie mix that's really satisfying but typically too big for one meal, so I split it up into quarters and eat it as a post-workout meal or as a partial dish, just adding some fish. This way I'm getting more protein, the beneficial omegas/DHA from the fish, adding variety to my protein types in each day, and it cuts down on food prep at night too. It also gives me an easy quick meal when I need one.

I had my first dark chocolate last night (first during this cut)! It was sooooooooooooooo good!

Other than that, I'm still just plugging away . . .

[XinApoK]

I just saw your progress picture and I must commend you on your hard work. You really have transformed yourself and it is very impressive.

Have you tried foam rolling for your back? And make sure you hit those hammys when you stretch. Tight hams always leads to back pain.



keep it up though. You seem like you are kicking some serious keto ass.

[becomingflu]

I just saw your progress picture and I must commend you on your hard work. You really have transformed yourself and it is very impressive.

Have you tried foam rolling for your back? And make sure you hit those hammys when you stretch. Tight hams always leads to back pain.



keep it up though. You seem like you are kicking some serious keto ass.

Thanks so much, dude! I've uploaded my 1 month, 2 month, and now 3 month photos to progress pics now. Not all of them, just the same basic front shot. the rest of my pictures will require more guts to post at a later date.

My hammies are often the only parts of me that get decently sore and need lots of stretching actually. I'm sure there's a connection! I will spend a little more time there for a bit. I'm also stretching my psoas more which seems to be making a huge difference, actually. At least I'm learning more about my musculature this way! I never knew what a piriformis or psoas was before this injury!

[becomingflu]

Data Set #4: Weeks 7 and 8 on a ketogenic diet

Weight Lost: 3.30 lbs
Avg Cals: 1752.86 kcal
Net Carbs: 11.14 g (ate less veg last week or so due to laziness)
Fats: 123.79 g (less fat)
Protein: 74.64 g (little more protein, ate more fish)
Water: 2.93 L (little more water)
Sleep: 7.39 hrs (little less sleep)

Total Weight Lost: 19.1 lbs
Body Fat (per Navy Calc): 22% (loss of 8%)

Things of note this cycle:

-My calorie consumption is all over the place. I haven't really stuck to a plan; just kinda felt through it, which has had interesting results.
-I wanted to work on getting more protein this cycle (closer to 80g/day) and I did improve but didn't make it and I'm inconsistent.
-I started using more calories for alcohol & 85% cacao chocolate (mostly "empty" calories).
-My sleeping got much better (sleeping through the night more often).
-I've been drinking more alcohol (average 4-5 days a week, one or two glasses of wine and two heavier drinking nights).
-Only lifted 3 days a week instead of 4
-My piriformis/SI-region injury getting a ton better! My last deadlift session (on friday) was PAIN FREE!!

Goals for next 2 week cycle:

-Hit average 80g of protein and every day MUST get 70g no matter what
-Back to 4 days a week at the gym, keep the careful-lifting up on squats and DL variations, keep up on mobility
-Eat fish at least 3x/wk
-Maintain weight or go down up to 2 more lbs (to 135.5)

[XinApoK]

What do you feel your alcohol consumption has done to you overall? Have you seen any negative side effects? Kicked out of keto? Or has it just been fairly steady?

[becomingflu]

*shrug* i don't know . . . i'm still slowly losing, which it should be slow at this point . . . i don't really want to drink that much, so i drink pretty slowly . . .

[becomingflu]

my neighbor has been borrowing my blender every day for the last three days and bringing me banana+milk+oatmeal shakes even though i thoroughly explained to him that i view fruit as a treat/candy, etc . . . *sigh* . . . i'm drinking 'em, and it doesn't seem to be "hurting", but still . . . we'll see.

[becomingflu]

Data Set #5: Weeks 9 and 10 on a ketogenic diet

Weight Lost: 0.88 lbs
Avg Cals: 1944.5 kcal (went up!)
Net Carbs: 24.29 g (double the normal amount due to fruit shakes from neighbor 3-4 times a week)
Fats: 144.29 g (little more fat than last cycle)
Protein: 71.29 g (little less protein, ate more fish)
Water: 3.23 L (more water)
Sleep: 6.73 hrs (a lot less sleep than normal!)

Total Weight Lost: 19.98 lbs
Body Fat (per Navy Calc): haven't measured since last at 22%

Things of note this cycle:

-My calorie consumption is still all over the place and based on feel.
-I am still not getting to 80g a day protein even though it is a goal every time. I still hover around 70 g!!
-Still eating 85% cacao chocolate on a regular basis (between 80-160 cals worth)
-My sleeping is worse. Alcohol?
-Alcohol consumption a few times a week, mostly red wine.
-Lifting 3 or 4 days a week instead of a solid 4.
-My piriformis/SI-region injury is PAIN FREE!!

Goals for next 2 week cycle:

-Keep working on protein consumption getting to 80g/day
-Reach 135 just cuz that was the goal for end of February.

[becomingflu]

I'm a little behind posting this, but here is the data . . .

Data Set #6: Weeks 11 and 12 on a ketogenic diet

Weight Lost: GAINED 1.32 lbs
Avg Cals: 2194.86 kcal (went up!)
Net Carbs: 26.07 g (some rice, a v-day cheat of hamburger & fries, some beer, some moar fries)
Fats: 163.14 g (little more fat than last cycle)
Protein: 75.79 g (getting better . . . )
Water: 3.13 L (less water)
Sleep: 7.95 hrs (sleep was better)

Total Weight Lost: 18.66 lbs
Body Fat (per Navy Calc): haven't measured since last at 22%

Things of note this cycle:

-I did actually hit my "goal" of 135 lbs in the middle of this period of time.
-I had an old coworker visiting so there was a lot more eating out, drinking, and "cheats" taking him around being a tourist
-At least sleep was better!
-Bloated!
-THE CARBS DID NOT HELP ME IN THE GYM! I FELT LETHARGIC AND MOODY UNTIL I WAS PURE KETO AGAIN FOR A FEW DAYS. THEN I FELT AMAZING.

Goals for next 2 week cycle:

-Keep working on protein consumption getting to 80g/day
-Stay within a few lbs of 135 lbs
-Head back to the gym with renewed focus and zeal
-Keto all the way except a small allowance for jewish holiday party i was invited to where my friend is hand-making everything and really excited about showing me some of his baking.
-Drinking 3.25L a day
-Sleep quality improvements

Additional Info:

-Cut out creatine for about 6 weeks due to international travel. Probably cycle back on Mid-April.
-Overall next goal for 6-12 weeks is "maintain"/recomp
-Might get a DEXA scan

[becomingflu]

Well today during my deadlift session on my last set (get-as-many-reps-as-you-can set) I got 11 @ 77.5kg (170.5lbs) giving me a calculated 1RM of 108kg (237.6lbs)!!! My best calculated 1RM before my injury was 110kg, so I am pretty much back!! I've also been PR'ing on my Bench and OHP lately. The squat is taking a little more time to come back but it's coming back. I think I have some mental stuff to work through on the squat.

Feeling great and working on maintaining "weight" within a few lbs of 135 for now. I'm averaging 1950 cals right now and feeling great energy in the gym, so we'll see how things go. I will be traveling starting in a few days for about a month so things could get a little crazy and I won't have the ability to track weight during this time consistently so maybe I just go without weighing myself the whole time? IDK yet.