'NoStruggle', No Progress Log

[nostruggle]

Starting this log to keep myself on track with this lean bulk. Came from being a chubby kid, finally cut down for the first time in my life this summer. (Peaked at 200lbs and cut down to 140lbs) I'm enjoying being lighter, chizzled jawline and all that good stuff. But I've built a little unhealthy relationship with food and I'm pretty underweight. I want to be stronger and to have a better physique now, my fear of getting fat again has hindered me but I'm going to try my best to go ahead with this lean bulk.

Stats: 5'11" 143lbs
Calorie intake: Starting off at 2300cals and upping it

idk know my bf%, there's pictures attached.

I'll try to update my food log often along with my lifts.

Not going to aim for 2300 spot on but somewhere in the area, just going to eat and lift. Let's go.

Bench: 155x5
Deadlift: 135x5 (Still working on getting my form down pack, so I'm lifting a little lighter right now)
Squat: 190x5

[ErikTheElectric]

In on this.


Not sure if you're aware, but there are TONS of guys (young guys) your age suffering from the same situation.


What's with the "no progress" tag in your title?

[nostruggle]

In on this.


Not sure if you're aware, but there are TONS of guys (young guys) your age suffering from the same situation.


What's with the "no progress" tag in your title?

It's a little saying by Frederick Douglass; “If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress”

[ErikTheElectric]

Word.


Well, I wish you the best. When are you going to increase kcals?

[nostruggle]

Word.


Well, I wish you the best. When are you going to increase kcals?

Thanks man.

I was thinking of increasing weekly for two weeks, then seeing what happens at 2500cals. Really hope to get this "post-eating hunger" under control. I had no idea such a large deficit months ago would still affect me now,

[nostruggle]

Went out for breakfast today had this. Not afraid of food nomo

[ErikTheElectric]

Always remember "Eat to GROW!"

[nostruggle]

Always remember "Eat to GROW!"

Noted sir.


Can anyone give me a calorie estimate of the breakfast I just posted?

Today's my rest day, about to have dinner which is going to probably 12oz of chicken breast, a salad, and 100g of sweet potato. Resisting the urge to do a bunch of pushups to "justify" myself for eating all that this morning.

[nostruggle]

Log for today, going to have PBJ sandwich before bed to hit my goal. Didn't know the kcals for that meal so I used a meal kind of like it on MFP. Think it kind of underestimated:

[ErikTheElectric]

You don't need to worry about "estimating" right now.


Eat a meal ----> Move on ---> Keep it simple.


Think about all of the time you Spent focusing on calories during your cut, time to relax.

[sonnydfrizzy]

You don't need to worry about "estimating" right now.


Eat a meal ----> Move on ---> Keep it simple.


Think about all of the time you Spent focusing on calories during your cut, time to relax.

Given the mental state you are in, you have conditioned your body to "fear" food and see it as bad. Whenever anyone loses a lot of weight quickly, we tend to view food as the enemy and do not see it as fuel. Food is essential for you at this point just to get your hormones back to a homeostatic level. Up those calories a bit more, and I would encourage you to take some days off from tracking and eating normally. Go out with friends, get a pizza, ice cream, or whatever but keep it moderate. I think normality should be the goal right now. Not precise tracking.

[nostruggle]

Given the mental state you are in, you have conditioned your body to "fear" food and see it as bad. Whenever anyone loses a lot of weight quickly, we tend to view food as the enemy and do not see it as fuel. Food is essential for you at this point just to get your hormones back to a homeostatic level. Up those calories a bit more, and I would encourage you to take some days off from tracking and eating normally. Go out with friends, get a pizza, ice cream, or whatever but keep it moderate. I think normality should be the goal right now. Not precise tracking.

Gotcha. Before I wouldn't put a piece of food in my mouth without tracking it. Now, I just go throughout the day, eat when I'm hungry then I'll log everything I can remember at the end of the day to get a rough calorie estimate.

I feel bloated, sluggish, and f**. And my stomach looks huge x__x

Anyway, today was leg and shoulder day. I'll just post my main lifts:

Squat: 3x8 185lbs, 1x8 195lbs = 4 sets total
Deadlift: 4x8 135lbs
Leg Press: 3x8 180lbs, 1x8 270lbs
Overhead press: 4x8 80lbs
Military DB press: 2x8 40lbs, 2x8 45lbs

Food:

[sonnydfrizzy]

You aren't fat and you aren't bloated. That's your mind just screwing with you. You obviously have a very skewed and distorted perception of yourself, and put your self worth in what you look like instead of who you are. You think your friends and family love you because of your aesthetics?? I'm willing to bet they wish you would go back to the old "you" before food and exercise overtook your life.

Also, calories are at about half of what they should be.. What did I miss here?

[ErikTheElectric]

If you feel "fat" and bloated on 1,700 calories. We've got a lot of work to do.


How do you expect to get stronger?

[nostruggle]

You aren't fat and you aren't bloated. That's your mind just screwing with you. You obviously have a very skewed and distorted perception of yourself, and put your self worth in what you look like instead of who you are. You think your friends and family love you because of your aesthetics?? I'm willing to bet they wish you would go back to the old "you" before food and exercise overtook your life.

Also, calories are at about half of what they should be.. What did I miss here?

Chits tough man. And it's probably a little underestimated, I had a cookie and little bit more peanut butter since. Gonna have a protein source before bed to hit my protein goal.

If you feel "fat" and bloated on 1,700 calories. We've got a lot of work to do.


How do you expect to get stronger?

Just not really used to eating <2000cals. I'm going to eat before bed, even though I feel pretty full.


My workout felt much better today, it might be because of how I ate yesterday. Usually leg days are brutal for me, but I felt pretty good.

[ErikTheElectric]

You have to remember that NO adult male should be eating under 2,000 calories.


Work on things, keep challenging yourself and making the necessary strides. If you want to grow and get stronger.

[nostruggle]

You have to remember that NO adult male should be eating under 2,000 calories.


Work on things, keep challenging yourself and making the necessary strides. If you want to grow and get stronger.

I think a big issue in regards to hitting my cals is that I take small portions of everything, since building an unhealthy relationship with food. Instead of eating a spoon of peanut butter I'll try to have half a spoon, half a slice of bread, 1/4 tsp of margarine etc. the only time I really "go off" is at dinner time or breakfast sometimes. Whatever the serving size is on a box of food, I'll try to have half of it. Plus, I never eat fastfood; I just remember all those times I'd eat 2 mcds burgers drenched in sauce, large fries, and a coke... and remembering how unfit I was/how bad I looked turns me off. Even though I know iifym.

[nostruggle]

Ate quite a bit today, I feel extremely heavy but I'm keeping the course. Probably ate a little more than that.



It was my rest day today, I did my daily home workout throughout my day.

around 250 push ups and 24 pull ups. Did a little bit of bicep curling too.

[ErikTheElectric]

It was my rest day today, I did my daily home workout throughout my day.

around 250 push ups and 24 pull ups. Did a little bit of bicep curling too.

REST DAYS are for REST.



Nice job with the kcal increase, lets keep it going.

[nostruggle]

REST DAYS are for REST.



Nice job with the kcal increase, lets keep it going.

I always do 75 push ups before bed and when I wake up. Think I should stop it?

And thanks man, I hope my body adjusts to this soon. I feel like a balloon lol.

[ErikTheElectric]

I always do 75 push ups before bed and when I wake up. Think I should stop it?

And thanks man, I hope my body adjusts to this soon. I feel like a balloon lol.

This is a compulsion, there's NO reason for you to have to feel 'obligated' to wake up and do pushups.

Ask yourself, "is it NORMAL" to compulsively exercise at random parts of the day?

[nostruggle]

This is a compulsion, there's NO reason for you to have to feel 'obligated' to wake up and do pushups.

Ask yourself, "is it NORMAL" to compulsively exercise at random parts of the day?

I just thought of it as dedication :/. But you're right. When I was cutting I would legit exercise every 1-2 hours, it was insane. I'd do pushups, situps, and jumping jacks everywhere. It was a nightmare actually lol, that might be why I'm afraid of fat gain. Because I don't wanna go through such a horrid process to cut again. I'd literally come in at 1am from hanging out, going out with my girl etc. and I'd go to the basement just to exercise for 20mins before bed.

I'm enjoying eating and lifting with a structured plan WAY more than what I was doing before.

[ErikTheElectric]

Try "testing yourself". TOMORROW (or tonight), do nothing before you go to bed.


Be "normal". It's meant to feel uncomfortable, but these sorts of compulsions are necessary to kick before they spiral WAY out of control.

[nostruggle]

Try "testing yourself". TOMORROW (or tonight), do nothing before you go to bed.


Be "normal". It's meant to feel uncomfortable, but these sorts or compulsions are necessary to kick before they spiral WAY out of control.

Didn't do my daily push ups or pull ups today, it's bothering me a bit. But I'll be back in the gym tomorrow. I have about 850 calories to hit my goal. Might just grab some snacks and hit my goal. I'm really used to eating between 1700-1900 so I feel greedy when I eat more. It's for the better though, my cut is going to be great.

[nostruggle]

My scale is showing 151lbs in clothes, getting a bit nervous.

148lbs, 5lb difference. Wow.

[ErikTheElectric]

^ You're overthinking things, and thinking of it the way you SHOULDN'T be.


1. Weight gain is GOOD at this point (even though you didn't gain 5lbs)
2. You SHOULDN'T be thinking about how "good your cut is going to be"
3. If you feel "greedy" about eating 1900 calories, or anything slightly more.. you need to really think about this.

[nostruggle]

^ You're overthinking things, and thinking of it the way you SHOULDN'T be.


1. Weight gain is GOOD at this point (even though you didn't gain 5lbs)
2. You SHOULDN'T be thinking about how "good your cut is going to be"
3. If you feel "greedy" about eating 1900 calories, or anything slightly more.. you need to really think about this.

I'm pushing through the psychy, here's my lifts and food log for today (chest/back):

Incline bench (upper): 120lbs 3x8 and a drop set starting at: 120lbs -->95lbs 3x8
Bench: 155lbs 4x8
Flat dumbbell press: 60lbs 2x8 and 65lbs 2x8
Barbell row: 95lbs 4x8

I did more stuff but those are my main lifts. I'm happy because the last week I got paranoid about being fat so I cut down my calories by a lot and my DB press fell to 55lbs (struggle) and I was really pissed off. But since I've bumped up my calories I was able to get 65lbs.

Here's my food log for today:



Thanks for the motivation guys, I appreciate it all

[ErikTheElectric]

^ I hope you had MORE than 1,700 calories.


I thought you were "upping calories"?

[nostruggle]

^ I hope you had MORE than 1,700 calories.


I thought you were "upping calories"?

Yup I ate about 2100cal, after I posted though. Had some tuna, beans, and a waffle lol weird mix. And I'm about stuffed at 2300cals, you think I should up it right now?

[ErikTheElectric]

Yup I ate about 2100cal, after I posted though. Had some tuna, beans, and a waffle lol weird mix. And I'm about stuffed at 2300cals, you think I should up it right now?

I think you should work on getting more of your energy intake in DURING THE DAY.

You'd feel A LOT better, a lot less "Stuffed" and you'd be challenging some disordered eating habits.