My Leangains Cut

[WeakSauz]

You are the MAN! These food pictures rock.. I can't come into this thread during my fast. lol

Those tacos from Taco Del Mar FTW!!!! haha

[66jzmstr]

You are the MAN! These food pictures rock.. I can't come into this thread during my fast. lol

Those tacos from Taco Del Mar FTW!!!! haha

Thanks, WS! They were awesome, and the bowl of ice cream to finish only made the meal better.

[66jzmstr]

Saturday, 7-9-11: Rest Day

Good sleep, and lots of mild soreness all over from yesterday's gym time, especially my long-neglected delts, feeling good.

Lunch: (1:45) Leftover rotisserie chicken topped with sour cream, some cherry tomatoes, hot wings, salame, and some ON cake batter whey in six ounces of almond milk.

Macros (788cal)
11 CHO (net)
37 F
101 P


Dinner: (7:45pm) Scrambled eggs topped with lots of aged sharp cheddar and some cherry tomatoes on the side, four hot wings, and some mixed berries on almond butter topped with heavy cream for dessert.

Macros (988cal)
21 CHO (net)
54 F
76 P


Daily Totals: 1700cal, 45 CHO (32 CHO net), 91 F, 177 P


Notes Today

• Going back to three workout days a week, so I have redistributed my rest day calories, dropping from 1800cal to 1700cal. No problem at all when split between two meals when IF'ing.

[66jzmstr]

Sunday, 7-10-11: Rest Day

Some college friends were passing through this morning and we met up for breakfast. I wasn't going to engage in some diatribe about intermittent fasting, but all went well and I caught minimal flack, sipping on tea as every dove into thick omelettes. On any previous diet, I would have pigged out this morning. Pretty proud of exhibiting the willpower I've always had but seldom employed, and not making any big issue of it at the time.

Lunch: (1:15) Leftover rotisserie chicken topped with full-fat sour cream, chunks of salame, some spicy organic chicken sausage, Greek salad, and some ON cake batter whey in six ounces of almond milk.

Macros (854cal)
19 CHO (net)
44 F
91 P


Dinner: (7:45pm) Marinated Alaskan salmon fillet, some hot wings, a hunk of feta, mixed berries on some almond butter and a scoop of casein in six ounces of almond milk.

Macros (849cal)
17 CHO (net)
44 F
96 P


Daily Totals: 1703cal, 46 CHO (37 CHO net), 88 F, 187 P


Notes Today

• I might have done more than I had thought when re-injuring my back on Monday, July 4th. The lowest portions of both my quads are still very sore a full week after. I think I might have strained them when hurting my back, so chasing that minutes later with leg extensions for the first time in six years wasn't too smart. I'm not sure if I'll do the leg extensions I had planned for tomorrow's workout.
• Seattle burns the Tinders with a comeback win in PDX. Perma-smile for the rest of the day.

[WeakSauz]

Hey man, I noticed that I eat about 3-4 times more carbs than you.. I am just wondering what your opinion on this is? Do you think I would benefit more if I ate less carbs on IF? Or is overall calories the most important part

[66jzmstr]

Hey man, I noticed that I eat about 3-4 times more carbs than you.. I am just wondering what your opinion on this is? Do you think I would benefit more if I ate less carbs on IF? Or is overall calories the most important part

Hey, WS. You're referring to off/rest day carbs, right? I've been keeping my carbs around 50g or so on off days, as Leangains usually calls for lower carbs on rest days. I've interpreted this as not just "rest day carbs lower than work out day carbs" but "grams of carbs lower than grams of fat" for rest days as well. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, but it's been easy, not to mention it makes the high-carb (work out days) to low-carb (rest days) discrepancy that much more pronounced. (For what it's worth, my rest day fat intake is typically around 90g or so, while work out day fat is around 60g.) The results have been good so far. (I'll probably do progress pics in a couple weeks.) Compounding all of this is that, barring my eat-out Friday PWO meals and PWO ice cream, I keep my food pretty Primal, so I already have a lower-carb slant to eating.

Overall calories are most important, definitely. If you're planning to cut for more than a month, it couldn't hurt to do a solid week or two at lower-carb rest days to see how you like it. (I personally love getting more calorically-dense dairy and fatty meat, hence the pork shoulder, steak, prosciutto, pork rinds, etc. on rest days, even though my rest day level is 1700cal.)

Below are the recommendations of one of Martin's past clients. (See the comments section in this blog post.) I'm not sure how reliable it is, as the protein is sky-high for a 175lb guy looking to recomp, but maybe it alludes to what Martin might actually prescribe? (This is total conjecture, but it might be the closest thing I've seen without becoming a client of Martin's or constructing a time machine to peek into his long-awaited book.) Bottom line: 1) calories are definitely most important, 2) if it's working for you, keep running with it, but don't be afraid to experiment.

You should go for dropping fat first and then do a lean-gain. When I wanted to do a recomp Martin had me not do it and do a cut first to desired BF then do a lean bulk. Worked out great. Doing bulk now.
If your a beginner then perhaps recoup is ok.

Protein seems low. Perhaps change it to like this. But if you are cutting cut some fat and equal protein / carbs

Protein around 300-350 on all days.
Fat around 50 on lift days
Fat around 80 on rest days
Carbs around 300-350 on lift days
Carbs around 100-150 on rest days

Hope this helps!

Good luck!

[WeakSauz]

Hey, WS. You're referring to off/rest day carbs, right? I've been keeping my carbs around 50g or so on off days, as Leangains usually calls for lower carbs on rest days. I've interpreted this as not just "rest day carbs lower than work out day carbs" but "grams of carbs lower than grams of fat" for rest days as well. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, but it's been easy, not to mention it makes the high-carb (work out days) to low-carb (rest days) discrepancy that much more pronounced. (For what it's worth, my rest day fat intake is typically around 90g or so, while work out day fat is around 60g.) The results have been good so far. (I'll probably do progress pics in a couple weeks.) Compounding all of this is that, barring my eat-out Friday PWO meals and PWO ice cream, I keep my food pretty Primal, so I already have a lower-carb slant to eating.

Overall calories are most important, definitely. If you're planning to cut for more than a month, it couldn't hurt to do a solid week or two at lower-carb rest days to see how you like it. (I personally love getting more calorically-dense dairy and fatty meat, hence the pork shoulder, steak, prosciutto, pork rinds, etc. on rest days, even though my rest day level is 1700cal.)

Below are the recommendations of one of Martin's past clients. (See the comments section in this blog post.) I'm not sure how reliable it is, as the protein is sky-high for a 175lb guy looking to recomp, but maybe it alludes to what Martin might actually prescribe? (This is total conjecture, but it might be the closest thing I've seen without becoming a client of Martin's or constructing a time machine to peek into his long-awaited book.) Bottom line: 1) calories are definitely most important, 2) if it's working for you, keep running with it, but don't be afraid to experiment.

Thanks for this!!! Sorry to hijack your thread a little there

Yeah, I was refferring to off/rest day carbs. I currently take in approximatley the same amount of carbs every day, regardless of lifting or being "off" (high amount carbs). I work a job that requires me to stand on my feet and move 6-7 hours at a time. This is the only reason I decided to do it like this (for more energy).

I read Martin's site with a fine tooth comb, and I read about staggering the carbs on the off days. I think that I am going to start eating more green veggies/ etc on off days now, and just a tad bit of starchy carbs. I will leave the 300-325g of starchy carbs to the lifting days.

I believe I am going to try that and see what happens
Thanks so much for your response, i'm checking this log every day!

[66jzmstr]

Thanks for this!!! Sorry to hijack your thread a little there

Yeah, I was refferring to off/rest day carbs. I currently take in approximatley the same amount of carbs every day, regardless of lifting or being "off" (high amount carbs). I work a job that requires me to stand on my feet and move 6-7 hours at a time. This is the only reason I decided to do it like this (for more energy).

I read Martin's site with a fine tooth comb, and I read about staggering the carbs on the off days. I think that I am going to start eating more green veggies/ etc on off days now, and just a tad bit of starchy carbs. I will leave the 300-325g of starchy carbs to the lifting days.

I believe I am going to try that and see what happens
Thanks so much for your response, i'm checking this log every day!

No worries at all, WS! I love talking about this stuff and I'm learning too, so fire away!

I might see how more activity at your work to justify more carbs than normal, but I think aiming for significantly lower carbs on rest days might be more in line with the protocol. (Perhaps, try to factor in that higher activity level when calculating your maintenance level as opposed to factoring activity via carb intake.)

If it works out, cool! If not, at least you'll still be all the wiser for having tested it out. Let me know how it goes, and best of luck!

[66jzmstr]

Monday, 7-11-11: Workout Day

Back in the gym, this time with a slightly altered routine to accomodate my injured back. No compound exercises for legs, but at least I hit some PRs.


Lunch: I broke my fast at 3:30pm for some canned, wild salmon on spring mix topped with tzatziki and then some blueberries and raspberries for dessert. I'll have to remember this, as it was far better than I had expected. (pic below)

Macros (323cal)
11 CHO (net)
11 F
38 P




Pre-Workout: The usual - a small banana, a heaping scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey (cake batter flavor) mixed in eight ounces of non-fat, organic milk.

Macros (300cal)
36 CHO (net)
1 F
33 P


=WORKOUT=
Bench Press: 215 x 4 (PR), 195 x 6, 175 x 10
Leg Extensions: 70 x 6, 60 x 10, 60 x 12
Seated Calf-Raises: 180 x 6, 160 x 6, 140 x 6
Weighted Chin-Ups: 60 x 5 (PR), 55 x 3, 50 x 4

[Note: No more deadlifts, squats or even lunges until my re-re-aggravated back heals, hence the wussy leg exercises. Chin-up numbers represent the pounds hanging from the chained weight belt. I hate leg extensions, but I'm relegated to these isolation exercises until my lower back heals.]


Dinner: (8:15) It's been a while since having some of my regular PWO meal staples. Wild cod fillet and a handful of rotisserie chicken topped with tzatziki, about 10 ounces of mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes and brown rice. For dessert, some organic non-fat milk and a whole pint of Dreyers Slow Churned ice cream - half peanut butter cup, half Drumstick. (pic below)

Macros (1701cal)
177 CHO (net)
57 F
99 P





A pint of ice cream. Booyah achieved.

Daily Totals: 2201cal, 224 CHO (214 net), 69 F, 170 P


Notes Today

• The new routine in the gym today seemed all right. I'm still pretty sure I'll hate leg extensions just as much as I did before, but oh well - until my back is healed . . .
• Lunch today at 3:30 ended a 19.5-hour fast, which the last hour of was a 2.3-mile walk with the dog. Hopefully it balances out my sedentary weekend of watching far too much soccer.

[DLEHMA]

haven't checked in here in awhile how is everything going? Not going to lie the last post made me pretty damn hungry especially the last two pictures lol.

[66jzmstr]

haven't checked in here in awhile how is everything going? Not going to lie the last post made me pretty damn hungry especially the last two pictures lol.

Hey, DLEHMA - thanks for stopping by. Things are going well. Some days I feel better than others in front of the mirror, but progress is going well. I weighed in 7.4 lbs less than I did two weeks earlier last Friday, although I'll be the first to concede that the bulk of it was probably water, stomach content and muscle glycogen. Steadily hitting PRs in the gym despite the drop in weight. The back is healing slower than I'd like, and I've had to revert to leg extensions and hamstring curls in place of lunges (which I had adopted in place of squats and deads - lame back again) but oh well. I just have to be smart enough to not re-aggravate it (again).

How you been, mang?

[DLEHMA]

Hey, DLEHMA - thanks for stopping by. Things are going well. Some days I feel better than others in front of the mirror, but progress is going well. I weighed in 7.4 lbs less than I did two weeks earlier last Friday, although I'll be the first to concede that the bulk of it was probably water, stomach content and muscle glycogen. Steadily hitting PRs in the gym despite the drop in weight. The back is healing slower than I'd like, and I've had to revert to leg extensions and hamstring curls in place of lunges (which I had adopted in place of squats and deads - lame back again) but oh well. I just have to be smart enough to not re-aggravate it (again).

How you been, mang?

Nice man can't wait to see some progress pics. That's awesome that your lifts are going up but it's unfortunate about the injury.

I'm pretty good, felt a little soft and full of water the past few days after a rough couple of days diet wise but I started looking better again today so that's good lol. Started working so my diet has been pretty inconsistent. Waking up at 7 AM and getting out at 3 then going to the gym at 4 means I'm pretty much binging on one meal daily but so far nothing bad has come from it. I'm just trying to stay as lean as possible and maybe bulk up over the winter we'll see.

[66jzmstr]

Nice man can't wait to see some progress pics. That's awesome that your lifts are going up but it's unfortunate about the injury.

I'm pretty good, felt a little soft and full of water the past few days after a rough couple of days diet wise but I started looking better again today so that's good lol. Started working so my diet has been pretty inconsistent. Waking up at 7 AM and getting out at 3 then going to the gym at 4 means I'm pretty much binging on one meal daily but so far nothing bad has come from it. I'm just trying to stay as lean as possible and maybe bulk up over the winter we'll see.

Nice. Good to hear you get back on track without too much derailment or damage. Also, maybe you could use that solo, giant meal to your advantage. I bet you could do some fun stuff with that regarding some calorically dense eats, especially if the single meals present too much volume of sustenance in a single sitting. Keep me posted, DLEHMA, and keep it up.

[darudende]

Monday, 7-11-11: Workout Day

Back in the gym, this time with a slightly altered routine to accomodate my injured back. No compound exercises for legs, but at least I hit some PRs.


Lunch: I broke my fast at 3:30pm for some canned, wild salmon on spring mix topped with tzatziki and then some blueberries and raspberries for dessert. I'll have to remember this, as it was far better than I had expected. (pic below)

Macros (323cal)
11 CHO (net)
11 F
38 P




Pre-Workout: The usual - a small banana, a heaping scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey (cake batter flavor) mixed in eight ounces of non-fat, organic milk.

Macros (300cal)
36 CHO (net)
1 F
33 P


=WORKOUT=
Bench Press: 215 x 4 (PR), 195 x 6, 175 x 10
Leg Extensions: 70 x 6, 60 x 10, 60 x 12
Seated Calf-Raises: 180 x 6, 160 x 6, 140 x 6
Weighted Chin-Ups: 60 x 5 (PR), 55 x 3, 50 x 4

[Note: No more deadlifts, squats or even lunges until my re-re-aggravated back heals, hence the wussy leg exercises. Chin-up numbers represent the pounds hanging from the chained weight belt. I hate leg extensions, but I'm relegated to these isolation exercises until my lower back heals.]


Dinner: (8:15) It's been a while since having some of my regular PWO meal staples. Wild cod fillet and a handful of rotisserie chicken topped with tzatziki, about 10 ounces of mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes and brown rice. For dessert, some organic non-fat milk and a whole pint of Dreyers Slow Churned ice cream - half peanut butter cup, half Drumstick. (pic below)

Macros (1701cal)
177 CHO (net)
57 F
99 P





A pint of ice cream. Booyah achieved.

Daily Totals: 2201cal, 224 CHO (214 net), 69 F, 170 P


Notes Today

• The new routine in the gym today seemed all right. I'm still pretty sure I'll hate leg extensions just as much as I did before, but oh well - until my back is healed . . .
• Lunch today at 3:30 ended a 19.5-hour fast, which the last hour of was a 2.3-mile walk with the dog. Hopefully it balances out my sedentary weekend of watching far too much soccer.

Reading about your back issues I want to chime in and say (all from my experience).
1) Avoid leg extensions = knee wreckers, my physical therapist who advocates squatting for knee health told me to avoid these.

2) Do you do too much ab stuff and not enough lower back stuff?

3) Do you have lordosis/anterior pelvic tilt, if so do hip mobility work, psoas stretching, some foam rolling, hip flexor stretches, and stop sitting as much as you do now.

4) With the squat, try box squats...fixed my sore back issues immediately, I could squat deeper, with proper form, and I learned how to sit back, brace abs, and maintain the arch in my lower back through out the motion.

[derricklc]

Awesome Log bro. Hope the back gets better soon. I love the food choices you got. I'm going to have to get me some hot wings it seems. I just started IF and so far I'm just dealing with some hunger early in the morning. I bulked on SS for a few months with great results and now I'm looking to cut like you are. I'm 5' 9" and weigh about 183, so our macros are kinda close ,so watching your food log motivates me, lol. My program is All Pros's routine for beginners. Gotta get this dam belly fat and love handles gone. Keep up the good work and I'll be checking in.

[66jzmstr]

Reading about your back issues I want to chime in and say (all from my experience).
1) Avoid leg extensions = knee wreckers, my physical therapist who advocates squatting for knee health told me to avoid these. I hear you, as this is one of the reasons that I don't like them. However, I can't think of a single other exercise for quads that does not put my lower back in jeopardy. I'm open to body weight exercises for my rehab routine, but for lifting I would like something that still works in the 5 - 10 rep range.

2) Do you do too much ab stuff and not enough lower back stuff? I do a 90+ second plank once a week, and my old rehab routine which I've implemented again involves one or two sets of crunches on a Swiss ball, so I'm definitely not overdoing the ab exercises. Perhaps my rehab routine could be beefed up though, regarding "not enough lower back stuff," although the rehab routine was built specifically for my lower back.

3) Do you have lordosis/anterior pelvic tilt, if so do hip mobility work, psoas stretching, some foam rolling, hip flexor stretches, and stop sitting as much as you do now. Nope, no lordosis or purely skeletal issues of the spine. I hear you on sitting, though. Fortunately as a teacher, I don't need to sit very much outside of lesson prep. Sitting absolutely killed me when I first herniated my L5/S1 many years back just after signing a contract for 200 hours of curriculum development, so I'm pretty keen to avoid sitting when possible.

4) With the squat, try box squats...fixed my sore back issues immediately, I could squat deeper, with proper form, and I learned how to sit back, brace abs, and maintain the arch in my lower back through out the motion.I would love to hear more about this. Squatting seems to aggravate my back more than anything, even when trying to maintain my arch. I read Starting Strength and bought the DVD, studying the form for squats and implemented this new form, which enabled me to squat more than I ever had before until a couple months ago when I let my form slip on a heavy deadlift, resulting in this injury resurfacing from years back. What was your back issue, how did you slowly work in box squats in reps, sets and frequency per week? I won't put any weight on my shoulders for compound lower-body movements until my back has healed, but perhaps I can incorporate some of these with just body weight when doing my rehab routine.

Hey, darudende. I appreciate the feedback! I responded above inside your quote with blue text. I'd love to hear your response in regards to #4 above. Again, thank you - repped!

[66jzmstr]

Awesome Log bro. Hope the back gets better soon. I love the food choices you got. I'm going to have to get me some hot wings it seems. I just started IF and so far I'm just dealing with some hunger early in the morning. I bulked on SS for a few months with great results and now I'm looking to cut like you are. I'm 5' 9" and weigh about 183, so our macros are kinda close ,so watching your food log motivates me, lol. My program is All Pros's routine for beginners. Gotta get this dam belly fat and love handles gone. Keep up the good work and I'll be checking in.

Thanks, Derrick! If at all possible, I can't recommend enough hunting down your nearest butcher shop. I'm fortunate enough that mine is only a couple miles away, and they offer some cooked food in addition to the amazing stuff in the refrigerated display cases. Chances are, the majority of the meat will be local, fresher and carry far less crazy hormones, too. (I've been so busy today that, for the first time IIRC, I'm just doing a single mega-meal. Just got back from the butcher shop, so stay tuned for incoming food pr0n fottergrafs!)

Like you, I'm really aiming to narrow my waistline. Are you considering keeping a log? It's been far better than I had thought, and I've benefited from keeping the log in terms of accountability, squeezing out that last rep in the gym, or passing up that extra scoop of ice cream.

Whether you do or don't, definitely take some before and after pics. I'm really kicking myself for not having taken any photos when I really began intermittent fasting three months before this cut, or Starting Strength two months before that, or going Primal last fall. My weight wasn't too different then, but my body composition was incredibly different, and not for the better. Definitely take photos!

Again, thanks for stopping by - repped! Best of luck on your upcoming cut, too!

[66jzmstr]

Tuesday, 7-12-11: Rest Day

I had a busy day, and for the first time on this cut, I had to put all my calories into a single meal (also creating a 22-hour fast). I never got hungry at all, so this was actually kind of fun.


Dinner: (7:00pm) Huge BBQ pork shoulder, a half-dozen wings, a spicy chicken sausage with sour cream on the side, two hunks of prosciutto, afried egg, a cookies & cream casein shake in almond milk, and my favorite dessert as of late: 1/3C blueberries, 1/3C blackberries, 1/3 raspberries on top of almond butter and topped with some heavy cream. Altogether a little low in carbs, but that has never really been a concern of mine for rest days. (photo below)

Macros (1704cal)
27 CHO (net)
91 F
182 P



(Wonderful rest day meal. )

Daily Totals: 1704cal, 39 CHO (27 CHO net), 91 F, 182 P


Notes Today

• I don't plan on doing the single, gigantic meal unless the day's happenings force it again, but I was surprised at how easy it was to go 22 hours with nothing more than water. The feast -currently in progress - is fun, though.

[derricklc]

I actually have a workout log, but its not very elaborate. I do the same 7 exercises 3x a week. All my working, ,medium day, and light day weights are on a spread sheet. As far as food logging, I input my foods on Dailyburn.com to try hitting my macs. I really need to take some before pics. I did about half of last week on IF, but went on a bachellor party canoe trip for a day and decided to start fresh Monday. So I should have some time for pics. My biggest struggle with working out is the diet involved as in planning meals out which you seem to do very well. (Jealous).

[66jzmstr]

I actually have a workout log, but its not very elaborate. I do the same 7 exercises 3x a week. All my working, ,medium day, and light day weights are on a spread sheet. As far as food logging, I input my foods on Dailyburn.com to try hitting my macs. I really need to take some before pics. I did about half of last week on IF, but went on a bachellor party canoe trip for a day and decided to start fresh Monday. So I should have some time for pics. My biggest struggle with working out is the diet involved as in planning meals out which you seem to do very well. (Jealous).

Good to hear. And yeah, if you have a good arsenal of varied proteins, planning out meals is actually pretty fun. (Again, your local butcher shop is a huge plus!) The canned, wild Alaskan salmon (black label) at Costco is actually so good I might even partake of some on my rest days, and its protein density should free up some more calories for me to splurge with. Best of luck, Derrick!

[66jzmstr]

Wednesday, 7-13-11: Workout Day

My new Wednesday workout. Until last Friday, it had been a half-year or so since doing any direct shoulder work for my deltoids. With deads and squats a long ways off due to injury, I figured including this for a compound lift couldn't hurt. Looking in the mirror, my back is pretty lacking, especially in the upper-middle, so I've thrown in seated, close-grip cable rows. I was skeptical of also including back extensions due to my injury, but really focusing on proper form by maintaining my natural arch should strengthen my lower back.


Lunch: I broke my fast at 3:30pm for some canned, wild salmon on spring mix topped with tzatziki and then some blackberries, blueberries and raspberries for dessert.

Macros (311cal)
11 CHO (net)
11 F
38 P


Pre-Workout: The usual - a small banana, a heaping scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey (cake batter flavor) mixed in eight ounces of non-fat, organic milk.

Macros (300cal)
36 CHO (net)
1 F
33 P


=WORKOUT=
Overhead Press: 125 x 6, 115 x 7, 105 x 6
Cable Rows: 110 x 8, 120 x 6, 130 x 6
Seated Shrugs: 250 x 6, 230 x 6, 210 x 8
Back Extensions: 10 x 10, 10 x 12, 10 x 12

I was concerned about the back extensions in the gym today. However, I only held 10 lbs, focused on less weight and higher reps for keeping the natural arch in my lower back, and all was well. Hopefully this will help strengthen my back and aid my recovery in addition to doing my rehab routine as soon as returning home from the gym now. The seated close-grip cable rows were my first in years and performed relatively slowly, focusing on pinching my scapulae together. My upper-middle back sucks (borderline winged scapulae), so hopefully these along with a more cognizant focus on posture throughout the day improves my back. (I started off trying face pulls for the first time, but I couldn't isolate my upper-middle back with them, so I did these cable rows, which yielded more burn between my scapulae.)


Dinner: (8:15) Pretty similar to Monday. Wild cod fillet and a handful of rotisserie chicken topped with tzatziki, a mound of mashed potatoes, a whole red bell pepper and some brown rice. For dessert, a bowl of Dreyers Slow Churned ice cream - half peanut butter cup, half cookie dough.

Macros (1591cal)
150 CHO (net)
58 F
105 P


Daily Totals: 2202cal, 215 CHO (197 net), 70 F, 176 P


Notes Today

• The soccer gods have truly smiled on Seattle-domiciling Nipponophiles: US Women's, Japan Women's and Sounders teams all win today.

[66jzmstr]

Thursday, 7-14-11: Rest Day

Really nice soreness in my delts, upper-middle back and hamstrings today. The back hurts a little more today, but I think that's just a result of the back extensions and extra rehab work I did yesterday. Hopefully by tomorrow it will have improved from all yesterday's strengthening exercises.

Lunch: (3:15) This was good. A myriad of my usual staples, but very rich nonetheless. Large BBQ pork shoulder, some sour cream-topped rotisserie chicken, hunks of prosciutto, cherry tomatoes and a bunch of fresh raspberries for dessert. Total was a skosh under 800cal.

Macros (799cal)
8 CHO (net)
44 F
86 P




Dinner: (8:30pm) Over a half-pound a steak off the grill, most of a yellow bell pepper, some aged sharp cheddar on the side, and a bowl of mixed berries with a good helping of a heavy cream on top.

Macros (907cal)
20 CHO (net)
47 F
88 P




Daily Totals: 1706cal, 40 CHO (28 CHO net), 91 F, 174 P


Notes Today

• My third weigh-in is tomorrow. It really doesn't feel like I've lost anything, and some checks in the mirror definitely seem worse than others. It's always up and down. Overall, I'm better off than when I had begun, but progress is never as linear as you want it.

[66jzmstr]

Friday, 7-15-11: Workout Day & Weigh-In

Very sore today from Wednesday, all over, too: quads, hamstrings especially, calves, deltoids, middle-upper back, traps, some lats. The lower-back hurts from all the rehab exercises, but not as bad as it did yesterday.


=WEIGH-IN=
June 23rd: 184.2lbs
July 1st: 178.1lbs
July 8th: 176.8lbs
July 15th: 176.2lbs

Not much of a loss despite the 4100-calorie deficit. I'm not too concerned, though. I'll stick it out another week or more, and if things are the same or heavier, I'll the reconsider adjusting calories. In the meantime, I'm still gaining strength.


Lunch: I broke my fast rather late at 3:15pm for a spartan lunch of a cod fillet topped with a dollop of tzatziki, followed by a half-cup of blueberries for dessert.

Macros (207cal)
10 CHO (net)
3 F
31 P


Pre-Workout: The usual - a small banana, a heaping scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey (cake batter flavor) mixed in eight ounces of non-fat, organic milk.

Macros (300cal)
36 CHO (net)
1 F
33 P


=WORKOUT=
Incline DB Press: 70 x 6, 70 x 6, 65 x 6
Leg Extensions: 80 x 10, 80 x 10, 90 x 8
Lat Pull-Downs: 190 x 7, 190 x 7, 190 x 5
Standing Calf-Raises: 105 x 5, 90 x 6, 75 x 5

I believe these were my first incline dumbbell presses ever. I had planned to do hamstring curls today, but my hams were so sore from Wednesday's back extensions that there was no chance. The quads were still a little sore, but nowhere near as bad, so I went with leg extensions today, instead. The gym's dip belt was missing, so I had to go for my first lat pull-downs in quite some time. This isn't the first time, so it's probably due time to buy my own dip belt. (Note: No more deadlifts, squats or even lunges until my re-re-aggravated back heals, hence the wussy leg exercises. All workouts are now followed by my rehab routine at home, then ice for the lower back.)


Dinner: (8:00) Friday dinners are always my quasi-cheat meals. I usually eat within Primal Blueprint for my meals, but I always let myself splurge on Friday nights. I won't deem this a bona fide cheat meal though because 1) I still fit it appropriately into my macros, and 2) it's already a post-workout refeed meal, so I'm already aiming to eat big and high-carb.

Here it goes: Three-quarters of a Pizza Hut medium pepperoni and mushroom pizza on thin & crispy crust topped with Tiger sauce. (I would have preferred a deep dish supreme, but I'm still on a cut here. ) I also downed an ON cookies & cream casein shake in organic non-fat milk to meet protein levels and then had a half-pint of peanut butter cup ice cream for dessert. (For those curious, each slice was 180 cal, 22 CHO, 8 F, 9 P.)

Macros (1693cal)
183 CHO (net)
63 F
118 P

FEAST MODE ENGAGED



Daily Totals: 2200cal, 239 CHO (229 net), 67 F, 182 P


Notes Today

• This Lyle McDonald article has helped me gain a bit more girth to my puny calves. Check it out if you haven't already. I'll actually drop my standing calf raise weight next week to better focus on this form.
• The pizza was a nice treat. I won't do it often, but next time I do, I'm pretty sure I'll opt for three slices of a large supreme - pan or stuffed crust, instead of a half-dozen slices of some two-topping medium on thin crust.

[66jzmstr]

Saturday, 7-16-11: Rest Day

MOAR SORENESS - w00t!! Upper pecs, lats, biceps, triceps, front delts, quads, calves. Hams, upper-middle back and traps are still sore from Wednesday's new workout. STOKED.

Lunch: (1:15) A handful of rotisserie chicken topped with sour cream, a whole cup of ground breakfast sausage also topped with sour cream, a minimalist Mexi salad (greens, cherry tomatoes, lime juice, habanero, pork rinds for croutons and again, yes, full-fat organic sour cream). I then downed an ON cake batter whey shake using almond milk for dessert and protein.

Macros (831cal)
13 CHO (net)
50 F
86 P




Dinner: (8:30pm) A strip of steak from Thursday's grill work, a half-dozen hot wings, a couple hunks of prosciutto, half an orange bell pepper and a bowl of mixed berries topped with a generous helping of heavy cream.

Macros (870cal)
24 CHO (net)
39 F
98 P




Daily Totals: 1701cal, 39 CHO (27 CHO net), 89 F, 184 P


Notes Today

• I've had a few stretches the last couple days of having a foggy head. My fasting windows have been a bit longer while my carb intake has been a little lower. I'm not sure if that's related, but the foggy head didn't seem to affect my performance in the gym yesterday.

[66jzmstr]

Sunday, 7-17-11: Rest Day

Still a good deal of soreness. Hopefully there won't be too much when tomorrow's workout rolls around.

Lunch: (1:00) Quasi-brunch - three large eggs scrambled with some aged cheddar and half a cup of seasoned ground sausage (beef and lamb) and sprinkled with coarse black peppera couple hunks of salame, and some cherry tomatoes on the side. Three hot wings, a half-cup of blueberries and a small ON cake batter whey shake made with almond milk.

Macros (955cal)
21 CHO (net)
51 F
102 P




Dinner: (8:00pm) Over a half-pound of steak, half an yellow bell pepper and a bowl of mixed berries topped with heavy cream.

Macros (759cal)
17 CHO (net)
36 F
80 P




Daily Totals: 1714cal, 49 CHO (38 CHO net), 87 F, 182 P


Notes Today

• I usually walk our golden at least a half-hour a day (and my wife'll walk him another half-hour or more), which is the extent of my cardio on this cut. However, this morning's grim forecast encouraged me to do a 65-minute walk before the rain started. Long walks deep into the fasting window always feel good.
• I might part ways with my dogmatic "ONLY WEIGH YOURSELF ON FRIDAY AFTERNOONS!!!?!!" approach. My weight-loss has slowed, so I'll check my weight more frequently. Strength in the gym is still increasing, but I might just drop 100 calories daily if next Friday's weigh-in is anything like my last, which only had me at .6lbs lost. Hopefully, this two-week waiting period will safeguard against any premature diet adjustments.

[yesthesunrose]

I've never really understood why people advocate only weighing yourself once a week at the same time. Weighing yourself every day at the same time would logically yield more accurate results since you can see a day to day difference and average the flucuations from your starting weight.

You've got an awesome log man. I like the pics. Mirin all the steak you eat. :O Keep it up!

[DLEHMA]

haven't checked in in awhile again lol. Nice meals you got there still. :P Keep up the good work.

[66jzmstr]

haven't checked in in awhile again lol. Nice meals you got there still. :P Keep up the good work.

Thanks, DLEHMA! Stoked to get back in the gym tomorrow. I'll have my workout numbers for tomorrow night, and maybe some more food pr0n to boot.

I've never really understood why people advocate only weighing yourself once a week at the same time. Weighing yourself every day at the same time would logically yield more accurate results since you can see a day to day difference and average the flucuations from your starting weight.

You've got an awesome log man. I like the pics. Mirin all the steak you eat. :O Keep it up!

Very true. The reason I had initially avoided it was before, I would weigh myself every day and try to best the previous day's weigh-in by drinking less water and doing other stupid stuff. I think I'm beyond that now, though. (I weighed myself today and didn't run to the nearest sauna when I saw myself a bit heavier.) I think I'll still report weigh-ins on Fridays as usual, but I won't shy away from the daily weigh-in to have a more accurate picture of my weight changes, as you wrote. Thanks again!

[DLEHMA]

Very true. The reason I had initially avoided it was before, I would weigh myself every day and try to best the previous day's weigh-in by drinking less water and doing other stupid stuff. I think I'm beyond that now, though. (I weighed myself today and didn't run to the nearest sauna when I saw myself a bit heavier.) I think I'll still report weigh-ins on Fridays as usual, but I won't shy away from the daily weigh-in to have a more accurate picture of my weight changes, as you wrote. Thanks again!

Hahahah so true. I used to stop drinking water like an hour earlier every day just to see how dry I could get myself. Not healthy at all. Now I just weigh myself random days and don't care too much about the number if I know I'm doing everything right.

[apace]

do you have a picture of yourself to see the progress you have made ?
are you using any supplements ?