Hello everyone,
I have been following bodybuilding.com for years and have been working out for just as long. I am 23, 5'11" and 170 lbs. I started my first cut ever 2 months ago and took my first progress picture which I will attach later. It's been 2 + months and I am "feeling" unmotivated due to a lack of results, but I continue to fight every day to lose my stubborn fat. I wanted to start with a cut because I have "some" muscle and have want a good foundation to start bulking on, and I also want to keep my current size clothing and not have to jump up (dress clothes is expensive considering I just graduated and started my first job not too long ago). I am unsure of my body fat percentage but I would like to get to the point where I can begin (keyword is begin) to see my abs, or partial abs, or any abs at all. I have never felt comfortable going to the beach and taking my shirt off and that is my first goal.
I am finally creating a new thread because I feel being part of the forums will motivate me more and more, to show progress pictures and to gain encouragement from others. Obviously, the only true person that can truly motivate me is myself, but it never hurts to have a crowd of positive encouragement.
My current caloric intake is 1700 calories, and I feel as if my maintenance is around 2300-2400. Don't ask me how I got there (I looked at threads and threads for cutting), but do please let me know if 1700 is too over the top. I also try to get my protein around 110 grams a day. I use myfitnesspal to track all of my food.
I will continue to post pictures every 20th day of each month. Hopefully, but the 20th of this month, I will have made somewhat of an impact on my body.
P.S. I strive to workout 5 days a week, with a rest day and a dedicated cardio day after Football!
All comments, positive and/or negative are welcomed!
09.20.12.jpg
10.20.12.jpg
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Thread: Beginning my first dedicated cut
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11-04-2012, 07:14 PM #1
Beginning my first dedicated cut
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11-08-2012, 06:39 PM #2
Well, I'm not sure if anyone is following, or even cares, but I have managed to drop 3 pounds to 167 pounds while also increasing weight for several exercises including squats, back workouts, chest workouts, tricep workouts, bicep workouts, and so on.
Although I have dropped three pounds and increased my strength, I continue to not see any noticeable difference body wise. I will post a picture on the 20th of this month and hopefully there is change!
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11-09-2012, 02:50 AM #3
- Join Date: Jul 2012
- Location: California, United States
- Age: 32
- Posts: 76
- Rep Power: 167
I am by no means an expert here, but since no one else has said anything...
I would get the protein up, make sure your diet is in check. Personally I strive to do a loosely based Keto diet, trying to avoid most carbs altogether 5 days out of the week. With 1 minor carb up in the middle of the week, and then a huge carb up towards the end.
Also when I cut, i strive to aim for about 6-8 reps vs my normal 3-5 while bulking. Another point is that your muscles need to rest after your workouts.
As far as I know, the more muscle mass you have...the more calorie requirement you will have to maintain. Meaning in theory, you can lose weight better with more muscle mass.
Break down your meals into smaller portions and eat throughout the day ( I aim for 5-6 meals a day )
Cardio: Im a smoker but I don't let that get in the way. I do alot less cardio than most but I aim for about 20 minutes x 2 per day on the treadmill keeping my heart rate at about 140 the entire time.
Trust me...motivation is key...and nothing is instant. I have a few buds I share info with, we compare workouts, we compare diets etc. I dont think you can ever be PERFECT, there is ALWAYS room for improvement because things are always changing. When you get more muscle mass, your diet needs to change to satisfy the new mass and when you cut down you will have to change your diet again later to keep yourself from getting fat or losing too much weight.
Strive for success, and don't let anything get in your way, because in the end...it's your choice, its your decision and "cheating" or not pushing yourself won't hurt anyone but yourself.
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11-10-2012, 09:40 AM #4
First I'd like to say thanks for the advice, it's great to hear from others. I can up the protein intake but lowering carbs is hard for me, considering I'm Indian and what Indian dish doesn't have carbs. I will definitely try that!
I also do try to eat 5-6 meals a day to meet my caloric requirement and this helps a lot with work as I am never starving nor full which leaves me focused.
I also try to strive for 2 days a week of cardio for 30 minutes. I try to run but that doesn't always work as I injured my ankle a long time ago when sliding into steel baseball cleats. I do however walk a very fast pace on an incline or I do the arc trainer, elliptical, and bike (I like to change it up cardio wise).
Unforuntately, nothing is instant, but I am in a lot better shape than before and telling this to myself motivates me more and more.
Thaks again Blazerboy777!
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11-10-2012, 07:16 PM #5
- Join Date: Jul 2012
- Location: California, United States
- Age: 32
- Posts: 76
- Rep Power: 167
You sound like you are doing good. Just remember that it's called progression for a reason and it takes time. I can't tell you how discouraging it was for me the first 3 months. But when you start seeing very noticeable results and compare to your start, it makes you want to push harder and do better. Just takes time and persistence.
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11-10-2012, 08:52 PM #6
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11-15-2012, 07:19 PM #7
Well, I am going to post some more pictures today because I feel a bit better. I feel like I have lost a little bit of fat (not too much) and I can see it, but I could just be deceiving myself.
Tell me what you guys think of my progress!
IMG_0178.jpg
IMG_0179.jpg
IMG_0180.jpg
I've also increased how much I have been lifting for each exercise so that's improvement, but I don't think my body show that
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11-27-2012, 07:49 PM #8
Well, I feel I gained a bit after Thanksgiving due to being sick for the whole week as well as eating like pure sh**. With that said, I managed to come back in the gym this week stronger than ever.
I managed to bench press 30 pounds more, curl 40 pounds dumb bells 8 times versus my previous 30 pounds, and to dead-lift with an extra 25 pounds on each side. I don't know what the heck happened, but at least I'm getting stronger on my attempted cut.
Updating on bodybuilding.com encourages and motivates me more than ever. Now hopefully I can keep to my cut and begin seeing lower body fat =/
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12-07-2012, 12:05 AM #9
Well, I've managed to not stray from my cut. I have yet to see any significant changes but I know that patience and time will only lead to success. I have, however, increased my weights drastically.
I have managed to go from 25 pound dumbbell curls to 40 pound dumbbell curls 8 times. My dead lifts are now at 275 5x5, up from 205. I have also increased shoulder presses to 135 for 8 reps, up from 95. I have yet to drastically increase my bench press but I am currently using 65 pound dumbbells for dumbbell presses, an increase from 45 pounds. I do not want to increase weight too much as I feel my rotator cuffs will be straining too much.
So, in summary, I've continued to cut with 1700-1800 calories while increasing my weight lifting capabilities, but not decreasing much body fat.
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12-07-2012, 12:14 AM #10
- Join Date: Mar 2004
- Location: MUSGRAVE PARK, AUSTRALIA. HE HE
- Posts: 7,833
- Rep Power: 5974
I can definitely see a loss in fat from the first pics to the other ones you posted.
How much protein are you getting? 110grams per day isn't enough, try and get at least 1 gram per pound of body weight (some say lean body weight, but better safe than sorry!)If abs are made in the kitchen how come hardly any women have them?
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12-07-2012, 12:17 AM #11
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12-07-2012, 06:26 PM #12
So I decided to take a picture of my back. Not sure if it has much mass and my neck and traps are definitely small, but it's progress!
BACK .jpg
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12-07-2012, 06:31 PM #13
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12-18-2012, 09:49 PM #14
Well, no matter if I lost weight or didn't lose weight, I promised to put up pictures every month until I reach my goal. Unfortunately, I have not changed since last month. The past week has been horrible. I drank too much due to festivities. I'm not sure why I haven't lost any bodyfat as I have been sticking to my macros during the week and it was only last weekend that I drank a lot in a very long time.
This is quite discouraging but I'm still in it for the long run.
Back 12.18.12 copy.jpg
Bicep 12.18.12 copy.jpg
Front 12.18.12 copy.jpg
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12-19-2012, 06:49 AM #15
[QUOTE=jas89;996304813]Well, no matter if I lost weight or didn't lose weight, I promised to put up pictures every month until I reach my goal. Unfortunately, I have not changed since last month. The past week has been horrible. I drank too much due to festivities. I'm not sure why I haven't lost any bodyfat as I have been sticking to my macros during the week and it was only last weekend that I drank a lot in a very long time.
This is quite discouraging but I'm still in it for the long run.
Attachment 5194283
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What are you eating every day?
Tell us what your 5-6 meals are. Generally u should not be getting stronger during a cut, and if you havnt lost any weight yet something is wrong.
Explain your exact diet to us and maybe we can help.
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12-19-2012, 10:22 PM #16
In a nutshell a normal day looks something like this:
Breakfast:
a. Plain rolled oats with water and a tiny bit of brown sugar
b. handful of almonds
c. banana
d. apple sauce
d. Sometimes a banana and protein shake replace the first two if I'm a rush
Snack:
a. Tangerine
b. Sheep milk yogurt
Lunch:
a. 2 Grilled chicken breast
b. 2 tablespoons bbq sauce
c. veggies
Post-Workout meal:
a. ON 100% Gold Whey Protein
b. Creatine mono
Dinner:
a. Tilapia
b. veggies
c. Steamed rice
I try to stay in or around my 1700 calorie mark with myfitnesspal by adjusting the amount of each meal. Obviously this isn't what I eat everyday, but a very good example of what some of my days look like during each month.
I found it extremely strange as to why I am getting stronger while on a cut.
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01-16-2013, 07:34 PM #17
Well, I've been at it for a couple of months, but I have yet to see any progress and this is just freakin frustrating. Anyways, here are some updated pictures. I'm still dedicated to my cut and working out, so hopefully I see something soon =/
Flex.jpg
Front.jpg
Side.jpg
Back .jpg
What else do I need to dooooooo!!!!!
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01-17-2013, 03:05 AM #18
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01-17-2013, 09:44 AM #19
- Join Date: Mar 2012
- Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
- Age: 41
- Posts: 364
- Rep Power: 212
Did you get clear numbers as far as your maintenance. I ask because you said "I think" a lot and had ranges for that. If you are not sure, go to the nutrition section and find out. Also to lose weight in a healthy way you only need to eat 10 to 20% less than maintenance which is why its important to know the real value. Emma's sticky will have all that data for you about maintenance, macro needs, and how much to take away when cutting or bulking. Also great job because you are sticking with it and that's hard to do when you start off saying results aren't as expected. That's the hardest part and you are doing that right. Good luck.
Legends are not about the goals, but the journey to reach them.
You can't reach buried treasue without going through some dirt.
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01-17-2013, 05:32 PM #20
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01-17-2013, 07:38 PM #21
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01-17-2013, 07:40 PM #22
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01-17-2013, 07:42 PM #23
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01-17-2013, 09:20 PM #24
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01-17-2013, 10:49 PM #25
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01-17-2013, 10:55 PM #26
Looks like mad potential to me. Keep your strength up during your cut, and increase reps!
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01-17-2013, 11:28 PM #27
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01-18-2013, 12:54 AM #28
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01-18-2013, 09:26 AM #29
- Join Date: Mar 2012
- Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
- Age: 41
- Posts: 364
- Rep Power: 212
Counting calories doesn't matter if you don't know your actual maintenance needs. Sure it will work but its guess work, so it becomes a game of luck. With that said if you aren't dropping weight as expected (1 to 1.5 pounds a week) then you can decrease your intake by 200 and eventually it will work. To answer your other question. You can get your body fat with calipers, some scales, or pay for it to be professionally done. Most people use calipers. The scales aren't always correct mine shows me at 40% because i stepped in powder on my floor so they can be off but usually no more then 3-5%. Cheapest way is buy calipers. Best way is to get it done professionally they have water submersion, air pods, and many other ways. I get mine done in an air pod every six months.
Legends are not about the goals, but the journey to reach them.
You can't reach buried treasue without going through some dirt.
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01-19-2013, 04:37 PM #30
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