Take it from me, beer is a friend and a nemesis. I have not found one single food to be as detrimental to your overall goals as alcohol. At some point when this cut starts for me I will give up alcohol entirely for a number of months. It always results in substantial leaning.
My job gets harder and harder during this period, as when I sample tanks I am forced to spit. And get made fun off a good bit. But I can't realistically drink 8-12 2oz beers every workday without it affecting my macros negatively.
Good luck with your cut. Skip the beer and watch it all get easier.
|
-
12-21-2016, 07:42 AM #91It's your diet.
*COUNTRYMIKE APPRECIATION CREW*
-
12-21-2016, 08:43 AM #92
I haven't planned every detail of my "cut" yet, but I won't be drinking beer. So many calories! Just knowing that you are out there spitting out free beer (!!) to hit your macros puts it into perspective. I plan on amazing everyone with my progress, so there is no room for empty calories.
“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.”
― Seneca
-
-
12-22-2016, 02:55 AM #93
-
12-22-2016, 01:18 PM #94
In. Believe it or not
I'm still on an accidental bulk I started in December 2015. Oh geez. My lifting in recent months has been lackluster, my stress eating has been bad. I'm not feeling great about either one of those things, so something needs to change. I had an injury this summer that seems to have left me with some lingering one-sided muscle activation issues, but I have plans to see a good (powerlifting) chiropractor in January to hopefully get that resolved one way or another. (As in either there's an actual issue that can be addressed, or she says to me "hey, it's all in your head", whereupon I just get over it.) Meanwhile I need to figure out where I should be headed with programming, so that there's even a slight chance I could be ready for an April meet. On a scale of 1-10 for meet preparedness currently, I'm like a -2, so that's a problem. Yes, I realize cutting into a meet isn't the best idea, but I'm really uncomfortable in my body right now, and frankly I've gained enough weight that it's playing hell with my leverages. I might actually lift a little more if I got my stupid stomach out of the way. Except for bench. That will go down
Food wise, I discovered this morning that I need to pick up a new battery for my food scale. And I should weigh myself. And probably take photos. Ouch. I added 20 minutes of cardio after lifting today. I hate cardio and I know losing weight comes down to diet. But I will also say that cardio tends to be an absolute appetite killer for me, so I should probably incorporate it on a cut for that reason alone.
-
12-22-2016, 01:24 PM #95
Wow, I wish cardio had that effect on me. It puts my hunger into overdrive. I did a few miles yesterday and was just insatiable all morning.
Im in limbo land right now, eating at a steep(ish) deficit most of the week, then indulging in the Christmas party foods, down a few lbs, after the New Year I hope I can peel some fat off pretty quickly. I didn't let myslef get as far as I did last year thankfully, but still chubbier than I planned to get
-
12-22-2016, 01:27 PM #96
-
-
12-22-2016, 01:56 PM #97
-
12-22-2016, 02:32 PM #98
Oh, you are absolutely correct, I don't think that's ever recommended practice. I guess my plan is to start a cut, but go by how things feel. I have prepped for a meet on a cut before and actually it was a really good meet. Last year I bulked all year into a meet and it was a crappy meet. Diet is just one factor among many, so I guess my plan is to get started and see what happens. I also know that my ideal deadlifting weight seems to be about 15-20 lbs below where I'm sitting currently, so it should be beneficial to get a little closer to that. But yeah, if it looks like the April meet is going to happen, I'm willing to temporarily throw my diet back into maintenance mode if needed. I'm going to attack it like it's going to all work out though
-
12-22-2016, 02:44 PM #99
-
12-22-2016, 06:18 PM #100
Yup, it's the one at Herc that I'll be seeing. I actually tried to find someone locally, but everyone was either booked solid or didn't return my calls. May be better this way anyway, can't go wrong with a lifter diagnosing lifter problems. I'll have to see if you're up for some training that weekend, whenever I figure out timing. I assume a chiro at a gym is used to working on someone who just finished a workout.
-
-
12-22-2016, 06:53 PM #101
- Join Date: Oct 2014
- Location: California, United States
- Age: 47
- Posts: 2,516
- Rep Power: 15920
Still time to cut for a month or so and then run a few training blocks on a slight surplus leading up to the April meet. That's what im doing and I think John also. BTW- if it's the Utica meet you are doing it will be good to meet you and see you crush it. I'm making the trip from CA to do it and meet a bunch of folks from here and IS
☻/
/▌ Sm2sm crew (---Squat Moar to Squat Moar---)
/ \
10/22/16 Meet: 350/220/505 1075lb total
04/29/17 Meet: 390/240/535 1165lb total
11/04/17 Meet: 424/254/551 1229lb total
-
12-22-2016, 07:13 PM #102
Yup, I'll be training for Utica and keep my fingers crossed that I can actually do it this year. Sounds like it's going to be quite the gathering between all of the old guard that I've done meets with before showing up, and also a bunch of new folks, too? I'm going to have to seriously step up my game so I can bring something decent to the platform. Too many eyewitnesses will be present if I'm terrible
-
12-22-2016, 07:22 PM #103
- Join Date: Jul 2011
- Location: New York, United States
- Posts: 15,251
- Rep Power: 123366
-
12-23-2016, 06:36 AM #104
A word of "advices" to those about to start their cut soon. Make sure you spend a couple weeks closely tracking your macros and how your body responds to the calories, etc. People tend to cut too many calories way too soon and end up hitting a wall early in the cycle. Your goal should be to eat as much as possible and still lose weight. Also, be sure to have a target fiber number because pooping is important!
Where the mind goes the body follows.
IG @imbakes
MFP bakerjb19
-
-
12-23-2016, 06:42 AM #105
- Join Date: Jul 2011
- Location: New York, United States
- Posts: 15,251
- Rep Power: 123366
-
12-24-2016, 07:36 AM #106
-
12-25-2016, 05:12 AM #107
-
12-25-2016, 11:20 AM #108
Well, I thought I must be sitting around 185 currently so weighed myself in at 185.0. Nailed it. Aaaaand that's the heaviest I've been in five years. My lifting belt is running out of notches.
Currently pondering programming choices for the new year. I was leaning towards the Westside for Fat Bastards template. Except that I'm not a huge fan of upper/lower splits and the cumulative volume has me wary. I already know that high volume tends to burn me out hard, and I don't want to have to deload every 2-3 weeks. Maybe I'll keep thinking.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/we...r-fat-bastards
-
-
12-25-2016, 12:49 PM #109
-
12-25-2016, 02:55 PM #110
-
12-26-2016, 02:47 AM #111
- Join Date: Sep 2012
- Location: Liberty, South Carolina, United States
- Age: 56
- Posts: 2,239
- Rep Power: 16963
Damn, ya better get on that ! I've had pneumonia twice in the last few years. That $hit will kill ya if your not careful, seriously.
I'm still trying to decide if I want to enter this 2017 thread. My weight & bf are pretty good imo...... If I can come up with a good reachable goal I might. I haven't misses one of these comp threads and I do enjoy them so we'll see.
Get better Hooverville !!!!
-
12-26-2016, 07:28 AM #112
Ogus 7/5/3 is a good program. It's pretty close to Wendlers program but you're deloading the main exercises every 5th week. You'd have to buy it to get the real version but here is a close breakdown.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/com...s_753_program/
Edit: I like the format but don't like the overly complicated percentage based rotations. I think a simple small increase in your desired rep range each week and a deload when your body tells you it needs one is a smarter approach.Last edited by baker; 12-26-2016 at 07:53 AM.
Where the mind goes the body follows.
IG @imbakes
MFP bakerjb19
-
-
12-26-2016, 12:33 PM #113
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1476519751
This is my training log.
-
12-26-2016, 03:49 PM #114
Finally feeling better, still wishing I would have saved my phlegm from the past 3 weeks- could have sold that ish to science.
Santa got me Versa grips for Christmas and a Marcy Power Tower for the Garage. Haven't graduated to a full cage at home yet, I like my gyms cafe too much.
Managed a decent workout today, going to take some work to break in the gripps.
Current approach to diet-
3000 cals per day
IF eating pattern
3 beers max per evening (tapering down to 2 next week, one the week after, then bone dry till I complete my cut) calories will come down only as I hit weight loss plateau.
Tracking only protien and fat for minimums. Training 4 days per week, with at least 1 session of cardio thrown on top of the lifting.
Current back shot:Last edited by Hooverville; 12-26-2016 at 03:55 PM.
It's your diet.
*COUNTRYMIKE APPRECIATION CREW*
-
12-26-2016, 06:23 PM #115
Im in. Been letting myself go a little lately. I'm up 13lbs since Thanksgiving. Part of it has been beneficial, but I will be ready to dial cals in after Jan 1.
I always stop short of getting where I want to be every summer. Going to see if I can make it work this coming year. Not going to do anything too strict. No macro tracking or planning for me. (except daily protein range). It worked good for me last year, but I stopped short of getting in really good shape. If I need to when I really get lean, I will but I have been working on being more laid back about training.
Going to do more carb cycling and as I am determined to bring back some heavier basic lifts back into my routine.
Have not taken progress pics in a loooong time. Since it was Christmas, I paid a visit to my old hang out powerlifting gym. Was nice to go back and see a bunch of guys. Also found my spot I like to shoot some pics
Here is where I am coming into the new year.
RAW lifts
635 Dead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mATRBZ0gwdg
585x7 Dead reps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yf2ZkdNNNQ
420 Bench (paused) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ2_Q-TLIB8
535 Squat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdgVaiTi4-8&feature=youtu.be
-
12-26-2016, 07:09 PM #116
Thanks a lot baker! Not familiar with that program, I will definitely look into it!
Well, I'm rolling on other fronts, anyway. Got a new battery in the food scale, tracked some "normal" days of what I've been eating lately, and it's 3000+ calories. Not surprised in the slightest, I always seem to default to around 3000 calories when I'm not paying attention to my diet. Sigh. So I'm going to initially bring myself down to maintenance calories, which should be just under 2400. Then I'll drop down to some macro numbers that I've done quite well with previously, which come up to about ~1900 calories. We'll see how it goes.
After a month of way too many work hours, too little sleep and too little training, I'm feeling like my muscles are really flat but I'm overall quite bloated. This is the closest thing I've got to a starting picture right now. Been back in the gym for regular training sessions for about the last week, not moving much weight at present and everything hurts. And this is what I do for fun...
-
-
12-27-2016, 05:18 AM #117
-
12-27-2016, 05:28 AM #118
Post holiday cookie binge at 211 lbs.
Its not a big deal if I forget my belt now :/ gonna need to grease my pants up to put them on if I don't get heading in the right direction soon
Start ratcheting down calories during the week. Will have one more weekend of moderate gluttony then try to de-fat myself by spring/summer. It's a vicious circle.Last edited by Plateauplower; 12-27-2016 at 05:39 AM.
-
12-27-2016, 05:36 AM #119
Ha! Yes, I should work on getting more focused
Found out that the new phone (had to change it when I changed carriers) has a crappier camera than my old one. No anti-shake control, so selfies after upper body training look like I'm in a blender. That was the best one. I'll try to get some better "before" pics with my regular camera in the next week or so. Not that I'll look any better, just clearer
-
12-27-2016, 07:11 AM #120
- Join Date: Dec 2008
- Location: Oak Park, Illinois, United States
- Age: 55
- Posts: 1,602
- Rep Power: 16771
I'm in on this!!
Lost thirty pounds September to November and ready to get another 30 or so off.
Right now was at 287...so would like to see at least 260# by June, maybe more.
Had to take a month off, due to flu and holidays, but I am back in this now.
Looking forward to it.---Chicago Crew---
♒Morning_Workout_Crew♒
Bookmarks