Fine. Let's Get Skinny and Hangry 2017 Diet/Body Compostion Thread

[blue9steel]

Down "officially" 25lbs this morning - 11 weeks in. 25 more lbs to go.

That's some really solid progress, you're definitely pushing hard.

[induced_drag]

This is the stuff I really need to hear. I get a bit discouraged not being able to rep/lift as heavy as I was lifting 12 weeks ago. Have to keep telling myself it's worth it.


Down "officially" 25lbs this morning - 11 weeks in. 25 more lbs to go.

Strength loss is only a temporary thing "normally". I would lose 40 lbs on my bench in the first 6 weeks (yes...serious) or aprox 10%. My deads were only affected about 5% and squats only 3-5%.

I would get 95% back in the first 2 weeks adding carbs back in.


What I experience now, is different. It is more 'chronic'. I am a lot leaner than that pic show. Some guys in the gym tell me I am "3-4 weeks out" and with a good water drop, I could probably pass off stepping on stage. I dont see it that way, but even small water shifts make a pretty big difference on me at this point.

What it has caused is I feel almost fragile. My joints hurt a lot more and I cant get behind the weight very much. My strength loss is significant. I went from 315x12 to where I am lucky to rep for 7 these days. (actually I hardly ever bench anymore at all because it is too hard on my joints). Staying leaner has shifted my training to a more bodybuilder (read a lot easier ).

I often wonder what I would be like now if I let the fat drift back up. But I think a lot has to do with intermuscular loss as well. I have gotten a lot harder and more dense over the past 2-3 years. I have seen virtually no scale changes, but I believe there has been a composition change that visually you can see.

The last time I tried to eat up 2 years ago. Even heavy I really did not get the strength back. I am convinced I dieted a lot of that off and it might take years if ever to replenish. (if ever) I think there have been some very real structural changes within my make up due to the fat loss. (different leverages...etc) That is why I dont believe being ultra lean is the best for athletic performance. Unless you are born super lean, getting to that point will cause some performance loss. I was my strongest power to weight when I was 13-15%bf.

Sounds like time for a completely different training program, or even a change of training goals. Maybe switch to strongman training for a while?

I have no real goal....It is hard to. My "goal" if I had one, is to stay 'fit' and make it in the gym on a day to day basis. I have accepted more moderation in my life and have finally cured myself of demanding more and more of myself. I am actually OK with where I am...but still looking for small improvements. Setting any other goal, would necessitate hyper focus and a level of dedication that I am not willing to do at this point. Even then.....I probably would not notice much difference.

My last attempt at structured 'progress' was two years ago. I spent Aug to Dec eating up and went up 30lbs. (A little less than 1lb / week and the initial 12-13lb glycogen shift). At the end of I dieted back down over 2.5 months and nothing really changed. That is when I made the decision to just stay lean-ish year round. No real point (other than being gluttonous) to let my diet go that far.

I wont say you dont understand yet....but I am at about 15 years total training and 7 years back pretty strict. Progress is not much these days. Thats ok. Just being fit year round in my mid-40's. Eating what I want and how I want, (within reason). And still holding what most would consider 'decent strength'. (the old 4,5,6). I am actually happy to not be so dedicated as of late. Balance in all things. You cant go balls to the wall forever. This is my 'break' and I may never demand more....who knows? I'm finally OK with that even if a few years ago I would have mocked myself saying I had given up. Life is good and the gym is far from the most important thing to me. I certainly would not have gotten to this point with this attitude, but I need to keep things in perspective. I have have the balance in my life...at least for some time.

[blue9steel]

I am actually happy to not be so dedicated as of late.

If you're happy that's all the matters.

[wesleysh21]

My weight is still creeping down very slowly. Once again my body seems to be emphasizing particular areas of its choosing, this time being my visceral fat in my beer gut. LOL I'm noticeably smaller from a side view right now.

[MrNismo]

My weight is still creeping down very slowly. Once again my body seems to be emphasizing particular areas of its choosing, this time being my visceral fat in my beer gut. LOL I'm noticeably smaller from a side view right now.

Hey can't complain about body choosing the spare tire area for reduction first! Unfortunately for me it seems to be my arms and face that go first. Wife hates it as in order to get rid of majority of stomach and love handles my face looks too skinny.

Anyway, I'm down to 196 so 2lbs in 2 weeks. I'm not being super strict at this point just making sure every meal has enough protein and fat. Really not eating carbs other than what comes with fruit and veggies.

Also, hit a 275 squat this morning. No video as I had to decide to either record it or listen to Pantera. Pantera won out haha. I know depth and form at this point so don't need a video to tell me that. Form was exactly like my previous 265 attempt so can't complain.

I can't imagine that I can keep going up in squat while losing weight but I do expect to stay in that 250 to 275 range and I'll be perfectly happy to maintain that through June while cutting.

[Jtbny]

Hey can't complain about body choosing the spare tire area for reduction first! Unfortunately for me it seems to be my arms and face that go first. Wife hates it as in order to get rid of majority of stomach and love handles my face looks too skinny.

Anyway, I'm down to 196 so 2lbs in 2 weeks. I'm not being super strict at this point just making sure every meal has enough protein and fat. Really not eating carbs other than what comes with fruit and veggies.

Also, hit a 275 squat this morning. No video as I had to decide to either record it or listen to Pantera. Pantera won out haha. I know depth and form at this point so don't need a video to tell me that. Form was exactly like my previous 265 attempt so can't complain.

I can't imagine that I can keep going up in squat while losing weight but I do expect to stay in that 250 to 275 range and I'll be perfectly happy to maintain that through June while cutting.

My face does the same thing. When I get bigger it gets way bigger and when I diet it shrinks to nothing

You might surprise yourself w/ squats. On days it feels good push it and days it doesn't scale back. I've had days these last 11 weeks dieting that 90% of my 1rm flew up and then days where 60% felt like death. I think our bodies know effort more than weight on the bar /broscience

[blue9steel]

I love the first week of a refeed, calories are up and weight is down. Take that physics! *shakes fist*

[baker]

I love the first week of a refeed, calories are up and weight is down. Take that physics! *shakes fist*

Haha that's awesome. I have two weeks left @100g carbs and under, then a break for a week or two. Might transition right into keto since I'll already be knocking on the door. Just won't be tracking my calories as close I have been. I think you mentioned sodium to me (can't remember) but, thanks big difference!

[Payton1221]

Unfortunately for me it seems to be my arms and face that go first. Wife hates it as in order to get rid of majority of stomach and love handles my face looks too skinny.

Same here! Abs look better 5 lbs lighter, but my face looks like a skeleton w/thin skin stretched over it.

[blue9steel]

I think you mentioned sodium to me (can't remember) but, thanks big difference!

I think that was something else. I moderate mine since the best research I've seen suggests optimal health outcomes in the 3g-5g a day range but otherwise I don't pay much attention to it. I know that some people do though and it probably makes a difference once you're significantly lean. One of my main finds was Morton's lite salt, tastes exactly the same, but more potassium and less sodium.

[wesleysh21]

I'm jelly of you guys having your face shrink. Mine hasn't gotten there yet. I look much better with a chiseled face.

[baker]

I'm jelly of you guys having your face shrink. Mine hasn't gotten there yet. I look much better with a chiseled face.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Unfortunately for me it seems to be my arms and face that go first.

Ditto shredded face, arms+ legs shrank, and waist/hips at 98% BF.

Has to go at some point though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[lrfiv]

I'm jelly of you guys having your face shrink. Mine hasn't gotten there yet. I look much better with a chiseled face.

Me, too. I look as bloated as ever, but then it's hard for me to see a difference looking in the mirror every day.

I'm still working away at it, though! I'm 10 weeks in eating keto - it's helped me maintain a steep deficit without hunger issues. The scale tells me I'm on the right track, so I just try not to over-think it, and carry on.

[BMX10]

Have lost about 7 or 8 lbs since February. Trying to take it slow and steady. My goal remains to get at or below 165 lbs and somewhere around 10 to 12% body fat. Currently just above 170 lbs and this is usually where things get difficult for me. Gain weight and get bloated from looking at carbs :-). My body and mind really start to struggle when I hit this point but committed to pushing through. At about 2,100 calories and hoping to finish this off without going too much below 2,000 but we will see what happens.

I am still squatting and benching 3 times per week and dead lifting 2 times a week. Each of my sessions are based on % of one rep max and progressively get heavier as the reps are reduced as the week progresses. Not sure how much longer I will be able to maintain this volume due to the lack of calories and ability to recover. Nonetheless I think this type of programming has helped maintain my strength and I am hopeful it is helping me maintain as much muscle as possible. Long term I want to squat 405 lbs, bench 300, and pull 450 at about 165 lbs (1,160 total). Not sure if I will ever get there and youth is certainly not on my side any longer. It does help me grind out those reps when the weight feels heavy so..... About 5 weeks left on my current program then I will test to see where I am at and reassess.

March 17 pic from this morning. March 16 pic from last year. About the same body weight. Always hard to honestly critique myself but think I have put on some muscle over the past year. About 2 years and 3 months into the process this time around so I still have a long ways to go.

[blue9steel]

March 17 pic from this morning. March 16 pic from last year. About the same body weight. Always hard to honestly critique myself but think I have put on some muscle over the past year. About 2 years and 3 months into the process this time around so I still have a long ways to go.

Looks like you added muscle to me.

[Cass40]

The x-says "narrowing of the disks of lower back". Does anyone have this? I am waiting for physical therapy but was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with this.
I'm still only doing front squats (has been kinda cool to learn them), and goblet squats, lunges, DL's, leg presses etc. but haven't gone back to back squats yet.
Diet has not progressed at all, motivation is not there yet. However I swear I will be thin by the summer.

[Hammerhagen]

Good progress everyone, keep going. I'll join back in with you all in about a month after my meet. A few weeks ago i started a surplus again. I've gone from about 205 to about 210/212. Recently, i got a hip injury and am trying to rehab it while staying on an agressive meet peaking block for my training. Not ideal, so I decided to up my calories even more, especially my fat intake. In light of that, i had to share this one with you all. Check the macros on this stuff I ate 2 servings of it last night with my steak and potatoes.....This stuff is so good, i bought a box of it when i traveled to Pismo Beach. Richest food i've ever found. Over 1100 calories in one bowl!!

[Jtbny]

Geez Andrew that has more sat fat in one serving than I get in one day

[Hammerhagen]

Geez Andrew that has more sat fat in one serving than I get in one day

and thats just one cup which is actually a very small amount for soup. I ate 2 cups which almost filled up a bowl, and then later i saw the macros and about fell off my chair!

[Hooverville]

Good work everyone, I'm in the skeletor face with love handles crew.

Take a look at how sallow my cheeks get. Yet still got a "w belt" around my lower abdomen.



Chilling at around 190. Holding for that final push into may. Keep grinding.

[wesleysh21]

I'm still losing slowly but surely. The waist keeps getting smaller. My face has started losing fat, and girls are starting to flirt with me again. I've reached the point where I told myself I would stop drinking on Sunday's...starting next Sunday.

Anyone here have experience with Quinoa?

[MrNismo]

I'm still losing slowly but surely. The waist keeps getting smaller. My face has started losing fat, and girls are starting to flirt with me again. I've reached the point where I told myself I would stop drinking on Sunday's...starting next Sunday.

Anyone here have experience with Quinoa?

Can't find anything wrong there

I used to eat Quinoa but just wasn't my thing. My brother in law made a killer Quinoa salad though which was served cold. I don't know exact recipe but it had chopped fresh tomatoes and avocados in it and it was pretty damn good. Nice thing was he could make it in bulk and it was quick/easy to pull out of the fridge and use it as a side with meat.

As for my update -- uggh. Took the kids to Colorado for spring break for 9 days. I kept the diet mostly in check though definitely wasn't getting enough protein. Did a ton of walking but only 1 gym session. I was so pumped to get back into the gym today but came down with nasty cold starting yesterday. I'll get a few workouts in this week no matter what but I know I'll have to take it easy between being out so long and being sick.

[MrNismo]

Have lost about 7 or 8 lbs since February. Trying to take it slow and steady. My goal remains to get at or below 165 lbs and somewhere around 10 to 12% body fat. Currently just above 170 lbs and this is usually where things get difficult for me. Gain weight and get bloated from looking at carbs :-). My body and mind really start to struggle when I hit this point but committed to pushing through. At about 2,100 calories and hoping to finish this off without going too much below 2,000 but we will see what happens.

I am still squatting and benching 3 times per week and dead lifting 2 times a week. Each of my sessions are based on % of one rep max and progressively get heavier as the reps are reduced as the week progresses. Not sure how much longer I will be able to maintain this volume due to the lack of calories and ability to recover. Nonetheless I think this type of programming has helped maintain my strength and I am hopeful it is helping me maintain as much muscle as possible. Long term I want to squat 405 lbs, bench 300, and pull 450 at about 165 lbs (1,160 total). Not sure if I will ever get there and youth is certainly not on my side any longer. It does help me grind out those reps when the weight feels heavy so..... About 5 weeks left on my current program then I will test to see where I am at and reassess.

March 17 pic from this morning. March 16 pic from last year. About the same body weight. Always hard to honestly critique myself but think I have put on some muscle over the past year. About 2 years and 3 months into the process this time around so I still have a long ways to go.

Looking solid man!

The x-says "narrowing of the disks of lower back". Does anyone have this? I am waiting for physical therapy but was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with this.
I'm still only doing front squats (has been kinda cool to learn them), and goblet squats, lunges, DL's, leg presses etc. but haven't gone back to back squats yet.
Diet has not progressed at all, motivation is not there yet. However I swear I will be thin by the summer.

Doesn't sound like fun. Do what you can do though, right?

Good work everyone, I'm in the skeletor face with love handles crew.

Take a look at how sallow my cheeks get. Yet still got a "w belt" around my lower abdomen.
Chilling at around 190. Holding for that final push into may. Keep grinding.

Ehh, I think you look fine. You can tell by the neck and forearm veins that you lift and that's all that counts

[Jtbny]

Can't find anything wrong there

I used to eat Quinoa but just wasn't my thing. My brother in law made a killer Quinoa salad though which was served cold. I don't know exact recipe but it had chopped fresh tomatoes and avocados in it and it was pretty damn good. Nice thing was he could make it in bulk and it was quick/easy to pull out of the fridge and use it as a side with meat.

As for my update -- uggh. Took the kids to Colorado for spring break for 9 days. I kept the diet mostly in check though definitely wasn't getting enough protein. Did a ton of walking but only 1 gym session. I was so pumped to get back into the gym today but came down with nasty cold starting yesterday. I'll get a few workouts in this week no matter what but I know I'll have to take it easy between being out so long and being sick.

Some time off is always good for rekindling the lifting fire, at least for me.


My update - down 30lbs since the start w/ 20 more to go for the first goal. Going to be a while

[blue9steel]

Three week refeed is complete. Used maintenance calories this time instead of a surplus. Results were about as expected:

1) Felt somewhat less recovered, psychologically and physically, though still much better than at the end of my cut. Hard to describe but it felt like perhaps my hormones didn't bounce back as much, or at least slower.
2) Didn't gain any trend weight, which is interesting, usually there is some rebound that I attribute mostly to increased glycogen stores as well as the surplus.
3) Strength and gym performance fully recovered in week three instead of week two.
4) Did a great job on calorie control, recorded calories were virtually identical to target calories for the three weeks as a whole (not daily, though weekly was fairly close).

Going forward I think maintenance calories is the right choice if I'm only doing two cutting cycles, if I plan to do more than that then I think surplus calories is a better choice. New cutting cycle starts today, nine more weeks of that then it's time to switch over to bulking during the summer when I'll be doing lots of social activities and it'll be harder to keep calories down.

[Cantplankwell]

Just wondering how you guys get your sweet tooth satisfied? Or is that completely out of the question?

[blue9steel]

Just wondering how you guys get your sweet tooth satisfied? Or is that completely out of the question?

For me when cutting, two squares of Ghirardelli dark chocolate with sea salt. Fairly low calories and makes me feel like I had dessert.

[Plateauplower]

Just wondering how you guys get your sweet tooth satisfied? Or is that completely out of the question?

Chocolate whey brownie. I can live without sweets I miss crunchy carbs usually more than anything if I'm really limiting things. There's no reason you can't fit a small dessert though. Just make adjustments to your carbs and fats in other places.

[baker]

Bacon is a dessert, no?