Lost 31 lbs not much difference

[hopla]

I started a cut at 185 lbs and about 21% bf and i'm currently sitting at 154 lbs at i think 17% bf it took me around 12 weeks and I lost 31 lbs.

My waist went from about 36 to 33 now when looking in the mirror and pictures I don't see much difference. I'm getting very light and my main goal is actually getting big I would've liked to cut down to about 12% bf but if cutting down 4% took 31 lbs I'll be ridiculously skinny when I reach around 12%.

I wanted to a relatively flat stomach before I started to lean bulk. My Strength numbers are all still exactly the same and in some cases even improved. Should I just keep cutting?

[WolfRose7]

if you are still managing to maintain strength at that rate of cutting you are doing pretty well.
3 Inches off the waist is pretty significant too man.

Seems like you are doing okay to me.

[User8675309]

Are you skipping leg day? It looks like some of the weight you lost was leg muscle.

[hopla]

Oh okey thats good to hear, no i'm not skipping leg day but i did lose an inch on my legs my numbers are bench 154x5 bb row 132 3x8 and squat 240 3x5

[Junsuiakai]

You look a lot different lol and how are you standing like that in third pic? Defying gravity yo.

Your strength is really low, so can't expect you to look like a beast once you cut down. It takes years to build enough muscle to look good after a cut.

[hopla]

You look a lot different lol and how are you standing like that in third pic? Defying gravity yo.

Your strength is really low, so can't expect you to look like a beast once you cut down. It takes years to build enough muscle to look good after a cut.

haha I think I was just leaning forward when that pic was taken, I also have bad posture. So you would suggest I lean bulk as much as possible even though i'm at 17%bf before I cut down?

[Junsuiakai]

haha I think I was just leaning forward when that pic was taken, I also have bad posture. So you would suggest I lean bulk as much as possible even though i'm at 17%bf before I cut down?

I don't think you are 17%, probably more like 15%, and also you have very narrow hips, which makes your back look huge, so you are in a good spot to lean bulk, just be careful to try and not put on more than 1-2lb a month.

[hopla]

I don't think you are 17%, probably more like 15%, and also you have very narrow hips, which makes your back look huge, so you are in a good spot to lean bulk, just be careful to try and not put on more than 1-2lb a month.

Okey cool i'll start a lean bulk and see how it goes for a few months thanks for the advice

[Skp4909]

31 lbs and only 4% loss in body fat. I would say you lost a good amount of lean mass. 185 to 155 is a huge loss. You likeley loss a 50/50 ratio of fat and lean mass. Don't stress though. You can build it back. As for strength some of it could be a better mind muscle connection

[Junsuiakai]

31 lbs and only 4% loss in body fat. I would say you lost a good amount of lean mass. 185 to 155 is a huge loss. You likeley loss a 50/50 ratio of fat and lean mass. Don't stress though. You can build it back. As for strength some of it could be a better mind muscle connection

Oh welcome back. I thought I got you banned.

[tombaron]

i always look at waist " to lbs lost. Pretty much 10lbs to inch of waist is extremely poor and is up there with people who crash diet and don't lift. If you were lifting whilst cutting I can only speculate you were eating far below 1.5g/lb lbm protein you should eat cutting that fast?

[Skp4909]

Oh welcome back. I thought I got you banned.

Why would I be banned?

[Luclin999]

I started a cut at 185 lbs and about 21% bf and i'm currently sitting at 154 lbs at i think 17% bf it took me around 12 weeks and I lost 31 lbs.

My waist went from about 36 to 33 now when looking in the mirror and pictures I don't see much difference. I'm getting very light and my main goal is actually getting big I would've liked to cut down to about 12% bf but if cutting down 4% took 31 lbs I'll be ridiculously skinny when I reach around 12%.

I wanted to a relatively flat stomach before I started to lean bulk. My Strength numbers are all still exactly the same and in some cases even improved. Should I just keep cutting?

2.5 pounds lost per week is pretty aggressive weight loss so you probably lost a fair amount of muscle along with the fat, which is why you still look "fat" even though you are a lot lighter. If you had kept the weight loss down to 1-1.5 pounds/week and lost the same weight you would probably be looking better at this point.

You can start a "lean bulk" now (150-200 cal/day over maintenance, most of the extra calories from good protein sources) however you will still be carrying that last bit of fat along the midsection and while it may look a bit better once you fill out again, you won't lose it altogether without more dieting.

[Jack582]

How tall are you and what was your macros on the cut? What is your workout program like? You said your strength remand the same are increased, how much are you lifting?

[sooby]

i always look at waist " to lbs lost. Pretty much 10lbs to inch of waist is extremely poor and is up there with people who crash diet and don't lift. If you were lifting whilst cutting I can only speculate you were eating far below 1.5g/lb lbm protein you should eat cutting that fast?

that's about average for a lot of people. I lost about 4 inches off my waist when I lost 30 lbs and didn't lose a whole lot of muscle. Granted 31 lbs in 12 weeks is fast but muscle is something that isn't lost very easily. Especially if he was able to maintain his lifts on a cut and even increase in some cases, you really aren't going to lose a lot of muscle.

I think you did a good job OP and you do look different. You just need to put on more muscle mass that's all. You aren't going to look amazing on a cut until you've built up a solid amount of muscle. But we can clearly see you have more definition. I would guess you are around 15% BF, so you wouldn't look ripped and defined regardless until you're around 12% BF which would be another 15 lbs or so. So I wouldn't be discouraged or put off at all. Just start a lean bulking phase and aim to gain around 2 lbs a month, you should be golden.

[hopla]

i always look at waist " to lbs lost. Pretty much 10lbs to inch of waist is extremely poor and is up there with people who crash diet and don't lift. If you were lifting whilst cutting I can only speculate you were eating far below 1.5g/lb lbm protein you should eat cutting that fast?

I ate around 1800-2000 cals at 0.8 lbm so it averaged around 120g-130g protein

[hopla]

2.5 pounds lost per week is pretty aggressive weight loss so you probably lost a fair amount of muscle along with the fat, which is why you still look "fat" even though you are a lot lighter. If you had kept the weight loss down to 1-1.5 pounds/week and lost the same weight you would probably be looking better at this point.

You can start a "lean bulk" now (150-200 cal/day over maintenance, most of the extra calories from good protein sources) however you will still be carrying that last bit of fat along the midsection and while it may look a bit better once you fill out again, you won't lose it altogether without more dieting.

Yeah I was a bit in a hurry but I did expect a bit better results I currently upped my calories to 2500 trying to find my new maintenance, 150-200 cal over maintenance is extremely low though won't i spin my wheel at that amount?

[hopla]

How tall are you and what was your macros on the cut? What is your workout program like? You said your strength remand the same are increased, how much are you lifting?

I'm 5'10 I ate around 1800-2000 cals at 120-130g protein 50g-80g fat and rest carbs i'm doing the fierce 5 upper/lower and my lifts are bench 154x5 bb row 132 3x8 and squat 240 3x5

[Iceman1800]

A 3" loss around your waist is excellent. Give yourself some credit.

[hopla]

A 3" loss around your waist is excellent. Give yourself some credit.

It's true but I didn't think I'd need to go below 154 lbs to get to 12%-13% bf being lean isn't really my goal I want to be big but I don't want to be a fat ass thats why I cut down so much so I could do a big long bulk.

[Luclin999]

Yeah I was a bit in a hurry but I did expect a bit better results I currently upped my calories to 2500 trying to find my new maintenance, 150-200 cal over maintenance is extremely low though won't i spin my wheel at that amount?

Nope.

You'll gain about 1.5-2 pounds per month which is ~exactly~ what you should aim for in a LEAN bulk.

[R4z0rEdge]

I started a cut at 185 lbs and about 21% bf and i'm currently sitting at 154 lbs at i think 17% bf it took me around 12 weeks and I lost 31 lbs.

My waist went from about 36 to 33 now when looking in the mirror and pictures I don't see much difference. I'm getting very light and my main goal is actually getting big I would've liked to cut down to about 12% bf but if cutting down 4% took 31 lbs I'll be ridiculously skinny when I reach around 12%.

I wanted to a relatively flat stomach before I started to lean bulk. My Strength numbers are all still exactly the same and in some cases even improved. Should I just keep cutting?

I personally would cut to 8-12% before you think about a bulk. Bulking is more efficient at a lower body-fat percentage, plus you'll be able to go for longer and therefore see more noticeable progress.

Very scientific explanation here - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...g-part-1.html/

[hopla]

I personally would cut to 8-12% before you think about a bulk. Bulking is more efficient at a lower body-fat percentage, plus you'll be able to go for longer and therefore see more noticeable progress.

Very scientific explanation here - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...g-part-1.html/

Interesting article, although i'm getting a bit exhausted by this cut as time drags on, I was thinking of sitting about 4 weeks on maintenance and then see which route to take as i think cutting down to 13% will probably take another 3 or 4 months

[aaroncorrie]

Look a lot different nice man.