My Second Leangains Cut

[66jzmstr]

History
6'1", 42 years old - going on 43 in mid-November - and currently 218.4lbs. I believe I'm around 18% body fat, but please chime in below if my estimate seems off. The results of my first Leangains cut can be found in the top post on this page: here. Life is different now nearly 10 years later: A decade older, father of a seven year-old daughter, more responsibility at work, and teaching in front of a computer screen instead of in front of a class, which always kept me TDEE relatively high. Also, my previous cut was in summer when I only taught a half load, but I'll be busy this fall with a full load and other duties at work.

BB.com is not letting me post multiple paragraphs at once, so I'll chime in with the other parts in a moment. Also, I can embed an image here, but it is gargantuan, and I none of the BB Code resizes have worked. Hopefully this works as an external link. If it does not, please let me know, and I'll find another way. If it does work, BF% estimates are welcome!

Starting Photo, October 5, 2020:



EDIT/DISCLAIMER (OCTOBER 24, 2020)
I'm only now finishing up the Leangains Method book, nearly three weeks after this original post and start of my fat loss log here, and there's a lot more info in it versus the articles and client hearsay from a decade ago. My initial plan laid out in this and the next few posts has been solid, but I'm slowly tweaking things now, nearly three weeks in to better reflect what's spelled out in clear terms in Berkhan's book, which is excellent, by the way. These tweaks include - yet are not limited to - recalculated TDEE calorie levels, training regimen (movements, volume, rep ranges), average weekly weigh-ins, protein percentage recommendations, and more. The first 20 days will appear different from what you see three weeks in. Just an FYI.

[66jzmstr]

Goals
I aim to lose body fat but maintain my strength. A supplementary goal not as related to this cut is to maintain stability and reliability with my lower back after serious L4/L5 and L5/S1 herniated discs. Things have been good lately, which is great considering I had re-aggravated those discs during my first cut years back and was unable to do squats or deadlifts. Not so this time!

[66jzmstr]

Training
As mentioned above, three workout days: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. These might shift if I have late afternoon meetings or daddy duty. My gym here outside Seattle opened a couple months ago, and I hope for the life of me we don't need to shut down again. Six months without touching a barbell seriously tested my sanity, and my home routine with zero weights got old fast.

Workout A: Deadlifts, Bench Press, Weighted Chin-ups
Workout B: Front Squats, Standing Press, Barbell Rows
Workout C: Squats, MG Bar Incline Press, Horizontal Cable Rows
(I'll end each with some minor accessory work.)

Supplements
Nothing fancy: multivitamin gummies, fish oil, probiotic gummies, collagen, glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM. Some of these have carry calories, but I'll account for them in MFP.

In short, stoked to get back at it. People are welcome to chime in, ask questions, and offer advice. (I do hope some can give me a good BF% estimate!) However, even if none do, posting here really added accountability to my first cut, and cutting corners in the kitchen won't be as easy when results are due here. A thank you in advance for being here and holding me accountable!

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Ouch.

I can't seem to post multiple paragraphs or resize images. I swear this was easier ten years ago! LOL!

I was going to post food pr0n with my cals and macros, but I've been trying forever just to post here what I wrote an hour ago, so this will be short as it's already after 10pm.

Today's weight 218.4.

Lunch: Ahi poke, grilled chicken chunks, Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Andouille chicken sausage with spinach yogurt dip, kim chi, salad with chicken chunks. Dessert was a large Trutein peanut butter & chocolate shake with a half serving of peanuts.

Totals: 1806cal (200P, 61C, 82F)

If anyone knows how to resize images (or post non-gigantic images) or how to post multiple paragraphs, please do tell!

[66jzmstr]

Crazy busy lately. Here's yesterday's entry:

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 216.4.

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Lamb Vindaloo, grilled chicken to sop up the extra vindaloo, Greek yogurt, raspberries.

Dinner: Boneless chuck short ribs off the skillet, Japanese steamed rice, veggie & mushroom mix sauteed and the steak drippings.

Dessert: double-sized Trutein strawberry shake, dry-roasted peanuts.

Totals: 2386cal (206P, 191C, 91F)

Workout A
Deadlifts: 375x4, 335x6
Bench: 215x7, 195x10, 175x10
Chins: BW35x8, BW+15x9, BWx10
(cable curls for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

The day was exhausting and I couldn't get as much sleep as planned. My deads fell short of my targets primarily due to grip strength, which was far better last week. I go double-overhand until I can't, at which point I go mixed. No chalk at my gym, unfortunately. (Home gym still a year or so out.) I hate straps, but I think I'll have to start practicing with them because my deadlifts targets and volume shouldn't be stunted by grip strength.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 213.8.

Lunch: grilled chicken chunks smothered in spinach & kale Greek yogurt dip, cherry tomatoes, strawberry Greek yogurt

Dinner: paleo andouille chicken sausages with dijon and lots of real sauerkraut, string cheese, salad with egg bites & diced yellow bell pepper & shredded parmesan & Greek yogurt ranch, Greek yogurt, Trutein PB & Choco shake

Totals: 1792cal (183P, 80C, 86F)

Busy today, but not as merciless as yesterday. Going to bed to catch up on sleep. Stoked to lift tomorrow, and I haven't missed the usual three pints or so of IPA I had been drinking each night before I started this cut. No cravings is nice.

[66jzmstr]

Testing out a mish-mash of iPhone photos, Image Size app, and Imgur for yesterday's eats and lifts. [fingers crossed!]

post-edit: It works! Laborious, but it works! I updated my start/1st-day fottergraf in the first post at the top, so any body-fat estimates would be much appreciated.

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 213.4.

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Butter Chicken Curry, grilled chicken to sop up the extra curry, string cheese, blueberry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Leftover boneless chuck short ribs, Japanese steamed rice, mushroom medley, raw tomats & bell peps. Some Dry cucumber soda for fizz to replace my once-usual three pints of IPA.

Dessert: Pineapple kiwi Greek yogurt, chestnut cream pastry (! - but small AF), double-sized Trutein strawberry shake, half a carton of candy bar Halo Top ice cream.

Totals: 2399cal (220P, 215C, 79F)



Workout B
Front Squats: 115,10, 115,10, 115x10
Standing OHP: 142.5x8, 127.4x10, 112.5x12
Barbell Rows: 197.5x10, 177.5x12, 157.5x14
(lateral delt cable flies for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

Each training day has a lower body lift, a push lift, and a pull lift. Workout A has deadlifts while Workout C has squats. I struggled with what to do with Workout B so as not to lift at the expense of deads or squats. I decided on lower-weight, higher-volume front squats, which will not follow the Reverse Pyramid Training usually found in Leangains. However, I think I might switch up Workout B's lower body lift, alternating high-volume front squats on odd weeks and high-volume Romanian Deadlifts on even weeks. I've done straight-legged deadlifts, but never RDLs, which are obviously different. I watched Rippetoe's video on RDLs, and I'll dust off my copy of Starting Strength before next Thursday and read up on RDLs before I do. (Tuesday and Thursday will have extra meetings next week, so training days might shift to Monday-Wednesday-Friday, or perhaps Saturday for the last day.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 213.2.

Lunch: Taiwanese beef jerky, a few bites of short rib that my daughter couldn't finish, half an orange bell pepper, string cheese, cup of vanilla skyr.

Dinner: Salad with egg bites, cheese, bell pepper, and low-cal ranch; a plate full of pulled pork; raspberries and a PB choco Trutein shake for dessert.

Totals: 1799cal (178P, 80C, 87F)

Three dog walks today for a happy 11 year-old pup.

[66jzmstr]

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 212.8.

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Butter Chicken Curry, grilled chicken to sop up the extra curry, string cheese, Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Gyro, chicken shawarma, two cucumber Dry sodas.

Dessert: double-sized Trutein strawberry shake, dry-roasted peanuts, a strawberry Greek yogurt ice cream bar, and a Japanese sake-flavored mini Kitkat.

Totals: 2393cal (221P, 225C, 62F)

Workout C
Squats: 245x10, 220x11, 195x12
DB Incline Bench: 70s x8, 60s x10, 50s x12
Seated Horizontal Cable Rows: 165x10, 150x11, 135x12
(cable tris for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

I swapped out the Multigrip bar for the incline bench. The MG bar is fun, but I couldn't feel the extra stretch in my upper pecs with the EliteFTS MG bar. (My dream home gym will one day have a Kabuki Kadillac Bar!) A good workout, even though I held back on the DB incline bench because 1) I haven't done them in a while, and 2) I might be on less rest, moving my deads/bench workout from Tuesday to Monday this upcoming week due to late meetings on Tuesday.

Weight is moving down in small but steady increments. Eating food from outside was nice, trying a nearby Lebanese restaurant.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 213.0

Lunch: Grilled chicken strips slathered in TJ's spinach & kale GY dip, some string cheese, blueberry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Salad with yellow bell pepper, two hard-boiled eggs, shredded cheese, and low-cal ranch. A triple serving of leftover pulled pork, two different kinds of kimchi. Dessert was some blackberries, some peanuts, and a PB&choco Trutein shake. And a ulcer-inducing, last-minute Seahawks victory, which was nice because my Sounders blew it at LAFC this afternoon.

Totals: 1803cal (195P, 60C, 87F)

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 213.2

Start Weight: 218.4
End of Week 1: 213.2

Lunch: Random leftovers, wagyu beef jerkey (excellent!), cherry skyr.

Dinner: Ground pork with broccoli, leftover pulled pork, chicken strips smothered in jalapeno cauliflower dip, cherry tomats, mushroom medley, kimchi. Dessert was a fudge brownie Yasso bar, some peanuts, and a PB&choco Trutein shake.

Totals: 1796cal (192P, 102C, 75F)

End of Week 1 Reflections: Kind of odd to see my weight creep up two days in a row, but it means nothing, as I'm down over five pounds the first week. I'll be the first to say that three pounds are probably water weight, around one pound is stomach content, and the remaining pound or so is fat. (FWIW, my weekly deficit is 3800 calories.) Definitely not five pounds of fat lost, but I'm not hungry, lifts have been good, and I'm not craving IPAs or pilsners. feelsgoodmane.jpg

[66jzmstr]

Yesterday was stupid busy, so here's the post a day late:

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 212.8.

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Butter Chicken Curry, grilled chicken to sop up the extra curry, string cheese, wagyu beef jerk, mixed berry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: TACO TUESDAY. Ten chicken talkers. Pretty lean, so macro win. A couple Dry cucumber sodas. (I'll keep it to one next time.)

Dessert: double-sized Trutein birthday cake shake, a lot of blueberries, half a pint of Halo Top candy bar 'ice cream,' a Halo Top peanut butter swirl pop (tasty but tiny), and some peanuts.

Totals: 2401cal (238P, 253C, 67F)



Workout C
Deadlifts: 375x6 REP PR, 335x8
Bench: 215x8, 195x10, 175x13
Weighted Chins: BW+37.5 x 8, BW+17.5 x 9, BW x 9
(cable chest flies for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

STOKED. Last training day for deads I only hit 4 reps because my grip failed (1 double-overhand then 3 mixed). I studied up on a Rippetoe vid for the hook grip. I had tried it once years ago, but I remember it hurt. I used it through my warm-ups and got used to it. Stoked!

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 212.4

Lunch: cheesy grilled chicken strips with habanero sauce, some wagyu jerk, and a TJ's pineapple kiwi Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Breakfast for dinner! Four scrambled eggs topped with light Mexi-blend cheese with three arabiki sausage, broccoli & ground pork mix, half an orange bell pep and some tomats, and my first-ever bag of Quest sour cream & cheddar protein chips. (Pretty good stuff. There is a chalkiness in the aftertaste, but it's pretty faint. No complaints for tasty crunchiness for 19g of protein per 140cal bag.) Dessert was a Trutein birthday cake shake and some peanuts.

Totals: 1798cal (195P, 85C, 76F)

[66jzmstr]

A little busy, so here is yesterday's entry:

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 211.8

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Lamb Vindaloo, grilled chicken to sop up the extra vinder, wagyu beef jerk, mixed berry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: chicken shawarma wrap, gyro wrap, cucumber Dry soda (x1).

Dessert: Double-sized Trutein birthday cake shake, half a carton of Halo Top peanut butter ice cream, half a serving of dry-roasted peanuts.

Totals: 2401cal (216P, 246C, 71F)



Workout B
Romanian Deadlifts: 165x7, 155x10, 155x10
Standing OHP: 145x8, 130x10, 115x12
Barbell Rows: 200x10, 180x12, 160x14
(lateral delt cable flies and barbell curls for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

Notes
* Another busy day, so a late gym session, but so far, it feels like the later in the day the better.
* I've decided to alternate my lower body lift for Workout B (which is between DLs for A and squats for C) between front squats and RDLs instead of front squats every week for Workout B.
* This was my first time ever (!) doing RDLs. Feelsweirdman.jpg Even after re-watching an instructional vid by Rip, it wasn't until got to my third set that I thought I began to understand the movement and get a better feel for it.
* I had a weird experience midday, feeling freezing cold, fatigued muscles, and my neck - at the base of my skull - was stiff. This freaked me out a bit, but I had an hour-long window between meetings, displaced some grading to the weekend, and napped for an hour. I felt better after that, improving throughout the day to where I more or less felt normal by my workout at 5:30.
* I started taking an ashgawandha. I'm only two days in, so no judgments yet.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 210.8

Lunch: assorted jerky, string cheese, tomato medley, vanilla Greek yogurt.

Dinner: chicken sausages (good but damn salty) with no-fat sour cream, dijon, and sauerkraut, more tomatoes, spicy kimchi; broccoli & pork stir fry. For dessert, a PB&choco Trutein shake, a Halo Top PB swirl pop, some peanuts, and a bowl of strawberries.

Totals: 1800cal (193P, 114C, 65F)

[66jzmstr]

(yesterday's entry)

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 211.2

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Butter Chicken curry, grilled chicken to sop up the extra curry, wagyu beef jerk, cherry skyr.

Dinner: five chicken tacos, five carne asada tacos, Quest loaded taco protein chips, cucumber Dry soda (x1).

Dessert: Trutein birthday cake shake, Magic Spoon blueberry protein cereal with non-fat milk, lots of strawberries.

Totals: 2408cal (235P, 213C, 68F)

Workout C
Squats: 250x10, 225x11, 200x12
Incline DB Press: 70s x9, 65s x10, 60s x8
Horizontal Cable Rows: 167.5x10, 152.5x11, 137.5x12
(cable tris for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 210.0

Lunch: assorted jerky, hard-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, blueberry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: one pound of wasabi ahi poke (!), sausage broccoli stir fry, more tomatoes, Quest sour cream & cheddar protein chips. For dessert, a Trutein birthday cake shake, lots of strawberries, and some dry-roasted peanuts.

Totals: 1801cal (213P, 76C, 72F)

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 210.6

Start Weight: 218.4
End of Week 1: 213.2
End of Week 2: 210.6

Lunch: Random beef jerky, cherry tomatoes, string cheese, pineapple kiwi Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Silly take on steak & eggs: sirloin slices, cheesy egg cups, some kale & spinach dip, red bell peps, and Quest chips. Dessert was a fudge brownie Yasso bar, some peanuts, a cup of strawberries, and a strawberry Trutein shake.

Totals: 1801cal (200P, 116C, 64F)



End of Week 2 Reflections
So far, so good! I know it's still too early to judge, but I'm dropping weight faster than I'd thought. As long as my lifts hold or increase, I won't worry about that. If they suffer a bit, I'll probably still hold my calories where they are, i.e. 2400 on lifting days (3x/wk) and 1800 on rest days (4x/wk). I'm reading through Berkhan's Leangains book and getting more info than I had from the articles scattered about years back. I'm going to try to stay above 40% protein, though I'll be far short of the recommended 60%. (I haven't gotten to the recipes section, so I'm not ruling out higher percentages down the road.) I'm more or less following the other "Thermogenic 7" he wrote about.

[66jzmstr]

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 209.6

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Butter Chicken Curry, pulled rotisserie chicken breast to sop up the extra curry, very small tomats, beef jerk, blueberry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Beef chuck short rib steak out of the pan; salad with pulled rotis chicks, cheesed, hard-boiled egg, tomats, Greek yogurt cucumber ranch dressing. Cucumber Dry soda.

Dessert: double-sized Trutein birthday cake shake, a big bowl of Magic Spoon blueberry protein cereal in non-fat milk topped with sliced bananners. And some peanuts.

Totals: 2398cal (268P, 153C, 79F)

Workout C
Deadlifts: 380x6 REP PR, 340x8
Bench: 217.5x8, 197.5x10, 177.5x12
Weighted Chins: BW+42.5 x 7, BW+15 x 10, BW x 10
(single set of each cable chest flies and cable bis for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

Stoked on another rep PR for deads. The bench might be a rep PR (technically it is because it's my first time using my microplates on the bar for bench), but I won't claim it, as I'm not sure.

In terms of eats, I'm a third of the way through the Leangains book, but I'm still surprised on the 60% of calories from protein recommendation that I read last night. That's hard. (It's not a hard and fast rule, as he writes 50% is still fine. In a recent podcast, he said he usually shoots for 40%, but perhaps that's because his maintenance is like 4500cal, and that 60% there would be 675g of protein a day. Crazy.) I was at 45% today, so doing better than before. Also, one part of the book nonchalantly mentions most days are below 100g for carbs, which was anothe surpise. I look forward to reading more because that was a surprise as well. All in all though, so far, so good: Dropping pounds but gaining in my lifts.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 208.0

Lunch: assorted jerky, hard-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, string cheese, blueberry Greek yogurt.

Dinner: fall harvest salad with lots of pulled chicken breast from a Costco rotisserie chicken, sirloin strips, veggie & mushroom medley, bag of Quest chips. For dessert, a Trutein birthday cake shake, a Halo Top PB swirl pop, and some dry-roasted peanuts.

Totals: 1807cal (233P, 86C, 60F)



Notes
* The weight is flying off. I'm still making strength gains, but down 10.4lbs barely 2.5 weeks in? Hmm ...
* I just read the 'calculating calorie maintenance level’ chapter in The Leangains Method. Without an accurate step counter, my maintenance is actually 2750 or so. I had assumed it was 2600, given I was working on 2750 before when I was 1) nine years younger, 2) teaching on my feet in front of a class (not seated in front of a computer screen), and 3) giving longer walks to my dog given my class load was lighter and the weather was nicer because it was summer. Then again, I probably underestimated my TDEE back then, so perhaps the 2750 is more accurate. It would also explain the rapid weight loss thus far. I'll sleep on this, deciding to add a bit of calories or not tomorrow or the next day.
* Today's protein was higher - 52% of total calories. Felt good.
* The salad was damn good. Fall Harvest from Trader Joe's: apple chips, pecan chunks, aged chedddar, apple vinaigrette - it all went well with the chicken breast. I'm doing this again, maybe just making it bigger next time.

[66jzmstr]

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 207.6

Lunch: Trader's Joe's Butter Chicken Curry, pulled rotisserie chicken breast to mop up the extra curry, some blueberries, a cup of Greek yogurt, a cup of skyr.

Dinner: Leftover boneless chuck short ribs, mushroom veggie medley, half an orange bell pepper, Quest protein chips.

Dessert: Double-sized Trutein strawberry shake, bowl of strawberries, a bowl of Magic Spoon blueberry protein cereal, and a Yasso fudge pop.

Totals: 2499cal (290P, 180C, 71F)

Workout B
Front Squats: 120x10, 120x10, 120x10
Standing OHP: 147.5x7, 132.5x10, 117.5x13
Barbell Rows: 202.5x10, 182.5x12, 162.5x14
(lateral delt cable flies for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

Notes
* I pulled the trigger. After reading the chapter regarding calculating one's maintenance-level calories and seeing as I've dropped nearly 11 pounds in only two and a half weeks, I decided to change up my calorie goals. I had thought my maintenance was around 2600 calories, but my new calculation last night had me around 2750. I've reset my MFP app from rest days (x4/wk) of 1800 calories and training days (3x/wk) of 2400 calories to 2000 calories and 2500 calories, respectively. This will still have me losing a little over a pound a week, and most likely more with Leangains' leveraging of diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).
* 46% of calories from protein for today. Hitting 60% still feels pretty bonkers, but I can definitely shoot for 50% and then go from there.
* Despite "losing weight too fast," strength has been a slow, steady climb for all lifts, excluding me not hitting the eight and final rep on my top set of the press. Otherwise, so far, so good.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 207.8

Lunch: assorted jerky, cherry tomatoes, string cheese, two cups of Greek yogurt.

Dinner: big salad with chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, light cheese, yellow bell pep, cucumber Greek yogurt ranch, and some protein croutons, which were fun and gave nice texture, but didn't add much for flavor. Good protein, though. Last of the leftover steak, two different kinds of kimchi, and a bag o' Quest. Dessert was just a big PB&choco Trutein shake and a half serving of dry-roasted peanuts.

Totals: 1997cal (267P, 98C, 60F: 53% of calories from protein)



Notes
* Today was my first rest day with readjusted calories, moving from 1800 to 2000 on my four rest days. On one hand, I was pretty full at the end of the day.
* On the other hand, aiming for 60% of calories from protein is pretty tough so far. I included my protein calorie percentage above just for my own tracking.

[66jzmstr]

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 207.8

Lunch: Assorted jerky, cherry tomats, hard-boiled egg, blackberries, two cups of Greek yogurt.

Dinner: five chicken tacos, five carne asada tacos, Quest loaded taco protein chips, cucumber Dry soda (x1).

Dessert: Strawberry protein fluff with chunks of fresh strawberries mixed in, Trutein birthday cake protein shake.

Totals: 2501cal (304P, 198C, 60F - 49% of calories from protein)

Workout C
Squats: 255x10, 230x11, 205x12
Incline DB Press: 65s x6, 60s x8, 60s x10
Horizontal Cable Rows: 170x10, 160x10, 150x9

Notes
* I backed off the incline DBs as something in my left shoulder felt a little strained. Nothing major, but I figure I'd err on the side of safety.
* I will switch up my workout next week to go more minimalist, doing two main compound lifts with one or two accessories per workout, not three compounds with one or two accessory lifts.
* 50% of calories from protein is still tough to reach, but I'm going shopping tomorrow and have some ideas to improve this. On the other hand, I believe this is probably the first time in my life I've ever consumed over 300g of protein in one day (really in one nine-hour feed window). Definitely my first ever 300+ on a cut and at a (slight) calorie deficit.
* I just added an "EDIT/DISCLAIMER" note to the very first post at the top of this fat loss log, talking about changes that I'll implement since finishing the Leangains Method book tonight, which will better align with what Martin spells out there. One of them is the 'minimalizing' of my lifting plan, mentioned above. Another will be to swap out my "Week #" weights with the average weight for that week, which will start on Monday. A few more small tweaks here and there.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 207.4

Lunch: Modified version of "Martin's omelette" (egg whites, two eggs & cottage cheese), assorted jerky, small shake, cup of Greek yogurt.

Dinner: One pound of wasabi poke, broccoli & veggies covered in lite cheese, dry-roasted peanuts, double-size Trutein strawberry shake.

Totals: 2000cal (284P, 69C, 63F: 57% of calories from protein)



Notes
* Today my calories were almost evenly split between lunch and dinner, the way Martin wrote it up, which is especially important, given the workout yesterday afternoon.
* The omelette was actually pretty damn good. Next time I'll choose some of my saltier jerky, chop it up finely, and add it in as a protein-laden bacon substitute.
* New bathroom scale came in today, so I'll use that tomorrow morning. There were a ton of well-rated, smartphone app-linked smart scales with great reviews, but then when you check the app reviews in the App Store, most suck. The one I ordered, Arborleaf, is supposedly a good scale with a good app.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 208.8

Weekly Progress
Starting Weight: 218.4
Week 1 Average: 214.4
Week 2 Average: 211.7
Week 3 Average: 208.4

Lunch: Horrible cottage cheese with sweet turkey jerky concoction, steak jerky, some blackberries, two Greek yogurt cups, a Trutein shake.

Dinner: A heap of pulled pork, toasted & salted Normandy veggies, a bag o' Quest (new flavor: sour cream & onion), some red bell peps. For dessert, some dry-roasted peanuts with a double-size Trutein PB&choco shake.

Totals: 1996cal (255P, 96C, 67F: 51% of calories from protein)



Notes
* Using weekly averages now instead of whatever I weigh on Monday morning for more weekly progress review, as per the Leangains Method. Hopefully the app that works in tandem with the new scale makes this easier.
* I was stoked for my new scale this morning, but I couldn't pair it via wifi for the life of me. (I later found out it doesn't work over 5GHz and only over 2.4GHz a few headaches later. I'll use blue tooth.)
* New scale is cool, but it is apparently adds 0.4lbs to my body weight. Or, more likely, my old scale flattered me by spotting me negative 0.4lbs.
* Speaking of weight, not sure what the hell happened with the 1.4lb jump today. No knee-jerk reactions, but a damper on an already lame Monday morning.
* Lunch was disgusting - ha! I thought the tastelessness of cottage cheese would hide behind some salty jerky, but the turkey jerky is almost sweet, and it didn't soak up any liquid. The silver lining is I learned to never make that again.
* Costco Normandy frozen veggies in a bowl - zap three minutes in the microwave while the oven heats up to a broil. Light coconut oil spray on baking sheet, place now-thawed veggies on it, go four minutes, turn four minutes until there's a slight char from the broil. Remove, sprinkle with lemon and Himalayan pink sea salt. Delicious and filling. I knew about the fiber and vitamins in broccoli but didn't know about the protein. (Plant protein, but still.) I'll make this again.
* I hope to use the new scale - successfully this time - tomorrow morning, so I expect to weigh +0.4lbs. Oh well. Not worried.

[AlexSays]

Them there dinners are making me hungry, stop trying to hurt my progress!!

Nice going dude, I've always found IF to be a great appetite controller, better to be stuffed part of the day than not quite full all day!

Keep it up

Edit: forget macro ratios, so long as you're hitting your minimums try not to stress (Y)

[66jzmstr]

Them there dinners are making me hungry, stop trying to hurt my progress!!

Nice going dude, I've always found IF to be a great appetite controller, better to be stuffed part of the day than not quite full all day!

Keep it up

Edit: forget macro ratios, so long as you're hitting your minimums try not to stress (Y)

Thanks, Alex!

Yeah, most of the meals have been great so far (not including Monday's lunch, which was a gag reflex test).

The program I'm following says, shoot for 60% protein, but 50% is permissible in the program, and it's getting easier. If I ever hit 60%, I'll pat myself on the back, and then continue on with 50%. You're right, though: If it's something I'm stressing over, it's probably hurting the sustainability of the diet, so not stressing over a few missed days is best. (In other words, I need to keep the expression in mind, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.")

Good call, and thanks again!

[66jzmstr]

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 207.4

Lunch: Not much time between Zoom meetings despite no classes to teach today: a whirlwind of jerky, Greek yogurt cups, shake o' protein. 100g of protes and 700 calories in 15 minutes: Good eats, yet a feat I hope not to repeat.

Dinner: Fall harvest salad with a half-pound of rotisserie chicken breast, oven-broiled Normandy veggies, bag o' Quest, and a can o' Dry cucumber to drink.

Dessert: Old-school Leangains with protein fluff. I got my Dymatize vanilla casein today and immediately put it to use, mixing in a cup of frozen blueberries and then topped of with some Magic Spoon (protein) cereal, blueberry flavor. along with some sliced Bartlett pear on le side. Also a Trutein Naturals PB&choco shake with a Halo Top PB swirl pop. (I think the flavor of the regular Trutein PB&choco is better with more PB flavor, but this Naturals version has a nice cocoa flavor.)

Totals: 2500cal (313P, 190C, 57F: 50% of total cals from protein, on the dot)





Workout C
Deadlifts: 385x5 REP PR, 345x9
OHP: 147.5x8 REP PR, 140x7, 132.5x9
(two sets each of face pulls and lateral cable flies for dessert, then one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

Notes
* I didn't hit my rep target of 6 for DLs, so I'll attempt this weight again next Tuesday, but it's still a rep PR, so no complaints. Also, I was able to add a rep on my second and final set, so it's still a slight increase in total DL volume. Hook grip is my friend.
* Stoked on the OHP rep PR. (My OHP has locked legs, but I will shift hips forward a bit to create a slight rebound from the chest, a la Rippetoe/SS. No push press, though.) This time, however, I tried to follow the Leangains protocol of going with only a 5% reduction for the second set (save DLs, squats, weighted chins). Oof. I had always dropped 10%, so the second set was rough. (Martin says that the OHP specifically might be better off with a 7.5% "breakdown" or reduction for subsequent sets if you cannot match the total of the first, top set. I'll do that next week.)
* I've never been so damn stuffed on a deficit. Granted, it's only a 9% deficit for training days, but dear lawd I possess a portly trunk from dinner not even an hour ago. Lunch was rushed and only around 700 calories, so dinner was 1800 (!). Feels good, though. Lots of lean protein, fiber, and casein, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not even all that hungry by lunch time tomorrow.
* After two days of monkeying with it, I gave up on the Arborleaf scale: No 5GHz WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth connection didn't relay all the data, and the app doesn't seem to allow manipulation of the data to get easy - or any - weekly averages of my weigh-ins. It's not awful, and its accompanying app is still rated better than most scales in its price range, but I'll recoup my $40 and stick with my trusty, old (digital but app-less) scale that I began this cut with.

[66jzmstr]

REST DAY

Today's weight: 206.8

Lunch: Egg bites, Tillamook beef jerk, string cheese, two Greek yogurt cups, a Trutein shake.

Dinner: A heap of pulled pork, toasted & salted Normandy veggies, a bag o' Quest, some red bell peps. For dessert, some dry-roasted peanuts with a double-size Dymatize vanilla casein shake.

Totals: 2000cal (259P, 64C, 79F: 52% of calories from protein)

Notes
* I switched up my lifting schedule - and volume - to better reflect what's prescribed by Martin in his book, so tomorrow is barbell rows, bench press, and then some accessory work. Stoked to hit it, and because I've changed things up, tomorrow will be my first look-ma-no-legs lifting day in ... eight months? (Granted, my gym-less home workouts during quarantine were very limited, so jump squats and infinite lunges never felt like a true leg day, even if DOMS followed. Sprints were fun, though.)
* I realize that I've got a series of set meals: chicken breast salads, pulled pork, steak & veg, poke, chicken tacos, etc. I plan to work in some more items, like bringing back Martin's omelette, trying the Leangains chili, and more, but the routine makes things easier, and their flavors all range from decent to great, so no complaints.

[66jzmstr]

TRAINING DAY

Today's weight: 206.8

Lunch: One egg bite, Tillamook beef jerk, string cheese, a Greek yogurt cup, a cup of skyr, and a Trutein shake.

Dinner: Big chicken shawarma wrap, an even bigger lamb gyro, a strawberry Trutein shake, and a big bowl of vanilla casein fluff with over a cup of frozen blueberries in it.

Totals: 2501cal (315P, 196C, 56F: 50% of calories from protein)

Workout B
Barbell Rows: 205x10 REP PR, 195x11, 185x12
Bench Press: 220x6, 210x7, 200x9
(cable chest flies and overhead tricep cable work for dessert and one-legged bridges for extra low-back work)

Notes
* Today's bench work was Certified Sub-Optimal®! Ugh. In the Leangains book, it referenced checking Alan Thrall for solid form instruction for most lifts. Starting Strength has served me well on that front, but I'm open to learning new things. Alan will be the first to say you can have a strong bench without a crazy rainbow of an arch, but he instructs a pretty high arch, which I tried for all my warm-up and work sets. Maybe not for me. I did feel really stable, but it felt like my lats did far more work than my pecs. I supposed going with barbell rows first, which makes sense, had something to do with that, but I'll probably go back to more of a SS-form for bench next week. With previously herniated lumbar discs, hyperextending - even only isometrically - to achieve such an arch under load might not be the wisest thing for me.
* Barbell rows were solid. Alan's instruction on those was mostly in line with Rip's, but his perspective was different and certainly clarified a few things for me, and today I got a rep PR on my top set.
* It wasn't until the end of dinner that I realized how much of my protein today was coming from whey and casein. Not a bad thing, but I think the next time I try to fit shawarma or gyros into a post-workout meal, I'll just get one of them - i.e. not both - and then order some chicken on the side so I'm not as reliant on protein powder to hit my protein macros.