5 month Lockdown Transformation

[AndresSunSeeker]

Hello everyone! first post here
bad breakup, depression and not being allowed to go outside on most days due to covid made me wanna start working my ass off and change things up. Pretty sure some of you here can relate or at least I hope so.

Started IF 16h-8h sometimes 20-24hrs depending on how I feel. Also on calorie deficit (around 1800kcal per day sometimes 1700-1900. I'm 5'7" and weigh 155pounds. I've been eating 128-135gr protein per day, rest carbs and fats depending on if I was training or just chillin') Supps: Magnesium, Omega3, Vitamin D. Lots and lots of green tea, water and coffee.

I feel that I might have hit a plateau. I've read that "cutting" for more than 12 weeks is no bueno so I'm asking for your advice here. Is it actually bad to keep going on a calorie deficit?? I recently started running 4-5k in the afternoon to clear my mind a bit (I work from home) and to see if I can burn a bit of extra fat by burning those calories. (no fatigue so far)

It wasn't easy going from probably 2400kcal to 1800, fasting and training but I'm really really happy with the results, I just turned 35, I feel great and I want to keep going until that stubborn fat is gone and I'm shredded af!

Any advice would be highly appreciated

[illpinoise]

Nice progress OP. What are your goals?

[AndresSunSeeker]

Nice progress OP. What are your goals?

Thanks man!
I want to keep losing fat, get to probably 9-10%. (I should be around 14% rn) I'm guessing anything lower than that would be hard to sustain.

[tjcashmoney]

I've been cutting for 11 months. Currently I'm 5'8 175lbs down from 240. I had your exact same question, mainly because I was sick of cutting. At the time I was looking for an excuse to allow myself to eat.

I digress. Long story short, I talked to my primary care doctor about it. She told me that remaining in a deficit is fine.

Couple things to note: I would recommend you increase your protein intake. This is something my doctor recommended because I also had plateaud at the time. Do you use a food scale? Have you redone your tdee and adjusted your cut? Your maintenance should be around 1900 cals. I think that is why you're plateauing. You may want to look at cutting to 1400-1500. I'm at 1600 for my own cut, and I'm bigger than you. If that helps.

[AndresSunSeeker]

Hey there, thank you v much for your answer!
Couple things to note: I would recommend you increase your protein intake >> I guess I could go up to 140gr, some days I do though. 128gr is the minimum. What are your macros?
Do you use a food scale? I do yes
Have you redone your tdee and adjusted your cut? I have, but instead of eating less I started running, it's easier and I replace those 200-300 calories that I'm not ingesting with a 20-30 min run.
Your maintenance should be around 1900 cals. I think that is why you're plateauing. You may want to look at cutting to 1400-1500. I'm at 1600 for my own cut, and I'm bigger than you. >> NOTED! I've been thinking about lowering my calorie intake. I also think that's why I'm plateuing...

[tjcashmoney]

My macros are 200g protein, 60g carbs and 62g fat. At least those are my goals, they sometimes fluctuate.

Running is a good way to cut additional cals. When did you start running? Do you think your plateau could partly be water retention from starting a new exercise?

I personally look at cardio as icing on the proverbial cake. I don't count it in my cut count. I was doing a 5k run 3x per week too until my weight routine got to be too much for me to handle both. I haven't noticed much of a difference in my weight loss without cardio.

This past week I lost 3.5lbs without cardio. Which is too aggressive... If it happens again this coming week I might have to adjust.

[AndresSunSeeker]

I just started running 2 weeks ago, just trying to find new ways of cutting those extra cals without having to restrict my food intake too much. Might be water retention too. I guess I'll have to give it a couple more weeks and see if that's what's happening.

I should've mentioned, gyms are closed where I live so I've built a small one at home. I've been doing as much as I can with an olympic barbell, some dumbbells and pretty much anything I can find laying around the house that is heavy enough, like water gallons, paint gallons, sandbags, etc. Without a proper gym it's very hard, so maybe that's also why I'm not really noticing big changes and it's getting harder to see progress.

Also, I've lost probably 4 pounds max in these 5 months. As weird as it sounds. I stay at 154-156

[illpinoise]

Good job progressing with minimal equipment! Have you tried maintenance breaks to keep BMR from plummeting too low? Based on your posts it doesn’t appear to me your BMR has been affected too much. Keep it up!!

[snailsrus]

I've been cutting for 11 months. Currently I'm 5'8 175lbs down from 240. I had your exact same question, mainly because I was sick of cutting. At the time I was looking for an excuse to allow myself to eat.

I digress. Long story short, I talked to my primary care doctor about it. She told me that remaining in a deficit is fine.

Couple things to note: I would recommend you increase your protein intake. This is something my doctor recommended because I also had plateaud at the time. Do you use a food scale? Have you redone your tdee and adjusted your cut? Your maintenance should be around 1900 cals. I think that is why you're plateauing. You may want to look at cutting to 1400-1500. I'm at 1600 for my own cut, and I'm bigger than you. If that helps.

no no no no. 1400-1500 calories is not enough. I’m 5’2-5’3ish and 100lbs and I would never cut at that low of calories

Also, op your body fat is higher than you think

[AlexSays]

I just started running 2 weeks ago, just trying to find new ways of cutting those extra cals without having to restrict my food intake too much. Might be water retention too. I guess I'll have to give it a couple more weeks and see if that's what's happening.

I should've mentioned, gyms are closed where I live so I've built a small one at home. I've been doing as much as I can with an olympic barbell, some dumbbells and pretty much anything I can find laying around the house that is heavy enough, like water gallons, paint gallons, sandbags, etc. Without a proper gym it's very hard, so maybe that's also why I'm not really noticing big changes and it's getting harder to see progress.

Also, I've lost probably 4 pounds max in these 5 months. As weird as it sounds. I stay at 154-156

If you have lost 4lb in 5 months you are basically recomping, not cutting. That is not necessarily a bad thing but it does mean that your intake is likely much higher than you think it is and your counting is off. Staying in a deficit is absolutely fine if your goal is to continue losing fat. If you feel you are at a plateau then just reduce your food intake and you will start losing again, if you have only lost those 4lb then you are not eating at 1700 cals. Probably closer to 2400-2600 (your deficit is roughly 100 cals per day given your rate of loss).

Anything you hear which complicates the cutting process is almost certainly BS. 'Time limits' and 'increasing calories to start losing again' etc. Basically eat less than you burn to lose fat. If you aren't losing fat you need to eat less. End of

good luck man

[AndresSunSeeker]

Good job progressing with minimal equipment! Have you tried maintenance breaks to keep BMR from plummeting too low? Based on your posts it doesn’t appear to me your BMR has been affected too much. Keep it up!!

Thanks a lot man! no I haven't, I used to play rugby and I was always just bulking, this is the first time that I start cutting, hence why I'm so lost or maybe getting a bit paranoid lol. It's been kinda hard to do keep making progress, that's why I added a bit of cardio to see if I can see any changes.

[AndresSunSeeker]

thank you for your answer! yep probably recomping, tbh I didn't really look at the scale that much at the start. I use kgs so I'm sorry if I was confusing with my numbers. I started at 75kg=165pounds, for the last 2 months whenever I look at the scale I'm pretty much stuck at 71kg=156.5 pounds give or take, depending on the time of the day. Maybe that's where the mistake is.

About the calories hum I don't think I'm that off. I use a food scale, count calories with FatSecret and I definitely don't cheat haha I add absolutely everything I eat. I have been eating probably at 1800 sometimes but 2400 is a big jump.

Basically eat less than you burn to lose fat. If you aren't losing fat you need to eat less. End of >>> Totally!! I honestly don't eat that much, that's why I was wondering if 1700 is ok, 1600 seems impossible for me. I think that's my limit, that's why I rather start doing a bit of cardio and keep it at 1700kcal, I don't think starving is good 🤷

[AndresSunSeeker]

Also, op your body fat is higher than you think >> Never actually took my body fat percentage, just looking at photos of estimates on the internet now and guessing where I'm at lol
What would you say is the best way to measure it? and what's a sustainable and healthy percentage?

[HannoCometh]

It's the opposite for some people. Some dudes may not have their own equipment and have actually lost muscle and mass and gotten a little weaker which makes your post a little strange and ironic.

I, myself, doubt I could bench what I could in 2019 or January 2020 because of shut gyms and my biceps have DEFINITELY gotten smaller...

General fitness has probably also worsened in some people (stereotypical "are you even fit" fitness). I'm definitely much less for than I was over a year ago... If my life expectancy in 2019 was 102, it's now probably 72. "Lockdowns" and "shut gyms" have most likely shaved 3 decades off my life expectancy...

[AlexSays]

thank you for your answer! yep probably recomping, tbh I didn't really look at the scale that much at the start. I use kgs so I'm sorry if I was confusing with my numbers. I started at 75kg=165pounds, for the last 2 months whenever I look at the scale I'm pretty much stuck at 71kg=156.5 pounds give or take, depending on the time of the day. Maybe that's where the mistake is.

About the calories hum I don't think I'm that off. I use a food scale, count calories with FatSecret and I definitely don't cheat haha I add absolutely everything I eat. I have been eating probably at 1800 sometimes but 2400 is a big jump.

Basically eat less than you burn to lose fat. If you aren't losing fat you need to eat less. End of >>> Totally!! I honestly don't eat that much, that's why I was wondering if 1700 is ok, 1600 seems impossible for me. I think that's my limit, that's why I rather start doing a bit of cardio and keep it at 1700kcal, I don't think starving is good ������

Ah sorry you said you'd lost 4 pounds. If you've lost 4kg (9lb) then you're closer but still off. This would only leave you at a 200 calorie deficit per day. This may explain the stall as 200cals is a small margin which isn't a huge leap for the body to adapt to.

Therefore mathematically it is highly unlikely you're only eating 1800 calories per day unless you had an freakishly low BMR and were completely inactive.

Doesn't really matter if your tracking is off so long as it is consistently off, the advice is the same, lower your intake if you want to lose fat at a faster rate (or if you've stalled).

[AndresSunSeeker]

Therefore mathematically it is highly unlikely you're only eating 1800 calories per day unless you had an freakishly low BMR and were completely inactive. >>> BINGO! hahaha sometimes I AM completely inactive. Bc of the lockdown I can't go anywhere on weekends so I basically just get up to workout and then back to the couch/bed, been doing this since March unfortunately ... also I work from home, so Monday to Friday I rarely move or walk as much as I used to before covid :/

Doesn't really matter if your tracking is off so long as it is consistently off, the advice is the same, lower your intake if you want to lose fat at a faster rate (or if you've stalled). >>>> yep 100% I think I will have to go make sure I'm actually consuming 1700kcal and if I am I will just have to go 1600kcal... Thanks again for the advice!

[AlexSays]

Therefore mathematically it is highly unlikely you're only eating 1800 calories per day unless you had an freakishly low BMR and were completely inactive. >>> BINGO! hahaha sometimes I AM completely inactive. Bc of the lockdown I can't go anywhere on weekends so I basically just get up to workout and then back to the couch/bed, been doing this since March unfortunately ... also I work from home, so Monday to Friday I rarely move or walk as much as I used to before covid :/

Doesn't really matter if your tracking is off so long as it is consistently off, the advice is the same, lower your intake if you want to lose fat at a faster rate (or if you've stalled). >>>> yep 100% I think I will have to go make sure I'm actually consuming 1700kcal and if I am I will just have to go 1600kcal... Thanks again for the advice!

No problem, good luck man

[AndresSunSeeker]

It's the opposite for some people. Some dudes may not have their own equipment and have actually lost muscle and mass and gotten a little weaker which makes your post a little strange and ironic.

I, myself, doubt I could bench what I could in 2019 or January 2020 because of shut gyms and my biceps have DEFINITELY gotten smaller...

General fitness has probably also worsened in some people (stereotypical "are you even fit" fitness). I'm definitely much less for than I was over a year ago... If my life expectancy in 2019 was 102, it's now probably 72. "Lockdowns" and "shut gyms" have most likely shaved 3 decades off my life expectancy...

Yeah well I'm definitely limited bc of the little equipment I have and it gets boring sometimes but it's better than nothing...
If your life expectancy is what worries you maybe you should look into intermittent fasting, I started also a few months ago and is also a good way to keep you sane and motivated. I know there are some loonies out there that make it sound like is a religion but hey, same goes for bodybuilding or fitness in general. If you are interested I recommend the book "The longevity diet" book, by Valter Longo "
Cheers!