Why do you intend to drop calories for a peaking phase?
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Training volume is lower and ideally I want to be ~46kg on testing day.
Also, dropping 300kcal won’t make much of a/any difference in terms of actual body comp. It’s more as a discipline measure to cut out foods that cause bloat/water retention. My gut hasn’t exactly been happy with all the extra dairy/carbs that I’ve been able to fit in.
A peaking phase is arguably the worst time to reduce calories in, especially so if you don’t need to make weight (which you shouldn’t try in the first place if you’re not going for any records in most cases). The peaking phase comes after the heaviest cycle of your training in which you did the most “damage” to your body and aims to display your maximal strength. By not giving your body what it needs to repair the “damage” and putting in the fuel to display it’s maximal strength, your selling yourself short. You’re limiting your potential significantly.
Why do it then? Be safe and keep the 300 kcal in and assess afterwards.
This is a very dangerous way of argumentation. I have heard it before a number of times in relation to food.
Well maybe swap for foods that you can process more easily. I doubt it’s the calorie count that’s upsetting your stomach.
You’re on a roll here. Keep it up!!!
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This pleases me so much! Go you!
Edit: Though I agree with @Koestrizer.
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Best progress pic so far Anna - looking strong and lean. Very happy to see you’ve backed away from the scale and are embracing eating more and better. The physical progress is a big deal but the mental side is 10 times bigger.
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Grades for two of my midterms came out. I did significantly worse than expected on both 
I thought I crushed both of them but now my chances of getting an A are now in jeopardy…
Now I’m scared about the other ones since I was much less confident
With your work ethic if you messed up, most of the other people in class did too. Don’t sweat it.
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So turns out I did very marginally better than average on one of them (81 vs 80)
Idk what the average is for the other one…
The thing is that my classes never curve
It’s all on the finals now. I think I still have a chance.
Shit… just realized that I did quite poorly on another one of my finals …
I wish grades didn’t matter and that I could be fine wjth B’s
I really want to pull the nuclear option and contact my friend （that one)
Half of my professors make it a point to mention how they went through most of their undergrad years with grades below A’s before we take midterms. You can still go on to do what you want to do without straight A’s.
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Great point @jshaving.
Anna, for reference (and yeah I know n=1) I graduated undergrad with between a B and B+ average (3.17 out of 4). I had minimal issues finding a job and even less issue getting into the graduate school I really wanted (high tier private school).
Especially if you can get published or at least pre-published as an undergrad, that will trump a couple of still better than average but not perfect grades.
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Everything is going to be okay
One of the exams was curved after all so as long as I continue to do well on homeworks and don’t bomb the exam, I’ll be fine
Aside from that, my advisor (nitpicky one) sent me a reassuring email. Turns out he actually cares since he usually doesn’t respond to email during normal waking hours.
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Week 4: day 3
Deadlift: 1x5-60,80,90; 1x5-100, 110, 1x1-120kg
Front squats: 1x5-50, 1x4-60; 2x2, 1x1-70kg
Deadbugs: 5x10/side
Pullups: 2x6, 1x5, 1x4
Bench: 1x10-30,35, 1x8-40, 1x6-45; 2x6-50kg
Lunges: 5x5/side-60kg
Incline bench: 4x5-95lbs
Cable row: 3x8-70lbs
- this workout brought to you by rage- not a furious wild rage, the seething quiet rage, the pulls felt amazingly smooth and easy, I could have done more reps at 120 but I tweaked my left adductor, rest of it went very well
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I genuinely think this is one of the biggest PRs I’ve seen in the log
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Week 4: day 4 (Wednesday)
Db waiter carry: 5x25m/side-70lb db
Good morning: 4x5-55kg
Tricep push down: 3x12-22.5lbs
- can’t really call this a conditioning session, just getting some work in
Week 4: day 5 (yesterday)
Bench: 1x10-30,35 40kg; 5x5-45kg, feet up
Front raises: 5x5-12.5lb dbs
35min weighted walk- 12.5kg in pack
Weighted pull-up: 1x1-12.5kg, 3x2-7.5kg, 1x3-5kg
Curls: 5x5-20kg
- felt pretty good, bench moved very well, weighted walk felt good too- got HR up a bit
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I think I might have a slight egg intolerance…
I had some yesterday and I was bloated and kind of nauseous even though I didn’t eat in a surplus or have other offenders (extra sugar, dairy, salt)
On another note; I’m starting to notice a bit of a pattern in how I look. At the start of the month, I look very lean for a few days, then I puff up, the deflate again for a precious few days. Ive been puffy for a couple of days now
The other thing is that I’m noticing a lower abdomen pooch. This isn’t a good sign hormone wise
Isn’t the reality probably the opposite of this statement?
Not sure how this link will embed but,
Fat accumulation around the midsection is a pretty telltale sign of menopause… if it were my quads that got less defined, I’d still be pissed but not concerned. The funny thing is that my legs have been looking leaner if anything
Im not actually sure if it is fat at this point. I really hope it isn’t because I haven’t intentionally been trying to gain weight.
For some reason, it’s been very hard for me to convey the difference between fat gain when intentionally on a bulk and fat gain when attempting maintenance
Anyways, it isn’t bothering me too much right now bc my belt still fits well and lifts have been doing really well. Bodyweight ratios aren’t affected too much either bc I’m lazy and go off 105lbs/48kg I should be able to drop at least 1kg of water if I need to
I’m too out of my depth to state that this were true but on the face of it I’d assume it’s unlikely for you to begin menopause while this young and while on HRT (assuming you are still on HRT). Am I mistaken?
I’m too spent from a stomach bug to be a decent devil’s advocate so I’ll just humbly suggest something about having such high demands on your body that you won’t see the results you desire.
I’ve stopped a over year ago
My last hormone panel done 3 months ago was normal. I’m getting another one done in two weeks. I’m afraid that the numbers have dropped
If they did, I’m in big trouble with my parents