This is a thread for all of us trying to shed body fat. It does not matter how you are doing it, it just matters that the fat is coming off. I’m 5 days into my plan, and I’m set to take my measurements in 2 days. I’ve been absolutely perfect so far in regards to my diet and I was about to call my wife and meet her at a burger joint, until I read Eric’s response about midwestern fatties. I reached for the can of tuna, apple and orange instead. Anyway, I just wanted to get this thing started, but it would be nice to hear what people are doing and the kind of progress they are making week after week. I’ll post my first weeks results in a couple of days. Until then, happy fat loss!
Good Idea for a thread. Currently Im on 100 grams of carbs., 160 grams of Protein, 60 g. of fat w/(5 grams of creatine, glutamine postworkout, 25mg of sublingual 4-diol before workout, Vitex and t2). Workout is Meltdown trainig with a 3x10 protocol of biceps on mon. and thursd. and a 3x10 triceps routine on tues. and frid. One week so far and lost three pounds, Im sure most of it was water weight but Im looking a tad bit sharper. Im at 7% bf right now trying to get to 4 or 5%. Thinking of adding Mag-10 for weeks three and four, but have not found enough feedback about what it did for others while on meltdown.
Yeeeaaahhhhh Buddddyyy!!! I need a little support, especially since my legs are starting to resemble toothpicks! By the way, you just had to rub in the apple and orange comment, didn’t you? My daily carb treat is a whopping 1/3 cup oatmeal (dry measure) with breakfast. Other than that, I feel like I’m living on eye of round, fish oil, turkey, CLA, and egg whites. As soon as this thing is over, I’m going to eat the entire orchard…
Wow - cool. This thread will be especially helpful during my contest prep. My competition is on June 1st and I might compete in the Oregon State on June 22nd. However, I stay lean year round but like to start contest prep early. So I’m starting my prep now - which consists of dropping beer and limiting cookie intake (very sad…). With that said, I’ve already started to see a effect. That’s usually the case. I can get lean pretty quickly. And that’s a odd thing for a 36-year old woman, right? Anywhoos, this is cool! Hey a fat loss support network! Yeah!
I’m going to be doing my first fat loss diet EVER in a few weeks(my age is catching up with my metabolism!!! I never thought it would happen to me!). I’m scared to death, I haven’t been under 3500 cals in years. I think I may try the Fat Fast diet. 1500 cals of flax oil and protein powder… ugh…
I’m 3 weeks into a serious cutting cycle and have lost 13 lbs over the 3 wks but the rate of loss has really started to slow down the last few days. Before I seriously started the cutting cycle 3 weeks ago, I semi-dieted and lost 11 lbs over about 5 weeks for a total loss of 24 lbs in the past 8 weeks. I would like to lose another 6-8 lbs by Easter at which time I should be at <6% BF. I’m eating low carb trying to keep carbs below 70-100 grams a day (<70 on nonlifting days and <100 on lifting days). I considered a keto diet as I did that once before (Lyle McDonald style) to get down to 6% and it worked really well but it was brutal and I couldn’t bring myself to completely give up carbs again. I’m only lifting 2 days a week - full body WO with high reps as I cann’t lift heavy due to recovering from a lower torn biceps tendon last Dec 19 while doing heavy deads on a Mag-10 bulking cycle (had surgery to fix the tendon on Dec 31). My rehab has been going well but have lost a lot of strength in my right arm and the biceps is really ugly - the muscle is pulled back and bunched up. Since I cann’t lift heavy till approx May 1, I’m rehabbing with high rep, light weight and decided to get ripped instead. I will start to bulk again in May. Since I cann’t do serious lifting WO’s, I’ve been relying on cardio twice a day to burn calories (God, I hate cardio). I do 30 min every morn and 45-50 min every nite (60 min once in a while) doing some high intensity intervals during the session (I sweat like a pig). I’ve been reducing calories by 100 every week (the last 3 wks). I started at 1800 and am down to 1500. Maintenance for me is about 2800-3000 calories if I’m lifting heavy but during the 5 weeks leading up to the cutting cycle, I worked down to about 2200-2400 (as wasn’t doing any lifting during most of that time due to the injury) but wasn’t keeping a food log at that time so was going by guesstamate experience. I don’t think I can go any lower calories and that may be why the rate of fat loss has slowed down (that and the fact I’m well under 10% BF now). For supplements, I’ve been using Androsol morning only with tribex and vitex. The tribex I only do 5 days on and 2 off each week. I also do the 5 on, 2 off with mucuna extract standardized for l-dopa to boost hgh. I also had a couple bottles (had stocked up) of the old T2 and use 3 a day and had an old bottle of triax and do 3 a day also. I had also stocked up last year on the old original MD6 and have been alternating weeks between the original MD6 and Zenadrine (I’m using zenadrine instead of the new MD6 beacause I had stocked up sometime last year on a couple bottles on a good sale). BTW, I’ll be 45 in May. I’ve got 2 bottles of Mag-10 and 2 bottles of Methoxy (for between cycles) in the fridge that unfortunately have been unable to use but am looking forward to using them in May. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
Yea, sweet thread idea Jason. I’m just easing into my cutting phase. About 250gm pro, 50-100gm carb (low on rest days high on others), and 80-100gm fat. I’m going to start cycling carbs once I start to feel depleted and bringing my fat down slowly. Also going to use Androsol to try to hold onto my muscle. Anyone used it during a cutting phase? I’m thinking 50 sprays a day(all in morn.?).
Started steroid dieting with mag10 5 days ago. Between 1300 & 1500 cals a day, carbs only from Surge, and a the few in my nighttime cottage cheese and ap. My strength is actually up a little bit from when I started… hopefully it stays this way. Last time I tried a lowcarb diet, I felt miserable all the time especially in the gym. This time the mag10 has me so excited I feel great all day. So far I’m probably down about 5 or 6 pounds… I’m not going to weigh myself until I get where I want to be, which shouldn’t take more than 2 weeks… I hope.
im on day 16 of Cy’s “Steroid Dieting” using Mag-10 2x a day. ive lost 11 pounds so far. ZERO muscle/size loss. its going well i must say, but im looking forward to starting to eat like a normal person again:-).
Eric - Even though I’m still taking in a good amount of carbs (200-220g/day), I know that I’ve lost a significant amount of glycogen. In the first day or two, I lost about 5 lbs from lack of water and glycogen loading in the muscle. It looks like I’ve gotten fatter, but it is just that my muscles are not as full and thus don’t stretch the skin out as much any more. Just wait until, your keto diet is over. You’ll load up on some carbs and with full muscles stretching out your skin, the cuts are going to show up even nicer…to Dirk D. - I know that there is not much feedback to using MAG-10 with Meltdown, but it would clearly help. It is up to your wallet really. If you have the cash, it would only help, but if your short on money, I would save it for the bulking stage after you hit your target weight. It will help incredibly to increase lean body mass without putting on any significant amount of fat.
Just wanted to support all of you who are on the “cutting train”…I figure I’ve got a good two or three months before the weather even starts to get good round here (canada), so I’m still on the old mass kick. Question: it seems as though the consensus round here for optimum fat loss is low carb diets…has everyone found that route to be the most effective previously, or are you all just trying something new? Let me know your thoughts. Remember - nothing tastes as good as being ripped feels!
Im on my second day of steroid dieting using mag 10, am getting about 1500/1600 cals, 300g of protein, 30/40 fat and a 100g of carbs with protein afetr workout - I almost blacked out the other night - Im on ‘meltdown’ at the moment and the intensity is unreal. Fat is coming off nicely and the abs are coming out nicely, as well as the definition in my back, am having problems with may arms though.
Cam - I have gotten into great shape recently through using a modified protein pulse diet(more like the magazine article in Ironman). I used it for a month, trained heavy - put on muscle and lost fat, and all the lifts increased too! I took in 100 grams of whey in the morning with a big bowl of oatmeal and 100 grams of whey + carb mix after training. The rest of my meals were low fat, 1 meal consisting of yoghurt and fruit, the next one AP and fruit, lunch was chicken and vegetables, AP and fruit next - then the 100 gram after workout shake, and a little cup of cottage cheese with fruit before bed. I cannot believe how well this worked. I only swapped to the 'steroid diet' as I have an event I have to be in shape for in 2 weeks which called for extremes. As soon as its over I am going on an 8 month size and strength protocol(bye bte abbs!) so I will rety it for bulking too.
JJ_360 - Although, I have not used androsol during a cutting phase, I asked a question about minimal dose and Bill Roberts said that 27-35 sprays a day in the a.m. would be noticeable but not significant. So I think that anything at least that high would be good for assisting with lean body mass retention. I’m thinking I may supplement the middle 4 weeks of my 8 week cycle with androsol at 35-70 sprays in the am. Starting at 35 and judging any progress from there…To everyone - My current plan is to use Hypertrophy Specific Training plus a lot of cardio. I know that cardio is considered a waste of time by many, but I believe that there is an advantage to eating more food and creating the negative energy balance via activity rather than calorie restriction. If you have not looked into HST, you can check it out a thinkmuscle.com. I think that it is an optimal workout regime to stimulate the muscles without destroying them. So aside from the 3 HST workouts a week, I’ll be adding at least 30 min cardio a day and up to an hour. I am also biking or rollerblading to work (5-6 mile roundtrip). I used to bike to school every day during college and I miss that. For diet, I’m using Don’t Diet at 2900 cals/day with an isocaloric breakdown and slightly more carbs on lifting days. Also using MD6 (3 per day), T2-Pro (3 per day), and tribex (2pills twice a day). I know that the label says 3 caps twice a day, but the original label said 4 caps twice a day and the potency was doubled, so I’m giving that a try. If I begin to lose any lean body mass, I may switch from Tribex to androsol or Methoxy-7. I may also add grean tea extract. I was drinking a few cups of green tea a day, but was pointed to an article on mercola.com about high fluoride content in tea. I’ve decided to hold off on drinking tea for now until I can find out some more. An HST cycle lasts 8 weeks plus one week of strategic deconditioning (basically a rest week). After that I will re-evaluate and go from there. Keep up the good work. And for anyone who is taking measurements on a regular basis, keep us posted. It is always nice to see the numbers. My numbers at the start of this cutting cycle are as follows 207 lbs, 178.43 lbs lean body mass (LBM), 28.57 lbs fat mass (FM) and 13.8% body fat. Oh well, it looks like I’ve got a ways to go to catch up to a bunch of you which is definately motivating to me.
Heya T-freques. I just wanted to add that ripping entails a different process(es) for everybody. At 5’7, 172, and perhaps 11-12% bf I was doing about 1800-1900 cals a day while keeping carbs under 100. NOT GOOD. While I lost some fat, I began to lose lean mass and the low-carb approach lost some appeal. I spoke with some individuals who are extrememly knowledgable on all subjects in the Training realm from nutrituion to reps/sets to supplementation. I was advised to up my intake to a maintenanance of about 2200-2400 cals, along with an average intake of 170-200 grams of carbs. While I didn’t know what to expect, after a couple days on this plan I felt fuller and have seen an increase in LBM while bodyfat seems to be gradually dissapearing. I am now testing out a plan in which I alternate higher carb weeks and higher fat weeks, keeping my protein intake within the 200-240 gram range. I am at the very end of an Androsol tour, and will switch over to M alond with Methoxy plus in addition to my T2/MD6 stack. While wanting to cut up, I do not want to sacrifice any LBM. I would also like to increase muscular density. Just wanted to reaffirm the concept that everybody is unique and discovering your ideal “ripping breakdown” takes some time and motivation. I gotta go eat. Lata.
“MBE: Your one stop tree top swing 'till ya drop since 1574.”
-Eric
Well I didn’t think I was going to have to worry about this for awhile as I had recently finished a 16+week diet and got shredded…then on the last day of my week off from training, I came down with a nice case of the stomach flu (special thanks to my co-worker…more specifically the owner…who felt the fucking need to come to work sick and spread it to everyone on the staff…AAAAARGH!) This put me out another week, and by then I had lost all motivation whatsoever and have succumbed (sp?) to a full-on eating binge, and not a clean food binge either. My 28 1/2 inch waist and full washboard are no more. Starting tomorrow, I resume dieting again to at least get back to where I was. Damn.
I’m glad to hear it from someone else, as I’ve been trying to convince myself that the size in my legs will come back as soon as I get some glycogen in them. My Mag-10 cycle ends in two days, and I’m going to have to make some changes in terms of training frequency and volume. I’ll probably go to a two-on, one-off, upper body/lower body split. I’ll definitely be cutting back on the cardio from my current six days per week schedule, though. In other words, I’ll be having two complete rest days per week. Total calories are at 1700-1800 per day right now, and I might go to 2000 via 20-30 carbs and a little healthy fat once I switch over to Methoxy, Tribex, and M. In spite of the apparent loss of size, I’m doing a decent job of maintaining my strength. For some reason, my chinning strength goes through the roof every time I diet. Go figure. Just something to think about to keep my mind off of how miserable I am. UGH!
I’ll start mine on 3-4-02. Ditch the measuring tape, and weigh yourself once a week on the same day, same time. There are too many variences with the tape measure, unless it is done about once a month, same time and day. For example, water and subconsiously contracting the muscle will affect frequent measuring. Also remember that, depending on the fat amount you have to start, the first 10 or so of scale wt. loss is about 99% water. The big deal is when it’s 12, 14, 16 lbs. or more. This thread will benefit all. Thanks to the one who began it. Remember, whatever wt. method you choose to use, the law of wt. loss is caloric expenditure must be more than calories consumed. Keep protein where your bod requires it, and don’t be overly fearful of muscle loss, most of it is unfounded. (assuming you aren’t single digit b.f.% when starting this) I’m an ex-fatty. See fatty post.
Dude - that is a crazy amount of whey! Sounds like it worked pretty well for you though. Do you have any idea of how much total weight/muscle weight you added? Just out of interest, why did you have to get cut so quickly…modelling or something?
I feel your pain…I do. I too have worked with people who have the strange need to come into the office on days where they are sick- and then make the rest of us sick. Well, my solution was to start taking vitamin C (500mg) several times a day, and since it’s a water-solubul vitamin, up to 500mg an hour is pretty safe(more than that, you’ll be welcoming Mr. Diahrea that day). Anywhoos, I also had (since I no longer work in a high-tech software environment), some-type of cleaning wipes (anti-bacterial) in my cubicle. I do believe that you contract viruses/colds from touching where a infected person has touched previously (door knobs, phones, etc). So, when I was preparing for a contest that was early-spring, I was fully prepared in winter! But I do feel you pain. Now I work nearby college students (Theater Arts) - and the students are much more into staying at home when they’re sick (thank god!), than at my previous office. But I’m no less careful - I make sure my water intake is still up, my food intake is strong, and my recovery time from training is good (well-paced). I have asthma also - so it’s a real must that I don’t get sick - once it hits my lungs that could be it, could be over, and all this hard work goes to waste.
Yeah it was pretty mad, the cals dropped a little than basline, but in 3 weeks i put on 3/4lbs of muscle - losing an equal amount of fat. It worked well and I didnt do anything else different. I ususlly do low carb, but it hasnt worked as well lately - hence I cobbled this one togeather - as well as it working I felt great. The reason for this madness can be summed up in a few words; hotel & blonde - I had a photo of me ripped to death scanned in & emailed to all of my colleagues around the UK. One girl who I had never met(and am now great friends) had never met anyone who looked like that and asked if I would like to go to this nightclub, and we could share a hotel. She is quite stunning, but I have been bulking hence my current pain to get in shape!