Misery Management

Training
1

So, wondering how you guys manage the malaise that comes with cutting…

I have dropped about 50lbs of fat in the last 5 years, and though I am not lean enough to see my abs yet, I now have visible veins at rest in my forarms, shins, knees, biceps, and front delts. I’m guessing I am somewhere between 13-16%BF. Over the last 6 months, I have been on a quest to actually see my abs. Unfortunately, it seems the only time I make visible progress with fatloss is when I am f—ing miserable.

I dial down to 12 cals/lb, and increase HIIT to 3x/wk. At that point, I make progress (half a belt notch, more veins) but I reach for more coffee about once-an-hour just to stay upright. After about 14 days in that zone, I usually dial it back (unless I come down with a rhinovirus first) and get myself straight again before attempting another deprivation cycle.

My demo’s: 40yo endomorph, 5’8" 183 lbs, 34" waist (relaxed, with a tape at navel). Maintenance calories = ~2450 when training 4x/week. I am carb sensitive, so I try to keep them under 120g on non-training days, under 200g on gym days, and under 250g on days I am very active (yard projects, etc.) When cutting, I will have more 120g carb days, and cut some fat grams as well, keeping protein at 200-210g. I am lifetime natural, supps are fish oil, multi, Mg/Ca, Vit-C, Vit-D and PWO Whey.

What do you guys do to maintain energy level? Or alternately, how are you able to cut without diving into deprivation?

2

I don’t understand how you can be 183lbs and complaining that you are feeling rough on 2450kcal, it aint that low.

I’m still trying to maintain my weight and currently at 1700kcal and only 60g carbs, training twice a day and 6 days a week and feel fine but I assume your yard project work must be fairly tough.

However, I personally enjoy the feeling of being hungry when dieting but regarding energy I just drink coffee, only one cup before I train and I’ve got enough energy for the day. I also kept sanity by my binge day once a week, eating up to 5000kcal.

Have you tried doing steady state cardio rather than HIT? If you are reaching for coffee a lot maybe consider buying HOT-ROX, you will get the stimulant effects as well as the fat burning properties.

3

Sounds like Maybe you need a few months maintaining your weight and then Maybe go for the final push.Maybe back off on hiit and add some liss / miss sessions and reduce calories further if you want to grind through. Also Maybe get some blood work done

4

start TRT

thank me later

5

Rattle,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry to confuse - I am fine at maintenance level of 2450. I only bonk when I go down from there to <2100.

If you are at 1700 6d/wk, and 5000 1d/wk, then your weekly average is 2170. I can see how that would make a huge difference. Do you typically eat clean on your refeed day? What are your macros on that day?

BTW - you look very lean in your pic. Were you pretty lean growing up, or is that all sweat-equity? Either way, nice work.

6

[quote]orcrist wrote:
Rattle,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry to confuse - I am fine at maintenance level of 2450. I only bonk when I go down from there to <2100.

If you are at 1700 6d/wk, and 5000 1d/wk, then your weekly average is 2170. I can see how that would make a huge difference. Do you typically eat clean on your refeed day? What are your macros on that day?

BTW - you look very lean in your pic. Were you pretty lean growing up, or is that all sweat-equity? Either way, nice work.[/quote]

It would honestly change from week to week because I not only saw it as a way to get physical benifits, leptin etc. but also to just relax my mind and really just have what I want, sometimes it would be red meat, salads and cheese and sometimes candy and pizza has, majority of the time it was carbs I was craving for.

Thanks, I’ve always been really skinny so I guess some rules don’t apply for me on stuff like refeed days lol.

7

What!?!?! You feel miserable because your body is telling you to stop starving it. I’m 179lbs steady and around 8-7% BF and I’ve maintained this level of BF for 6 months now. My maintenance calories are 2900 at 5’11’’ and I only lift 3 times a week! Aside from the other two days in the work week where the miltary makes me do some random PT workouts.

On the days I don’t lift I eat at a 20% calorie reduction, but I still have loads of strength and energy. If I were you I would try intermittent fasting and see if your body responds to that. Other wise you should up your calories to maintenance on days you lift and eat at a 15-20% calorie reduction on days you don’t. That should signal your body that you aren’t starving it anymore and it will start to let go a little more fat off your body.

8

Mann,
Judging by your post and avatar, you are perhaps a couple decades younger than me, with very different genetics. 16% BF is my lifetime leanest. The rest of my extended family are all over 35% BF. I have never had a maintenance caloric level.

I am either in strict diet mode with a deficit, or I am gaining fat. If I stay at the same BW for more than a month, I can always see muscle loss and an increase in waist size. Five years ago I dropped 35 lbs on a hard cut to get from 36% BF to about 20%. After a couple years of bouncing up and down, in 2012, I dropped 25lb from 25% BF to 16% BF.

To stay close to that level, I alternate between <2,100 calories with lots of Metcon and miserable, Or heavy strength training in circuits with 2,400-2,500 calories. I am not lean enough to benefit from any hypertrophy-focused programs. I just burn out from too few calories, or gain more fat than muscle when I eat more (2,650 cals last time I tried).

Mr Walkway is probably right, but my age and T are not in the right range for my doctor at this stage.