Calorie Deficit OR Low Carb

[UnicornDrpns]

Oh no.. am I doing something wrong. My macros are: 191g carbs / 149g protein / 38g fat = 1,700 calories...should I be eating less!? I just starting my cut and want to get to 18% body fat, currently at 21%

This looks great. I cut off 1700 calories but my protein is around 140ish, carbs 80-100 and the rest is fats. U look great already!

Basically, I would drop a BUNCH of the exercises you are doing. They become redundant at some point;

agreed. U put in some major work. That is awesome! Compound exercises is where it's at. Lift heavy and aim for 8-12 reps 3-4 sets. By the last 1-2 reps it should be almost impossible to do those reps , if not, it's not heavy enough.

a trained woman to gain more than 2 pounds of muscle in a YEAR is pretty hard. You won't wind up big and bulky by accident.

I lift as heavy as possible and have been doing so for years. I get a great pump in the gym but still look feminine and smallish despite my efforts to grow as big as possible. Plus even if u find you are too big, u can just lift less

After that fat and protein make up the rest of my macros

Same. I stick to a low cal diet better when it's high fat low carb. Carbs make me want to just eat everything...
I do zero cardio, lift 5 days a week, 2 days upper/2 lower and one day of whatever I feel like doing.

don't b afraid of cheat days either. That pic is after an entire wk of cheats. I currently am shredding at about 2-4 lbs per month, with major cheat weeks. It's great for maintaining metabolism. My instagram is in my signature and if u want I can let u have access to my mfp journal if u pm me.

 

[kjkitzman]

OK, so, everyone has different ways of doing this. My ideas aren't always the "popular" ideas and some may even recoil and fight me on what I recommend. It is what it is. Take what you want from what I say:

As far as spot reduction products - both Supernova and Invictus seem to be great products. Invictus gets great feedback but I've never used it. Supernova just flat out works - but it isn't like it will do the work for you. Do you use Ephedrine/Caffeine and/or yohimbine? These products are great for all around fat loss, but they will really help get rid of those areas that can be tougher. Evomuse Abliderate Ammo is also another option that reduces cortisol and can help as you get leaner.

Now, if this were me, I would revamp your training routine. I hesitate to make recommendations because I would totally overhaul things and take a different approach - and your approach is CLEARLY working. You have made some dramatic improvements. Still, my mentality is this - lifting weights builds muscle. That's it. It makes you strong and helps you hold onto lean tissue during a cut. Lifting weights CAN burn extra calories, but exercise is a hard way to lose weight (although, again, you're doing it just fine).

I would personally swap to a 3X per week weight lifting program, training half the body one day, the other half the second day, the first half again on the 3rd day. I would keep the exercises simple and focus on major compound movements. You don't have to do every exercise just because you know it. 1 exercise per bodypart, with 1-2 sets per exercise, carried to failure in the 6-10 rep range can be VERY effective.

Twice a week, on non-lifting days, I would do a HIIT cardio workout.

Chances are your workouts would go from 1 hour to about 30-40 minutes. You would burn less calories on these workouts, but gain more strength. You MAY have to adjust your diet down 100 calories/day to compensate - but let the diet do the work and have more challenging but breif exercise.

I currently use yohimnine HCL + caffeine! I get hesitant adding in so much cardio. Because I don't want to have to keep doing it to maintain my body. Any truth to that?

I do take Fish Oil Omega 3-6-9 and I take ashwagandha at night before bed so I sleep sound.

Are you saying only lift 3 days a week? Lower, Upper, and then Lower again

HIIT cardio fasted? I currently do sprints on treadmill. 30-40 seconds of work (185bpm) then 2 minutes light walking (165bpm) is that considered HIIT?

 

[kjkitzman]

This looks great. I cut off 1700 calories but my protein is around 140ish, carbs 80-100 and the rest is fats. U look great already! agreed. U put in some major work. That is awesome! Compound exercises is where it's at. Lift heavy and aim for 8-12 reps 3-4 sets. By the last 1-2 reps it should be almost impossible to do those reps , if not, it's not heavy enough.



I lift as heavy as possible and have been doing so for years. I get a great pump in the gym but still look feminine and smallish despite my efforts to grow as big as possible. Plus even if u find you are too big, u can just lift less

Same. I stick to a low cal diet better when it's high fat low carb. Carbs make me want to just eat everything...
I do zero cardio, lift 5 days a week, 2 days upper/2 lower and one day of whatever I feel like doing.

don't b afraid of cheat days either. That pic is after an entire wk of cheats. I currently am shredding at about 2-4 lbs per month, with major cheat weeks. It's great for maintaining metabolism. My instagram is in my signature and if u want I can let u have access to my mfp journal if u pm me.

I have been getting about 1650 calories in per day. On my rest days (one day a week) I do about 1550. I found that my cortisol levels skyrocket when I am on low carb. I don't get many cravings and if I do I can control them

I have IG kelseyjfit and my MFP is kjkitzman I will add you! thank you

 

[HIT4ME]

This looks great. I cut off 1700 calories but my protein is around 140ish, carbs 80-100 and the rest is fats. U look great already! agreed. U put in some major work. That is awesome! Compound exercises is where it's at. Lift heavy and aim for 8-12 reps 3-4 sets. By the last 1-2 reps it should be almost impossible to do those reps , if not, it's not heavy enough.



I lift as heavy as possible and have been doing so for years. I get a great pump in the gym but still look feminine and smallish despite my efforts to grow as big as possible. Plus even if u find you are too big, u can just lift less

Same. I stick to a low cal diet better when it's high fat low carb. Carbs make me want to just eat everything...
I do zero cardio, lift 5 days a week, 2 days upper/2 lower and one day of whatever I feel like doing.

don't b afraid of cheat days either. That pic is after an entire wk of cheats. I currently am shredding at about 2-4 lbs per month, with major cheat weeks. It's great for maintaining metabolism. My instagram is in my signature and if u want I can let u have access to my mfp journal if u pm me.

How can you argue with this?

I currently use yohimnine HCL + caffeine! I get hesitant adding in so much cardio. Because I don't want to have to keep doing it to maintain my body. Any truth to that?

I do take Fish Oil Omega 3-6-9 and I take ashwagandha at night before bed so I sleep sound.

Are you saying only lift 3 days a week? Lower, Upper, and then Lower again

HIIT cardio fasted? I currently do sprints on treadmill. 30-40 seconds of work (185bpm) then 2 minutes light walking (165bpm) is that considered HIIT?

You said it all perfectly. Workout 3 days a week...Heavy weights to make it hard and then give yourself to recover and adapt.

The sprints are great...Make sure the 40 seconds is as hard as you can go. Try making the recovery period 1.5 minutes instead of 2. Not necessary, but may have more impact.

As far as the cardio...Beyond the HIIT twice a week you probably don't need more cardio. The only reason you would need to keep doing it to maintain is to keep you TDEE up so that you can eat more and still maintain. I don't buy into the "adjustable metabolism" stuff that is over hyped in order to sell diet books and magazines. You would have to do something pretty extreme to see even a 200 calorie a day reduction in metabolism and you could recover from it with planning anyway.

As far as the 3-6-9 it isn't bad, but I ONLY use Omega 3s...Most people get plenty of 6-9 in their diets. I look for high EPA/DHA content. Now foods Ultra Omega and DHA-500 have good labels and I switch between those two - but some people question Now meeting label claims...

 

[FireTitan]

Thanks for the tag in this one HIT4ME(@ss) but im all Insies now.

 

[kjkitzman]

How can you argue with this?



You said it all perfectly. Workout 3 days a week...Heavy weights to make it hard and then give yourself to recover and adapt.

The sprints are great...Make sure the 40 seconds is as hard as you can go. Try making the recovery period 1.5 minutes instead of 2. Not necessary, but may have more impact.

As far as the cardio...Beyond the HIIT twice a week you probably don't need more cardio. The only reason you would need to keep doing it to maintain is to keep you TDEE up so that you can eat more and still maintain. I don't buy into the "adjustable metabolism" stuff that is over hyped in order to sell diet books and magazines. You would have to do something pretty extreme to see even a 200 calorie a day reduction in metabolism and you could recover from it with planning anyway.

As far as the 3-6-9 it isn't bad, but I ONLY use Omega 3s...Most people get plenty of 6-9 in their diets. I look for high EPA/DHA content. Now foods Ultra Omega and DHA-500 have good labels and I switch between those two - but some people question Now meeting label claims...

Can I incorporate any LISS in my week? Yesterday was lower body day, and I did these from T-Nation for Lower Back pain:

Hip Thrust
Hip Thrust Hold

RDL's
Single Leg Deadlifts

Bulgarian Squats
Curtsey Lunges

Static Lunges
Walking Lunges

Kettlebell Swings
Sumo Deadlift

I used my weightlifting belt for the swings and sumo deadlift. It seemed to help a ton with my back and I have no back pain. I only used 20 lbs on Bulgarian squat but I felt like I couldnt even get 10 reps in I am so weak LOL

 

[HIT4ME]

Thanks for the tag in this one HIT4ME(@ss) but im all Insies now.

Lol....She needs the tags list.

 

[S.Dedication]

I have no idea what my metabolism is... I currently weight training 5 days a week, and 1 day plyo, 1 rest day. 3 of the days I do 10 minutes of HIIT after my training session. I currently IF from 7:30p-11:30a (I train in the morning at 4am) but take BCAA's after my training and until I have coffee and creamer at 9am and then my first meal is at 11:30a.

I want to cut for my vacation since I gained some weight being off with a breast aug. and during my bulkish stage. I leave for vacation on March 18th. So I have about 45 days LOL

Hey I've been doing a lot of reading and do IIF myself. I used to also use BCAs during my fast, but have seen people saying it will pull you out of your fast. So I dropped the BCAs during my fast and will see if it makes a difference. Just thought I would say something. This is a good thread and also helped me. I carb cycle too and it's a bitch lol. I may just drop overall calories down on off days and keep carbs high for energy.

 

[HIT4ME]

Thanks for the tag in this one HIT4ME(@ss) but im all Insies now.

Ok so I am just gonna be honest. I thought about tagging you specifically, for all of your cutting up knowledge which is substantial....But this thread is all stocked up on pervs (me)

 

[kjkitzman]

Hey I've been doing a lot of reading and do IIF myself. I used to also use BCAs during my fast, but have seen people saying it will pull you out of your fast. So I dropped the BCAs during my fast and will see if it makes a difference. Just thought I would say something. This is a good thread and also helped me. I carb cycle too and it's a bitch lol. I may just drop overall calories down on off days and keep carbs high for energy.

But... BCAA's don't have calories. Isn't anything over 30kcals during your fast breaks it? Interesting though... I will have to look into it.

Per Lean Gains it states:

Do BCAAs have Any Calories? Won't taking them break my fast?

As BCAAs are amino acids that make up protein, they definitely have caloric weight. Fasting is not an on/off switch - ingesting 10 calories won't suddenly turn fasting "off." Taking 10 grams of BCAA is ok.

 

[MindMuscleRep]

45 minutes of cardio a day?....that sounds horrible.

I don't mind 15 min of HIIT OR 30 min of LISS. I normally switch it up so my body keeps guessing. My diet is about 80/20 or 90/10 - most food is clean but I normally have some Halo Top, Donut, or a Pop Tart if I can fit it in

starting cardio at 20 minutes and working up to 45 isnt tough lol. most people do more than that just walking around at the mall. and when i say 45 minutes i dont mean balls out, im talking about just a brisk walk. with heart rate up enough to burn fat but low enough where you can still carry on a conversation if you had someone next to you. easy.

 

[kjkitzman]

starting cardio at 20 minutes and working up to 45 isnt tough lol. most people do more than that just walking around at the mall. and when i say 45 minutes i dont mean balls out, im talking about just a brisk walk. with heart rate up enough to burn fat but low enough where you can still carry on a conversation if you had someone next to you. easy.

So having a heart rate of 65% of my max (130bpm) would be the best for 20 min?

 

[S.Dedication]

But... BCAA's don't have calories. Isn't anything over 30kcals during your fast breaks it? Interesting though... I will have to look into it.

Per Lean Gains it states:

Do BCAAs have Any Calories? Won't taking them break my fast?

As BCAAs are amino acids that make up protein, they definitely have caloric weight. Fasting is not an on/off switch - ingesting 10 calories won't suddenly turn fasting "off." Taking 10 grams of BCAA is ok.

Lol that is what I was thinking, maybe one of the cutting Gods can chime in and set things straight.

 

[FireTitan]

Ok so I am just gonna be honest. I thought about tagging you specifically, for all of your cutting up knowledge which is substantial....But this thread is all stocked up on pervs (me)

But we perv so well together

 

[HIT4ME]

But we perv so well together

You know you're my type. I just hit on the women to hide my true self.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

Can I incorporate any LISS in my week? Yesterday was lower body day, and I did these from T-Nation for Lower Back pain:

Hip Thrust
Hip Thrust Hold

RDL's
Single Leg Deadlifts

Bulgarian Squats
Curtsey Lunges

Static Lunges
Walking Lunges

Kettlebell Swings
Sumo Deadlift

You do a lot of exercises that could be cut down to just a few great compound ones.

My lower day split goes

Front squat 95 lbs 4 sets/12reps
Back squat (smith) 110 lbs 4/10-12
Deadlift 135lbs 4/10
Hip thrust 135 lbs 4/10
Leg press 320 lbs 4/10
Sometimes if I have time I'll add a stiff legged dead 90lbs 4/10

Lunges are great. I should do them. I just hate them so much. With this set I've managed to grow the glutes nicely while leaning out without cardio.

 

[kjkitzman]

But we perv so well together

so if you have all this cutting knowledge, what you have to offer!?

 

[kjkitzman]

You do a lot of exercises that could be cut down to just a few great compound ones.

My lower day split goes

Front squat 95 lbs 4 sets/12reps
Back squat (smith) 110 lbs 4/10-12
Deadlift 135lbs 4/10
Hip thrust 135 lbs 4/10
Leg press 320 lbs 4/10
Sometimes if I have time I'll add a stiff legged dead 90lbs 4/10

Lunges are great. I should do them. I just hate them so much. With this set I've managed to grow the glutes nicely while leaning out without cardio.

amazing job hun!

I don't lift as heavy as you since I am starting out and I am really OCD about my form being good before bumping the weights. I do like 40lbs for Hip Thrust and sometimes I feel like my hamstrings or back begin to do some of the work which I want all glute activation so sometimes I lower it but more reps!

I found not doing any back squats helps a lot with my pain. SO I stick with lunges and step ups! Do you wear a HRM? I am so fixated on it that I freak if I dont burn enough calories!

Also how long should a lifting session last for? including stretching, warm up, cool down.

 

[FireTitan]

so if you have all this cutting knowledge, what you have to offer!?

Me? I work my @ss off, stay away from dumb@ss food as much as I feasibly can,drink water like im trying to pass a drug test, no alcohol, and find the right people on here to listen to, then adhere to what theyre saying. This was May of 2016

And this was Thursday.

Long way to go... but dedication and pounding forward will get us all there!

 

[FireTitan]

You know you're my type. I just hit on the women to hide my true self.

Sweet!!! I was hoping so

 

[kjkitzman]

Me? I work my @ss off, stay away from dumb@ss food as much as I feasibly can,drink water like im trying to pass a drug test, no alcohol, and find the right people on here to listen to, then adhere to what theyre saying. This was May of 2016
Long way to go... but dedication and pounding forward will get us all there!

Doing great! Slower the better I have heard is the best, but im impatient and want to cut faster and bulk as long as i can because I enjoy food too much

 

[HIT4ME]

Lol that is what I was thinking, maybe one of the cutting Gods can chime in and set things straight.

Not sure I am a cutting god - but I'm fat, so I have half the battle down.

I think people worry about details too much. 10 calories, 30 calories, 100 calories - what exactly is being "knocked out of a fast"? This is different for everyone depending on your definitions/goals and at the end of the day - is it really going to matter?

BCAA's - if you feel they help, use them. If not, don't. The science seems to be mixed and getting sufficient protein throughout the day seems to be a bigger issue. BCAAs come and go - in 2000 they were the hype and you had to use them, then 2006 came and everyone said they were a waste, then 2012 came and they're back in, and now things are pointing to them not being beneficial again. (The years are for illustration only). I personally use them when I lift, as part of an EAA mix and feel they help recovery...but I don't give it much concern beyond that.

So having a heart rate of 65% of my max (130bpm) would be the best for 20 min?

If you are doing HIIT then you shouldn't really need to do LISS. MindandMuscle is right though - once you start doing cardio, it gets easier fast. BUT - if you're doing 3X weights and 2X HIIT - your LISS requirement is pretty much non-existent.

amazing job hun!

I don't lift as heavy as you since I am starting out and I am really OCD about my form being good before bumping the weights. I do like 40lbs for Hip Thrust and sometimes I feel like my hamstrings or back begin to do some of the work which I want all glute activation so sometimes I lower it but more reps!

I found not doing any back squats helps a lot with my pain. SO I stick with lunges and step ups! Do you wear a HRM? I am so fixated on it that I freak if I dont burn enough calories!

Also how long should a lifting session last for? including stretching, warm up, cool down.

UnicornDrpns will probably have some better answers here (glad you showed up) - but here are my thoughts. You are correct to want to master a form that is good for you. I personally feel that taking 4 seconds to raise the weight, a 2 second contracted pause, and 4 seconds to lower will require you to drop weight (it's hard to move slow with weight) and have control of a weight so you can use good form.

I also feel that the best way to really master form is to do the exercise repeatedly. This is ANOTHER reason you should limit the number of different exercises you are performing. If you're trying to master the squat, the front squat, the deadlift, the romanian deadlift, etc. - that's a lot of learning and trying to be good at all things. Pick one of each, and master the movement but doing it more. In other words, you are better off doing 5 sets of just back s quats than 3 sets of back squats and 3 sets of front squats and only becoming half as good at each of them.

If your back is hurting during a back squat, you may be doing something wrong - another reason to eliminate some exercise variations. I used to hurt when I squatted. Drop the weight (to an empty bar if you need) and focus on doing the squat repeatedly, on a regular basis, with good form and you may be surprised that many of your nagging pains will suddenly be gone. One day you'll be bending over and just realize it doesn't hurt.

When you squat, try to make sure you have your lats tight, your core tight, and your body is in an almost upright position. You shouldn't allow yourself to bend over all that much. I used to bend over too much - and my back didn't thank me for it. Once I straightened up, focused on practicing the form, etc. - all my pains cleared up.

Me? I work my @ss off, stay away from dumb@ss food as much as I feasibly can,drink water like im trying to pass a drug test, no alcohol, and find the right people on here to listen to, then adhere to what theyre saying. This was May of 2016

And this was Thursday.

Long way to go... but dedication and pounding forward will get us all there!

As you can see - to answer your question kjkitzman - this guy brings the noodz. He's so hot. This thread is just out of control. ( FireTitan - we need to have a small discussion offline about sarcasm)

Doing great! Slower the better I have heard is the best, but im impatient and want to cut faster and bulk as long as i can because I enjoy food too much

Don't believe everything people say. Most people adopt beliefs that make them feel better about not working toward their goal. Fast, slow - you do what WORKS for you. Just be safe, and remember that if you're doing something extreme to lose weight fast - those tactics can't last forever and your old habits won't help you maintain. In other words, getting their fast is one thing - but you have to have a plan for staying their also. And it doesn't APPEAR that you're in the same situation as me, but I've been fighting a LIFETIME of obesity and it has taken me multiple attempts. My high was probably at least 300 pounds (never weight myself at that time) and I was down to 178 two Augusts ago, got back up to 215 last May, dropped down to 165 at my low in November, and now I'm 188 and trying to get my cut going again to get back down there.

In other words, in all my bragging, there is a story that I've learned. Getting there is one thing. Staying there is another. Being good at one doesn't mean you're good at the other. And if you make progress, you may slip back a little, just get back at it and keep learning and pushing and improving. That's what this is all about.

 

[kjkitzman]

BCAA's do help my hunger also, which is another reason I take them + I lift at 4am and my first meal isn't till 11am. I am currently almost two weeks into my cut and the scale has yet to drop... thoughts on calories?

Female, 27, 5'7'' - 134 lbs

Sit at a desk for 10 hours a day - but work out 5-6 days per week. Calorie intake is at 1650kcal with 40c/40p/20f. Do you think my calories are sufficient?

I will start focusing more on a few movements than a bunch

 

[cwages]

BCAA's do help my hunger also, which is another reason I take them + I lift at 4am and my first meal isn't till 11am. I am currently almost two weeks into my cut and the scale has yet to drop... thoughts on calories?

Female, 27, 5'7'' - 134 lbs

Sit at a desk for 10 hours a day - but work out 5-6 days per week. Calorie intake is at 1650kcal with 40c/40p/20f. Do you think my calories are sufficient?

I will start focusing more on a few movements than a bunch

I'd try to get your carbs in pre workout and post workout. Then the rest of the day when your not as active at your desk job, consume your protien and fats. Like you I have a desk job where I'm not that active during the day and I work out in the late evening. You might also try to carb cycle some. 2 high carb day when it's your heaviest workout Days, 2 medium Days, and a few low Days when it's your rest day or light workout Days as cardio.

I do this and it definitely has been working for me. I've been on a cut for almost 3 months. I started at 20% + bf and knocking right on the door of 10% as of now. One thing is watch dropping your maintenance calories to low as you will get to a point of no return and put your body in starvation mode. Depending on how long you have been cutting, it may very well benefit you to eat back up to maintenance calories for a week, then drop them back down say -500 or so. This will restart your metabolism and the scale will start to move. The leaner you get, the slower it comes off. You have to try different tricks to get your body to release the last stubborn fat as your body tries to hold on to it.

 

[kjkitzman]

I'd try to get your carbs in pre workout and post workout. Then the rest of the day when your not as active at your desk job, consume your protien and fats. Like you I have a desk job where I'm not that active during the day and I work out in the late evening. You might also try to carb cycle some. 2 high carb day when it's your heaviest workout Days, 2 medium Days, and a few low Days when it's your rest day or light workout Days as cardio.

I do this and it definitely has been working for me. I've been on a cut for almost 3 months. I started at 20% + bf and knocking right on the door of 10% as of now. One thing is watch dropping your maintenance calories to low as you will get to a point of no return and put your body in starvation mode. Depending on how long you have been cutting, it may very well benefit you to eat back up to maintenance calories for a week, then drop them back down say -500 or so. This will restart your metabolism and the scale will start to move. The leaner you get, the slower it comes off. You have to try different tricks to get your body to release the last stubborn fat as your body tries to hold on to it.

I currently practice IF so I can't eat anything after work therefore I consume BCAA's. I do low carb on rest days which seems to help. I have been cutting for only two weeks

 

[cwages]

How long have you been IF? I read where you do your workouts at 4am fasted? So basically you consume all your calories and macros when your at work?

 

[S.Dedication]

So this I just one of the things I found:

"When it comes to Intermittent Fasting, one of the biggest questions people ask is, “Should I be taking BCAAs while I’m fasting to reduce muscle loss?” To figure out if that is a good idea, we need to evaluate what BCAAs do and how their action can affect the fasting period. A hallmark of intermittent fasting is the ability to reduce plasma concentrations of insulin. A study by Halberg et al., (2005), showed that when individuals fasted, insulin levels were significantly reduced which was coupled with an increase in free fatty acid availability. Under the right circumstances, this could lead to greater fat oxidation over time. Zhang et al., (2011), evaluated the effects of BCAA supplementation on plasma insulin and free fatty acid levels. Unsurprisingly, the researchers determined that after ingestion of 5g of BCAAs, there was a sharp increase in insulin coupled with a significant decrease in FFA concentration. This decrease in FFA availability lasted for roughly 3 hours. Based on the above, maintaining low insulin concentrations during the fasting period would be more optimal if free fatty acid oxidation is the primary goal. Additionally, multiple studies examining various types of fasting have indicated that fasting may be muscle sparing. In fact, studies by Lowell et al., (1987), and Nørrelund et al., (2003) have shown that increased concentrations of free fatty acids may have a muscle sparing effect. This could be attributed to increased rates of fat oxidation rather than usage of amino acids for energy production or even elevated levels of ketones themselves, which appear to have some protein sparing effects as well. Based on the current evidence, if you choose to use a fasting approach, it may not be ideal to consume BCAAs during this period."


Honestly like mentioned above, not sure it will make a big difference. I've always used BCAAs during my fast, but going to try a few weeks without it. Seems like such a small thing and probably does not matter. You also return to a fasted state after about to hours from what I read and some BCAAs before fasted exercise could be beneficial.

Just wanted to share

 

[UnicornDrpns]

Calorie intake is at 1650kcal with 40c/40p/20f. Do you think my calories are sufficient?

I will start focusing more on a few movements than a bunch

Your calories are fine. I would eat a meal within an hour post lifting though. Lifting at 5am and not eatting until 11 doesn't optimize muscle growth

 

[UnicornDrpns]

Me? I work my @ss off, stay away from dumb@ss food as much as I feasibly can,drink water like im trying to pass a drug test, no alcohol, and find the right people on here to listen to, then adhere to what theyre saying. This was May of 2016

And this was Thursday.

Long way to go... but dedication and pounding forward will get us all there!

Impressive. How many lbs is that over how long? Losing weight and recoiling is the hardest thing I've ever done. Screw college and work. That's easy.

 

[kjkitzman]

How long have you been IF? I read where you do your workouts at 4am fasted? So basically you consume all your calories and macros when your at work?

I have been practicing IF for about 6-7 months. December I took a mini break and only fasted for 12-14 hours.

I workout in my basement with a barbell, bench, dumbells, bands etc.

I wake up 4am - workout till 5am. At work from 6a-4:30pm. My first meal is at 11:30a and I eat about 2 meals at work- around 600kcal.

Get home with my son at 5p and go to bed at 8p. I sit a lot but get up at work every 30 minutes. I always get 10,000 steps on my FitBit every day (even on rest days)

 

[kjkitzman]

So this I just one of the things I found:

"When it comes to Intermittent Fasting, one of the biggest questions people ask is, “Should I be taking BCAAs while I’m fasting to reduce muscle loss?” To figure out if that is a good idea, we need to evaluate what BCAAs do and how their action can affect the fasting period. A hallmark of intermittent fasting is the ability to reduce plasma concentrations of insulin. A study by Halberg et al., (2005), showed that when individuals fasted, insulin levels were significantly reduced which was coupled with an increase in free fatty acid availability. Under the right circumstances, this could lead to greater fat oxidation over time. Zhang et al., (2011), evaluated the effects of BCAA supplementation on plasma insulin and free fatty acid levels. Unsurprisingly, the researchers determined that after ingestion of 5g of BCAAs, there was a sharp increase in insulin coupled with a significant decrease in FFA concentration. This decrease in FFA availability lasted for roughly 3 hours. Based on the above, maintaining low insulin concentrations during the fasting period would be more optimal if free fatty acid oxidation is the primary goal. Additionally, multiple studies examining various types of fasting have indicated that fasting may be muscle sparing. In fact, studies by Lowell et al., (1987), and Nørrelund et al., (2003) have shown that increased concentrations of free fatty acids may have a muscle sparing effect. This could be attributed to increased rates of fat oxidation rather than usage of amino acids for energy production or even elevated levels of ketones themselves, which appear to have some protein sparing effects as well. Based on the current evidence, if you choose to use a fasting approach, it may not be ideal to consume BCAAs during this period."


Honestly like mentioned above, not sure it will make a big difference. I've always used BCAAs during my fast, but going to try a few weeks without it. Seems like such a small thing and probably does not matter. You also return to a fasted state after about to hours from what I read and some BCAAs before fasted exercise could be beneficial.

Just wanted to share

thanks for the info. I am thinking of maybe dropping the BCAA's would that include diet soda, powerade zero you think?

 

[UnicornDrpns]

I have been practicing IF for about 6-7 months. December I took a mini break and only fasted for 12-14 hours.

I workout in my basement with a barbell, bench, dumbells, bands etc.

I wake up 4am - workout till 5am. At work from 6a-4:30pm. My first meal is at 11:30a and I eat about 2 meals at work- around 600kcal.

Get home with my son at 5p and go to bed at 8p. I sit a lot but get up at work every 30 minutes. I always get 10,000 steps on my FitBit every day (even on rest days)

A lot of people who do IF will still eat their meals around their workouts. They will typically work out mid day if they are fasting though. Mid day workouts are not easy to fit in for most people

 

[kjkitzman]

A lot of people who do IF will still eat their meals around their workouts. They will typically work out mid day if they are fasting though. Mid day workouts are not easy to fit in for most people

If I only didnt work for a living... I work from 6am-4:30pm in a prison everyday and have no choice of going and working out...

I would wait and workout after I'm done working but thats the time I spend with my 3 year old son, thus why I work out at 4am when my son is sleeping

 

[S.Dedication]

I stopped doing diet soda during my fast for the most part. The last hour I might have one, due to being sick of water. You can always try not having it for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.

I honestly only drink water with a fat burner, until I break my fast. If I notice no difference , I'll drop the BCAAs all together and put that money towards other things. I spent about 500 a year on BCAAs, for the last 4 years. So I definitely would like to save the money. If I do super low calories and low protein, I think that would be a good place for them. I aim for around 200g of protein a day, so usually would not need them.

Diet soda has a lot of sodium and so does my BCAA product 220mg. So probably won't hurt to reduce those anyhow.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

I understand. I have a real job as well so I can't work out mid day typically. You do more harm than good by putting in all that effort in your workouts and then not properly giving yourself the proper carbs and protein after. You need carbs post workouts to increase your insulin levels so that u can increase glycogen levels which allow you to have adequate muscle repair and same with protein. You need the extra protein post workout to repair muscles u worked

This being said I think meal timings are not as important as people make them out to be unless people are in mid to low teens in body fat.

 

[cwages]

A lot of people who do IF will still eat their meals around their workouts. They will typically work out mid day if they are fasting though. Mid day workouts are not easy to fit in for most people

I totally agree with this. I think it would help you more on your cut to try to consume most of your carbs pre and post workout and consume the remainder in protien and fats when your more sedentary. The carbs will definitely help you have more energy to push yourself during your workout.

You could change your fasting period and try to consume your intake more around your workout. I definitely think this would help on your cut.

If I only didnt work for a living... I work from 6am-4:30pm in a prison everyday and have no choice of going and working out...

I would wait and workout after I'm done working but thats the time I spend with my 3 year old son, thus why I work out at 4am when my son is sleeping

 

[S.Dedication]

cwages,

Yeah that is what I do. High carbs and protein before and after lifting sessions. I've watched a few videos that say fasted cardio is great though, I just don't do it at this time.

 

[cwages]

cwages,

Yeah that is what I do. High carbs and protein before and after lifting sessions. I've watched a few videos that say fasted cardio is great though, I just don't do it at this time.

I haven't started the fasted cardio either as Im trying to conserve muscle mass on my cut as much as possible and Im still dropping weight at a decent pace. I do hit cardio for 30 mins 3 times a week and lift 5 days a week. I might add some fasted cardio in the last few weeks before vacation as Im getting pretty lean and it will get harder to shed the pounds the leaner I go. Im fixing to start a 8 week run of Iron Legions Invictus, Virtus, and VII-Kt next week. Ill put a log up in the next few days with pics.

 

[kjkitzman]

I stopped doing diet soda during my fast for the most part. The last hour I might have one, due to being sick of water. You can always try not having it for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.

I honestly only drink water with a fat burner, until I break my fast. If I notice no difference , I'll drop the BCAAs all together and put that money towards other things. I spent about 500 a year on BCAAs, for the last 4 years. So I definitely would like to save the money. If I do super low calories and low protein, I think that would be a good place for them. I aim for around 200g of protein a day, so usually would not need them.

Diet soda has a lot of sodium and so does my BCAA product 220mg. So probably won't hurt to reduce those anyhow.

True about saving money on BCAA's. My BCAA's dont have any sodium which is good.

 

[kjkitzman]

I understand. I have a real job as well so I can't work out mid day typically. You do more harm than good by putting in all that effort in your workouts and then not properly giving yourself the proper carbs and protein after. You need carbs post workouts to increase your insulin levels so that u can increase glycogen levels which allow you to have adequate muscle repair and same with protein. You need the extra protein post workout to repair muscles u worked

This being said I think meal timings are not as important as people make them out to be unless people are in mid to low teens in body fat.

so are you saying that keeping my workout early and continue to fast in lines of muscle repair isn't significant enough to change my workout schedule?

 

[FireTitan]

Impressive. How many lbs is that over how long? Losing weight and recoiling is the hardest thing I've ever done. Screw college and work. That's easy.

Ive lost around 40lbs since November of 2015. Its been slow, and I have days like today where I just wan to eat, then I have days, like today where I give in. I work 2 fulltime jobs and my careers are full of stress. If I can manage to drop Some weight and increase muscle and strength...anyone can.

 

[HIT4ME]

BCAA's do help my hunger also, which is another reason I take them + I lift at 4am and my first meal isn't till 11am. I am currently almost two weeks into my cut and the scale has yet to drop... thoughts on calories?

Female, 27, 5'7'' - 134 lbs

Sit at a desk for 10 hours a day - but work out 5-6 days per week. Calorie intake is at 1650kcal with 40c/40p/20f. Do you think my calories are sufficient?

I will start focusing more on a few movements than a bunch

A lot of the time the weight does not come off like you might expect. I've gone periods where I was doing everything right and the scale wouldn't move and then suddenly I just drop a bunch of weight all at once. It happens. At 2 weeks, however, if nothing has happened then you should start taking a closer look at things - especially if it is the first 2 weeks of a diet. I mean, normally just reducing food intake will lead to an almost instant drop of 2-3 pounds over the first week.

What does your tracker say about your TDEE? When I started wearing one I realized real fast that I spent a lot of days around 2000-2200 calories during the work week (sedentary job behind a desk and driving). The trackers are usually said to over estimate but I think they give accurate enough insight into what's happening.

As far as "starvation mode" - I may take some heat for this - but the entire concept is blown way out of proportion. It makes people feel smarter and gives them justification to half-a$$ed diet and it sells diet books and fitness magazines because of this. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize ethiopians literally get ripped to the bone and they don't have fat loss issues...Only muscle loss issues. If there were a starvation mode...They would not lose fat and muscle like they do because their metabolism would just "adjust". They don't even do any refeeds.

I currently practice IF so I can't eat anything after work therefore I consume BCAA's. I do low carb on rest days which seems to help. I have been cutting for only two weeks

So, what is it about If that makes you like this style of dieting? What attracted you to it? What do you hope to achieve from it? Having insight into your needs and what you think IF does to help you accomplish your goals may help us better adjust our advice.

So this I just one of the things I found:

"When it comes to Intermittent Fasting, one of the biggest questions people ask is, “Should I be taking BCAAs while I’m fasting to reduce muscle loss?” To figure out if that is a good idea, we need to evaluate what BCAAs do and how their action can affect the fasting period. A hallmark of intermittent fasting is the ability to reduce plasma concentrations of insulin. A study by Halberg et al., (2005), showed that when individuals fasted, insulin levels were significantly reduced which was coupled with an increase in free fatty acid availability. Under the right circumstances, this could lead to greater fat oxidation over time. Zhang et al., (2011), evaluated the effects of BCAA supplementation on plasma insulin and free fatty acid levels. Unsurprisingly, the researchers determined that after ingestion of 5g of BCAAs, there was a sharp increase in insulin coupled with a significant decrease in FFA concentration. This decrease in FFA availability lasted for roughly 3 hours. Based on the above, maintaining low insulin concentrations during the fasting period would be more optimal if free fatty acid oxidation is the primary goal. Additionally, multiple studies examining various types of fasting have indicated that fasting may be muscle sparing. In fact, studies by Lowell et al., (1987), and Nørrelund et al., (2003) have shown that increased concentrations of free fatty acids may have a muscle sparing effect. This could be attributed to increased rates of fat oxidation rather than usage of amino acids for energy production or even elevated levels of ketones themselves, which appear to have some protein sparing effects as well. Based on the current evidence, if you choose to use a fasting approach, it may not be ideal to consume BCAAs during this period."


Honestly like mentioned above, not sure it will make a big difference. I've always used BCAAs during my fast, but going to try a few weeks without it. Seems like such a small thing and probably does not matter. You also return to a fasted state after about to hours from what I read and some BCAAs before fasted exercise could be beneficial.

Just wanted to share

That's a good find. Interesting. I will try to find the full text. In all reality though...BCAAs shouldn't have a huge impact. Even if you took 60 calories worth, you would burn through that fast working out and an increase in insulin won't necessarily increase fat storage...If there is nothing to store, the effects will be small. Still...Interesting insight from this study with some things to consider.

I stopped doing diet soda during my fast for the most part. The last hour I might have one, due to being sick of water. You can always try not having it for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.

I honestly only drink water with a fat burner, until I break my fast. If I notice no difference , I'll drop the BCAAs all together and put that money towards other things. I spent about 500 a year on BCAAs, for the last 4 years. So I definitely would like to save the money. If I do super low calories and low protein, I think that would be a good place for them. I aim for around 200g of protein a day, so usually would not need them.

Diet soda has a lot of sodium and so does my BCAA product 220mg. So probably won't hurt to reduce those anyhow.

Diet soda does NOT have a lot of sodium generally. 35 mg/serving is pretty typical. If you have 20 servings a day, you would still be wise to take in a lot more sodium in your diet. Besides there is no reason at all to limit sodium for 99.5% of the population. More downside than upside.

True about saving money on BCAA's. My BCAA's dont have any sodium which is good.

I wish more intra-workout drinks had more sodium and potassium.

so are you saying that keeping my workout early and continue to fast in lines of muscle repair isn't significant enough to change my workout schedule?

This gets back to the question about what are you doing you IF in the first place? It may not be the best way for you to approach your diet, or it may be...But based on what you are saying so far and your schedule...It seems like it may not be the easiest thing to stick to?

Ive lost around 40lbs since November of 2015. Its been slow, and I have days like today where I just wan to eat, then I have days, like today where I give in. I work 2 fulltime jobs and my careers are full of stress. If I can manage to drop Some weight and increase muscle and strength...anyone can.

He also leaves out the part about squatting 315 x 15 and benching a small car. He has gained "some" strength. Oh, and he is a legitimate hero. Not even playing.

 

[S.Dedication]

Haha sorry I was mostly thinking about my BCAA product and I was having 4-6 servings a day.

I don't think anyone should give you **** about starvation mode, it is way way overrated. Just a way to sell protein and meal replacement supplements. People now think they have to eat every couple of hours, or they will go into starvation mode. I think if that was the case, our ancestors would have died off a long time ago lol if I recall you need to not eat for days to go into starvation mode, I have not researched it in years though. I did a lot of research before I started IIF and honestly don't even notice that big of a difference if my calories are in check. I only do it so I can enjoy larger meals. Just checked my diet soda and yes only 45mg. I still prefer not to drink it during my fast.

 

[HIT4ME]

Haha sorry I was mostly thinking about my BCAA product and I was having 4-6 servings a day.

I don't think anyone should give you **** about starvation mode, it is way way overrated. Just a way to sell protein and meal replacement supplements. People now think they have to eat every couple of hours, or they will go into starvation mode. I think if that was the case, our ancestors would have died off a long time ago lol if I recall you need to not eat for days to go into starvation mode, I have not researched it in years though. I did a lot of research before I started IIF and honestly don't even notice that big of a difference if my calories are in check. I only do it so I can enjoy larger meals. Just checked my diet soda and yes only 45mg. I still prefer not to drink it during my fast.

Wow, you got the high sodium soda . You go all out. Mountain Dew? Haha. But yeah....I can't argue that there is anything wrong with a strategy of plain water over soda. You can also make the case that the artificial sweeteners can release insulin just like in the BCAA study .

And plenty of people hold onto that starvation mode theory like it is a life raft saving them from the rapids.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

And plenty of people hold onto that starvation mode theory like it is a life raft saving them from the rapids.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

Ive lost around 40lbs since November of 2015. Its been slow, and I have days like today where I just wan to eat, then I have days, like today where I give in. I work 2 fulltime jobs and my careers are full of stress. If I can manage to drop Some weight and increase muscle and strength...anyone can.

You are a boss man. That's awesome. Keep it up. How much longer do u think you will be cutting for?

 

[UnicornDrpns]

so are you saying that keeping my workout early and continue to fast in lines of muscle repair isn't significant enough to change my workout schedule?

I'm saying it is beneficial to eat post workout. People who do fasted cardio will fast before the workout not after. Like I said earlier though , meal timing isn't as important until it's the last 5%

 

[FireTitan]

HIT4ME...youre too kind bro!! Thank you

 

[FireTitan]

You are a boss man. That's awesome. Keep it up. How much longer do u think you will be cutting for?

As long as it takes. Im 17lbs from my overall goal, but Im adding in some muscle so it's really hard to tell. My diet has been off the last couple of days due to stress, and Im always fighting lack of sleep, which is a killer. Im fixing to add in Radiate from RXS as well as Evomuse SuperNova...and going back to the Warrior Diet protocol . Results WILL be coming.

 

[kjkitzman]

What does your tracker say about your TDEE? When I started wearing one I realized real fast that I spent a lot of days around 2000-2200 calories during the work week (sedentary job behind a desk and driving). The trackers are usually said to over estimate but I think they give accurate enough insight into what's happening.

FitBit normally says about 2,200 calories a day. Thats not including my weight lifting session. Sometimes it goes up to 2,600.

Why do I IF?

It's easy AF to diet is basically what it comes down to. I notice when I eat breakfast I am A LOT more hungry through out the day and have a hard time controlling my hunger. I consume majority of my carbs after 4pm because they fill me up. So its basically an eating pattern that I enjoy while cutting. I eat 1650kcal but some days I probably could eat 1400kcal because I eat small meals frequent and get full but I know those calories would be too low.