Advice on PCT diet for cutting cycle.

[CTB4444]

Hello:

I am interested in what some of you who have been in a calorie deficit while on a PED cycle did diet wise while in PCT and afterwards (following a cutting cycle).

Back ground:

Have been in a deficit since the end of January. I started at 250 calories under maintenance for first month, then increased next month to 500, and then to 1,000. Lost 15lbs pre-cycle. I then went on cycle and stayed around negative 500 a day for two months and then ending at negative 1,000 the end of this month. My goal was to maintain muscle while continuing the fat loss.

Cycle: 12 weeks
Test-c - 400mg a week 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10 - 11/12 (esters clearing)
M-sten - 20mg ED 0/0/0/4/5/6/7/0/0/0/0/0
epi-andro - 900mg ED 0/0/0/0/0/0/0/8/9/10/11/12
t-3 - 50 mcg a day throughout
Aromasin on hand
Cycle support sups

PCT
clomid/nolva 4 weeks
natty sups 4 weeks - mtest, cordi combat, Cycle assist, tudca, blood pressure support

Questions:

Did you slowly start adding calories back in week by week while on PCT working your way up to your previous maintenance number?

Did you immediately go to your pre-cycle (non-PED) maintenance level of calories?

Did you stay in a slight deficit?

What has worked best for you in your experience?

I've read about how being in a calorie deficit a long time can lower your natural test levels. So would it be safe to assume being in a calorie deficit in PCT is not wise?

How long did it take for the water weight & glycogen weight to come off to be able to measure accurately where my actual weight is now?

Did you lower cardio until test levels recovered or keep at it?

Any advise or experience would be awesome! Thanks!

 

[Whisky]

You are right you don’t want to be in a deficit in pct bro.

im assuming your fairly lean so your maintenance will have dropped as you cut. Slowly increasing calories (reverse diet style) is the start play imo. I also increase calories in pct (or when dropping to a cruise) to keep the mass.

cardio can affect cortisol which is already an issue in pct so reducing that also smart

 

[thebigt]

You are right you don’t want to be in a deficit in pct bro.

im assuming your fairly lean so your maintenance will have dropped as you cut. Slowly increasing calories (reverse diet style) is the start play imo. I also increase calories in pct (or when dropping to a cruise) to keep the mass.

cardio can affect cortisol which is already an issue in pct so reducing that also smart

old school-always run anti-cort in pct. androgens suppress cortisol running anti-cort helps prevent rebound.

@Whisky you are a old soul, lol.

 

[jrock645]

I would cut cardio completely, and probably be very close to maintenance. Slight deficit maybe, perhaps only driven by doing psmf on non training days.

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

serious question.. were you fat and are you still overly fat? are you completely ripped? what are your long term goals?

while i totally agree with the above statements. the reality may be different for your goals and or health. fill in the blanks and i will give you another old timers take.

 

[CTB4444]

serious question.. were you fat and are you still overly fat? are you completely ripped? what are your long term goals?

while i totally agree with the above statements. the reality may be different for your goals and or health. fill in the blanks and i will give you another old timers take.

Back when I started cutting in Jan I was 205 at 5'7". Have been powerlifting for about 4 years so I never cared about getting cut, so to speak, just strength. I would guess I was at 18 to 20 percent. Took the first 15lbs off before the cycle down to 190lbs. That's average weight. I take all my morning weigh ins and average them each week. At this point in the cycle with a couple weeks to go, I have upper abs visible and have gone down five holes on my inzer 13mm belt but my weight has increased to 196. I would guess 15% bodyfat by picture comparison. Hard to tell with the water weight from the msten/test.

Long term goals are to keep concentrating on my physique and get down to 12% by the end of the year while maintaining some growth in strength. My current prs before this cycle are 305 bench, 435 squat, 525 dl, and 195 op. Trying to go from bulky power lifter look to more of a cut up look.

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

ok with that said i find the above statements to be pretty damn accurate. following that advice is good for your goals.
and since you are not trying to compete in a bbing contest, it should be no problem for you to come out of PCT "no worse for the wear" with those priciples.