Once again, work/emails consumed my entire evening, but I will do my best to give you a detailed update before passing out. TL/DR will be at the end in bold.
Week 2-2.5 update: It's tough to explain this without going into some details...
Preface: I have been lifting, on and off, for over a decade now. This has resulted in 3 primary things: 1) I'm at an intermediate/intermediate+ level, 2) I'm getting old and much more prone to injury, especially with the heavier weights i'm working with at this stage, and 3) I am now very in tune with my body.
I use various workout plans as guidelines to assist me in periodization and progressive overload, but aside from this, most everything I do is intuitive. I don't count calories or macros and I very often autoregulate my workouts based on how I'm feeling in the moment.
Last week, when I began cutting a bit of carbs out of my diet to put me in a very small deficit and assist with fat burning, my strength was, for whatever reason, going up. I always prioritize strength gains over aesthetics, (within reason). My primary lift I'm working on increasing right now is dumbbell overhead press. Last week I hit 90's for 6 (seated fully upright, with full depth/rom, well past 90*), at ~RPE-7.5ish. My goal is to get to 100's for 5. I didn't think I'd get there in this mesocycle, but as it was maaaaybe in reach, I had to go for it. The risk, especially when cutting, is injury, not only because you're in a deficit and not repairing/building new tissue as effectively, but also because, especially at the beginning of a deficit, I always lose a lot of water weight, which means my joints likely have less "cushion". Also, I'm getting OLLLLD with 40 not too far away.
SO. I did what I've done a few times in the past year with success...what I call a "mini bloatmaxx". I bought a bunch of my favorite shitty cereals, (Reese's Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Oreo-O's, etc, all with fairlife milk), and for 6 days I ate what must have been at least an extra 1000 calories per day. Obviously, water weight shot up fast. I gained 10 lbs by day 6. The good news is, I hit 95's for 5, and 100's for 3, (didn't go quite full depth on the 100's out of fear, ha). So, I'm close. My current strength mesocycle is nearly over, and I'll be transitioning to a more bodybuilding-oriented (higher rep, lighter weight) program for the next ~6 weeks.
I have now been back to my slight deficit for ~4 days, and lost 8 of the 10 lbs I added from my mini bloatmaxx. Here's the best part: My spare-tire area didn't change at all. I have done this three times now, and both prior times, my lower stomach clearly expanded, to the point my pants all fit noticeably tighter. I don't know if flashpoint has the ability to potentially inhibit fat deposition, but it seems like it might. The main reason I saw little difference, of course, is that flashpoint likely has, by some mechanism, the ability to shed water from the applied area.
Anyway, I'll be sticking with my slight deficit for the remainder of this log. I am cautiously excited about what I've experienced with flashpoint so far. If these trends continue, I may be able to lose the remainder of my spare tire without having to cut too much further.
TL/DR: Despite a mini super bulk and 10lbs of (mostly water) gained, no impact was seen on lower stomach. If anything, skin continues to look a little smoother/tighter.