Too much too quick? calling all lifters and fitness enthusiasts!

Weight loss
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Right, so started this “Mini-cut” of mine, and initially lost 5-6 lbs in a few days, so I assumed water, must be water weight.

Well two weeks on, weighed myself today and I’ve lost 11-12 lbs compared to my starting weight…

I was aiming for 1.5+lbs per week for 4-6 weeks.

How much of this 11 lbs is bound to be water, because if its like 6-7lbs water then that’s not too bad, but if not I’m tempted to bump my Calories by 200 and ease of a little for the next two weeks, or should I just stick it out for another week and end it at 3 weeks?

For the record I lift 4 times per week etc, but this is my first planned cut since I went on a long slow bulk for 2 years.

I’m wondering if I underestimated my maintenance calories, I aimed to eat at under 700 per day, but I’m actually wondering if my maintenance is actually what I’ve been so called “bulking” at… Oops. If so I might be at a 1000 deficit…

Really don’t want to undo years of hard work and gains… My strength has dropped a little on big lifts, but everything else is good still, can’t do the same volume though, nagging injurys gave me a reminder of that!

So yeah, calling all lifters and fitness enthusiasts!

@GTIPuG

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Hmm… I’d tend to agree the first 5-6lb will always be water.

If we look at 7lb on top of that and assume fat loss, whereby 1lb is around 3000 calories of energy (there’s obviously disagreement around just how much energy is in 1lb fat, with some calculations stating 2500 and others stating 3500/3700, so let’s use 3000), this puts you at a deficit of 21000 over two weeks. Over 14 days, we’d then be looking at a deficit of 1500 a day, which is YUGE…

It does sound suspiciously like a slight inaccuracy in your TDEE somewhere, but it’s quite an error to end up so far over!

I wouldn’t necessarily say you’re in any danger of gain goblins, two weeks is a drop in the ocean. I can’t see your body realistically entering a sufficient catabolic state to break down muscle when (I guess?) your diet is such high protein content.

I’d perhaps eat at what you think is maintenance for a couple of weeks and see where you end up. There’ll be a slight jump in water weight but it’s better you discover your true numbers at this stage :smiley:

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Thanks for getting back to me mate!

I thought 1 lb of fat was 3500…? Or that’s what I’ve been going with as a metric anyway… Like you say it’s a debate in its own right, and possibly why I’m having calculation issues here.

“Gains Goblins” :joy::joy: so pinching that!

Yeah, I’m at 220g of protein, so hopefully that’ll prevent atrophy to some extent.

I’m definitely not able to train at my normal volume, my sore as hell legs are reminding me that recovery is impaired for sure… Oops. I should have backed off the usual volume a little me thinks.

I think my maintenance is going to be 3500 at least tbh, I think I’ve probably been “recomping” not lean bulking for the last few months. Oh well, I guess it was just disbelief that my Calorie intake is so damn high, especially given I went from a fat arse and anorexic, to where I am now, I’ve sure been every weight under the sun, so my self perception is obviously skewed somewhat, means I can certainly bulk at more than I have been then.

After the first whoosh week, I weighed 175 ish, so I’m going to disregard that and focus on this last week, so 2.5lbs is still too fast, but not the end of the world.

So I think I’m going to increase calories by 200 per day, which should hopeful keep me at under 2 lbs peer week. I’ll end this at either the end of this week or next. So it really will be a very mini cut, but honestly I doubt I’ll need to go further, my abs are looking better and I’ve lost what appears to be just under an inch off my waist, so even if I stopped now it’s still a “result” of some sort.

By carrying on but at a smaller deficit am I being reckless? Do you think I’ll start upsetting the “gains Goblins”? Or should I bump more calories than this?

:slight_smile:

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Yeah, the figure of 3500 is bashed around quite a lot but I’ve never been 100% sure of it.

This explains pretty well:

http://www.zoeharcombe.com/standalone/1lb-does-not-equal-3500-calories/

I guess your recovery is always going to suffer in deficit, so the soreness is understandable.

If your abs are now visible, I suppose the only question left is what more can you actually achieve? What’s your end goal?

Increasing by 200 certainly seems wise, especially if your mini cut is coming to an end. I’m pretty jelly of that! I’ve been doing a nice slow cut since the start of April now, I’m down 4kg but still have a little belly drooping over. I’m almost sure it’s excess skin from when I was a fatty, but who knows. My obliques are popping but no sign of the lower abs.

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I think that’s what I’ll do then, especially after writing it down, seems the most sane option imo, just debating whether or not to count donating blood tomorrow or not, since thats 500 calories apparently? :thinking:

I guess because I’ve kept this sweet and short my metabolism hasn’t dropped to compensate.

Don’t get me wrong my abs aren’t where I want them, but they are better nevertheless, so I’m taking it. Like you, I’ve also got a little lose skin on my lower abs, it’ll never go, it’s what drove me to an eating disorder tbh, since I wanted rid so badly…

I think with cutting its just about what finding what works for the individual, I think I’ll definitely do another mini cut again when I need to, but I’ll be less aggressive, I obviously don’t need to be, if I just cut 500 per day for 4 weeks I’d have lost 4 lbs, which is enough to drop extra bulking weight and continue on my way, still being lean. Means I can spend more time bulking in total then, since I’ll never recklessly bulk anyway, I don’t see the need.

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