cutting logs?

[AmyLFire]

26/female started lifting about 7 months ago, Ive put on six pounds of muscle and one pound of fat. My bfp is right around 23% and Im about a week into my first cut. Im looking for a good blog of someone cutting, what to expect physically as well emotionally.
thanks.

[gbrice75]

Congrats on your progress so far!

It really all varies from person to person.... but if you want a log that'll keep you busy for a while, you can check out mine.

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...g-Progress-Log

[AmyLFire]

Hey thanks. Currently I am eating a 40 30 30 split. I get about 25 grams of protein in me in the morning and do my cardio on that (about 45 mins of steady state biking) and then get about 30 carbs in me before my lifting workout. I consume the majority of my remaining carbs over the next 3-4 hrs after I lift. Im lifting five days a week. Ive been cycleing my cals at four days of 1300 then a low day of 1200 then another 1300 for four and a high day of 1500. Same spit.
I weigh 150 pounds. I have a decent amount of energy for my workouts, but am pretty mentally foggy by 6oclock.
Mostly I just want to know i all my effort is worth it, Im gonna get results right? Its so hard to tell when its just a tiny bit here and there. Pics to come..thnx

[gbrice75]

Hey thanks. Currently I am eating a 40 30 30 split.

I like the split!

I get about 25 grams of protein in me in the morning and do my cardio on that (about 45 mins of steady state biking) and then get about 30 carbs in me before my lifting workout. I consume the majority of my remaining carbs over the next 3-4 hrs after I lift.

I'd suggest you get just about all your (starchy) carbs in over 2 meals, pre and post workout. I see no real need to 'drag out' your carb consumption over several hours.

Im lifting five days a week. Ive been cycleing my cals at four days of 1300 then a low day of 1200 then another 1300 for four and a high day of 1500. Same spit.

This can probably be improved on a great deal. We're talking about the difference of 100 calories... nothing really significant. Depending on your workout split, I might suggest a better calorie cycling plan if you're interested

I weigh 150 pounds. I have a decent amount of energy for my workouts, but am pretty mentally foggy by 6oclock.

Post up your full diet and list time of day for each meal... let's get an idea of what you're eating and when. This could be the problem

Mostly I just want to know i all my effort is worth it, Im gonna get results right? Its so hard to tell when its just a tiny bit here and there. Pics to come..thnx

ABSOLUTELY! Look, it takes some trial and error to get dialed in. I won't lie, it can become frustrating. You have to go through finding what works for your body, how it reacts to certain foods/stimuli, etc. We're all different and what works for me may not work for you or the next person. For instance, when I consume around 200g/day or more, I get bloated and gassy. I'll never be able to have a high carb diet, even if I were to bulk. I know people who eat double that in carbs and are fine.

If you go through my log, you'll definitely see highs and lows... I let it all hang out, that's what my log is for. But there's really only one word that matters, and it's the single factor that WILL bring you results - CONSISTENCY. Without it, you can have the absolute best diet in the world, the greatest workout routine, and you will not get very far. Somebody who consistently sticks with an average (yet effective of course) diet and workout regimen will make more progress in the big picture.

Hope this helps.

[SlimmerMe]

Welcome Amy! Glad you are here. Enjoy~

[AmyLFire]

Okay so first off I should get it out there that I was one of those girls who struggled with my weight for years and did a lot yo yo dieting. I def trained my body to hold onto fat.
Five years ago after I had my 1st son I was 210 lbs (thats after losing the baby weight folks). Im only 5'6 so ummmm yea I was a real thick one. Anyways, I have spent the last five years trying to get fit with exercise and diet. Ive been working with a trainer (who I love) for the last seven months and he turned me onto bodybuilding. He made me see that I had to make sure I was eating consistantly. Im anal about it. I track everything, and I eat super clean.
So....here is what a day looks like for me.
5:30 (get up and shower)
6:00 (get on ferry, I live on an island)
6:15 eat non fat greek yogurt
6:30 Bike to my gym (which is six miles with a few good hills)
7:00 eat about 30 grams of carbs (a bananna or some oats for example)
7:15 warm up then get into my lifting routine (I sip on whey protein before durring and after my workout)
9:00 normally done with my lifting at the end of the lifting I get some sprints in for 10-15 mins
9:30 I get the majority of my carbs here, normallly from spelt bagles, sweet potatoes, steal cut oats, refried beans ect.
10:00 bike another six miles
11:30 I normally eat an egg white omelette or a salad with protein my cals are around 300 for this meal.
For the rest of the day I snack on small bits of protein (chicken or fish) and lots of fresh vegetables.
For dinner I eat veggies and protein
Supplements CLA, Fish oil, cq10, creatine (the pills that you dont need to take with juice) vit e internal oil, B complex, vit c 1,000 3 times a day. My water intake is good, and I have a wood fire sauna that I stretch out in most nights.
Suggestions? Ideas? Why cant I post pics here?!? I so wanna see more muscle yo!

[gbrice75]

Okay so first off I should get it out there that I was one of those girls who struggled with my weight for years and did a lot yo yo dieting. I def trained my body to hold onto fat.
Five years ago after I had my 1st son I was 210 lbs (thats after losing the baby weight folks). Im only 5'6 so ummmm yea I was a real thick one. Anyways, I have spent the last five years trying to get fit with exercise and diet. Ive been working with a trainer (who I love) for the last seven months and he turned me onto bodybuilding. He made me see that I had to make sure I was eating consistantly. Im anal about it. I track everything, and I eat super clean.

Congrats on changing your lifestyle! That's the biggest hurdle to overcome

So....here is what a day looks like for me.
5:30 (get up and shower)
6:00 (get on ferry, I live on an island)

Staten? =P

6:15 eat non fat greek yogurt
6:30 Bike to my gym (which is six miles with a few good hills)
7:00 eat about 30 grams of carbs (a bananna or some oats for example)

If you're biking hard, I would eat carbs along with the yogurt to fuel that activity. It's possible you risk burning up some LBM if the cardio gets too intense. Good that you're having some protein at least though

7:15 warm up then get into my lifting routine (I sip on whey protein before durring and after my workout)
9:00 normally done with my lifting at the end of the lifting I get some sprints in for 10-15 mins

Ok, IMO this is way too much activity to do all on a bit of greek yogurt. I would suggest you get a significant meal in either before all this activity, or after cardio and before the workout. The banana AND oats would be great, but add a protein source. Whatever you can get in - eggs, protein shake, etc.

9:30 I get the majority of my carbs here, normallly from spelt bagles, sweet potatoes, steal cut oats, refried beans ect.

Great carb choices, minus the refried beans. Add more protein here PWO though - a whey shake would be a good choice

10:00 bike another six miles

Wow!!! You sure you're not melting away?

11:30 I normally eat an egg white omelette or a salad with protein my cals are around 300 for this meal.
For the rest of the day I snack on small bits of protein (chicken or fish) and lots of fresh vegetables.
For dinner I eat veggies and protein

Sounds like you have a good idea of how to eat!

Supplements CLA, Fish oil, cq10, creatine (the pills that you dont need to take with juice) vit e internal oil, B complex, vit c 1,000 3 times a day. My water intake is good, and I have a wood fire sauna that I stretch out in most nights.
Suggestions? Ideas? Why cant I post pics here?!? I so wanna see more muscle yo!

Sounds like you're doing great. For me to help further, i'd need to know HOW much you're eating, i.e. you need to list your specific meals (more detail) with macros - protein, fat, and carb + calories for each meal, and total at the end of the day. You're doing alot of activity and we need to make sure you're not undereating, as that's no way to lose bodyfat.

[AmyLFire]

I will sit down and give you the breakdown of my macros when I have a free moment. I have two little boys three and five that keep me busy. As far as my cals potentially being too low...i put on six lbs of muscle eating 1700 cals for four days then a low day of 1200 followed by fout days at 1700 and a high day of 2100. When I began cutting I dropped to 1500 as the base w 1700 as my high and 12 for my low. Its pretty easy for me to put on muscle but im worried the fats gonna stick. How do I post pics on here? I live on a little island in maine.

[scotty51312]

Sounds like you're doing good already, keep us posted

[AmyLFire]

5-20-11

[gbrice75]

Well if you put on 6 pounds of muscle, i'm not concerned about calories being low. The fact that you're cycling high/low works well IMO.

You look great!! You definitely have some muscle on you, especially the legs!!

[SlimmerMe]

You look pretty darn good to me!

(I would edit out your face simply for privacy though....just my .02)

Keep up the good work~

[Twist]

At a former 210lbs it is going to be a struggle to get lean. Fat cells multiply but never go away (without lipo). So going from very large to tiny is not gonna be easy to maintain. Are you thinking of running any gear? What are your goals?

I also do not think your cals are low and I think you might want to look into lowering them on your "low" days. I have quite a bit of experience with this and I can say that ultimately you will need to go much lower in cals on low days. You might want to throw in a carb cycle along with your calorie cycle. Just a thought.

[Twist]

I tend to focus on the negatives so I had to come back and say that you have come a very long way, you look great, and should be proud.

[AmyLFire]

Hey guys.
Thanks for the feedback. First off no Im not going to get any gear. Thats not my bag. I just knew that Id meet some smart folks on this site. .
I was 210 pounds over five years ago now. Ive made a slow steady progression, but over the last seven months Ive really worked on becoming stronger and harder.
As far as lowering my cals below 1200 cals... I think that would send me into a fat holding state. I think the reason that I struggled so much with my weight prior was because I didnt eat enough, and I ate the wrong foods in the wrong combination. Also, I have too much that I have to do durring the day to mentally withstand droping my cals below 1200. So if thats truly the only way that Im going to lean out, I guess at some point Im going to have to just be content with my progress.
Im right around 22-23% body fat and I think Id like to get to around 18 or so.
Im not all that concerned about my face being on the pics, but thanks for mentioning it.
Yeah my legs pack some power...cant wait to see more cuts. Hope you all enjoy your weekend. Low day for me and a rest.

[AmyLFire]

Here is an example day of what I eat...
at 1300 cals...
The break down becomes 1300 cals 43g fat 98g protein (I always go over here) 130 carbs

greek yogurt 120 cals 0 fat 22 protein 7 carbs
granola 115 cals 1.4 fat 4 protein 22 carbs (I get this stuff called fruit not fat its cooked in apple sauce real good stuff)
strawberries 50 cals 0fat 0protein 15 carbs
beans 100 cals 0 fat 6 protein 17 carbs
spelt bagel 220 cals 2 fat 7 protein 40 carbs
grapefruit 80cals 0 fat 0 protein 20 carbs
omellette w chicken and cheese and veggies 190 cals 4 fat 29 protein 1 carb
haddock 168 cals 1 gram fat 36 pro 0 carbs

This is a typical day. I dont write it but I dont go longer then 3 hours without eating something. I fill up between meals with spinach tomatoes cucumber broc carrots fiddleheads asparagus ect...
I would be intrested in carb cycleing if someone wanted to make a suggestion?
I have to supplement my fat a lot because I eat a rather low in fat diet. I use CLA, olive oil, and fish oil. I try to stack the fish and cla at night b4 I go to bed.

[gbrice75]

I'm currently carb cycling as well. There's no 'right or wrong' way to do it; you just need to work out a way that best suits your lifestyle, schedule, and most important something you can stick to.

I simply cut all starchy carbs on non-workout days (3 days a week for me). By default, that also cycles my calories. My protein stays exactly the same, and my fat comes up, but not significantly.

Alot of people have numbers in mind... i.e. 300g carbs on this day, 100 on this day, high, low, medium, etc... that's fine but i find it to be too cumbersome. I'm sick of thinking about food and my diet all day long. By cutting starchy carbs on non-workout days, it's a no brainer - I get an additional caloric deficit plus the carb cycling.

PS - I DO eat a bunch of fibrous carbs (leafy green veggies) on my 'zero' carb days though.

Hope this helps!

[AmyLFire]

I have been thinking of playing with my carb levels. Good to know...
I feel you on being sick of thinking about numbers. Im been tracking my macros for seven months steady, keeping journals and trying different things. Most of my friends think Im a nut job at this point. Gotta love it.
I do however make my diet creative. I love to cook and get really into tasty dishes that make my numbers work.

[gbrice75]

Don't get me wrong, I still count macros and calories. I know exactly what I eat each day. But when you can make it easier and less time consuming, why not do it?

[SlimmerMe]

Amy: why do you want to get to 18% BF?

[AmyLFire]

Hmmm why do I want to 18 %? Well...I suppose its because I feel like its a number where I will still be healthy and womanly. Im not dead set on it by any means. I put that as my "goal" so to speak when I first got turned onto all of this and I like reaching my goals.
Did you have any ideas about women and body fat percentages? Im not naturally lean as an individual so 18 seemed a better option then the lower numbers some ladies shoot for.

[AmyLFire]

Don't get me wrong, I still count macros and calories. I know exactly what I eat each day. But when you can make it easier and less time consuming, why not do it?

Yes easier is much better! It takes up a whole lot of mental space to do the kind of things we are all doing. Thanks for the tips.

[gbrice75]

Check out the link below... scroll down to the women's pics.

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-p...nd-percentages

[SlimmerMe]

I hear ya wanting to get down to a lower %. So do I! I am curious if is BF you are seeing or just need a bit of toning. Or are they one in the same to you.

ps: you remind me of a dear friend of mine!

[SlimmerMe]

Check out the link below... scroll down to the women's pics.

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-p...nd-percentages

Wish these photos showed the girls starting out with the same body type plus a deep dark tan on all of 'em with the same high cut bottom suit and same flirty pose to get a more accurate comparison ....but I get the idea.....

[scotty51312]

Check out the link below... scroll down to the women's pics.

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-p...nd-percentages

interesting site. the pic of the guy at 20% makes me feel better cause I'm not as close as i thought haha

[AmyLFire]

Im not exactly sure what you mean by "tone up".
All I know is that I worked hard to put muscle on and now I want to see it.
I think at the end of this eight week cycle Ill have a better idea of what body fat percentage Id be most comfortable at.
Happy to remind you of dear friend.

[SlimmerMe]

^^^ tone up meaning tighter looking which is probably the same as less BF. IMO? my real opinion? I don't see much BF on you. But if you want to have less I understand since it is a personal thing with all of us.

[gbrice75]

Wish these photos showed the girls starting out with the same body type plus a deep dark tan on all of 'em with the same high cut bottom suit and same flirty pose to get a more accurate comparison ....but I get the idea.....

lol, I hear ya!

[AmyLFire]

Hey thanks for posting the BFP link. I do get the point. As I mentioned b4 Im not dead set on reaching any certain BFP, I do however wanna see all the muscle I worked hard to put on. I know I have a decent womanly shape. (It would be nice to have some boobs again, lol....) but...I want to be more cut. To be honest, Im actully excited for the next bulking cycle. When I began this process I was VERY hard to get to eat. I was worried that I would get fat. My trainer got me to start eating more and lifting. I bulked eating 1700 cals a day with high days of around 2100 and low days of 1200.
Now Im not afraid to eat, and can only imagine what kind of muscle I could put on bumping the numbers up a bit. I seem to be one of those people who can put muscle on pretty easy.
Cutting is still going fine for me. Im resting this weekend to be able to put in another solid week starting Monday. I ran four miles yesterday. I can see slight changes, but am going to wait another week before I have my trainer put the clippers on me. I wish I knew more women my age that were into bodybuilding. Or any women period. Fun stuff.

[gbrice75]

U should seek out Kawigirl on this board. She's a competitive bodybuilder and really knows her sh!t. She's also become s friend of mine and is a great person. I'm sure she could share a lot with u.

[AmyLFire]

U should seek out Kawigirl on this board. She's a competitive bodybuilder and really knows her sh!t. She's also become s friend of mine and is a great person. I'm sure she could share a lot with u.

Thanks! I will have to figure out how to do that. I dont understand how to use this site very well.
I dont know anything about flexing and such... thnx.

Enjoy ur sunday funday.

[gbrice75]

Stick around and you'll meet her soon enough! Problem is she's been spending too much time in the lounge with all the lounge lizards, lol!

If you'd ever be interested in competing down the road, i think you have EXCELLENT potential based on your pics.

[AmyLFire]

Sounds good, Id enjoy talking with her. I dont know much about competing but it sounds like fun. I dont know what makes people have potential or not have potential. But thanks for saying Ive got it.

[gbrice75]

I dont know what makes people have potential or not have potential. But thanks for saying Ive got it.

Attitude towards the sport, and natural ability to achieve an appreciable physique. I can see it with your body...

[AmyLFire]

Attitude towards the sport, and natural ability to achieve an appreciable physique. I can see it with your body...

I love the sport. Its a whole lot of fun. I grew up never being picked for sports teams and being picked on pretty badly. Turns out Im not so bad at sports at all I just needed to try. LOL. I do however have a backround in dance which has helped me greatly on my form with lifting and my legs. I really wish I could turn more women onto bodybuilding. Its the shit! Id love to learn more about competitions...

Had a great workout today my energy levels are good and my mental focus is good as well. Its raining STILL here so I did my cardio inside. Did some jump ropein. Gotta love it...

[gbrice75]

You should search out some local competitions and just go watch, get a feel for the atmosphere, how the judging works, how they pose, etc.... just soak it all in and learn. Man, Kawigirl would be able to teach you everything!!

[AmyLFire]

You should search out some local competitions and just go watch, get a feel for the atmosphere, how the judging works, how they pose, etc.... just soak it all in and learn. Man, Kawigirl would be able to teach you everything!!

How do I find this girl? Or have her find me?

[gbrice75]

I'll reach out to her for you

[AmyLFire]

Sounds like you're doing good already, keep us posted

Hey Id like to do an offical blog of what Im doing to keep me on track. Im not sure the best way to go about doing that....suggestions?