10 week spring cut

[tarmyg]

Hi guys,

I have decided to run a 10 week cut starting tomorrow 2-16-2014 through 4-30-2014. I am eating 10/55/35 during this cut. I tend to eat the exact same thing during my cuts so the food will not change dramatically. Strength gain during my semi-bulk have been awesome so it is time to see if any muscle will show at the end! I can not run this longer than 10 weeks as I am moving in May and nothing will work during this time!

Here is my schedule that might change if fat loss stalls. Current week marked in BOLD.

Schedule	--------------------	--------------------	--------------------	--------------------
Week 1	2004 kcal
Week 2	1904 kcal
Week 3	1850 kcal	20 min HIIT x1
Week 4	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x3/15 min LISS x3
Week 5	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x3/15 min LISS x3	Protein Only Day x1
Week 6	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x3/15 min LISS x3	Protein Only Day x1
Week 7	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x4/15 min LISS x4	Protein Only Day x2
Week 8	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x4/15 min LISS x4	Protein Only Day x2	60mcg Clen
Week 9	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x5/15 min LISS x5	Protein Only Day x2	80mcg Clen
Week 10	1700 kcal	20 min HIIT x5/15 min LISS x5	Protein Only Day x2	80mcg Clen
-
Macros
Net Carbs	Protein	Fat
10%	55%	35%
-
Supplements
Type	AM	MID	PM
Omega-3	1000	1000	1000
Magnesium	400
MCT	1TBSP
L-Arginine	2mg
L-Glutamine	5mg
Vitamin D	5000IU
Caffeine	200mg

Starting stats
Age: 41
Height: 5'9
Weight: 176.3
Body fat: 21.1%

Tomorrow is the first weigh-in and I ate like a pig today so it should be pretty high tomorrow which always makes for a moral boosting first weigh-in

Workout is my standard 5-day split which have not made me stall thus far and if it is not broke I am not going to change it.

Stay tuned!
~T

[RaginCajun]

What does protein only x 1mean?

[tarmyg]

What does protein only x 1mean?

Only eating the protein part one day that week. And then two later on.

~T

[tarmyg]

Weighed in at 176.3lb this morning. Preparing all my food for the day while drinking some coffee and dreaming of a warmer climate.

No training today but will be a playground for 4h which I would equal to about 60min of medium impact cardio

~T

[--->>405<<---]

u moving somewhere warmer?

[tarmyg]

u moving somewhere warmer?

Moving to India in May but spending 2 months in Sweden before that.

~T

[--->>405<<---]

have u run this type diet before im assuming? what is ur beginning bf%?

[tarmyg]

have u run this type diet before im assuming? what is ur beginning bf%?

Yes.

Around 16%-17%. Was at 12% (Using DEXA scan) in the late fall.

~T

[tarmyg]

Just had my last snack for today and this is what I ate (and will be eating for the next few weeks).

Breakfast	Amount	Calories	Carbohydrates - Net	Protein	Fat	Fiber
Egg	2	140	2	12	8
Mayonnaise	15	109.05	0.15	0.15	12
Subtotal		249.05	2.15	12.15	20
Snack
Babybel Light	4	168	0.4	20	9.6
Subtotal		168	0.4	20	9.6
Lunch
Chicken	200	220	0	46	2
Cheese	30	102.6	0.6	6.6	8.1
Peppers	100	26	3	1	0.3	2
Avocado	150	240	3	3	22.5	10.5
Cucumbers	200	30	6	1.4	0.2	2
Subtotal		618.6	12.6	58	33.1
Dinner
Broccoli	200	70	8	4.8	0.8	6
Butter	20	143.4	0	0.2	16.2
Chicken	300	330	0	69	3
Subtotal		543.4	8	74	20
PW Shake
Whey	35	137.55	2.1	2.38	28.7
Taurine	10	0	0	0	0
L-Arginine	2	0	0	0	0
L-Glutamine	5	0	0	0	0
Caffeine	200	0	0	0	0
Creatine	10	0	0	0	0
Almondmilk	100	55	3	4	11
Subtotal		192.55	5.1	6.38	39.7
Snack
Cottage Cheese	250	232.5	5	30	10
Subtotal		232.5	5	30	10
Total		2004.1	33.25	200.53	132.4	20.5	366.18
			9.08%	54.76%	36.16%

[RaginCajun]

Looks good. Are you going to have any carb refeeds?

[tarmyg]

Looks good. Are you going to have any carb refeeds?

No. I have changed my mind on the effectiveness on the re-feeds.

~T

[RaginCajun]

No. I have changed my mind on the effectiveness on the re-feeds. ~T

What are your current stats?

[tarmyg]

5'8
176.3lb
16%-17% body fat (12% by DEXA scan late fall after last cut)

~T

[--->>405<<---]

No. I have changed my mind on the effectiveness on the re-feeds.

~T

changed to thinking theyre unnecessary or not useful?

[tarmyg]

changed to thinking theyre unnecessary or not useful?

Unnecessary! I can not, yet, claim the not useful part!

~T

[--->>405<<---]

Unnecessary! I can not, yet, claim the not useful part!

~T

are u shooting for ketosis?

curious to ur logic? looks kind of like a palumbo keto?? i ran that once and it didnt do well for me. everyone is different though. lifting weights and doing HIIT i would think u would need the carbs. this was my discovery. i was able to power thru with HIIT but it eventually wore me down.

[tarmyg]

are u shooting for ketosis?

curious to ur logic? looks kind of like a palumbo keto?? i ran that once and it didnt do well for me. everyone is different though. lifting weights and doing HIIT i would think u would need the carbs. this was my discovery. i was able to power thru with HIIT but it eventually wore me down.

I saw your log on this a while back and could tell you were in "pain" ;-) I wrote about this in a different thread here a few days back while you were on vacation so I will simply copy and paste that. But, safe to say, I am starting to move away from any type of "I need carbs to grow" idea. Now, as anyone with an open mind, if I stop growing (I got lots of growing to do) while doing this diet I am going to change and not simply stick my head in the sand and pretend it is working. This did work very good for me as a technique during the last summer/fall.

I think the most famous example is the L.A Lakers (Nutrition in the NBA; Part I: Lessons learned in L.A. help Howard's career - CBSSports.com) who have removed carbs as a source. I realize that in the middle of this science changing there will be people on both sides but the book The Art & Science of Low Carb Performance by Volek & Phinney sums up the latest research in a good way, IMO.

And every endurance athlete knows what happens to performance when their carbohydrate tank (at best holding 2000 Calories) runs dry – performance goes down in flames. It’s an unfortunate reality that the human body is unable to promptly switch from carbs to fat as its predominant exercise fuel, so once the former is gone, you can’t power your performance with fat (even though a carbohydrate-depleted body still has tens of thousands of fat Calories on hand).

The key fact underlying this book is that you can train your body to burn fat by simply changing your diet over a period of a few weeks, thereby turning blood sugar and glycogen into secondary fuels. Once you make this transition, you can then train harder, perform longer, and recover faster. So the simple answer to why we endorse a low carbohydrate lifestyle for athletes is that this strategy has worked for us and many people we know. More importantly, we have both conducted and published human research that supports this approach, adding to a growing body of literature that now points to the merits of reducing dietary carbohydrates to optimize fat metabolism. We have thus accumulated a unique knowledge base that we want to share so you too may experience it for yourself.

[Giggle]

Sounds well thought through!
So you'll make the changes primarily by upping the number of days of cardio, and reducing calories. I'm jealous you can lose with 20 minute sessions!
Will you post pics?

[RaginCajun]

Just purchased that book, I'll try to read it when I have a chance

[tarmyg]

Sounds well thought through!
So you'll make the changes primarily by upping the number of days of cardio, and reducing calories. I'm jealous you can lose with 20 minute sessions!
Will you post pics?

Yes. Cardio and reduction of calories. The HIIT I do (And I doubt I am special) gets my heart rate to between 189-191 and I must admit I feel warm for hours on end afterwards.

I'll post some pics later. Just such a small dude that in the scope of this site it is somewhat embarrassing ;-) But, I'll do this anyhow. Took a picture this morning and will post before and after at the same time in 10 weeks.

~T

[tarmyg]

Day 2
Eating the same as the previous day.

Workout is Traps & Shoulders

Mood is Awesome

Days since last cheat is now: 2

~T

[--->>405<<---]

dont be embarrassed man. we all do the best we can with what we have to work with.

[GirlyGymRat]

Day 2
Eating the same as the previous day.

Workout is Traps & Shoulders

Mood is Awesome

Days since last cheat is now: 2

~T

I like how you count days since last cheat!!!! Cool idea!

[tarmyg]

Day 3
Eating the same today as previously.

Workout is Legs & Abs (Favorite day)

Mood is Good

Day since last cheat is now: 3

Going through a bit of carb withdrawal at the moment which happens to me each time I do this. Usually is over after a day or 2. Not sure it is carb withdrawal as much as "I love candy" withdrawal ;-)

Had to take Tryptophan to help with sleep last night and Excedrin. Damn headache!

~T

[RaginCajun]

Is the headache due to low/no carbs?

[tarmyg]

Is the headache due to low/no carbs?

Yes, at least for me this always happens in the beginning. It is more, in my case, correlated to sugar withdrawal than anything.

~T

[RaginCajun]

Yes, at least for me this always happens in the beginning. It is more, in my case, correlated to sugar withdrawal than anything.

~T

gotcha.

look forward to your progress

[tarmyg]

Day 4
Eating the same today as previously.

Workout is Triceps and Biceps

Mood is SUPER TIRED. Woke up at 3am having my daughter (4yrs old) projectile vomit all over the bed and on me specifically. Safe to say I did not sleep so well after that.

Day since last cheat is now: 4

Headaches are completely gone anyhow so that is good. Feeling pretty optimistic at this time even though it have only been 4 days.

~T

[tarmyg]

Day 5
Still eating the same thing

Workout today is Back

Mood is GOOD
but tired. Got up to pee at 3am and could not go back to sleep until much later.

Days since last cheat is 5

Well it is day 5 and the routine is almost already there. It is starting to go on automatic which is good. Starting next week I can post workout comparisons from when I started, that will be exciting. Switching gym in 1 1/2 week so that will 100% screw up the numbers a bit but that is life.

Forgot to eat my cottage cheese yesterday so I came in 250kcal short.

~T

[tarmyg]

Day 6
Again eating the same thing

Workout today is Chest & Abs

Mood is Good but tired

Days since last cheat is 6

If you want to be to tired to eat I suggest you have a 4yr old get you up at 4am asking if it is time for breakfast.

~T

[GirlyGymRat]

Following along. Everything looks good except for projectile vomiting.

[psyBorg]

I agree on carb cycling being unnecessary.
Lately I've been thinking, why don't we just do "fat-cycling" if we want to keep a high metabolism on a keto fat loss protocol: eating calorie deficit, very-low-carb&high-fat everyday, but eating more calories from fat 1day/week =>fat cycling. Makes sense?
You're ahead on this one with the protein only days, I like that idea.

Subbed

[tarmyg]

Booked time for a DEXA scan first week of March. Let's see what that say so I can better adjust my calories. Kind of cheap so might as well remove the guess work. Also being the tech geek I am I just like doing it!

~T

[Reiid13]

Booked time for a DEXA scan first week of March.

~T

Bro ! Do they do these in UK ?!

[DrewZ]

Booked time for a DEXA scan first week of March. Let's see what that say so I can better adjust my calories. Kind of cheap so might as well remove the guess work. Also being the tech geek I am I just like doing it!

~T

I've always wanted to have one of those done! How much do they run ya?

Thanks,

Drew

[tarmyg]

Bro ! Do they do these in UK ?!

Not sure, having mine done in Sweden. Staying there for a couple of months starting first week of March.

I've always wanted to have one of those done! How much do they run ya?

About 150 euro.

Thanks
~T

[tarmyg]

Day 7
Again eating the same thing

No workout today

Mood is Great

Days since last cheat is 7

Tomorrow is weigh-in day. Should be interesting to see where I am at. Pretty good last week if I may say so myself. Most things went according to plan. Got a total of 66 days left in the cut

~T

[tarmyg]

Treating myself with a burger topped with Avocado and jalapeños tonight. Pretty low on carbs today only got to 18g, tomorrow I am lowering calories with 100 down to 1900kcal/day which is the only
change for week 2.



~T

[GirlyGymRat]

Treating myself with a burger topped with Avocado and jalapeños tonight. Pretty low on carbs today only got to 18g, tomorrow I am lowering calories with 100 down to 1900kcal/day which is the only
change for week 2.

<img src="http://forums.steroid .com/attachment.php?attachmentid=148705"/>

~T

Looks tasty!

[GirlyGymRat]

What's your stats T? didn't/couldn't find in your log!