Detecting Catabolic symptoms...

[Subvertio]

Is there anyway you can tell you are being 'catabolic' towards your lean body mass when cutting? I am fairly certain I got my diet straightened out through this forum, I am slightly uncertain though for knowing when you are wasting and when you are burning fat or gaining fat. Is muscle loss just a consequence of cutting or can it be avoided completely (assuming you have diet down).

I am having trouble eating more than 1600 calories a day at 60p/15-20c/20-30F with an hour of am cardio at 140 bpm so does this mean I shouldn't eat more if I can't stomach it? Is it okay have protein shakes more than 3 times a day to fill in gaps?

I am estimating I am around 130-147 LBM so I am shooting for 200-220 grams protein a day while cutting. However, when I get to the 150-170g total protein later in the day it feels like work to put the remainder down.

So how do you know when you reached the middle ground between maintaining LBM and burning fat? Tape? Weight only? Or are there symptoms of how your body feels? Should you not eat when you are not hungry while cutting?

And shoot I be hitting the cardio 7 days a week or have resting days?

[lifter65]

i assume your jogging for cardio? if so you will lose muscle, possibly alot
if you are sprinting for cardio muscles loss would be minimal if at all
if you are doing strongman type cardio sessions, you may even gain muscle
experience-gained 60 lbs in 9 months and lost it in 3

[Subvertio]

i assume your jogging for cardio? if so you will lose muscle, possibly alot
if you are sprinting for cardio muscles loss would be minimal if at all
if you are doing strongman type cardio sessions, you may even gain muscle
experience-gained 60 lbs in 9 months and lost it in 3

I am training for vanity (no sport specifically) and not using an AAS cycle ATM, just a Diet/Exercise program. I would like to see my abs and then work from there, but I guess I can simultaneously maintain or increase my LBM while losing Body fat right? I am curious why you never kept the muscle? were you doing an AAS cycle during those 9 months? Did you stop maintaining your Diet and training? Injury?

[lifter65]

no, i needed to gain weight for football, never ran a cycle, but after season was over i didnt like sitting that heavy so i decided to lose it
gaining muscle and losing fat can be done, its just very difficult, youve really gotta have your shit together
i actually gained muscle and strength while losing that fat

[Black]

^Just curious what you mean by strongman cardio.

[lifter65]

farmers walk, sandbag carries/shouldering, prowler pushes, stuff that isnt that long in duration but leaves you breathless