Need Cutting Motivation/Guidance

T

Taank

New Member
Ok, so since the end of September I have dropped from
185lbs to 165lbs. I feel tiny. I look tiny. I'm losing strength. And I really don't see any large degree of musle seperation yet. The weight started off dropping 1lb a week (or less) and has since moved on and is now dropping about 2lbs per week.

I read over at T-nation that between 18% and 13%, bodyfat looks similar, and as you drop weight you really are just going to look smaller, until you get under 12%. Do you guys think this is whats happening? My guess is I was 19%BF at 185 and Im probabaly about 14% at 165. The mirror is really discouraging, i need to hear your experience with this.

Thanks
Taank
 
<div>
(Taank @ Jan. 10 2007,08:48)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Ok, so since the end of September I have dropped from
185lbs to 165lbs. I feel tiny. I look tiny. I'm losing strength. And I really don't see any large degree of musle seperation yet. The weight started off dropping 1lb a week (or less) and has since moved on and is now dropping about 2lbs per week.

I read over at T-nation that between 18% and 13%,  bodyfat looks similar, and as you drop weight you really are just going to look smaller, until you get under 12%. Do you guys think this is whats happening? My guess is I was 19%BF at 185 and Im probabaly about 14% at 165. The mirror is really discouraging, i need to hear your experience with this.

Thanks
Taank</div>
Yeah, that's how it works, although I think that losing 2 lbs per week is a bit excessive, so be careful.   If you're losing a significant amount of strength while you're still above 12% then you might not be doing things correctly.  Whether that is too much or not depends on many factors.   I've cut down to 5% twice now, and really learned alot both times about what I need and have to do.  However, if I could go back in time I would have hired an expert online to guide me through it.  

In my opinion the most important thing when cutting is to monitor your STRENGTH.  When I'm stressed and cutting, I like to focus on objective things, not subjective.  Your image in the mirror is subjective.  Strength is objective.  Your eyes and ego always play tricks on you.  When you're a fat ass you think you have more muscle than you really do, and always look better in the mirror to yourself than others.  So, you start to panic when your reflection becomes so much smaller.  As you get smaller, often the opposite will happen, and you look much better to everyone else but yourself.  If you just get your mind off of that and focus on your strength while you cut, you won't be as likely to screw yourself up.  

Try to maintain your 'rep maximums' on your HST program.  You will be unable to do this as you continue to get leaner, but at least try.  I did not lose more than 10% of my strength as I got to 5% bodyfat (although the first time I went to 5% I lost about 12% strength).   Much of your strength loss is due to little calories and less carbs (obviously).  Even after counting that in, I didn't lose more than 10% this time around.  

I know of some guys online who are experts at cutting.  They advise both natural and unnatural bbers for competitions.   They don't provide any advice for free, so I have no first hand experience with them.  I've only seen countless testimonials in forums.  You have to pay, and I don't know how much.  If I had to ignorantly start over again, I'd use one of them.
 
If you are losing more than 1lb/week, then you are losing too much muscle. Keep it within that limit. If this is a problem, then start counting calories, estimate your calorie expenditure, and measure your body fat percentage.
 
Its so true strength is the most objective measurement you can have with regards to monitoring muscle retention.

Remember you want to lose fat while maintaining muscle, if you're losing strength and losing 2lb per week then you're losing muscle, and you'll probably start to feel weak and lethargic, and even get sick. Start eating about 250-500 more calories per day, until you stop losing strength and are only losing about 1lb per week. Even eat at maintainance for a few days to help your body recover.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. My weight loss started slow, and I was hoping for it to go a little faster, then all the sudden it sped up and im like, woah slow down. You know how it goes. Anyway, I like to think I have a pretty firm grasp on my diet, lifting, and cardio. Here is how my weight loss went since November. Measuring first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom, once a week on Saturdays.

179
177.5 -1.5
177 -0.5
176.5 -0.5
175 -1.5
174 -1.0
172 -2.0
170 -2.0
168 -2.0
166 -2.0

I will add 500 cals to my diet to slow things down a bit. The strength loss just started recently, up until then it semed like my maxxes were maintained, then a sharp drop. Could have to do with my dropping alot of carbs. Should I not drop carbs so much? I was thinking of trying the UD 2.0.
My weight apparently swings big time during the day. This
morning I was 165 upon waking. I weighed myself two minutes ago (6pm) and I weighed 170lbs. A 5lb difference from morning to night. Crazy.
 
I wouldn't worry about weight fluctuations. I only weigh myself first thing in the morning. All other measurements reflect water weight and other things too much. Seems to me that you're headed on the right track now.
 
<div>
(stevejones @ Jan. 10 2007,12:09)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(Taank @ Jan. 10 2007,08:48)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Ok, so since the end of September I have dropped from
185lbs to 165lbs. I feel tiny. I look tiny. I'm losing strength. And I really don't see any large degree of musle seperation yet. The weight started off dropping 1lb a week (or less) and has since moved on and is now dropping about 2lbs per week.

I read over at T-nation that between 18% and 13%,  bodyfat looks similar, and as you drop weight you really are just going to look smaller, until you get under 12%. Do you guys think this is whats happening? My guess is I was 19%BF at 185 and Im probabaly about 14% at 165. The mirror is really discouraging, i need to hear your experience with this.

Thanks
Taank</div>
Yeah, that's how it works, although I think that losing 2 lbs per week is a bit excessive, so be careful.   If you're losing a significant amount of strength while you're still above 12% then you might not be doing things correctly.  Whether that is too much or not depends on many factors.   I've cut down to 5% twice now, and really learned alot both times about what I need and have to do.  However, if I could go back in time I would have hired an expert online to guide me through it.  

In my opinion the most important thing when cutting is to monitor your STRENGTH.  When I'm stressed and cutting, I like to focus on objective things, not subjective.  Your image in the mirror is subjective.  Strength is objective.  Your eyes and ego always play tricks on you.  When you're a fat ass you think you have more muscle than you really do, and always look better in the mirror to yourself than others.  So, you start to panic when your reflection becomes so much smaller.  As you get smaller, often the opposite will happen, and you look much better to everyone else but yourself.  If you just get your mind off of that and focus on your strength while you cut, you won't be as likely to screw yourself up.  

Try to maintain your 'rep maximums' on your HST program.  You will be unable to do this as you continue to get leaner, but at least try.  I did not lose more than 10% of my strength as I got to 5% bodyfat (although the first time I went to 5% I lost about 12% strength).   Much of your strength loss is due to little calories and less carbs (obviously).  Even after counting that in, I didn't lose more than 10% this time around.  

I know of some guys online who are experts at cutting.  They advise both natural and unnatural bbers for competitions.   They don't provide any advice for free, so I have no first hand experience with them.  I've only seen countless testimonials in forums.  You have to pay, and I don't know how much.  If I had to ignorantly start over again, I'd use one of them.</div>
Great post steve....it is always good to hear from people who a have experience to share with others.
 
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