I kicked off my slow cut yesterday. Nothing major except doing more conditioning and removing dairy from my diet. My goal this time around is not to do it as fast as I did in '11, so I can spare more lean mass and strength.

I hope to get down to a very lean 165 by May 1st. That is ~13weeks. I'd say I'm about currently at 177lbs and carrying significant amount water. So ~12lbs over 13weeks, about 1lb a week average. I'll weigh in later today and take some initial photos.

Last cut, I starved myself and it was a challenge. I relied heavily on thermogenics and appetite suppressants. I also averaged 2.5lbs of weight loss over 10 weeks. From 186lbs --> 161lbs.

This was 2011:

This time around I should be much more muscular, stronger, and well conditioned. I'll also be focusing on cycling my carbs and experimenting with eating more at night, while minimizing them in the first half of the day.



[Edited on January 30, 2013 at 7:52 AM. Reason : more words]

1/30/2013 7:25:30 AM

186 to 161 is a hell of a cut in ten weeks, not surprised you lost some muscle on that.

At 1lb a week you're only looking at about a 500 calorie/day deficit which should be easy for you. I bet you almost can't help to lose it faster than that since the first 5 lbs will come off week 1.

I'd guesstimate 10% body fat in that pic, what do you think you were?

[Edited on January 30, 2013 at 7:41 AM. Reason : a]

1/30/2013 7:40:43 AM

I'd agree and say that picturelooks around 10%. The lighting and quality isn't that great.

However, I think I was sub 10% at the time. More like 8 or 9% if. This is another photo from that time that shows more leanness:

1/30/2013 7:57:06 AM

yeah based on your lower back not having many fat deposits I'd say 8-9% is probably correct.

For most guys you have to be below 10% for lower abs and lower back to look lean.

1/30/2013 8:02:11 AM

Layne Norton on metabolic damage:



Don't screw yourself with excessive cardio and large calorie deficits.

1/30/2013 1:33:12 PM

Yeah im a little concerned about doing cardio too often on this diet but its hard not to exercise. It keeps you away from drinking and eating all night

1/30/2013 2:07:02 PM

Everytime I load this page I feel like Matt is staring deep into my eyes, its pretty gay how large it is and positioned at the top of the page.

That being said are you gonna post a before picture for your cut?

Did an hour of walking today even though I swore I wasn't going to do any cardio to avoid stalling my fat loss. Just couldn't help it.

I wanna see that scale drop below 170 really bad just from a mental hurdle so I drank a nut load of water today and downed a bunch of spinach and cut off eating/drinking at 7:30 PM.

I'm guaranteed to weigh in below 170 tomorrow at some point. Hopefully in the morning before work, but if not I will be after work for sure.

1/30/2013 7:33:21 PM

I want to see the scale drop below 270 for me this weekend. hearing what you guys weigh makes me feel morbidly obese.

1/30/2013 8:01:40 PM

Hit the gym up today. Had a buddy record me so I could see my form. How long do you guys think it will take before I start seeing results?

1/30/2013 8:02:41 PM

Quote :

"I want to see the scale drop below 270 for me this weekend. hearing what you guys weigh makes me feel morbidly obese. "

How tall are you?

1/30/2013 9:21:18 PM

6'-0". I guess by BMI I technically am morbidly obese. My weight currently is around ~265, but I woke up this morning ballooned out to 275. I guess skipping the gym to eat an entire box of mac-n-cheese, cuss at my TV during the basketball game, and drowning my sorrows in scotch afterwards wasn't very conducive to my dieting plans.

Here's a picture of me at around ~250 from about a year ago. I'd like to be back at this weight by the end of April, which should be feasible. It's hard for me to diet as hard as I used to now that I'm not working a desk job, but I should be able to manage a pound a week weight loss plan without much issue.

1/30/2013 10:29:09 PM

You should play the kidnapper in Taken 3.

[Edited on January 30, 2013 at 11:13 PM. Reason : R]

1/30/2013 11:12:12 PM

a pound a week?! What is your maintenance calories?

I plugged in 270 lbs, 6'0, 30 yrs old, moderate daily activity and got 3,200 calories for maintenance.

You could eat 350g protein to be at 1,400. That leaves 800 calories of fat and carbs to give you 1,000 calorie deficit, ~2lbs a week just right there....

throw in a little LISS and lifting which you obviously do... one pound a week you'd barely have to do anything...

1/30/2013 11:34:38 PM

1/31/2013 12:16:07 AM

jesus. just when lakers look theyve turned the corner...

Kobe reverts to his old ball hog ways and the Lakers blow a 13 point lead with 9 minutes left to the worst team in the Western Conference (Phoenix).

Oh did i mention dwight re-injured his shoulder and might be out for awhile. great.

1/31/2013 1:04:52 AM

^^now that's a dedicated stripper

1/31/2013 8:02:56 AM

Nice gloves.

1/31/2013 8:35:49 AM

170.8, drank too much water last night and chronic yohimbine has me retaining a ton of it still. Should be below 170 this evening when I get home but I really wanted it to say that this morning.


No idea how that lakers post ended up in this thread. It doesn't even say RIP GIRLFRIEND

1/31/2013 8:42:14 AM

I just wanted to post in here an give you guys a quick update. I've been doing real good on my diet and exercise program during the week. I have completely cut out alcohol Sunday through Thursday, but I tend to binge Friday and Saturday. When I say binge I mean 5-6 beers plus shots of tequila or 3-4 tall vodka tonics. Friday has also turned into my cheat day and I usually go out to lunch with my team at work which is always bad. I'm sure my lunch meals (burger + fries, pizza, philly cheese steak, etc) are approaching 1200 calories in one sitting so gotta work on that. I plan to be moderate with my alcohol consumption this weekend and see if I can make that a new habit. I've also gotten into a great habit of exercising Sun, Mon, Weds, Thurs and Fri with rest days on Tues and Sat.

I'm alternating playing 2 hrs of racquetball and weight lifting on my work out days. I can burn 1300 calories playing 2 hrs of racquetball so I like that a lot. It's competitive and is basically like doing sprints for two hours. But even on my rest days I may do some light exercise like bike riding or a walk with the wife. My weigh in is usually Saturday morning and I'm hoping to drop into the 170's by this weekend.

My diet usually consists of oat meal or non-fat greek yogurt with granola and fresh fruit for breakfast, leftovers for lunch which is usually vegetables and a meat, same for dinner. My snacks are all fruit. I also take a protein shake on work out days. I've been trying to get into the habit of taking fish oil supplements and vitamin D on a daily basis as well as drinking green tea but I haven't been consistent with that yet. It's crazy but I dropped 10 lbs (started at 188 lbs) my first two weeks of dieting and then put on 4 lbs over the next 2 weeks. I couldn't believe how fast I dropped weight at the beginning. What I don't want to do is hit my plateau so soon. I'm really trying to drop down to 165 lbs, 32 in waist and 15% body fat or less. My wife and I are taking measurements and pictures this weekend so I'll post those up when I get them.

1/31/2013 8:53:24 AM

Really good and easy to read white paper that a lot of weight loss experts are cheering and some might enjoy:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1208051#t=article

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/myths-of-weight-loss-are-plentiful-researcher-says/?hp

I'm sure some ITT already know a lot of the myths and presumptions these researchers lay out, but it is nice to see academics attempting to cut through the "bro science" and trying to find concrete results they can reproduce.

Quote :

"“If a patient says, ‘Do you think it is reasonable for me to lose 25 percent of my body weight,’ the honest answer is, ‘No. Not without surgery,’” Dr. Allison said. But, he said, “If a patient says, ‘My goal is to lose 25 percent of my body weight,’ I would say, ‘Go for it.’”"

1/31/2013 9:03:00 AM

skipped working out last night, but it was to put together some shelving around the house so at least I was on my feet the whole night. Plyo tonight.

1/31/2013 9:12:14 AM

^^ I can't access the article. Can you post the findings in this thread?

1/31/2013 9:22:09 AM

these are the best parts:

Quote :

"Myths We review seven myths about obesity, along with the refuting evidence. Small Sustained Changes in Energy Intake or Expenditure Myth number 1: Small sustained changes in energy intake or expenditure will produce large, long-term weight changes. Predictions suggesting that large changes in weight will accumulate indefinitely in response to small sustained lifestyle modifications rely on the half-century-old 3500-kcal rule, which equates a weight alteration of 1 lb (0.45 kg) to a 3500-kcal cumulative deficit or increment.5,6 However, applying the 3500-kcal rule to cases in which small modifications are made for long periods violates the assumptions of the original model, which were derived from short-term experiments predominantly performed in men on very-low-energy diets (<800 kcal per day).5,7 Recent studies have shown that individual variability affects changes in body composition in response to changes in energy intake and expenditure,7 with analyses predicting substantially smaller changes in weight (often by an order of magnitude across extended periods) than the 3500-kcal rule does.5,7 For example, whereas the 3500-kcal rule predicts that a person who increases daily energy expenditure by 100 kcal by walking 1 mile (1.6 km) per day will lose more than 50 lb (22.7 kg) over a period of 5 years, the true weight loss is only about 10 lb (4.5 kg),6 assuming no compensatory increase in caloric intake, because changes in mass concomitantly alter the energy requirements of the body. Setting Realistic Weight-Loss Goals Myth number 2: Setting realistic goals for weight loss is important, because otherwise patients will become frustrated and lose less weight. Although this is a reasonable hypothesis, empirical data indicate no consistent negative association between ambitious goals and program completion or weight loss.8 Indeed, several studies have shown that more ambitious goals are sometimes associated with better weight-loss outcomes (see the Supplementary Appendix).8 Furthermore, two studies showed that interventions designed to improve weight-loss outcomes by altering unrealistic goals resulted in more realistic weight-loss expectations but did not improve outcomes. Rate of Weight Loss Myth number 3: Large, rapid weight loss is associated with poorer long-term weight-loss outcomes, as compared with slow, gradual weight loss. Within weight-loss trials, more rapid and greater initial weight loss has been associated with lower body weight at the end of long-term follow-up. 9,10 A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials that compared rapid weight loss (achieved with very-low-energy diets) with slower weight loss (achieved with low-energy diets — i.e., 800 to 1200 kcal per day) at the end of short-term follow-up (<1 yr) and long-term follow-up (=1 year) showed that, despite the association of very-low-energy diets with significantly greater weight loss at the end of short-term follow-up (16.1% of body weight lost, vs. 9.7% with low-energy diets), there was no significant difference between the very-low-energy diets and low-energy diets with respect to weight loss at the end of long-term follow-up.10 Although it is not clear why some obese persons have a greater initial weight loss than others do, a recommendation to lose weight more slowly might interfere with the ultimate success of weight-loss efforts. Diet Readiness Myth number 4: It is important to assess the stage of change or diet readiness in order to help patients who request weight-loss treatment. Readiness does not predict the magnitude of weight loss or treatment adherence among persons who sign up for behavioral programs or who undergo obesity surgery.11 Five trials (involving 3910 participants; median study period, 9 months) specifically evaluated stages of change (not exclusively readiness) and showed an average weight loss of less than 1 kg and no conclusive evidence of sustained weight loss (see the Supplementary Appendix). The explanation may be simple — people voluntarily choosing to enter weight-loss programs are, by definition, at least minimally ready to engage in the behaviors required to lose weight. Importance of Physical Education Myth number 5: Physical-education classes, in their current form, play an important role in reducing or preventing childhood obesity. Physical education, as typically provided, has not been shown to reduce or prevent obesity. Findings in three studies that focused on expanded time in physical education12 indicated that even though there was an increase in the number of days children attended physical-education classes, the effects on body-mass index (BMI) were inconsistent across sexes and age groups. Two meta-analyses showed that even specialized school-based programs that promoted physical activity were ineffective in reducing BMI or the incidence or prevalence of obesity. 13 There is almost certainly a level of physical activity (a specific combination of frequency, intensity, and duration) that would be effective in reducing or preventing obesity. Whether that level is plausibly achievable in conventional school settings is unknown, although the dose–response relationship between physical activity and weight warrants investigation in clinical trials. Breast-Feeding and Obesity Myth number 6: Breast-feeding is protective against obesity. A World Health Organization (WHO) report states that persons who were breast-fed as infants are less likely to be obese later in life and that the association is “not likely to be due to publication bias or confounding.”14 Yet the WHO, using Egger's test and funnel plots, found clear evidence of publication bias in the published literature it synthesized.15 Moreover, studies with better control for confounding (e.g., studies including within-family sibling analyses) and a randomized, controlled trial involving more than 13,000 children who were followed for more than 6 years16 provided no compelling evidence of an effect of breast-feeding on obesity. On the basis of these findings, one long-term proponent of breast-feeding for the prevention of obesity wrote that breast-feeding status “no longer appears to be a major determinant” of obesity risk17; however, he speculated that breast-feeding may yet be shown to be modestly protective, current evidence to the contrary. Although existing data indicate that breast-feeding does not have important antiobesity effects in children, it has other important potential benefits for the infant and mother and should therefore be encouraged. Sexual Activity and Energy Expenditure Myth number 7: A bout of sexual activity burns 100 to 300 kcal for each participant. The energy expenditure of sexual intercourse can be estimated by taking the product of activity intensity in metabolic equivalents (METs),18 the body weight in kilograms, and time spent. For example, a man weighing 154 lb (70 kg) would, at 3 METs, expend approximately 3.5 kcal per minute (210 kcal per hour) during a stimulation and orgasm session. This level of expenditure is similar to that achieved by walking at a moderate pace (approximately 2.5 miles [4 km] per hour). Given that the average bout of sexual activity lasts about 6 minutes,19 a man in his early-to-mid-30s might expend approximately 21 kcal during sexual intercourse. Of course, he would have spent roughly one third that amount of energy just watching television, so the incremental benefit of one bout of sexual activity with respect to energy expended is plausibly on the order of 14 kcal."

1/31/2013 9:30:34 AM

Quote :

"Presumptions Just as it is important to recognize that some widely held beliefs are myths so that we may move beyond them, it is important to recognize presumptions, which are widely accepted beliefs that have neither been proved nor disproved, so that we may move forward to collect solid data to support or refute them. Value of Breakfast Presumption number 1: Regularly eating (versus skipping) breakfast is protective against obesity. Two randomized, controlled trials that studied the outcome of eating versus skipping breakfast showed no effect on weight in the total sample.20 However, the findings in one study suggested that the effect on weight loss of being assigned to eat or skip breakfast was dependent on baseline breakfast habits.20 Early Childhood Habits and Weight Presumption number 2: Early childhood is the period in which we learn exercise and eating habits that influence our weight throughout life. Although a person's BMI typically tracks over time (i.e., tends to be in a similar percentile range as the person ages), longitudinal genetic studies suggest that such tracking may be primarily a function of genotype rather than a persistent effect of early learning. 21 No randomized, controlled clinical trials provide evidence to the contrary. Value of Fruits and Vegetables Presumption number 3: Eating more fruits and vegetables will result in weight loss or less weight gain, regardless of whether any other changes to one's behavior or environment are made. It is true that the consumption of fruits and vegetables has health benefits. However, when no other behavioral changes accompany increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, weight gain may occur or there may be no change in weight.22 Weight Cycling and Mortality Presumption number 4: Weight cycling (i.e., yo-yo dieting) is associated with increased mortality. Although observational epidemiologic studies show that weight instability or cycling is associated with increased mortality, such findings are probably due to confounding by health status. Studies of animal models do not support this epidemiologic association.23 Snacking and Weight Gain Presumption number 5: Snacking contributes to weight gain and obesity. Randomized, controlled trials do not support this presumption.24 Even observational studies have not shown a consistent association between snacking and obesity or increased BMI. Built Environment and Obesity Presumption number 6: The built environment, in terms of sidewalk and park availability, influences the incidence or prevalence of obesity. According to a systematic review, virtually all studies showing associations between the risk of obesity and components of the built environment (e.g., parks, roads, and architecture) have been observational.25 Furthermore, these observational studies have not shown consistent associations, so no conclusions can be drawn. "

That's a majority of the good stuff. There is also a table of "facts" about weight loss but I can't get it to post. The facts just include things like "exercise is good even if you don't lose weight, Rigid or pre-planned meal structures can lead to greater weight loss, etc."

1/31/2013 9:30:56 AM

THANKS! Kind of interesting about the breakfast thing.

1/31/2013 9:39:10 AM

Ahhhh, a nice 820 calories on the treadmill this afternoon.

1/31/2013 2:05:45 PM

Wife and I walked a couple miles over lunch today. We typically try and do that every day day we can both work it out (which is usually 2-3 days due to meetings and deadlines).

1/31/2013 2:16:29 PM

Quote :

"Ahhhh, a nice 820 calories on the treadmill this afternoon."

That's pretty much impossible. The calorie estimates on those things are not useful or accurate.

If you're trying to lose weight, figure out your TDEE (http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html), adjust your diet so that your daily calorie intake is 500 calories below that value, and don't even bother throwing activity level into the equation. That calculator isn't exact so you may have to reduce or increase calories slightly to see results.

1/31/2013 2:39:24 PM

Never know! Maybe he was running for almost 3 hours....maybe

1/31/2013 3:08:55 PM

I mean, poopoo it all you want, but knowing things like my average heart rate over the hour I was on there, age, weight, average speed, and average grade doesn't make it terribly difficult to calculate the approximate calories expended.

1/31/2013 3:25:57 PM

Never much cared for the calorie counters on those machines. Too distracting. I usually toss a towel over the display or I end up staring at it the whole time and the workout takes

1/31/2013 3:41:49 PM

Quote :

"I mean, poopoo it all you want, but knowing things like my average heart rate over the hour I was on there, age, weight, average speed, and average grade doesn't make it terribly difficult to calculate the approximate calories expended."

The human body is way more complex than you're giving it credit for.

1/31/2013 3:53:44 PM

Yes, yes, I understand that in order to get a really accurate count I need to work it out with a VO2 based formula, but I'm just looking for approximation here. A 5.5% grade jog for an hour is going to burn a pretty decent number of calories.

1/31/2013 3:59:14 PM

Quote :

"treadmill"

1/31/2013 4:04:52 PM

Yeah, well when there's a sustained 20 mph wind and it's not even 50 degrees outside trail or street running can get fucked.

1/31/2013 4:07:09 PM

Here is an article on intermittent fasting for women.

http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

1/31/2013 4:34:31 PM

I definitely think there's something to that. I mean, a 14 hour fast is not a long fast, but I typically go 18-22 hours and I don't get those symptoms.

Makes some sense if we're just looking at early human behavior. Men (who were the ones having to track down food while women raised offspring) would, in some situations, need to go without food for 24 hours or more while still remaining alert. Women, who may have been pregnant, would normally not be in those kinds of situations, and if they were pregnant/nursing, it certainly would not be beneficial to go without nutrients with respect to reproduction. This is one area where I think a one size fits all approach doesn't work.

1/31/2013 5:44:35 PM

Serious question: Not that I think the paleo diet and associated things are unhealthy (because there are ideas and merits from it that overlap with the way I eat and it is certainly healthier than the typical person's diet) but I'm curious where the big push recently toward eating and behaving like early humans came from?

I'm completely fine with someone presenting the diet and associated health habits just in isolation and its benefits today, but it always seems weird to me when it comes back to justifying it on early human behavior, which we have obviously evolved beyond (for better or worse). Similar observations can be made with wolves and dogs for example who almost certainly originated from the same bloodline at one point and have evolved to live on very different diets.

[Edited on January 31, 2013 at 7:36 PM. Reason : ]

1/31/2013 7:35:29 PM

The bottom line is that eating fresh high quality meats, vegetables, and starches (sparingly); is healthier for you.

1/31/2013 8:38:24 PM

and, despite not eating a lot of meat myself, I do agree with that wholeheartedly. I just don't get the hangup some people have with justifying that based on early humans doing it when I don't think that is as relevant as people to seem to think. I eat a balanced diet full of lots of fresh vegetables and fruit because it's proven to be healthy.

It's not a big deal, I was just curious why this got so big over the past few years.

[Edited on January 31, 2013 at 9:01 PM. Reason : ]

1/31/2013 8:52:46 PM

fuck IT band injuries, y'all

1/31/2013 9:03:53 PM

The trick to getting ripped is to scavenge for food while occasionally pausing to build a Stonehenge.

1/31/2013 9:05:58 PM

No, I'm pretty sure the trick is light beer and recumbent cycling.

1/31/2013 10:08:47 PM

I <3 BridgetSPK

1/31/2013 11:01:58 PM

Went out and got hammered last night to celebrate hitting 170. This morning I weighed in at 173. Just the motivation I needed to resume dieting!

2/1/2013 10:27:30 AM

Quote :

"Serious question: Not that I think the paleo diet and associated things are unhealthy (because there are ideas and merits from it that overlap with the way I eat and it is certainly healthier than the typical person's diet) but I'm curious where the big push recently toward eating and behaving like early humans came from?"

I think it comes from a recognition that the vast majority of human evolution and adaptation occurred in starkly different circumstances than the ones we find ourselves in today. Our ancestors didn't have access to abundant sources of high energy foods, but today we do. However, biologically, we're still governed by roughly the same biological underpinnings that make candy and ice cream taste good and broccoli and celery taste bland.

I'm not by any means paleo, primal, or any of that; highly restrictive diets, at least for me, eventually lead to episodes where I lose control and eat way too much. However, I think that an understanding of the biological mechanisms that allowed humans to survive and flourish is pretty helpful when trying to maintain good health in the (relatively new) post-agricultural revolution era.

2/1/2013 12:17:51 PM

Just weighed in under 150lbs for the first time in years. My ideal weight should fluctuate between 145 and 150. I don't lift big anymore, so I don't need those extra pounds of muscle.

I attribute my most recent weight loss (it's only been about 5-7 pounds...but when it gets this low, it's tough to lose) to simply eating less and running a bit more. I try and skip breakfast on the weekdays...drinking a couple cups of coffee and green tea until lunch. Then I just make sure I don't go overboard after that. Regular meals and no snacks. Still drinking, but just not as much. I normally have 3 drinks a night...lately I've been doing 1 or 2...and every now and then, none at all.

Haven't gone crazy with the exercising, just some 2-3 mile runs 2 or 3 times a week. Mix in my pull-up and push-up work out with the runs.

Feeling pretty good. Going to Aruba with the fiance's family for a week in the middle of February...and it looks like I'm going to be in damn good shape by then!

2/1/2013 2:08:34 PM

How bout a picture for the ol' spank bank?

2/1/2013 4:02:55 PM

I'll post some nip pics when I get back from Aruba.

2/1/2013 5:01:40 PM

Don't be afraid to oil up.

2/1/2013 5:10:29 PM