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A lot has happened since my last update! I have taken some time off and traveled, made a change in my career, and most importantly, got ENGAGED! Those are three valid reasons that explain my hiatus and I cannot be HAPPIER! Can you recall me constantly repeating the ol' mantra, "Bodybuilding should enhance every aspect of your life"? Well, it most certainly did.
My last progress update was June 22nd and I weighed in at a strong and fluffy 167.8 lbs. Fast forward to today, 16 weeks later, I am happy to report that I am a much leaner 153.6 lbs. There were weeks in between that I stayed at maintenance or just estimated calories to be at around maintenance during my 2-3 weeks of travel and vacationing, but I averaged about a pound of weight loss per week. The slower the weight of weight loss, the less of the impact you feel from it. Even today, at about 14 lbs. lighter, I still have not felt hungry, or overly fatigued. Last year when I prepped for my first competition, I felt like turd at this body weight and I was much weaker and felt much more fatigued.
Here's a few snapshots of my transformation:
The original plan for a "Summer Shred" has gone longer than expected, but I'm okay with it! I never imagined myself feeling this energetic and healthy at this point in the diet. I haven't done anything too different since I began except slowly and steadily dropping calories. I've also become MUCH more lenient with my fat and carbohydrate intake.
Here are my priorities in my diet & nutrition:
#1 - Hit caloric goal (it is now 2300 calories)
#2 - At minimum, hit my protein requirement of 230g
#3 - If I have a high fat day, I decrease carbs; if I have a high carb day, I decrease fat; so long as #1 and #2 are met, carbs and fat can be pretty much anything
#4 - Food choices, meal frequency, meal timing is irrelevant
...And that's it! Sure, my PR's in my main lifts have dropped a bit, but that's to be expected on a cut, especially after being in a caloric deficit since what -- March? April? Damn! A few learnings though...
I am an individual that when keeping carbs high, the rate of fat loss is slowed; thus I have to incorporate days where I am essentially doing keto (carbs less than 100g). I love keeping carbs high because of it's direct effect on performance. When carb intake is high, you feel stronger, fuller, and when lean, look better! So I mix in days of keto with days of high carb. For example, this is typically how my week looks like:
SATURDAY: Carb load at ~3200 calories -- drop protein intake to 1g of protein per lb. of bodyweight and drop fats to maximize carb intake -- it looks something like 150g P / 500g C / 50g F. Since the calorie level is probably higher than my maintenance level, I need to keep fats as low as possible to avoid possible fat storage. In "The Ketogenic Diet," Lyle recommends a cap of 88g fat when carb loading. Someone of my size (since I'm only 5'6" and weighing in the 150s), is not recommended to surpass 65g fat. I train LEGS with a focus on DEADLIFTS on this day.
SUNDAY: 2300 calories -- but is my rest day, and a day that I like to allow more freedom in my macros so I can balance my life and allow myself to eat out with my Fiancee and friends. As long as I meet 150g of protein, carbs and fats can be whatever it ends up being, so long as I do not surpass the 2300 calorie threshold.
MONDAY: 2300 calories -- PUSH DAY - CHEST / SHOULDERS / TRICEPS. I am replenished with glycogen and am rested from the previous 2 days. I will keep carbs under 100g and do something like a keto day. Carbs can be as low as 50g, but I shoot for anything under 100g. My macros can look like 230g P / 50g C / 120g F. As mentioned, I am lenient with hitting macros. So long as I meet my protein and caloric goals, and carbs are under 100g, then I fill in the remainder of my calories with fat.
TUESDAY: 2300 calories - PULL DAY - BACK / BICEPS. I will continue to repeat the diet from Monday.
WEDNESDAY: 2300 calories - LEGS - SQUAT FOCUS. I will continue to repeat the diet from Monday, but if I feel like I need a boost of energy, I'll maximize my carb intake. 230g P / 220g C / 50g F. Same principle on being lenient. I like to go through this being as flexible and organic as possible as long as I meet my over arching goal of 0.5 - 1.0 lbs. of fat loss per week while keeping gym performance as high as possible.
THURSDAY: Repeat Monday training, but will high carb it if I feel like it's necessary.
FRIDAY: Repeat Tuesday training, but will high carb it if I feel like it's necessary.
SATURDAY: ...the cycle repeats.
On the subject of keto and low carb, did you know that the brain uses approximately 100g of carbs for fuel per day? I spent idle time reading while travelling and I read various publications by Lyle McDonald like "The Ultimate Diet 2.0, "A Guide to Flexible Dieting," and "The Ketogenic Diet." I find it absolutely fascinating when the mechanics of the body is explained scientifically. If you have not read any of these publications, I highly recommend it! If you google them, you can find free PDF versions of them. And as always, question everything but keep your mind open. I consider all anecdotal facts in diet, nutrition, and training; and will try it before I knock it.
Anyway, until next time! The quest for ab veins continue... Cheers!
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