Quote: (10-09-2014 10:45 AM)RexImperator Wrote:
I think I need some help figuring out how to lose some weight in the context of training. Part of it is a mental thing. I've really gotten into the strength training and enjoy it, so I have become addicted to that aspect but I know I would look a lot better if I cut down. I've been doing slow re-composition for several months, but I'm realizing it takes forever to go that route.
How do you make the break?
I've been cutting since the first of July and lost 13 pounds and 6-7% body fat (started at 225, 25% bf now I'm at 212, 18-19% bf. I was recovering during the first 6 weeks so my one rep maxes have been increasing but that's relative to the lowered ones I set after my injury.
There was really no trick - I just woke up one morning and didn't like what I saw in the mirror. I started on a 500 Cal/day deficit and it wasn't too difficult. Getting the discipline to really count all my calories was probably the hardest part. I'd drink water whenever I felt hungry. It took about 2 weeks for the initial weight loss to establish and I found myself hitting a plateau and even gaining back some weight about 6 weeks in. I upped my calories for a few days back to maintenance (call it a pseudo cheat day if you will) and I lost 4 pounds overnight and an additional pound per day for the next few days. That put me right back on track to what I calculated my weight loss should have been. Since then my appetite has gone way down. Now I struggle to get up to 1000 Cal/day below maintenance and have to force myself to eat enough. I do think that eating a protein and fiber rich breakfast helps a lot. Get your protein early in the day and you shouldn't get as hungry later on.
My diet is basically:
Breakfast - 2-3 pasture raised eggs fried in butter, 1/2 cup oatmeal w/ strawberries, one apple, one english muffin
Lunch - Salad or wrap with at least 100g of chicken.
Snack - 400g of Greek yogurt + fresh berries
Dinner - chicken breast or steak + vegetables (broccoli or something similar)
I limit myself to a few alcoholic drinks per month. This has cut down on my night gaming but I think it's better to wait until I've gotten my body composition in check anyway.
As far as training goes I'm in the gym 3-4 days a week but I go by how I feel. I always do the compound lifts - squat, DL, bench - but I'll drop the assistance exercises, especially the cardio/HIIT type ones (sled/prowler), if I feel my energy start to drop. This seems to have be a pretty good compromise between cutting and maintaining my lifting strength.
Hope that helps. It's really a mental thing though so you gotta get that straight first.