Thread: I need some encouragment!!!!

I started my first REAL cutting cycle (no gear) and caloric deficit diet about four weeks ago and it is kicking my ass. Here is my diet. I follow it to a 't':




8:00 a.m.
24-32 oz water and dailey dose of creatine

1 hour cardio

9:00 a.m.
20 oz protein shake
300 calories



10:00 a.m.
Breakfast 4-5 egg whites
3 servings vegetables of any kind (cooked with eggs as omelette)
175 calories


1 hour free gym

12:00 p.m.
20 oz complex-carbohydrate drink
2 bananas
24-32 oz water
280 calories


2:00 p.m. Lunch 20 oz complex-carbohydrate drink
40 grams (g) protein either chicken or fish)
4 servings vegetables
400-425 calories


3:00 p.m.
1 banana or 1 serving grapes
80 calories


4:00 p.m.
24-32 oz water
10 oz complex-carbohydrate drink
200 calories


6:00 p.m. Dinner
40 g protein (one serving of either chicken, fish,or beef)
4 servings vegetables
10 oz complex-carbohydrate drink
24-32 oz water
400-425 calories


9:00-10:00 p.m.
1 banana
20 oz protein shake
250 calories

TOTAL CALORIES: 2,000-2,500


During the the last two weeks (and the following four) I am eating a tablespoon of peanut butter with each banana, eating a handful of almonds, an taking a protein shake with essaintail fats so as to keep my calories from fat at around 30% versus the 10% from weeks 1-2 and weeks 7-9.

I am at 5' 10" 200lbs ith 18% BF right now. My bulking phase went very well (I avoided the urge for gear once again). But I gotta say, I am flat out dying sometimes in the gym. I feel like I don't even wanna be there at first, but it soon passes once the pump kicks in. I'll get back with results after week 6 is completed.

I've had my maintenance calories calculted a few times on different sites and different people I saught advice from. The general consensus is apx. 2,600 cal, so that is what I am working off of.

As far as cardio, running is what I am mainly doing. But doing that for an hour every day gets dull, so I ad in wind sprints, jumping rope, the eliptical machine... something that will keep me reach my target heart rate and burn extra energy for an hour a day.

As far as weight training, I am doing something a bit new to me called pre-exhaustion lifting. I'm sure most of you guys that have been around longer than me know the proper name of more over, know more about it than me. Basically what you do is focus on one body part in the first portion of the day followed by a second in the evening (i.e. biceps on Monday morning and triceps that night, thighs on Tuesday and calves in the evening, back on wednsday morning and shoulders in the evening... ect.

The first excersice is executed in 7 sets. The first two are are the pre-exhuastion portion with very light weight until failure, followed by the actual excersice with apx 60-70% or your max lift until failure. Ontop of which is added an additional excersise for a superset (i.e. If I were doing chest, I would do wide grip BP with 145lbs [feet on bench for chest focus] in the form of two sets till exhaustion. The very next set would consist of me lifting 185lbs to exhuastion [same principle as before] and immediatly jumping to the ground and doing wide push-ups with my feet on the bench and hands holding my push-up stand thingies.

I may sound a little out there, but to be honest it's got me excited. After I finish it up, I'll post the results. But like I said, the toughest hurdle is the having NO ENERGY most times. I'd like to have a steak too, but I am in Iraq for the fourth fucking time and supplies on things like tha are hard to come by. The chicken and tunafish I eat are from the little Tyson and Starkist bags people use for cooking or salads.

I am not overwhelmed with the C.Crb drink so much, but I do want to finish this 9 week run and see whats what with it.


The absolute worst part is watching some of the hard earned gains go.