# cutting break



## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

if you've been cutting for along time 3/4months or more and dropped a lot of weight and bf is it beneficial to take a break from a defecit and spend some time at maintenance before continuing to cut.

august last year I was 120kg and 31%bf and decided to start eating better and adding more cardio to drop some bf. December time I had seen a lot of progress so stepped it up a bit and worked out macros for all food and got into tracking calories again. rather than just being a bit more careful with junk etc.

I'm now 100kg and around 14% bf and waist is down from 38/40inch to 34. I was originally aiming for 20% then when I hit that decided on 15% and now I want lower and aiming for 10/12% and maintaining around there.

I'm going away mid june which is when I want to have reached the final goal for.

do you think id benefit for a few weeks at maintenance now before another 8 weeks or so cutting. or just carry on till I hit my goal?

cheers


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

It partly depends how you feel but as you're asking the question the answer is probably yes. Even if the main benefit is psychological this is still a real benefit.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Cheers mate I haven't been hungry at all but now I feel hungry all the time. Might just do a couple of weeks to get my head straight into it again.

Very happy with the results so far so didn't want to make a massive impact on that.


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## Baggy (Jan 7, 2011)

Can you share how you managed to drop so much weight and BF and keep your muscle mass decent?


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

I had training in place to begin with so it was just diet needing to be concentrated on.

I was using an eca stack from the end of August till Christmas time.

And from the beginning of December I started a 12 week cycle of prop, tren and masteron.

And I'm now cruising on 250ml test e with t3 until after my holiday before blasting and a pct.

For a few months just on the eca stack weight was dropping fast but strength still rising slowly. Then on cycle training was really good and seeing big changed weekly and now strength is slightly less but getting good workouts in still.

I've lost quarter inch in size off my upper arm but they're alot more defined. Forearms the same but vascular as hell now. And a few inches of my thighs which held quite a bit more fat. But they also look alot better now.


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## Baggy (Jan 7, 2011)

Nice one mate thanks - im doing it natural (zzzzz) so wont expect the same kind of results!

How much CV did you do v's weight sessions?


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## CG88 (Jun 4, 2015)

I had two diet breaks last year, rest of the year i was cutting pretty much

Ate at Maintenance throughout May and then the last 2 weeks of September and first 2 of October.

Found it did me the world of good TBH


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Baggy said:


> Nice one mate thanks - im doing it natural (zzzzz) so wont expect the same kind of results!
> 
> How much CV did you do v's weight sessions?


 I race downhill mtb so do spinning once a week anyway so carried on with that. Plus riding once a week. Then 4 days weights in the week.

If I missed a weekend riding id do cardio in the gym instead.

Then when I got to a around 18% the loss stalled so I got an exercise bike for at home and a few days did half an hour after work then weights later on which got things moving again.

I definitely know if I was natural I would have lost a lot of muscle though.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

CG88 said:


> I had two diet breaks last year, rest of the year i was cutting pretty much
> 
> Ate at Maintenance throughout May and then the last 2 weeks of September and first 2 of October.
> 
> Found it did me the world of good TBH


 I'm going to eat at maintenance for a fortnight and see how I feel then. But I'm sure I'll be ready to hit the defecit again. In fact I'll probably be slightly in a defecit anyway due to the t3.


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## CG88 (Jun 4, 2015)

danb900 said:


> I'm going to eat at maintenance for a fortnight and see how I feel then. But I'm sure I'll be ready to hit the defecit again. In fact I'll probably be slightly in a defecit anyway due to the t3.


 It helped my motivation to get back into a deficit, for sure


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

I'm determined enough to stick with it but if it will help and benefit more from it then even better.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

First day at maintenance and 500 calories extra is going to be great. Gotta love extra food.


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## 72670 (Sep 17, 2016)

CG88 said:


> I had two diet breaks last year, rest of the year i was cutting pretty much
> 
> Ate at Maintenance throughout May and then the last 2 weeks of September and first 2 of October.
> 
> Found it did me the world of good TBH


 What did your numbers look like when you took a break did you go back to the same deficit and numbers and what are you weighing now, I have read your journal and you do low carb but are around 173 managed to shift anymore weight?


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## CG88 (Jun 4, 2015)

B3NCH1 said:


> What did your numbers look like when you took a break did you go back to the same deficit and numbers and what are you weighing now, I have read your journal and you do low carb but are around 173 managed to shift anymore weight?


 I'm not doing low carb now mate, I started carb cycling in Jan but sacked it off because meal prep and shopping was a pain with each day being different cals and carbs from the previous, and next

Eating around 150g Carbs now, 175P 50F

Sitting at 171 currently mate.

When I took the the breaks I kept protein at 1g/lb and wasn't too fussed with the split of carbs/fat, so long as cals were in the 2400-2600 range

There was the odd lb fluctuation daily/weekly obviously due to differing carb and salt intakes - but by the end of the month is maintained within 1-2lb and was ready to crack on again

Training felt so much better with more food being consumed- yep back to same deficit (I can't actually remember my cal intake for the deficit 1800 I think at the time)

On around 1750 now


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Had 500 extra calories today from extra carbs and 70% of the extra before training. Felt incredible in the gym looked so full and not deflated with crazy pumps and vascularity. Strength felt good too.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Enjoying the 2nd day at maintenance feel stronger and not hungry all the time. Strength felt good in the gym again and look full again.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

3rd day in and down 1.2kg but look full and feeling alot stronger.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

And waist and stomach this morning were at the lowest yet


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## Baggy (Jan 7, 2011)

You eating more and stomach gone down?? Result


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Baggy said:


> You eating more and stomach gone down?? Result


 Yes at maintenance 500 cal up from before and no cardio this week yet. All from carbs pretty much. That weight was after a full day of food aswell so could be slightly lower.

Not sure what's going off so I'll just eat as I am for the fortnight then see whats happened.


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## babyarm (Sep 4, 2013)

danb900 said:


> Yes at maintenance 500 cal up from before and no cardio this week yet. All from carbs pretty much. That weight was after a full day of food aswell so could be slightly lower.
> 
> Not sure what's going off so I'll just eat as I am for the fortnight then see whats happened.


 You gonna add some cardio in them 2 weeks bud?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

babyarm said:


> You gonna add some cardio in them 2 weeks bud?


 Adding additional cardio would seem counter-productive to me? In that part of the idea is to have a break.


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## babyarm (Sep 4, 2013)

Ultrasonic said:


> Adding additional cardio would seem counter-productive to me? In that part of the idea is to have a break.


 True make sense


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

babyarm said:


> You gonna add some cardio in them 2 weeks bud?


 no mate only what I normally do. spinning once a week and then been riding today but on the spinning day id add 500 odd calories on top of maintenance and today with riding all day ill probably eat around 1000 calories above maintenance today and yesterday which will allow for that. I added those figures to the defecit and weight was still coming off nicely so should be fine added on top now.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

ive got 11 weeks till I go away so was thinking whether to go a bit longer at maintenance keeping an eye on whats happening. maybe another 3 weeks then 8 weeks hard defecit upto going away then I can relax abit more for the fortnight I'm away. whats your thoughts on this?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

danb900 said:


> ive got 11 weeks till I go away so was thinking whether to go a bit longer at maintenance keeping an eye on whats happening. maybe another 3 weeks then 8 weeks hard defecit upto going away then I can relax abit more for the fortnight I'm away. whats your thoughts on this?


 I'd try to factor in a week or two at maintenance immediately before your holiday, if you don't want to end up rapidly gaining fat back.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

ill come down to 2 more weeks now so will have been in total not 4. then defecit till a week or 2 before going. cheers mate


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Back on track now again and seen progress this week already.

Was at 99.8kg Thursday and went away riding for the weekend. 2 carverys and big deserts. Bbq breakfast and tea which put last week's total to around 500 over maintenance.

Weighed 101.5kg Monday night.

Started back with 300 below maintanence On Monday and gone to 50mcg of t3. Weight tonight is at its lowest 88.9kg.

Trying something a little different this time for a while. Going higher carbs and lower fats same protein. Rather than the other way I was on before.

The carbs have me looking fuller and feeling a lot better and stronger in the gym. So I'll see how I go with this split for a few weeks.


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## D4V33 (Feb 23, 2016)

Sounds like all is going well mate. I've been cutting since January and lost about 32lbs. Took a couple of weeks off at Easter and felt much better afterwards. Started t3 @ 50mcg per day and 300mg/week test about 4 weeks ago and the weight got going nicely again. I might try upping the carbs too though, as I've noticed that I feel very flat and don't have much energy/strengh in the gym since starting the t3. Hope this helps a bit. I'm now the leanest I've been in years, but want to get as lean as possible before bulking again. Keep us up to date with your progress!


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## 66983 (May 30, 2016)

D4V33 said:


> Sounds like all is going well mate. I've been cutting since January and lost about 32lbs. Took a couple of weeks off at Easter and felt much better afterwards. Started t3 @ 50mcg per day and 300mg/week test about 4 weeks ago and the weight got going nicely again. I might try upping the carbs too though, as I've noticed that I feel very flat and don't have much energy/strengh in the gym since starting the t3. Hope this helps a bit. I'm now the leanest I've been in years, but want to get as lean as possible before bulking again. Keep us up to date with your progress!


 Out of interest what brand is your T3 bud? is it pharma or UGL?

You could up your T3 for a few days to 75mcg and if you still feel the same drop it to 25mcg and see if that helps.

If your on a v low carb diet, I would have a re feed every 4th day, don't go mad 1000 cals above maintenance and make them from complex carbs.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

I'm still sticking with the cut but eating at maintenance now with high carbs still and feel great. I'm still running 250mg test e, winstrol 30mg, clen 40mcg and t3 75mcg.

Still looking better each week too. Still doing spinning once a week and after training if I have time 15 minutes on the treadmill steepest setting at a quick walk. IM now 4 stone down and a 32 waist from 40".

I'm very happy with where I am now but still have a bit of fat at the bottom of my stomach so carrying on till it's gone. Then soon as I'm back from the 2nd holiday end of July back on the tren.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

I have used alpha t3 and also the pink and white box 1s and now using tiromel and seeing much better results off them. Cheaper aswell.


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## D4V33 (Feb 23, 2016)

Sparkey said:


> Out of interest what brand is your T3 bud? is it pharma or UGL?
> 
> You could up your T3 for a few days to 75mcg and if you stillfeel the same drop it to 25mcg and see if that helps.
> 
> If your on a v low carb diet, I would have a re feed every 4th day, don't go mad 1000 cals above maintenance and make them from complex carbs.


 I'm using Tiromel T3 (abdi ibrahim)

My carbs are normally in the 60-100g per day range, with high protein and fats. Will give the above a try and see how I get on.

Cheers


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## 66983 (May 30, 2016)

D4V33 said:


> I'm using Tiromel T3 (abdi ibrahim)
> 
> My carbs are normally in the 60-100g per day range, with high protein and fats. Will give the above a try and see how I get on.
> 
> Cheers


 I use the same brand bud so can vouch for those.

Certain things can make a big difference, low carbs chip away at you and 60-100g carbs is low.

What I would do is maybe do 3 days at lower, say 50g then on the forth day have a refeed and put carbs at 300g.

Lepin levels and cortisol levels are key here.

The refeed day will top your leptin levels up.

Do you use any stims? caffeine, pre work outs?

These can put your cortisol level up (stress hormone) even doing too much cardio can elevate it, this hampers fat loss and recovery.

32lbs weight loss is amazing, well done :thumb


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)




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## Endomorph84 (Jan 21, 2016)

danb900 said:


> View attachment 141873
> View attachment 141874


 How long between each photo mate?


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

About 30 weeks mate


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## Endomorph84 (Jan 21, 2016)

danb900 said:


> About 30 weeks mate


 s**t son, nice work!!


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Endomorph84 said:


> s**t son, nice work!!


 Cheers mate


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## Flipper (Jan 11, 2011)

Cracking effort @danb900 really impressive changes there.


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

Flipper said:


> Cracking effort @danb900 really impressive changes there.


 cheers mate


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## Endomorph84 (Jan 21, 2016)

In for this mate.


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## D4V33 (Feb 23, 2016)

@danb900 that's amazing progress mate! You look like a different person! Well done.


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## D4V33 (Feb 23, 2016)

Sparkey said:


> I use the same brand bud so can vouch for those.
> 
> Certain things can make a big difference, low carbs chip away at you and 60-100g carbs is low.
> 
> ...


 Thank for the advice mate, will put it into action straight away and see how it goes! Much appreciated!

I've got some sphinx dmaa and tried it on 2 occasions, but really don't feel the need for it to be honest, so will it keep away.

cheers!


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## danb900 (Dec 25, 2016)

D4V33 said:


> @danb900 that's amazing progress mate! You look like a different person! Well done.


 Cheers mate feels great seeing the progress to show for all the hard work.


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