By Amber Ellis Johnson
Two full weeks down, beginning week 3 of this cut. It always occurs to me around this time how amazing the metabolism is. How amazing at adapting my body is! I am far less hungry this week. Occasionally, I can forget about food for long periods now, accidentally, and once wound up in an adrenal crash situation clawing my way to the kitchen. 🙃 whoops!
We can do hardCORE things, friends, and yes, even learn from our mistakes! Hahaha. I am planning ahead way better now that my body told me loud and clear NOT to forget it needs fuel to run well, all day long. I've been feeling better since.
This cut won't produce drastic changes. That isn't my intention! I just wanted to trim down and clean up the little fat layer I put on, and it keeps me moving in the direction I want. Little by little, Im getting there.
Weight Update and Thoughts
This week my weight range has been up and down between 136.4-138#. Still coming down from last week's range of 137.5-138.6#, and week 1 range of 138-140#. If I wasnt weighing myself every day, and only weighed in 1 x week or so, I would miss my wide weight range, the avwrage, and maybe feel frustrated that I wasnt losing scale based weight. Since I can see my average IS coming down healthfully, it is reassuring.
I'm definitely leaning out my middle, where I'd built a small but present belly layer. It is much leaner already, I can feel it in my posture, my clothes, and my confidence. I do not have to think much about pulling in my core throughout the day, it is fairly snug and comfortable.
Someone recently asked me WHY I was doing this now (running a deficit) when to her, I looked great already. Good question!! It's one I want to address.
In my week 1 blog post, I said it was "personal preference and health goals", but if I reflect further, it is a little more complicated than that. I feel quite fit. I'm healthy. I'm feeling strong and I'm very happy with all the muscle I've put on the past 5 months of pushing my food I take and workout intensity.
My body LOVES more fuel, rather than less. Cut phases are not fun for me, and while they are useful, and I can do my best to be motivated to complete them, it is really hard work and I don't feel the greatest during it. (This cut has been Easy-ish so far though!!!)
So why am I cutting then? Well...I put on a good amount of weight! I was feeling a bit too snug in my favorite clothing, and wanted to keep all that muscle I worked hard for, but lose the layer of fat that went along with it. Doing so leaves me leaner and more visibly muscular and fit than when I began this long building/lean bulking phase, and I am moving my body composition in the direction I want to go.
If I don't run a cut, but keep building, I would get way stronger, which is awesome, but I'd also keep gaining, likely more weight than I am comfortable with living in, personally. Then if I ran a cut in 12 months, say for example, I'd have way more to lose, which is harder! So, I choose to run a cut 2 x a year for a short stint, and remain in my comfort zone with body fat.
I can do this long term, wash, rinse, repeat...forever. If I care to.
Also, part of me wants to see just HOW ripped I can get at 43 years old. Part is fascination, awe, fun, and an epic, long term project. Part is truly just basic health.
Do I Need to be leaner? No. I'm healthy. But is it neat? Is it fun? Is it pretty badass? Yes, yes it is. 🙌
Yellow Pants Update
I'm tracking my progress not only with the scale, and how I feel, but how my clothing fits. I'm using these very small, non stretchy yellow pants as a reference point. I want to be lean enough to wear them comfortably. Cut Phase Week 1 has the beginning photos as well, but here are some comparisons. Dark burgundy bra on the left was Day 1, Tan tank on the right was Day 15.
My favorite Yellow pants are feeling more comfortable than 2 weeks ago, but not yet fitting well enough to wear. They are still too snug to want to wear them. I'm also partial right now my big, loose, awesome onsie jumpers, so there's that, 😄.
But, noteworthy!! You can very easily see how I am losing fat in my butt, and my waist, by the way these snug pants are fitting. Even though my weight today was 138#, I am losing inches/ fat, which is what actually matters. Body weight fluctuates based on many and various factors, sodium induced water retention, hormones, exercise, muscle, you name, and it could probably affect your scale weight.
Macros and Food Intake
This week, it is time to adjust my macros down again to keep my metabolism from reaching homeostasis. I want to continue my fat burn as long as possible until I reach my goal, and I want to do so eating as much as I can eat while still seeing progress of fat loss. More nutrition is always better than less, even in a cut. Some folks cut right down to lowest food intake possible, right away. They often feel absolutely horrid, and cannot stick with it, because its drastic, shocking, stressful. Hormones can crash. Bingeing can occur and get a bit out of control. Some people do fine, of course, we have all seen those stories. But I really like a tiered down cut best for many reasons.
My number one priority is to feel good enough to keep going, be kind, patient, content, and balance my very busy and demanding life while also operating at lower calorie intake. This is quite hard to do! Eating way less food can make you feel low energy, irritible, or down right Hangry, but I dont want this cut to impact my relationships. So, to do that, this cut phase style is best.
Focus This Week
Keep it steady, captain!
I need to keep my head in the game and although Im kind of dreading it, another macro adjustment down needs to happen. And it's going to make some things harder, it will certainly physically feel harder, and I accept it and need to really focus on how much I want the results this cut will bring.
Keep my sight looking toward the horizon, at my long term goals.
Envision wearing my fun yellow pants!
Remind myself, constantly, how happy I will be on the other side, when rebuilding my strength and energy, and eating a lot of food, that I stuck it out to look and feel this great!
Recipes
Low Day Breakfast
2 Eggs fried in a spritz of coconut oil
1/2 Zucchini light sauteed in a small pat butter
Left over roasted purple sweet potato
This is a very filling and nutritious breakfast. When you cannot afford many carbs each meal, adding a good amount of high volume veggies helps! Zucchini is wonderful and mild for breakfast.
One Pot
A Medium to High carb quick-make meal
1 lb lean ground meat (i3% beef, or ground turkey)
1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
Chopped onion, garlic
Celery, carrot
Zucchini, radish, cabbage
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Cook down 30 min. I make this in an instant pot all the time, 12-15 min. Serve over steamed white rice. I usually serve 1/4-1/2 cup rice for each person, depending on their carb needs.
Homemade Pizza
Even in a deficit, you can have favorite fun foods! Homemade versions give you macro choices and freedom to customize.
Homemade GF/DF Pizza
Dough
1/2 cup King Arthur GF flour
2-3 tsp EVOO ( 3 makes better dough, but if you need to save fats use less)
Salt, pizza yeast
Water to dough consistency
Toppings
I used no red sauce
Added Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt
1/4 cup Daiya DF cheese shreds
Chopped a turkey pepperoni meat stick
4 black olives
Chives
I spread the dough on parchment and par bake for 7 min 350 degrees. Then add toppings and bake again until melted, about 5-7 more minutes.