Cut Update: Week 6 Progress and What I’ll Be Changing
Somehow 6 full weeks have already come and gone in my cut! The time has flown by, honestly. This has been such a gradual cut and I think that may have something to do with it feeling so quick.
If you haven’t already read my initial post on my cut, it explains in more detail about my starting point and my detailed plans. So go check that post out first! You can find it under the HEALTH AND FITNESS tab of my blog.
I will say that weight is not something I personally plan to share. I find that postpartum it still messes with my head, and what I weigh doesn’t really mean anything to anyone else. However, I will still share updates on things like how I’m changing my macros, what my progress has been like (even through pictures and measurements, etc.). I think that information is much more meaningful and helpful to someone else looking to go through a similar experience. Remember that in your own progress, the scale does not matter! Pay attention to how you feel, how your clothes fit, etc.
So let’s get into it!
Weeks 1 through 6 progress:
This is a bit unnerving to share, but part of the process of how I am personally choosing to track my progress is through pictures. NO ONE likes to take progress pictures. I can almost 100% guarantee that! But it can be so helpful so that you can truly see the visible changes along the way that are sometimes harder to see in the day-to-day.
It’s challenging to see progress in the mirror simply because you literally see yourself every day, all the time. When we take a step back and compare our current pictures to the previous weeks, it’s almost like being able to see yourself through someone else’s eyes and that makes the progress easier to see. Alternatively, if you don’t see any changes across your pictures, it’s also a great indicator that maybe some adjustments need to be made.
Measurements are another way I’m choosing to track progress. This is super helpful when visible progress is hard to see.
STARTING STATS:
- Waist: 35.5 in
- Hip: 46 in
- Thigh: 28 in
- Arm: 14 in
CURRENT STATS:
- Waist: 34 in
- Hip: 46 in
- Thigh: 27.25 in
- Arm: 13.75 in
Biofeedback, adherence & thoughts:
BIOFEEDBACK:
Frist of all, what is biofeedback? This is basically just how your body is responding to certain stimuli and it can be helpful to review any changes in your biofeedback to determine next steps during any phase of your nutrition and training. Things you might look for would include: sleep quality, stress levels, mood, energy levels, hunger cues, libido, digestion, performance in the gym, mental acuity, etc. Taking a look at each of these can help you decide if you are on the right track, or if you maybe need to dial it back. For example, if you are having poor biofeedback (lack of sleep, always starving, low energy/mood/libido, experiencing brain fog…) you may want to increase calories slightly or decrease intense exercise for the time-being as this can put an additional strain on your body. If biofeedback is still great, you can keep going and/or increase your deficit/exercise depending on your goals and what your overall progress looks like.
I would say that 6 weeks into my current cut, my biofeedback is overall great! I feel so much better and more like myself than I have in MONTHS. Like a million times better, it’s honestly shocking. My sleep, energy, mood, mental state and performance in the gym, etc. are all great and better than they have been since before I got pregnant (Sept/Oct 2021). That’s really encouraging and makes me that much more motivated to keep at it!
ADHERENCE:
With all of that in mind, we also have to take a look at adherence to the plan. How consistent have I been? How difficult does it feel to be adherent on a daily basis (is there too much mental strain or does this feel okay)? Am I only consistent during the weeks, then blowing through my macros like crazy during the weekends? These are questions to consider as they can also play a big role in next steps as well. We want to make this as simple as possible (simple is not the same as easy though, so keep that in mind). You can have the very best laid plan, but if you cannot follow it, it doesn’t matter.
At week 2, I was not compliant at all. I actually didn’t even track macros that week. Jack and I were both sick and it was his first true illness and neither of us were sleeping well that week. So, to alleviate some extra stress for myself, I let tracking take a backseat, knowing that I would just pick it right back up the following week. And I did! From weeks 3 and on, I have been about 80-90% compliant. And I’m great with that! I know that my results will be directly dependent on adherence and consistency. I decided early on in this cut that I would be okay with slower results so that I can continue to enjoy life and not take this too seriously. Realistically, in order to reach my goal, it will probably take me close to 6 months to a year to achieve and will most definitely include more than one fat loss phase. If you are interested in a cut just be sure that you match your own expectations to your efforts as well. This alone will make the process so much easier.
I have really found a good groove over the last 2 weeks and things are actually getting easier and easier. I am craving sweets less, saying no to extra snacks and treats is getting easy because they just don’t have as much appeal right now. I’ve gotten better at seeing the longer term, bigger picture goals in the moment, rather than wanting just that instant gratification. That’s not to say this doesn’t still take some discipline. It absolutely does!
THOUGHTS ON CURRENT PROGRESS:
I think my progress in correlation to my adherence, plus getting sick in the middle and enjoying a few untracked days is really good so far! I can see big changes in my mid-section, face, back and glutes. Measurements are also changing, and clothes fit looser as well! So, there is definitely progress happening!
Sometimes it feels like nothing is changing and like this is going much slower than I expected. But in reality, this is very normal and expected progress. Sure, I could lose the weight a lot faster if I cut down to 1400 calories right away, but I would burn out in about two weeks and then very likely end up eating everything in sight and gaining it all back quickly. I want this to remain sustainable. So slow progress is okay!
Changes I'm making moving forward:
I have actually already implemented some changes after finishing up week 5 (so it’s already been one full week since then). After week 4, I took a look at all the information I laid out above in the biofeedback/adherence section and determined how I wanted to move forward.
First of all, adherence and biofeedback are always going to be number 1. If we are not adherent to the plan, then how can you know if it’s even working? And if your biofeedback is trash, well then that’s not a good sign either. I still want to take things really slow in terms of any additional decreases, so below you will see I didn’t go crazy with dropping more calories. I’d like to be able to eat as much as possible while still seeing progress. This will really help ensure biofeedback stays great and I don’t feel burnt out too quickly.
Starting Macros:
- 1850 kcals
- 150 g protein
- 155 g carbs
- 70 g fat
Current Macros (since week 5):
- 1704 kcals
- 150g protein
- 150g carbohydrates
- 56g fat
You’ll notice that protein stays the same and only carbs and fats have changed. Unless you have a very significant weight loss, you likely won’t need to change the amount of protein you’re consuming during a fat loss phase. Higher protein will help ensure you are not losing muscle mass and also aids in satiety as well which is super important during a deficit.
I decided to cut calories just a bit more simply because I want to make progress a bit faster than I currently am. I can tell a difference in how I look when viewing my progress pictures and my clothes are also starting to fit looser. Those alone are amazing indicators of progress.
What’s crazy is that my scale weight is still only down about 2-3 lbs. so far! And that’s okay! The scale weight does not matter as much as pictures/measurements. Especially if you are a beginner in the gym or have been out of the gym for a very long time (like me), you may also be adding a small amount of muscle at the same time. This typically won’t occur for an experienced lifter, but it is somewhat possible for someone newer. I don’t want to be at a deficit for a super long time though, so I’d like to see more progress and then get back up to maintenance sooner rather than later. Now that I have allowed my body several weeks at my initial set of macros, this is a great time to make some minor adjustments.
I’ll share another update in a few more weeks!
Questions? Ask me below or send me a DM on Instagram! I’d love to chat and help you 🙂