I've only been dieting for 6 days, but I already noticed a pretty dramatic drop in gym performance and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a smarter way to structure my diet.
For context, I’m lifting in a calorie deficit (about 700 calories/day as a 270 pound male) and eating very low carb (under 20g carbs/day). Earlier this month, I was able to reach my lifetime goal of seated shoulder press with 60 pound dumbbells, which is probably my favorite exercise and the only lift I care most about preserving.
All week, I felt noticeably weaker and so I took a rest day yesterday, got plenty of sleep, and repeated my same exact morning routine from earlier this month when I finally hit my shoulder press strength goal on May 8th. (protein shake and banana 30 minutes after getting out of bed then gym 90 minutes later)
If I maintain a weekly calorie deficit of 3500 calories, is it possible to strategically have 1 (or maybe 2) higher-calorie days per week? Something like:
- Friday thru Tuesday 1000 calorie deficit
- Wednesday 500 calories surplus
- Thursday 1000 calorie surplus
- Do my strength workout on Friday morning after protein shake and banana
Would something like this work? I just grabbed these numbers out of thin air and would appreciate any guidance today on how to maintain strength while losing 1 pound per week. 💪
Right, that's the default presumption. I'm fine losing strength everywhere else except this one exercise though. I'm willing to lose weight more slowly or carb cycle or do anything else. My current strategy is to lighten my lifts and drop volume dramatically to minimize losses during this diet, while acknowledging that aggregate strength losses are likely inevitable. It's frustrating and I hate it.