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. 💪
the parent comment was exceptional.
as someone who appears to respond very, very well to training and hard sparring in a carb deprived state, I can honestly say its a seriously decent option if your body is so inclined.
BCAAs before any hard activity have been the go-to for me and, as long as my aerobic conditioning is where it needs to be, I actually perform better - faster reactions, more predictable round to round power endurance.
this is, of course, only my anecdotal reporting here, so mountains of salt required.