Plan Check + Can one day ruin everything?

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi! So I’m 6 feet, 225 pounds. Started lifting a year ago when I was about 200 pounds (so up 25 pounds in a year). Certainly some is muscle (lifts have increased) and some of it isn’t. Now I’m trying to cut back (my waist is up to 38, and I primarily carry my extra pounds around my waist). I’m doing 2,500 calories, with a carb/fat/protein split of 214/54/275. My goal is to be at 2,500 calories, with the macros as close as I can, but to always no matter what get 200g protein. I’ll adjust my calories on a weekly basis once I figure out how much (if any) weight I lose per week. I understand that’s the best way to get started.

  1. Of course I am concerned about losing my hard earned gains. Do you think I have enough fluff that I don’t need to worry much about that? (FWIW when I started my sets of 5 were 135/115/185 for S/B/D and now I’m at 255/185/350, so I’m stronger, but still don’t consider myself strong.) I think I need to cut given my current weight and waist size (I don’t carry it well). But if my cut loses muscle/strength gains and I go back to where I was a year ago I’ll be devastated.

  2. If I’m eating 2,500 calories and let’s just say that’s a deficit of 250 calories per day. If on Saturday I have a few beers and some late night pizza and go 1,200 calories over budget, did I just offset my entire week? Or is there a limit to how many excess calories are used for building fat/muscle and the rest are just expelled? If I binge and eat 6,000 calories one day, what actually happens in terms of weight gain?

Thank you.

2

Kflymcelds,

  1. I think you are unlikely to lose any of your strength gains, provided your programming is appropriate. I don’t think doing your fives is likely the right programming choice here FWIW. In any case, I do think you are a good candidate for weight loss.

  2. Yea, you can sabotage an entire week with a binge. We are really, really good at not wasting Calories, though some individuals will be more resistant to weight gain during overfeeding and others more susceptible.

When you eat 6000 Calories, you store a good amount of energy as fat, which is not adequately dealt with over the next few days and may lead to weight and fat gain.

-Jordan

3

Thanks for the response, Jordan.