Tired after starting cut

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi there,

I’m two weeks into a cut after gaining weight during both the corona layoff and the SSLP I ran immediately afterwards, and feeling very tired. I’m okay in the mornings (when I work out) but ready to lay down on the couch and stay there during the afternoon. I can also get quite grumpy/irritable. Will this pass after I adjust to my new caloric intake levels, or should I change something? (If this takes another two weeks or so, that’s fine, but otherwise I should do something.)

36 y/o, male, 185cm, 98kg starting from 100kg
99cm waist, starting from 102cm

aiming for 275g protein and 3000kcal
averages during the past two weeks: 265g protein, 117g fat, 207g carbs, 2934kcal

running the titan template (used to do crossfit before), work in front of the computer but bike everywhere and live on the 4th floor without an elevator (but two kids).
sleep is okay (~8 hours, I never set an alarm and just wake up when I’m ready), external stress not elevated/fine.

Up the calories? Switch to the hypertrophy template? More coffee? Wait it out? Cocaine?

Thank you for all the great content you are putting out for free!!

2

Save for starting a cocaine habit, have you been screened for sleep apnea? The Official STOP-Bang Questionnaire Website

Additionally, I’d reduce your protein to ~ 200g and plan on cutting until your waist circumference is 86cm or less.

While I don’t think that the exercise has anything to do with your fatigue, if you need to lower the RPE or other intensity metric to get through the workouts, that’d be fine.

3

thank you! I will reign in the protein.
definitely not sleep apnea. I should clarify that I’m more sore/flat/grumpy (and old injuries becoming noticeable again) than sleepy and had no issues with that while eating like a hog.

why wouldn’t I be tired, though? because of the reserves I’m hopefully burning up?

4

Because your body is adaptable and resilient and a few hundred calorie deficit doesn’t reliably result in those symptoms unless there’s a strong psychological input.