Cut Phase Weeks 2-3 (Ups & Downs)

Hi friend! Welcome to a fresh, new week! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Thank you to those of you that joined my Sunday Plan with Me! I love getting to be on a zoom call with you and chat with you in real time- that’s so fun for me and I hope it was helpful for you too!

I’ll do another one in two weeks- April 26 and you can sign up for it here.

Cut Phase : Weeks 2 & 3

After spending the past nine months in a lean build focused on building muscle, I officially started my cut three weeks ago! A cut phase is where all the work you’ve put into building muscle starts to show. It’s the phase where you intentionally create a calorie deficit so your body taps into stored fat for energy while doing everything you can to maintain the muscle you’ve built.

I’ve been really ready for this phase, which you may have read about here.

I shared my Week 1 results here and today, I’m recapping Weeks 2 and 3.

What My Macros Look Like Now

In a cut, you’re eating slightly less than your body needs to maintain its current weight. This deficit is what drives fat loss. But the key is not to drastically slash calories. You still need enough fuel to : 1) support your workouts, 2) maintain muscle and, 3) keep your energy, mood and hormones in a good place.

At the end of my build, I was eating in a calorie surplus with one high carb day:

Previous (Build Phase)

• 2,370 calories
• 300g carbs
• 135g protein
• 70g fat

High Carb Day

• 2,445 calories
• 340g carbs
• 125g protein
• 65g fat

For this cut, my calories and macros lowered and there’s no more high carb day:

Cut (Week 1)

• Calories: 2,125
• Carbs: 250g
• Protein: 135g
• Fat: 65g

Cut (Week 2)

• Calories: 1,935
• Carbs: 225g
• Protein: 135g
• Fat: 55g

Cut (Week 3)

• Calories: 1,790
• Carbs: 200g
• Protein: 135g
• Fat: 50g

It’s still plenty of food for me and I don’t feel like I’m starving. I’m actually still eating the pretty much the same foods, just less carbs and fat. You can check out this what I eat in a day post for more detailed info. It also explains why I eat many of the same things on repeat and don’t get tired of it.

Training + Cardio Changes

My strength training is staying the same. I’m still lifting four days a week and I detailed those workouts for you here.

For week 3, I did three MISS sessions (moderate intensity steady state) for 25 minutes each and one 20-minute HIIT session. Week 2 I did four MISS for 20 minutes, but switched it to three for 25 minutes so I wouldn’t have to go to the gym for another stairmaster session.

The cardio sessions are getting more doable in that I’m getting used to them and I just watch a video while I do it so that it’s more ‘enjoyable.’

I’m still aiming for 10,000 steps a day, drinking about 100 ounces of water, and staying consistent with my strength training. In week 3, I had three days in a row where I came close to 10k steps, but was a little shy. Usually, I’m over 10K steps.

I keep a written log of everything and I love being able to look back at my progress over the months.

Week 3 Results

I started the week at 112.6 pounds, and checked in at 112.2, so only a .4 lb reduction. It’s not the greatest, but you can see I ate Indian food at a restaurant on Saturday (so yummy!) but I went over my calories/macros and then was also on my period.

We were at an Indian restaurant and it was buffet style – I went back for seconds and also had a big piece of Naan bread. Meanwhile, back at home, Elliott and I binge watched Indian Matchmaker – fascinating!

Even one meal out at a restaurant usually causes my weight to go up for a few days and also when I’m on my period.

I try not to stress over these ups on the scale because I know that with staying consistent and on point the next week, especially with my water, I’ll likely see a drop again.

Week 1 | Week 3 – always have the sheet marks since I wake up and take this pics first thing in the morning!

Pro Tip : Prep in Advance

One thing that really helps set each day up for success is planning the night before. That way, I’m not scrambling the next day to figure out what to eat and how it’s going to fit into my plan.

Every evening, my daughter and I play outside together, usually before dinner. We come inside and eat dinner around 6:30. By 7:30, I’m back in the kitchen tidying up, filling my water for the next day and looking over my meal plan – prepping anything that I want to have ready for the next day.

By 8:00 p.m., I’m wiped for the day! I like to end the night watching a little t.v., sometimes with a decaf coffee as a wind down treat. I’m usually helping getting my daughter get ready for bed by 8:30 and in bed by 9:00 p.m.

But, I wake up (usually before) my lights come on at 5:00 a.m.

YouTube Videos

If you want to see more details of my daily grind, you can check out my latest two YouTube videos. I really love doing those because it shows the nitty gritty, day in/day out.

Vlog: Time to Cut

Vlog: Cut Phase, Week 3

Locking In!

At the end of Week 3, I felt very determined to LOCK IN on Week 4! I’m so ready to see the scale drop after my lunch out and with being off my period. Which, by the way, I’m 51 and in perimenopause and had a cycle about two weeks prior to this one, so that was fun:/

When I committed to getting in the best shape possible in my 50s, I meant it and I’m continuing day after day to work on that. We have a pool party coming up May 2 and that’s a little extra motivation to stay tight on my plan for the next three weeks!

If you have goals you want to achieve, but have trouble implementing and sticking to them, my health and wellness coaching is designed to meet you where you are and help get you where you want to be. Shoot me an email if you’re interested in working with me or have any questions!

My email: honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com

I’m also excited to be offering 1:1 personalized macro coaching. I’ve gotten to work with several clients now and I’m loving getting to do something I’m so passionate about. If you’re interested in booking a session with me, click here.

Now let’s go kick Monday’s booty!