So, the time has FINALLY come! With the exception of a halted prep (which lasted 4 weeks) I have been growing since June 2023.
Last June, following a photoshoot, I was at my lowest ever weight and body fat (54kg). At the end of this growth phase, I tipped the scales at 67kg. For me this is a HUGE success. I find it extremely difficult to gain weight. With training, work and coaching, my output is very high. I can honestly say that I can see now that my hernia could have been a blessing in disguise in relation to my bodybuilding goals. It has prevented me from coaching HIIT classes (where I would burn approximately 700 calories in a session) , so my output since February has significantly decreased. It is no coincidence then, that I feel like I have grown more in the past 4 months after being injured than ever before!
We are all coached differently, but I will talk you through how my cut will pan out.
Week 1 - drop down to maintenance calories - TD (2800), NTD (2550). I have a macro split and I do not use a meal plan. This is a personal choice. I pretty much eat the same 20 (or so) foods on repeat, but I enjoy a little bit of flexibility.
Week 2-6 - Depending on scale weight and rate of loss, calories will reduce each week until I go on holiday at the start of August. We are unlikely to drop much below 2000 calories in this time as I lose weight quickly if I drop below 2000 and I REALLY want to preserve what I have worked so hard for.
The purpose of this cut is not to have abs on the beach, although looking leaner on holiday can feel nice. My coach anticipated this tidy up phase weeks ago. When he suggested it, I was perfectly comfortable. Last week I was extremely uncomfortable. My underwear and sports bras were digging in and leaving imprints, not a single item of non-gym clothing fit me and I struggled to zip up gym tops! He knows my body very well and he anticipated this way before I did!
This little fat loss phase will allow us to have a look at my abdomen and see how things are looking with my hernia and we will take it from there.
I will enjoy my holiday, eating the foods which I usually eat, most likely at around maintenance calories. By then, hopefully when I return, I will have some updates about when I will see a consultant and have an idea about how long it will be until I have surgery.
For now, I am just controlling the controllables. I am eating my foods, lifting my weights and staying on top of my body composition. Things with my abdomen might look better than before. They might look worse. One thing I have learnt on this journey is we can plan things meticulously, but to remain in a state of progress we HAVE to be adaptable.
So I'll leave it here, happy and excited for this next phase, with a slightly rumbly tummy!
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