Bulking, then days with insufficient calories=cutting?

[1999TL]

Say you are on a bulking phase and you are eating 500 calories over your maintenance level. Then, you go on a day or two where you eat under your maintenace calories, for whatever reason. Would you be losing fat during this day or two, or do you have to be cutting longer than that to lose any fat.

 

[Sim882]

Some, but this is an inefficient way of doing it (google zig zag dieting if ur interesting. You may only deplete glycogen stores

 

[Tatyana]

1 lb fat = 3500 kcals = 500 kcal deficit/day

1/2 lb fat = 1750 kcals

1/4 lb fat = 875 kcals

1/8 lb fat = 437.5 kcals

That is the calorie deficit you need to create to lose that amount of fat.

When the scales drop 1 lb in a week, it is always quite difficult to tell if you are losing fat, water or glycogen.

If you did lose fat, max would be 1/8 lb fat, really how would you be tracking it, especially as you were going to bulk again.

You could experiment and see how you get on, but it would have to be for about a month to see if there is any net gain or loss of bodyfat.

 

[1999TL]

I was not trying to do it intentionally, I was just thinking, "Man, I didn't get in enough calories today. Did I just lose a little bit of fat?" If so, then screw it, I'll grow on other days.

 

[Tatyana]

I was not trying to do it intentionally, I was just thinking, "Man, I didn't get in enough calories today. Did I just lose a little bit of fat?" If so, then screw it, I'll grow on other days.

LOLOLOL, I wish I had your problem if you are noticing that about yourself in a mirror.

That can happen when you are very low bodyfat, very active, ectomorphic body type, you can see changes overnight.

Or your perception is a bit off as you are concerned about losing weight.

When I have been dieting I have woken up in the morning thinking I had gotten fat overnight, which would be impossible.

It is all about the general trend though, if your weight is going up and you are putting on muscle, your lifts are going up, it's all good.

Same with the other direction, there will always be fluctuations in your weight (mine can change 5 lbs overnight when I am fully glycogen loaded), but as long as the general trend is less bodyfat.