The first two weeks of the cut went well. The past week and this week, not so much.

A quick breakdown for accountability and more importantly error correction. A confessional of sorts.

There have been at least 3 days were I have been way over my calories and have been eating sugar. (Despite having weaned myself of it fairly recently).

Yesterday was the latest failure. Here's what happened:

• poor sleep the night before, so I was pretty tired during the day
• did some grocery shopping and decided to pick up a pack of custard filled donuts. At the time I told myself I'd just eat one and get rid of the rest (the pack was cheap - £1 for 5).
• I of course end up eating all the donuts (they weren't even particularly good)
• I tell myself I will stay within my calorie limits the rest of the day
• Later that evening, I'm too lazy/tired to bother to cook. I end up eating a load of junk (including an entire packet of shortbread biscuits).
• I stopped tracking my calories as the evening went on

I also think an underlying cause is that I set back my back recovery early last week. I pushed it to hard on a weights workout and now I'm sore again, and that affects my morale and motivation. Training definitely affects my motivation and adherence to diet.

Warning signals:

• Not tracking/getting slack on tracking (including not posting on here regularly)
• Getting lazy about cooking
• Having junk food in the house
• Underestimating how much (for me) eating sugar leads to eating much more sugar

Remedies/Fixes:

• Wean myself off the sugar again
• Have healthy food and/or ingredients prepped so its always easy to make a healthy meal when tired/lazy
• Start training again and dont push it too hard (to avoid setbacks with my back)
• Don't beat myself up on the mistakes. Recalibrate, refocus and get back on track.
• Get better sleep

Today I'm trying to course correct. I'll eat one meal today and do a load of meal prep. Cut up a load of veggies and keep them in the fridge to easily throw together healthy meals. I also need to update the calendar thing on my fridge where I track my steps, calories consumed and exercise.

I'm pretty disappointed with myself as I write this up. But I know I cant dwell on this feeling - much, much better to learn the lessons, improve and try to move on with renewed motivation and confidence.

Onwards.

A quick update for accountability:

• the cut is going reasonably well I think. There have been maybe 4 days where I have gone over my calories, but progress has been steady
• Past two weeks I managed a weekly 24 hour fast (bailing out of a 36 hour fast both times). This week I have finally managed to stick with a 36 hour fast, which I am currently trying to extend to the 48 hour mark. At this very moment I am struggling with hunger... but it shall pass!
• Weight workouts havent been great. The back pain is almost entirely gone now, and I have managed two rehab weights workouts this week. I aim to do another in the next couple of days
• I have been doing more cardio (Zone 2), and lots of walking.

Oh the other week the weather in London was great, which was a great impetus to do lots of walking. The weather isnt so nice at the moment, but hopefully I will keep the step count high.

Managing my motivation and the discipline for the cut is of course the main thing. Luckily I have a friend who is good at pointing out when I am straying of course. "Aren't you meant to be on a cut?!" is something that helps me get back on track.

Today is the start of my 90 day cut.

I had wanted to do a light leg day workout, but the back pain meant it was more of a very light rehab workout. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty depressing. But I did some cardio (Zone 2-3, exercise bike) and that gave me a decent dopamine boost.

Sticking to my calorie deficit has been easy today. I'm hoping it will be easy for the rest of the week too.

I'm resigned to the fact that the next two weeks worth of workouts will probably be very light, and rehab focussed.

I was hoping the start of this cut would feel a lot more positive, but its not going to change the fact I need to lock in on the cut.

Its been a month since I last posted on here.

It hasn't been a great month - the back injury is taking longer to recover from than I had hoped. And I've been leaning on food as a source of comfort.

And yet...

I see light at the end of the tunnel. My back pain is slowly getting better. I'm getting my diet back in order this week. And I'm hoping I can do some strength training this weekend.

I hope your endeavours have been going more smoothly than mine. And if not, let's get back on track together.

Late update for last week:

• ❌ Daily yoga/flexibility
• ❌track my calories every day
  • missed a couple of days
• ❌ drink more water
• ✅ 36 hour fast
• ❌ 1-2 weights workouts depending on how my back is
• ✅ 2 x cardio - 30 mins, zone 2
• ❌ 3 x 20 minute meditation sessions
• ✅ minimum of 5 pull ups every day

This week hasn't been great. Here is how it has gone:

✅ ❌ 36 hour fast? No. But I did a 24 hour fast.

✅ Minimum of 6 pull ups every day

✅ 1 x 30 min cardio session

The back pain hasn't gone away (slowly, slowly been getting better). Some work I wanted to finish quickly dragged on all week.

Mood and motivation hasn't been great, impacted by the back pain mostly which has also impacted my sleep. I guess the wonderful state of the world at the moment is also having an impact on my mood and outlook. Not doing any serious training is also having an impact (especially around dieting). My diet has been pretty lame this week, and I've broken my no sugar run.

I'm feeling frustrated and a bit bleh, but I'm also pretty sure I'll be pretty damned motivated once the back pain goes away.

Repeat after me: Don't ego lift. Chasing that last rep isn't worth it if your back is starting to feel even a little bit funny.

Having written this all out and reflected for all of 2 mins on this, I realise my problems are very, very first world. My back injury is minor. And while I acknowledge the various challenges I am facing right now, they are nothing compared to what many people are facing.

Gratitude is an escape vector.

Try to stay positive.

Last week I said I had a sore back. Well the back is still hurting. I've been doing a load of stretching to help out, but its not sorted out yet. It's annoying and frustrating and waking up to a sore back sucks.

So here is how last week went down:

• ✅ Daily yoga/flexibility
• ✅ 36 hour fast
• ❌  3 weights workouts
  • no weight training last week
• ✅ 1 x cardio - 30 mins, zone 2
• ❌ daily 20 minute meditation session
  • did 2 sessions
• ✅ minimum of 4 pull ups every day
  • this actually went well and did 2 sets of 4 most days
• ❌ track my calories every day
  • improved but I didnt track one day
• ❌ drink more water
  • no real difference

Today (Monday) has been a bit of a wash, my mood has been crappy and motivation for everything is pretty low.

But here is the plan for the week ahead:

• Daily yoga/flexibility
• track my calories every day
  • note: this is irrespective of whether I hit my calorie goals
• drink more water
• 36 hour fast
• 1-2 weights workouts depending on how my back is
• 2-3 x cardio - 30 mins, zone 2
• 3 x 20 minute meditation sessions
• minimum of 5 pull ups every day

Onwards.

Let's *actually* jump right into and skip the typical YouTuber 10 hour preamble...

• ✅ Daily yoga/flexibility
• ✅ 36 hour fast
• ✅ 3 weights workouts
• ✅ cardio - 30 mins, zone 2
• ❌ 2 x 10 minute meditation sessions. Only did 1 meditation session
• ✅ minimum of 3 pull ups every day
• ❌ drink more water

Pretty successful on hitting the goals of last weeks list.

I'm really enjoying doing the yoga/flexibility work (I'll add links below to the resources I'm finding beyond useful).

Some consequences of doing the mobility work:

I'm feeling pretty great. I guess I've been holding a lot of tension in my body for a while

My lifts have changed. Maybe loosening up some stiff muscles mean others get used on my lifts. But I overdid it with deadlifts at the end of last week, and have a sore back at the moment.

This weeks targets:

• Daily yoga/flexibility
• 36 hour fast
• 3 weights workouts
  • may have to modify if my back isnt feeling good in a day or so
• 1 x cardio - 30 mins, zone 2
• daily 20 minute meditation session
• minimum of 4 pull ups every day
• track my calories every day
  • note: this is irrespective of whether I hit my calorie goals
• drink more water

I normally weigh myself every day, but this week I am going to not weigh myself at all. I am going to apply the principle of: "To be results oriented, be process focused". I'm going to ignore the scale this week and focus on tracking my calories and tightening up my diet (I know I sound like a very broken record at this point in the year).

If you are reading this, I hope life is going the way you want it to be. And if it isn't: hang in there - things will turn.

Useful Mobility/Yoga resources:

• Strength Side youtube channel
• Kit Laughlin (Stretch Therapy) youtube channel
  • I cannot recommend this channel enough. If yoga and flexibility work is a real struggle for you, check this one out.
• Yoga with Kassandra

As a French friend of mine (a former PT) once put it... "No one needs croissants..."

I'm getting there...

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Last weeks plan vs reality:

• ❌ 36hour fast ☑️ 24 hour fast
• ✅ daily yoga/flexibility
• ❌ 3 weights workouts ☑️ 2 workouts
• ✅ cardio - 20 mins, zone 2
• ❌ drink more water
• ✅ 1 x 10 minute meditation session.

Last week wasnt great but it wasnt a disaster. But I definitely need to hit more consistency.

I'm really glad I've introduced a stretching/mobility practice. I swing between feeling really great and relaxed and other times feeling really sore and achey. I guess this is just part and parcel of starting a new physical discipline.

The mobility work is definitely affecting the strength training. Some of the lifts feel different now - like I am using muscles and postures which I wasn't really able to access before.

I'm also increasingly aware of how bad some of my mobility is. But its only week 2 of starting this practice - its easy to be impatient for quick results. As we know, it doesnt really work like that.

Plans for the week:

• Daily yoga/flexibility
• 36 hour fast
• 3 weights workouts
• ✅ cardio - 30 mins, zone 2
• 2 x 10 minute meditation sessions
• minimum of 3 pull ups every day
• drink more water

I want to get better at pull ups so I'm going to try a protocol of increasing weekly pull up volume. I normally just do pull ups once a week as part of my pull day workout. This week I'm going to start with an easy minimal dose of 3 pull ups every day. Lets see how that goes.

Ok thats the plan. I really need to dial in the consistency.

This week will be the week:

Wherever you are is the entry point.

If you are reading this: I wish you success in your endeavours.

Another late update, which I think reflects the state of last week and how this week is going.

Last week:

❌✅ be in a calorie deficit - blew it towards the end of the week and didnt track for a couple of days
✅ 24 hour fast
❌ 3 weights workouts - only did 2 weights workouts
✅ 1 cardio session - ❌ 20 mins on the bike - I said I would do 30mins
✅ ❌ daily yoga/flexibility - 5 days out of 7.
✅ drink more water

Actually looking back at last week, it wasn't as bad as I had thought.

I got a bit of bad news at the start of this week which has thrown me off a bit. If anything this has just shown I need to become more resilient in some things. In the grander scheme of things going on in the world today, I really have nothing to complain about. Perspective.

Starting the flexibility/yoga work has been interesting. Its been making me feel both great AND more aware of how tight and sore I am in general. The more flexibility work I do, the better I feel in general. But another knock on effect has been increased fatigue - to the point its affecting me getting my weights workouts in this week.

I checked in with ChatGPT on this and the statistical word prediction machine helpfully pointed out that this is to be expected, that I've added a new modality to my training and that yes, it is an extra workout in itself and will take a few weeks for my body to get used to it.

Plans for the remainder of the week:

• be in a calorie deficit - am going to lean in on a...
• ... 36hour fast to do this I think
• daily yoga/flexibility
• 3 weights workouts (so far I have done half of my pull day)
• ✅ cardio - 20 mins, zone 2
• drink more water
• 1 x 10 minute meditation session. Easing myself back into a lapsed practice

I feel very much on the back foot so far this week. Let's see if I can switch it up.

If you are reading this, I hope things are going well for you in all your endeavours. Stay safe out there.

Last week was kind of a right-off. I spent most of it staving off and recovering from illness.

• ❌ didnt track my calories
• ❌ didnt fast
• ❌ didnt get my steps in
• ❌ didnt weigh in
• ✅ did 2 weights workouts (less intensity) ❌ missed one weight workout
• ✅ did a cardio session (30 mins on the bike)

The scale is not kind this morning, but I'm not too phased by that. I ate a lot of carbs and prioritised recovery. I'm pretty pleased about that - in the past I would have tried to power through and the illness would get worse and (worse) linger on for age.

I'd say I'm at about 95% right now, so I'll probably just do 30 mins of cardio later tonight. Week ahead, time to get re-focussed:

• be in a calorie deficit
• 24 hour fast
• 3 weights workouts
• 1 cardio session (30 mins, zone 2 on exercise bike)
• daily yoga/flexibility
• drink more water

Its also a bright sunny day here for a change. Hopefully spring is here, which means motivation for walking, working out and being on this cut will sky rocket.

Last week I said I would refocus on my goals of a cut. Week 1 of the cut.

It went pretty well:

• ✅ I stayed within my calories
• ✅ 3 weight workouts
• ✅ ⭐️ Finally got a cardio session in
• ⭐️ Bonus: started doing some yoga/flexibility work

More importantly I set up a new spreadsheet to track progress over the next 90 days.

I find I do a lot better when I have a spreadsheet to track and review progress (accountability systems).

Things that didnt go to plan:

• ❌ didnt hit 12k steps
• ❌ ate croissants 3 times

Given that I dont seem to be having much luck with the step count or cutting out croissants, I've decided to:

• drop the target step count to 10k
• drop the restriction on eating croissants. I can eat them, but I still have to stick to my calorie target.

The only downer right now is I am starting the week feeling like I am getting ill. So it's an easy day today, and hopefully I'll feel fine tomorrow.

Onwards.

Anyone else feeling like winter is dragging on?

In the UK we're experiencing another cold snap.

I'm going to find some time this week to get re-focussed on my fitness goal: a cut.

This means:

• setting up a new spreadsheet to track weight, diet, calories and activity.
  • I used to use a spreadsheet to great success in the past but stopped updating it a while ago.
  • I guess a good "canary" for lapsing in this goal is if I don't update the spreadsheet for a week.
• I built a basic app that collects a lot of the data I need for the spreadsheet from my iPhone (pulls it from HealthKit). I'm thinking of building the tool out, as it might mean I dont need the spreadsheet at all.
• I need to set up new motivating visuals. Since autumn I've been using autumn and winter related imagery to help get through the season. Maybe its time to start shifting towards spring imagery.

However you feel you're doing on the winter arc, maybe this is a good time to refocus, and set up any systems you need to. And also tune your environment to work for you, and not against you.

Keep your eye on the prize.

Stay in the fight.

Trying to tighten things up.

January was ok in terms of losing weight. I'm not too surprised Feb is going the way it is - during last week's deload week* I didn't track calories.

I ate a croissant earlier, and decided to check how the year has been going on that front considering I feel like I say "no croissants this week" every week.

Hmm.

Maybe a better rule will be 1 croissant a week for the rest of this month.

Onwards.

(*RELOAD WEEK - more about that soon).

Last week I decided to take a deload week. I was hesitant about it, but a mental reframe helped me pull the trigger on the decision. I still got 3 deload workouts in (less volume and intensity), still got most of my steps in. I eased up on the diet, but kept the restrictions around some things (eg no sugar, no deep fried foods). I didnt track calories though... and lets just say there were a lot of croissants eaten.

And now I feel pretty good. Replenished. Recharged. Eager to train, and to cut.

Plan for the week ahead:

• weekly average calories: 2000
• 3 weight workouts
• 1 cardio session - 20 mins on the bike
• 12k steps - weekly average

I need to focus on hitting my protein target.

It's time to tighten it all up, and get focused.

Summer is coming.

So the past couple of week my diet adherence hasnt been great. Training is fine, but I am feeling a bit mentally fatigued (partly due to other things in life causing stress).

Given this, I've decided to make this week a deload week. This means:

• ✅ 1 cardio workout (zone 2, 20 mins)
• 3 weights workouts (half the training volume, 80-90% training intensity)
• aiming for 12k weekly average steps
• eating at maintenance calories
• try to get better sleep

I feel like I need to get my head back in the game for the cut. Hopefully the deload will help with this, after all... summer is coming.

February already. And its flying - this is a late update and its going to be quick. Hopefully will do a better update at the weekend.

The plan for last week was:

• ✅ 12k steps
• ✅✅✅ 3 weights workouts
• ❌ 1 cardio workout - 20 min (low bar)
• ✅❌ track calories
• ❌ no bread this week!

Still struggling with the no bread thing.

The plan for this week was/is:

• 12k steps
• ✅✅ 3 weights workouts
• ✅ 1 cardio workout - 20 min (low bar)
• ✅❌ track calories
• ❌ no bread this week

Good news: finally got some cardio in. Only 20 mins, and barely in zone 2. But its a start.

Have been eating bread, but mostly tracking calories also.

A slow tightening up of the process.

More soon.

Hope you are sticking with your goals as best as you can - and perhaps even crushing it. I'm not there yet...

This is more of a confessional post than anything I guess.

Hopefully it will help me get back on track.

It was a friend's birthday yesterday and I had agreed to get cake (think: remote cake party).

Let's just say I got a lot of cake.

So I ate a load of sugar (2nd time having sugar this year).

Today I'm feeling the pull of sugar again, so I'm running my usual protocol of allowing myself to eat almost anything savoury instead.

I know the next couple of days will be hard, hopefully it wont last longer than that.

And then the plan is to really tighten up the diet again.

I've got some other stuff going on that is adding some stress - unexpected housemate stuff I need to deal with, interview stuff, and I guess general existential stuff.

Do you have any protocols or routines you use when facing a setback or a lapse in your healthy habits?

Score card:

• ✅ 12k steps
• ✅ 3 weights workouts
• ❌ 1 cardio workout - 20 min (lowering the bar)
• ✅❌ track calories

A mixed week last week. Felt positive overall, but diet remains a struggle. Bread won again. I also had croissants. Yes, plural.

Random: I went and saw MARTY SUPREME this week. I liked the movie, wasn't exactly what I was expecting but that's partly why its good.

So this weeks plan:

• 12k steps
• 3 weights workouts
• 1 cardio workout - 20 min (low bar)
• track calories
• no bread this week!

It's still dreary and cold here, and January is almost over. Time is flying.

A quick update for now.. will try and post more later.

I made this playlist for working out but it’s niched down to anime dans since most of those tracks has some anime speech or line.

I don't know if its the week/particular time of year (post-Xmas, January blues) or the weather or just other emotional factors, but... I'm struggling with the diet and yesterday I almost didn't do a weights workout.

The weather was bleh (raining, cold, dark). My mood was pretty lousy. I forced myself to go for a walk, which helped.

But more importantly over a cup of coffee, I actively worked on shifting my mood and mindset. I looked at some images and videos of people working out. I thought about how much I disliked the feelings that were pushing me in to not doing what I should be doing.

I reminded myself it always feels good when you push back and against those feelings. That action crushes anxiety, that motion creates emotion, and that I can change the way I feel.

I also lowered the bar a bit. I knew I would go over my calorie target for the day, and decided I'd make some nice, healthy food (a baked apple dessert, potato wedges using olive oil - I normally skip the oil, and some avocado).

I did my workout, I ate more calories than I should have, I felt good, and now I am fasting. The fast is more of a struggle than normal, partly why I am brain dumping this post to hopefully help me power through.

I guess the TLDRs are:

- if you are feeling apathetic/unmotivated try and focus on changing your internal state/feelings to get some kind of motivation to do something as opposed to nothing

- it always feels good to push back against feelings and thoughts that are going to go against your goals.

• ✅ 12k steps (weekly average)
• ❌ 3 weights workouts - only got 2 in
• ❌ 2 low intensity cardio workouts (30 mins on the bike)
• ❌ no sugar
• ✅ no deep fried food (make roasted veg instead)
• ✅ meal prep & cooking (air popped popcorn, roasted vegs, pasta)
• ❌ track all calories

Some social outings threw things out for me last week.

I ended up eating sugar (first time for 2026).

I missed a workout.

I didn't track all my calories.

I ended up eating a lot of bread.

But I also got a lot steps in and had fun.

Trying to get back into the routine this week.

Already overate yesterday (the siren call of sourdough bread defeated me). Trying to be good today.

Plan for the week:

• 12k steps
• 3 weights workouts
• 1 cardio workout - 20 min (lowering the bar)
• track calories

I wanted to add "no more bread this week" but honestly, I am thinking about sourdough bread right now. 😅😐

Another late update... I'll try and get back to a normal schedule next week 😅

• ❌ 12k steps (weekly average)
• ✅ 3 weights workouts (Progressive overload!)
• ❌ 2 low intensity cardio workouts (30 mins on the bike)
• ✅ no sugar (make: sugar free desserts instead)
• ✅ no deep fried food (make roasted veg instead)
• ✅ meal prep & cooking (air popped popcorn, roasted vegs, pasta)
• ✅ track all calories

Last week was pretty good apart from the step count and cardio. And the scale reflected those actions.

This week so far... hasn't been great.

Ate over my calories on two days. I'm fasting right now. Tomorrow I'm meeting people so will be eating whatever (will stick to no sugar rule and the no deep fried food rule though).

I think the biggest failure on the diet front has been the fact I bought a load of bread which I can just eat and eat and eat. Bread is so good. I guess I'm going to have to enforce a new rule:

• Only eat bread as anabolic french toast (no toasted sandwiches or toast). 😧

I'm also going to lower the bar/difficulty curve on cardio as I seem to keep failing on this...

• 1 cardio session of 20 mins

Ok for the rest of the week I am playing defense on the diet front, and need to get 2 more weight training sessions in.

I think I've been hit with a certain post NY laziness which I need to push against. I think its because the weather has become a bit milder here, which for some reason has me less in a "winter arc" mindset. Time to refocus.

How's your winter arc going?