Mind Versus Self, A Perspective on Cutting

[MJR]

So we all love to make gains in the off season and eat copious amounts of carbohydrates, with full stores of glycogen. But when it comes time to shed body fat, the calories and carbs tend to come down, and we STILL have to get through these grueling workouts, but worse than the physical, is the MENTAL aspect of cutting.

Do you guys notice this? Your mind will play TRICKS on you. Literally my mind is like a drug addict negotiating with me saying "Do you really want to be ripped?" (OBVIOUSLY I DO AND BB IS MY LIFE) or "What's the point of all this?" It's really weird because when I USED to do cutting, my mind was more focused on tricking me into eating junk food, but now it's evolved or something lol and it realizes that I'm stronger willed so it actually tries to question my entire motivation in the sport. Truly fascinating, but as soon as I get a refeed/hi carb day, BOOM, I'm back to normal and it's all worth it. Just gotta make it through those tough low days (where you really MAKE the gains).

It's ridiculous and I know it's because of the lower blood sugar, etc etc.

Just curious how you guys control your mind.

I could do this forever because I've done bodybuilding now for awhile, but I was just CURIOUS to see how some of you might deal with these "Mind games."
Thanks.

[Algavinn]

When doing a cut by myself, when the house is stocked with normal food, there is definitely an aspect of mind games going on for me, but it's mostly a matter of "What a pain in the ***, just go ahead and eat that, it wont fit into the time you have to go home or find something healthy." When I did my last cut my spouse was doing it too and that wasn't very hard for me to be honest, largely I think because I had some one to do it with, no bad foods were in the house (we gave them to her mom), I got to made amazing delicious meats for dinner every night!, and i made up a bunch of desert type dishes that made my body think it was getting something sugar and fat loaded, but these were mostly things like ricotta with vanilla extract and splenda. We actually had some imitation crab and we were like..woah that tastes really sweet! In looking at the package it had 6 grams of sugar per serving, our sense for sugar had skyrocketed to the point where milk tasted as sweet as soda. Being able to 'indulge' in these barely sugary products was enough to work for me. But, in my current lifestlye I definitely go through the whole "Well, i have lots of school work to do, i shouldn't push weightlifting and put myself behind in class more" when I'm just gonna go procrastinate on something else instead It looks like I have a new lifting partner though, and that's really helping the motivation all across the table to keep it hardcore.

[President Wilson]

Man,

I hear you. I almost think the mental aspect of cutting is the most brutal part.

You are absolutely right. I just finished a meal and my mind was playing those games. " Come on, have a second helping, its ok you are doing great " Took everything in me to shut it up!

Its sooooooooooo brutal

[rootb33r]

Indeed. My roommate is a healthy eater, thank God, but he is nowhere near as disciplined as me. Occasionally he'll have ice cream in the freezer or a giant jar of peanuts (peanut butter and peanuts are a huge weakness of mine).

My old roommate back in college was real bad, he was a total ectomorph and could eat anything and everything and not gain a pound. He ate candy, cookies, etc. It was all in the apartment, screaming to be eaten

I've found that if I can be super-strict for a week or two, then I get really great results and then the results take over as my main motivation.

[MJR]

Sometimes, my mind will actually get smart and portray a somewhat convincing argument, such as "You know, your metabolism could really use the boost. This would be a good way to raise leptin," but it's when I DON'T need the meal like late at night or with pizza, etc. I've given in and the only thing I end up gaining is jiggly fat around my belly. So you just have to do what you KNOW is right. By all means plan high carb days, but if it's a spur of the moment thing and your mind is trying to JUSTIFY, I've learned it's better to stick to what you have planned 99.9% of the time.

It seriously has gotten smarter. In the beginning, it was just "Oh come on, live a little." Now it's been reading ABC and turning it against me!

[Bahir]

I don't know, I'm not experiencing anything like that at all with my current cutting diet. I only have primary carb sources (oats, pasta) for breakfast and for pre/post workout meals, and eat veggies (with less than 10 grams of carbs per 100 grams) for the rest of my meals. I also only have three real meals per day, four to five if you add protein shakes. My cut is going pretty good and I don't have a lack of energy at all, in fact, I'm more awake than ever before in my life (bed late, up early, although the mornings can be tough sometimes). I've just gotten in a grove where the only time I "cheat" is if I have been out drinking and partying (might take a small hamburger at McD), or when there has been too long time since my last meal before my workout (where I might get a candybar (only done it once or twice so far), although I am now replacing that with a roll of sushi).

I am also in the process of switching to a higher rep workout schedule (aiming for 12-15 instead of 5 like I used to), which is killing me since I have no stamina in that range. Still, I can train with intensity (doing full body workouts, one exercise, three sets per muscle group).

[klosey]

Originally Posted by President Wilson

Man,

I hear you. I almost think the mental aspect of cutting is the most brutal part.

You are absolutely right. I just finished a meal and my mind was playing those games. " Come on, have a second helping, its ok you are doing great " Took everything in me to shut it up!

Its sooooooooooo brutal

my most hated mind game is the small game, i start feeling small when cutting even though no one else can see it i can lol

[President Wilson]

Originally Posted by rootb33r

Indeed. My roommate is a healthy eater, thank God, but he is nowhere near as disciplined as me. Occasionally he'll have ice cream in the freezer or a giant jar of peanuts (peanut butter and peanuts are a huge weakness of mine).

My old roommate back in college was real bad, he was a total ectomorph and could eat anything and everything and not gain a pound. He ate candy, cookies, etc. It was all in the apartment, screaming to be eaten

I've found that if I can be super-strict for a week or two, then I get really great results and then the results take over as my main motivation.

I find this to. Once the momentum is rolling your way feel indestructible. Its just about getting it going is all!

[biscuits]

no doubt everytime i start making progress i say to myself why do i want to cut and get really lean again i like to eat and i feel weak and muscles aint the same. Last couple days was so flippin tough my friends gettin together and drinkin and eat pizza for last couple days i didnt have nothin, water yumm and then today my mom and dad got pizza im like gahlee people. I went to my room and ate another piece of chicken lol, but i almost got so weak when they brought out the donuts, they are still in there right now...will power

[MJR]

Originally Posted by klosey

my most hated mind game is the small game, i start feeling small when cutting even though no one else can see it i can lol

SO TRUE!!! After 1 week of cutting, I feel like I'm walking around like a twig--super small shoulders and everything. But people say I look huge. I think I have major body dysmorphia issues, lol.