I've been cutting for two months and things were going well until recently. My squat has been decreasing for the last two weeks, and just today my deadlift saw a decrease too. I'm talking 15-20 pound decreases. I realize that it's normal to lose strength on a cut, but this seems way too fast. I've been eating enough protein, haven't skipped any workouts, and I haven't lost weight too quickly, so none of those reasons should be the source of the problem. My only explanation for this sudden drop in strength is the lack of carbs in my diet. As I continued to cut calories I've had to cut out more and more carbs so that I was still getting enough protein and fat while continuing to eat less every week. I feel very weak when trying to squat what was once not too difficult. I'm thinking I just lack energy since my carbs are so low compared to what they used to be. I can't really increase the carbs I'm eating without either increasing the calories or lowering the fat or protein, but then I'd either be eating too much to lose weight or I wouldn't be eating enough fat or protein.
My fear is that if I don't have the energy to lift heavy I'm going to continue to lose strength, and since I won't be lifting as heavy my body will target my muscles instead of fat for weight loss. I have two questions for preventing muscle loss and targeting fat instead.
1. Would using a belt help prevent muscle loss? Even if I feel weaker from a lack of carbs, wearing a belt would theoretically still allow me to squat and deadlift heavy, at numbers I was hitting before this sudden strength loss. (Keep in mind I'm eating enough protein, so if I lose muscle it would probably be because I'm not lifting heavy enough.) I'd still be eating at a calorie deficit, so I'd assume the extra weight loss would have to come from fat and not muscle. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way or I'm forgetting important details, but does this sound reasonable or am I just way off with my thinking here?
2. Would working out later in the day give me more energy? Right now I work out in the early afternoon. If I waited until the evening I'd have more carbs in my system and maybe I'd have more energy to lift heavier. Again, maybe this logic is wrong but either way please let me know what you think.
My fear is that if I don't have the energy to lift heavy I'm going to continue to lose strength, and since I won't be lifting as heavy my body will target my muscles instead of fat for weight loss. I have two questions for preventing muscle loss and targeting fat instead.
1. Would using a belt help prevent muscle loss? Even if I feel weaker from a lack of carbs, wearing a belt would theoretically still allow me to squat and deadlift heavy, at numbers I was hitting before this sudden strength loss. (Keep in mind I'm eating enough protein, so if I lose muscle it would probably be because I'm not lifting heavy enough.) I'd still be eating at a calorie deficit, so I'd assume the extra weight loss would have to come from fat and not muscle. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way or I'm forgetting important details, but does this sound reasonable or am I just way off with my thinking here?
2. Would working out later in the day give me more energy? Right now I work out in the early afternoon. If I waited until the evening I'd have more carbs in my system and maybe I'd have more energy to lift heavier. Again, maybe this logic is wrong but either way please let me know what you think.
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