Prep 16 Week Out Summary: The 16 week out between these two preps could not be any more different.

2020: At 16 weeks out in my checkin I brought my coach into the loop regarding my extremely tired, strung out, and dead feeling from the duration we had been dieting to that point. My weight had gone up from the previous week and this was one of those weeks where you really establish a rut or funk pattern that has to be addressed. Like you typically seem to notice when you screw up on the diet or do something that you shouldn't when dieting I think the bulk of the rut was from anxiety due to having made a decision that didn't reflect towards the goal I was out to achieve. I had stuck 14 kitchen cabinets into my house during a kitchen remodel over the previous weekend and had drank 6 bud select 55's. Looking back at it late I KNOW that this was the bulk of the issue w/ me having a shitty week that week!

2021: First week of prep had begun after the previous check in the Saturday before. Weight dropped down to 210.4 (from 213.2 the previous week). The first week of prep diet still included 2 high days/week (800 carbs) with a cheat meal at the end of each high day. The only diet change for the week was we dropped 15 carbs out per meal on my days off from training (300 calorie reduction for the day or 600 calorie reduction for the week) and dropped 10 carbs from my post workout meal (40 calories or 80 calories/week).

Prep Phase:

2020 Prep: 11 weeks into full prep mode, full fat burners

2021 Prep: Prep started on Saturday on the morning of this check in so this was the first week of full blast mode.

Weight:

2020 Prep: 192.8

2021 Prep: 210.4

Average Daily Direct Calories (Calories from Direct Macros):

2020 Prep: 1,743 (Calories not accounting for 1 free meal)

2021 Prep: 2,711 (Calories not accounting for 2 free meals)

Direct Carbs:

2020 Prep: 0 2x/week, 125 4x/week, 700 1x/week

2021 Prep: 175 3/week, 325 2x/week, 800 2x/week

Cardio:

2020 Prep: 20 Minutes HIIT 5x/week

2021 Prep: 20 Minutes HIIT 5x/week Same Duration as all offseason.

Meals:

2020: Odd things that "met the macros" were still included in my meals (especially on travel days). Typically this would include 2 jack links beef jerky sticks (original or peppered) when on the road. My one free meal/week was turning into a blood bath of everything I could possibly eat. Before going to bed on a high day (after the free meal) it was pretty typical to be 10-14 lbs heavier than that morning.

2021: Everything has transitioned into either Chicken & Rice, 96/4 Beef & Rice (or potato), or 2 Whole Eggs w/ 10 Egg Whites & Oatmeal. Almonds are the primary (pretty much sole) source of fat with meals including added fats. Cravings really aren't present since we just started dieting. Free meals have been extremely measured at this point. I had Schwanns Uncooked Chicken Strips (cooked in an air fryer) w/ Steak Fries for one cheat meal (with two homemade cookies of my mother in laws. She's a corporate chef and when she make me snickerdoodles or chocolate chip cookies let's just say that only a certain quantity can be present in my house or they cannot be there at all! The other free meal was simply an entire box of captain crunch & skim milk with a scoop of Redcon1 MRE Light Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Protein Powder.