Bulk Update / Week 4

Ok, so this whole bulking process has been a little interesting, to say the least.

I kind of expected that I would eat more and gain weight because I was in a calorific surplus, however, it didn’t quite work out that way….

You’re probably continuing this read because you’ve been following my bulk journey since the first week (you can find the post about that here.) So you should already know the details of my macros and that I upped my calories to 2,200 a day. Since the first week it’s kind of been a rollercoaster.

So, in the simplest way possible, here’s an update for you guys:

Week 2

– Continuing to count my macros but not as strict.
– Body Image not at it’s best – feeling fluffy and quite bloated from all the carbs.
-Receiving negative comments on Instagram about my honesty with my low body image.
– Macros relaxed at the weekend but by no means am I under eating in terms of calories.
– Feeling a lot stronger in all of my workouts and hitting PB’s
– Eating foods that I don’t normally consume such as; pasta, cookies, ice-cream, TOAST (so much toast, mmmm).
– No access to scales but I’m pretty sure i’ve put on some weight.

Week 3

– Ab’s are starting to disappear
– Feeling fuller (body wise), stronger and also noticing some possible booty gains?!
– Loving the relaxation I have with food.
– Still continuing to track macros but again, not being super strict.

Now, this is where I probably should go into more detail… Last Sunday (last day of week 3) I stepped on the scales only to be shocked by a reading of 45.7kg. Bearing in mind I had a starting weight of 51.3kg – that’s quite a lot of weight to lose in 3 weeks. So yes, I thought either my metabolism had shot through the roof from all my constant eating or the scales were wrong. Alas, the scales had turned out to be wrong but i still had a new reading of 50.7kg so yes, I had still lost weight. Ah man.

Week 4

At the beginning of week 4 (this week) I received TomTom’s new fitness tracker, Touch. Which has a body composition reading and I was just dying to try it! Now i’m not sure how accurate the data is but here are my results: At a weight of 50.7kg my fat mass was: 24.5% and my muscle mass was: 40.5%. Again, i’m not sure how accurate the data is but it’s interesting to see if it fluctuates over the next few weeks.

– More strict with macros this week to see if this could be the weight loss culprit.
– Feeling a lot leaner and no longer bloated nor am I getting belly aches from all the fibre.
– Hitting my macros spot on this week
– Feeling more positive in terms of body image
– Drinking more water – 3/4 litres a day.

Right now, I’m currently nearing the end of week 4 with a weigh day on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if i’ve gained weight and if so, then the weight loss was probably down to my relaxed macro counting. However, if i’ve lost more weight (let’s hope not!) then it’s time to up the calories and continuing experimenting!

But, before I end the post I wanted to touch upon something that I briefly pointed out earlier. During the second week of my bulk I was feeling a little low in terms of body image and I took my honesty to Instagram and my followers. I am and always have been 100% honest with my followers. I share my good days, my bad days, my treat meals…. everything! I love to be real and show you guys that not everybody is perfect. Anyhow, on this particular photo that I posted (below) I talked about how I wasn’t particularly feeling my best and that I was struggling with the bloating from all the food I was eating. Basically, I was just being 100% honest with the fact that I didn’t feel amazing and that I was indeed struggling. However, I received a few negative comments (which have been deleted because nobody needs that kinda BS) because I was apparently putting down other women and discouraging them for feeling the way I did with the body that I had. Pardon? Am I all of a sudden excused to be a human being and feel something because I look a certain way?

So here is my response:

There are days when EVERYBODY (despite what they look like) suffers with body image and motivation. They’d be lying if they said they didn’t and that’s the truth. This is my journey and I’m being 100% honest with you guys. That’s what makes it a journey. Nothing in life comes easy as pie (although that would be nice). I admire those who are honest about their struggles and challenges… it only makes them human and actually, I believe it motivates others. Think about it, if you see somebody struggling who you really admire then it just goes to show that they struggle too! It encourages you to go further. If they can do it, then you can too!

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