Start of December I was feeling a little on the plump side so I switched to the no grain/sugar diet and started fasting a little on my non weight lifting days.  On the days I do lift though I eat as much meat and veggies as possible between the time I stop working out until I go to bed.  So far I've averaged one pound a week weight loss and I am quite satisfied with this.  

Problem is, I can no longer press my heaviest dumbells or kettlebells as many reps in a set or in the whole session(50 & 62 lb's respectively)  That said, I can do ever increasing #'s of presses and snatches in a row with the next sizes down (pair of 45lb DB & single 52 lb KB )  faster, without getting as winded, and without finishing as sore.  It's like my heaviest weights feel like they keep getting heavier and heavier, while the next size down keeps feeling lighter and lighter.

This is normal or no?  Any additional tips to help retain strength/muscle while losing fat?  From what I understand, to resume making gains in terms of total weight lifted I'll need to resume eating 5k + calories a day like I was before December?  FWIW I am actually quite strict with the diet, only strayed 2 days the whole 7 weeks and that was Christmas and new years.  Even then, by junk food standards of holidays past this year was the caloric equivalent of having Christmas dinner in a Norko labor camp.        

Thanks in advance



ETA:  While I'm at it can anyone recommend me some good NON MINIMAL style shoes for running unpaved trails?  I have been using minimus mt-10's for a little over a year but would like to try something with a little more cushion to see if it's easier on my joints.  

You're probably just losing a little muscle mass. Increase intake a little and/or shorten or do away with a fast. Do one thing at a time to figure out your best course of action.

Its normal. A long slow cut will minimize the strength loss(possibly even gain) but also take for ever.

Add some creatine and HMB and you'll stay stronger

What are you eating for your "cut"?  Post your diet for the last 3 days.  I'd say last day but you indicated you're fasting on non-lifting days.

Edit:  Also when do you lift during the day?

HMB study


HMB

Yes

Thanks guys.  It really hasn't been enough to to bug me considering how much slimmer I've gotten and the improved stamina.  Looking back I wished I'd knocked out at least a rep or two with my heaviest weights at the start of each session every day to see if I'd have been able to keep it.  Doing more snatches, faster was on my brain though.

  After reading up some more diet stuff I'm going to cut back on my use of whey supplements and eat more real food in order to cut out those last little bits of sugar.

My diet on lifting days is usually


4-5 eggs for breakfast cooked in butter or lard, mixed with a bunch of cilantro to make a salad and sometimes some broccoli or whatever other veggies and a small bit of shredded cheese.

1/2 lb bacon pan fried
1 lb ground sirloin cooked in the resulting bacon grease

A large salad.  Romaine, broccoli, cucumbers, 4 Tbs olive oil.  sometimes some shredded cheese.

Usually takes me 2 sittings to finish all the meat and salad in the evening.

2x servings of muscle milk made with 2 scoops muscle milk and 2 cups unsweeetened coconut milk, first one right before/during lifting in the mornings and the other in the evening in between sittings with the dinner food.  I try to finish my dinner near the end of my night when I'm winding down and not so active.    


Non lifting days is the same breakfast minus a couple eggs, and for dinner about half as large of salad w/a serving of muscle milk as described.

As for beverages I only drink water and coffee (black) and sometimes some tea at night.

What kind of Whey are you getting that has lots of sugar?

Most only have between 2-4g of sugar in them.

I would say cutting a pure source of fast digesting protein would be a mistake.

It is normal.  I'm down 16 pounds over the last two months and have lost a bit on strength, especially in my OHP.  I started refeeding carbs once a week about three weeks ago and things are going much better.  I'm increasing my lifts slightly back up.  My legs never went down in strength and are going up now.  Of course I have a theory that since I'm losing body weight, that means my squat/dead has actually gotten lighter.

muscle milk  

ETA:  I'm at least going to cut the whey on non lifting days and make some real meat.

While I do enjoy muscle milk why not replace one serving of muscle milk with a pure Whey serving? If you are worried about the carbs but I think that boils down to muscle milk having more overall calories then a simple whey powder anyway.

Can you recommend me any particular brand of pure whey?  I'm assuming this stuff will taste terrible if its not mixed with anything?

Did you get your Muscle Milk at Wal Mart?  Get their six star brand of whey.   You can either get the isolate or concentrated.  The isolate has only 1g of sugar and 130 cals.  The other is 170 cals with 2g of sugar.  Both give 30g protein per serving.

 

A bit off topic, but I went and read the review on Carnivor and it stated Kai Greene was eating 6-9 pounds of meat a day.  OMG, I would hate to be his toilet.