Ok, my cutting cycle has come to an end.

The results:

My weight is at about 143 lbs. Along with my trainer, we estimate the loss comprised of about 70% fat/30% muscle fat to muscle ratio.

Now, I need to bulk up to 152 - 153 aiming for at least a 60/40 muscle to fat ratio gain. Of course, I purposely planned my bulking cycle to coincide with Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays.

My year is coming to an end, and my industry slows down to a halt after Thanksgiving. I plan to take all of December off to focus on my bulking up cycle, which should last about 3 months.

Over the weekend, I'll devise a plan in greater detail after consulting with my trainer. Her nutritional advice is rudimentary at best, but her knowledge on cutting/bulking appears to be quite extensive, along with her advice on cortisol and the need to refeed.