https://imgur.com/a/KOGGdpk - progress photos.
TLDR Here’s an imgur album of my progress throughout the last year. The photo with me in the red polo is what made me realize I needed to start losing weight before I went down the slippery slope of out-of-control weight gain. Losing weight has been one of the hardest things I’ve done, but also the most rewarding. The confidence I have now, the discipline I’ve gained, and the lessons I’ve learned are priceless.
STATS M 22 : SW:206-210 lbs CW: 160 lbs
I started counting calories in June 2018 after seeing a photo of myself at the U.S. open while on vacation. I realized I had just seen the first chubby picture of myself. I had just graduated college so I knew I had no excuses to keep gaining weight.
After getting home from that vacation I decided it was time to start losing weight. My 4 years of college had essentially been a “dirty bulk”, where I thought exercise would make me lose weight without having to watch my diet. I worked out a lot but never lost any weight. I was shocked how quickly the weight fell off after I downloaded my fitness pal. I set my intake at 1850 calories, and stuck to that goal for nearly a year. But After six months I mostly eyeballed my calorie intake and still managed to keep dropping weight.
My secrets? Black coffee and sparkling water. I did a “cheater” intermittent fasting plan: I had a yogurt every morning right when I got to work at 9 a.m, and not eat again for 10 hours (while drinking lots of water). When I get hungry the first time, I drink the black coffee. When I get hungry a second time, I drink a sparkling water. If I get hungry again before I leave work at 5, I would eat something small to curb my appetite (<150 calories), usually an apple or banana depending on what’s in the break room.
Then i would FEAST for dinner. Having such a low calorie intake for the beginning of the day let me eat huge dinners. It was nice to be able to go out to my favorite fast foods once and a while and not worry about going over on calories.
About a month ago I bought a golf membership, and started playing 9 or 18 holes before work every morning. I dropped 7 lbs this month out of nowhere, but it’s probably because of walking so far with a heavy bag of clubs on my back!
Now that I’ve rediscovered my love for golf, I have a purpose to get in the best shape possible. It’s about time I stopped focusing on losing weight and started focusing on adding some muscle. I’ve upped my intake to 2600 and am taking weightlifting seriously again. I’ll be tracking my weight daily to make sure I don’t gain more than 2-5 lbs a month. My ultimate goal is a 6-pack so I’ll probably have to do another cut in a few months to get lean again.
The craziest thing is how hard it is now to hit 2600 calories. A year ago I was probably eating >3000 every day without a problem. Now I put a lot of effort into making sure I eat enough. I have to use my fitness pal and food scale again because I noticed I was underestimating my intake. It’s amazing how my relationship with food has completely flipped upside-down. It’s nice that I’m finally able to break PR’s at the gym now that I’m not at a calorie deficit anymore.
This community has helped me a lot, and reading everyone’s success stories was hugely inspiring. I’m excited that it’s finally my turn to share my success.
For everyone still looking to hit their goals, keep it up! You can do it!!
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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2VPoJrL
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