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Wanted to go on a strict lean bulk this winter!

The scale hasn’t moved as quickly as I’d like but the physical change is incredible! I still have about 25lbs to go but I’m starting to feel comfortable with my body for the first time in my adult life. I’m also in single digit jeans and medium shirts for the first time in my adult life.

I’m sure someone will ask, so, how did I get here? I strength training 5 days a week (a compound lift plus 4-6 isolation exercises. Current split is legs/chest/back/shoulders & traps/arms) and do some sort of cardio daily (anywhere from just a quick 15 minute spin on my peloton up to an hour and a half… running some days… stair climber some days… I vary it because I’m ADHD and get bored easily lol). I’ve also spent 80% of this time in a deficit. My macros are currently 1900 calories - 142g protein, 167g carbs, 74g fat.

Y'all, I can't believe this is real life right now. 🙈 I've struggled with my weight my whole life. Started binge eating at age 7, then extreme dieting at age 9, and gained and lost the same 50 lbs SO many times. It always felt like as soon as I found the right rhythm and reached a healthy BMI, some traumatic life event would happen again and I'd emotionally eat myself back to my starting weight. Being stuck in that kind of cycle really messes with your confidence and sense of self.
Which landed me back at my highest weight, 218lbs, in October 2023.

For three months, I focused on daily macros (1g protein per lb of lean body weight), weight lifting 3-5 x's per week with progressive overload, and walking 7,000 steps per day. I lost the first 13 lbs that way.
Then in February 2024, my medical conditions qualified me for meds to help. The meds are the only thing I changed, continuing to be consistent with my healthier lifestyle. Over the next 9 months, I lost another 63 lbs.
I just had my bloodwork done and I've successfully reversed pre-diabetes!

It feels amazing and terrifying to wake up in this newer healthier body every day. Amazing because I have SO much more energy. But weirdly scary (or exhilarating maybe, idk? 🤷🏻‍♀️) to wake up and feel so PRESENT in my life. Like I'm not just waiting around for stuff outside of my control to happen to me anymore, you know? Instead I'm out there "happening" to life... and that feels pretty awesome. 17 more lbs to go and then doubling down on muscle growth!

➡️ What tips do y'all have for: (1) Maintaining your goal weight (2) Updating your sense of self as you have more energy and can participate in life so much more now? (3) Interacting with people that aren't excited for your progress, either from jealousy or judgment of how you lost the weight?

Hi, just my progress from teen to low 20s

Hi!

I’ve been lifting naturally for 12 years now, and I’m in pretty good shape. I’ve managed to build some serious muscle over the years and even competed in a natural bodybuilding contest a few years back.

I’m now 37 years old and train usually 5times a week, 2-3times 30min cardio. Training, Nutrition und Supplemts are planned and on point.

As I’m getting older, building more muscle has become more challenging. I’m considering switching to the „dark side“ to enhance my performance and gain some muscle mass.

Do you think its worth to risk something? As im getting older I have the feeling I have no tried everything to make the best version of myself. Of course, in gym or private nobody cares if I will have 5kg more or not.. its difficult.

Pic is from my last summer diet for vacation.

I began attempting to work out around 2 years ago but was very inconsistent. Around May of this year I bought a gym membership and that’s when I began to take it more seriously and just showing up.

According to the in body scale at the gym I have gained 17lbs of muscle mass and lost a few pounds of body fat.

I did a bit of everything. Calorie restricted to 1800 for 6 months with IF, consistently did cardio with Orange Theory for two days a week and weight lifted 2 days a week.

The journey so

I feel like the caption says it all LOL. 5x weekly heavy weight training, with 4x weekly running. calorie restriction and prioritizing protein over everything else. Roughly 1200-1500 calories. Under 90g carbs. I’d still like to lose another 20-25 lbs for goal.

Please read the whole thing first. I could really use an outsiders perspective.

I went from 220lbs to 118-120lbs and my family now says I’m too skinny/sickly looking. So because of my health condition I started taking meds along side my daily walking routine I do. I eat fairly well. Not a ton but not a small amount. Enough to make myself full and then I stop. With the help of the meds and my routine I was able to lose 100lbs in the last year and a half.

Now my family is not what would be considered bmi normal weight.. I’m sorry I can’t think of another way to put this, but they enjoy their food and I love that for them. I think they are perfect as they are. But they have now started hounding me about how I look too skinny, sickly, and i need to eat more and I don’t know if they are right or not.

I like the way I look for the first time since I was a kid. I am comfortable in my body finally. But their comments now make me question if I am too skinny now and if I need to change course at this point.

Idk I just would love some perspective from some outsiders on the situation. My doctor said I am healthy and perfectly fine as long as I don’t lose more weight. I had blood work done and everything. I trust my doctor but my family is making me question myself now. For reference I am a 32 year old female and 5’5” tall and weight 118-122lbs depending on food and my menstrual cycle.

It's been a couple of months since my last post, in that time I have completed an F45 challenge where I came second out of the women at my gym 😁 so close to my final goal!

Started a weight loss journey in April this year, not exactly where I wanna be yet but making slow but steady progress :)

Was already generally active, doing a combination of intense cardio, strength training and tons of walking but managed to shift a few pounds by tracking calories. Had mostly positive comments but a couple of negative too 😕

Update post: Same before, different after.

So I've always had issues with losing weight, putting it back on, losing it again etc. and going round in cycles Finally had a realisation this cycle, that I need to make it a life style and not just a short term push to lose weight, then go back to how I was abusing food before.

First photo was around 2 years ago, I lost and gained against since then and I was 208 Ibs in Jan this year, I now sit around 167 lbs.

So I have nearly logged my calories every day on MFP for a whole year, I've even very militant with my calorie counting. I cycle to work, and pretty much all round London. Managed to cycle 1,500 miles since mid-April this year - this was a huge contributing factor to my weight loss I was still strength training 3 times a week, and I've averaged 10,000 steps per day this year.

I've been eating between 2000 - 22000 calories since Feb this year.

Now it's time for me to put on some muscle, looking to try and give recomping a go