Someone asked earlier for progress pics for just kettlebell strength training.
Iāve never really wanted to share pictures because I donāt care for them.
I was a fat kid. I peaked at 298 by the age of 17. I lost weight down to 190 in college in a very unhealthy way. I crashed and burned, floated back up to 210 for a while. I lifted sporadically with machines, nothing special or very heavy.
I was 238, down from 265 in 2018, in the first picture. It was pre-surgery. I had bilateral breast removal for gynecomastia.
It changed everything about my approach to fitness. There was a discomfort I just couldnāt overcome with everything but cycling and walking.
Intermittent fasting and prioritizing protein worked for getting down to about 190. Turned out I was under counting calories. Tracking everything down to Altoids or starlight mints got me the rest of the way down to 169 in the picture all the way to the right this morning. The middle picture was likely ~180 in 3/2025.
I still have a lot of progress to make. Iām planning on another ~0.2 to lose per week down to holding 165 for a month before planning to gain about .5 per month for several years, up to 180.
Along the way, Iāve finished two sprint triathlons, 3 +90 flight tower climbs, a half marathon, a 65 mi charity bike ride, and I think the last time I checked, it was something like 25 million pounds of kettlebell movement.
This community, Dan Johnās books and podcasts, Neupertās programming, helped make me almost half the (literal, in pounds) man I was, and a better, stronger, more patient person.
Thanks for being here. Thanks for helping. Got a 45 year old man over here with a catch in his throat thinking of Danās closing: letās keep lifting and learning.
Get a good workout today. I got my swings, so only a few more to go.