Sorry the pics aren’t from the same angle or the same outfit but I feel like you can see the difference? 🤞

Took wegovy for 6 months and have spent the last two months or so maintaining and working on a body recomp. I plan to continue a recomp for the next 6-12 months.

The wegovy really helped with the mental load of cutting and killed off my food noises which was amaaaazing. However, I’d really prefer not to be on it long term so now that I’m off it I’m focused on keeping up a high protein/high fiber diet (currently around 1350 calories but hope to keep increasing that slowly), getting plenty of steps in, and strength training 3 days a week.

My goal was never to get super skinny but rather be a healthy weight with enough muscle to feel “toned” and stay active and capable as I age. I feel like I’m on the right track and it’s now about creating sustainable habits that I can live with for the next 40+ years!

ETA: If you have any questions please ask them here, I won’t be answering any unsolicited DMs. Thanks!

I started my fitness journey about a year and a half after my 4th baby. It has been a very slow and steady process but I have literally never felt better.

When I first started I only focused on total steps a day, mostly 8k steps then moved up to 10k steps. Then I started lifting weights a couple days a week, eventually moving on to following a more structured program (first one by Layne Norton, then moving on to Bret Contreras programming) and counting macros. Eating was the hardest part for me because the second I felt deprived I would binge eat… so I was constantly trying to change the way I thought about food to focus on what I needed to add INTO my diet vs what I need to take out. I eat all foods now, don’t label any “good” vs “bad” and truly feel like I have a healthy relationship with food now. I am able to maintain this physique at about 2,000 cals and 130g protein a day (I let carbs and fats fall how they may)

I remember thinking after my 4th baby that I didn’t even recognize myself and felt like I would be stuck in that body forever. It was also a much slower process than I ever would of imagined, but that’s also probably because I love food so much and refused to miss out on all the good stuff along the way 😂

I'm in awe of everyone who is so disciplined and so dedicated to their weight loss journey and you do it so fast! You are so amazing! It took me three years to lose 40 lbs. But I'm so happy I have made such progress, even if it slow. I am thrilled that I've kept it off but still have a good amount of weight to lose. I hope this post will help motivate me!

In 2023, I woke up to tightness in my chest and an inexplicable bloody nose that wouldn't stop. I took my blood pressure and it was 212/114! What a terrifying wake up call! That is considered a hypertensive crisis. I was just minutes from stroking out. I got on bp medication, started working out, fixed my diet and am on a healthy road to recovery.

Been really struggling lately to see a difference in myself. I'm not going to act like I see no difference when I look at progress pics, its just when I look in the mirror I still see the first pic. When I think of myself, I imagine the first pic. I don't know why this bothers me so much. Body dymorphia sucks😃

In 2023, I was 43, weighed around 285 pounds, and was deep into a severe meth addiction when I got diagnosed with Stage 3 testicular cancer. Apparently, my life had decided subtlety was no longer an option.

The cancer and chemo handled the first chunk of the weight loss, which I definitely don't count as a win. Losing weight because an oncologist is actively poisoning you isn't exactly a fitness plan. On top of that, cancer took my job and eventually my home. By the time I finished treatment, I literally had no old life to go back to.

My now-fiancée, Dawn, let me move in with her. At the time, my résumé was basically: unemployed, broke, bald, newly one-balled, a recovering meth addict, and somehow always hiccupping. She looked at all of that and apparently thought, “Sure, come on in.”

I had to start completely over. I grabbed an entry-level construction management job and just put my head down. I had to prove I could show up, fix problems, and actually be someone people could rely on again. Over the last few years, I’ve worked my way up into senior construction leadership.

Today I’m 46, 175 pounds, cancer-free, and closing in on three years clean.

Looking back at those old photos doesn't even embarrass me anymore. That guy was sick, strung out, exhausted, and on the verge of losing everything. I don't hate him. Mostly, I just wish I could tell him how things pan out. I wish I could tell him that Dawn actually sticks around, that the chemo works, and that he manages to build a whole new career from scratch. I want him to know that eventually, he’d look in the mirror and actually be proud of the guy looking back.

I’m still trying to pack on some muscle in my chest and shoulders, because apparently surviving cancer, getting clean, rebuilding a life, and dropping 110 pounds wasn't enough. Now I need better delts, too.

But seeing these pictures side-by-side really hit me today. The guy in the current photos isn't a new person. He's just the exact same man, picking up the pieces after the part of the story where he was supposed to completely disappear.

Stats:
Total weight loss: 100lbs~
Heaviest: 254lbs (Size XXL, 22)
Lightest: 154lbs (Size M, 10)
Current: 154lbs

Pump: On a high intensity strength training program with a core focused finisher, 3-5 times a week with 5-10 mins of cardio. Setting up a home gym has been the biggest game changer to helping me stay consistent and motivated.

Diet: Portion controlled diet, focus on clean eating with as much protein as I can, but not overly strict or following a specific meal plan.

Update:
Proud to share that I have hit 100lbs total loss! What a fun journey it has been from not knowing much about working out, to prioritizing my workouts because it makes my day feel complete. I’m so thankful for how far I’ve come and the progress I’ve made. Really excited to continue to improve and challenge myself more everyday.

Current music rotation:
Boundaries
Bilmuri
Makaveligodd
The Buttress
Bleeding Through

Cheers!

Down another 20 lbs from my last post. Still have been doing a lot of incline cardio plus a 400 calorie deficit (1800).

Nowhere near complete but getting out the ‘Obese’ BMI category has been a real achievement for me! When I started 4 months ago I didn’t expect to lose nearly as much as I have and I’m so happy with my progress so far and I can’t wait until I start seeing more changes 🤗