I’ve got a long way to go if I’m wanting to look ripped, but proud of the progress so far. Can’t seem to fully ditch the man boobs. Hoping another 15 lbs lost will take care
If that.

This is a reminder for myself to keep pushing through. I often times still feel like I'm 15+lbs bigger than the 230 body pic and need to look at the side by sides to realize how far I have come.

The weightloss has been slow and sometimes seems like it will never keep moving, but I am the healthiest I have been since I was 19 and need to realize that we are all constantly a work in progress. Also, need to remember to celebrate those non-scale victories, like my blood work being amazing, clothes fitting better than ever, and the ability to do so many more things physically than I have in the last 20 years.

The next hurdle is taking an extended time off for recovery after surgery, which terrifies me! Would love to hear about others who have had to stop their regular exercise/movement for 6+ weeks and what changes to prepare for.

I started my weight-loss plan on June 16, 2026, at 88.9 kg (196 lb). As of October 4, I weigh 76.35 kg (168.3 lb). That’s 12.55 kg (27.7 lb) lost in nearly 16 weeks, averaging about 0.8 kg (1.8 lb) per week.

The comparison photos are from April and September. The April photo predates my June starting weigh-in, and the September photo predates my October weigh-in.

I’m a software engineer working from home. I wanted to lose weight, improve my glucose levels and fitness, and build a routine I could maintain.

PROGRESS

My waist is 35.2 inches, down from 36.2 inches four weeks earlier. I don’t have a reliable waist measurement from the start of the plan.

My laboratory fasting glucose went from 6.6 mmol/L in June to 5.6 mmol/L in September. My HbA1c went from 5.9% to 5.6%.

FOOD AND CALORIES

My current meal plan is roughly 1,600 calories a day: about 1,530–1,570 on rest days and 1,620 on strength-training days. These are estimates, and my protein target is about 125–150 g per day.

I eat familiar foods I enjoy: chicken, eggs, plain Greek yogurt, sardines, tuna, daal, chickpeas or beans, whole-wheat pita, fruit, seeds, and cucumber, tomato and onion salad. I weigh the main portions, measure cooking oil and prepare food twice weekly. I usually have two meals and a snack, around 11:30 AM, 4 PM and 7 PM.

ACTIVITY

I usually walk 40–45 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. I am doing 10K steps daily and 15K on weekends.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I do a home strength circuit. After a five-minute warm-up, I complete three rounds of:

1. 15 bodyweight squats
2. 10 knee push-ups
3. 15 glute bridges
4. A 30-second plank
5. 12 reverse lunges per leg

I do the exercises back-to-back without a planned break between them, rest 60 seconds between rounds, and finish with a five-minute cool-down. The whole session takes about 25 minutes. If lunges aggravate my knee or IT band, I replace them with 25 glute bridges.

I haven’t used a gym or run during this phase.

TDEE AND CALORIE DEFICIT

My earlier working TDEE estimate was about 2,014 calories a day, which would put my planned deficit at roughly 430 calories a day. My latest weekly Apple estimate was about 2,417 calories a day-1,805 resting plus 612 active-which would put it closer to 830 calories a day.

Neither is a confirmed measurement of my current TDEE. I look at my weight trend alongside those estimates rather than treating the watch’s calorie figures as exact.

WHAT’S NEXT

A September DEXA scan measured 35.4% body fat. I don’t have a starting DEXA scan, so I can’t say exactly how much fat I’ve lost or how much muscle I’ve retained.

My current weight target is 65–68 kg (143–150 lb). I want to keep building strength during weight loss, then reassess my body composition and work toward a visibly muscular physique, with a more developed chest, shoulders and arms.

For people who lost weight and then built a muscular physique, what would you prioritize at this stage and as you approach your goal weight?

I originally went from 125kgs to 93kgs (32kgs lost) but have gained weight back up to 115 kgs (obviously positive weight).

I always worked out since high-school but could never get my diet under control, but I finally did it. Best and healthiest I've felt.

I’m loosing the idgaf war against my love handles lol. I feel like i’m losing fat everywhere EXCEPT around my waist. I guess there’s nothing i can do about it…🤷🏾‍♂️

I can't believe I've made it this far! I started on July 4th of 2025 but fell off the diet in November of that year after dropping to 230. Went back on the diet in April of this year, after going back up to 254lbs...😞 Have been counting the calories ever since then and now I'm down to 191lbs. 75lbs down from my original starting weight of 266!!! 💪 25 more lbs to go to reach my goal weight! Soooo close!

First pic is from May 29th (the earliest I began taking pictures). Mid May was when I really started working out, so 4.5 months, but began tracking weight and swapped to healthier eating 6 months ago.

Feel like it's good for accountability's sake to update once in a while on here. Truly never did any strength lifting or worked out aside from the occasional jogging phase, so the beginner recomp gains have really been shocking me. Basic habits, haven't started creatine yet, just 120-140g of protein a day on a deficit and full body workouts 3x a week. Recently moved from a 500-700 cal deficit to something a little slower, around 100-200, which is helping my energy for training.

Finally starting to crack the love handles that have plagued me my entire life, and clothes are just fitting so much better. So good for my mental! Anyway, I really feel like I've figured out a sustainable way to incorporate healthy habits into my daily life, and I am not stopping anytime soon. See y'all in another 6.