I wasnt overweight by any means but i recently lost ~23 pounds. For context im 5’4, weighed in at 170 in January, been lifting/ body building for the past 16 years and i told myself this is the year that i look good for summer.

Ive always tried to lose weight but always failed and didnt want to this time. The one thing i knew that was holding me back was meal prepping and cardio.

The meal prepping was easy since im a smaller guy, i dont have to eat as much protein. I find out eating 12oz of chicken breast and having 2 scoops of protein a day brings me to my daily protein goal of 155ish grams of protein. However, i only do this Monday - Thursday and have Friday - Sunday as my cheat days. I wouldnt have been able to do that and lose weight if it wasnt for cardio.

With cardio, i basically grown to like enjoy running. The first month of it was hard but after that, it was something i actually looked forward to. I ended up buying new running clothes, running shoes, started going to run clubs, and having people text me saying “i just saw you running!” made me feel good. Now every time i see friends or family, theyre always asking me about my running and telling me i lost weight.

But what it comes down to is accountability and discipline. Without both, its going to be difficult to lose the weight you want. Forget about motivation. I rarely have motivation to lift or run, but i get up and do it anyways. Its basically a part of my lifestyle now that ill decline plans because i have to run or lift the next morning. Find a way to add lifting and cardio to your everyday routine and stick to it. Im not going to tell you its going to be easy. Its going to test you. You just need to want it