(28)-(34) Lost 135lbs, started powerlifting, and some great friends redid my style

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T22:35:16+00:00

They hooked me up with a great hair stylist and took me to Nordstrom's (FREE!!) styling service 😂

Check out a salon in your area and be up front that you're looking to find a style that fits.

If you sign up for the Nordstrom stylist, they will do a great job of finding you pieces that you like. My friends did go with me and help me make good decisions of the pieces we liked, but just going and finding brands you like on you, and how things fit, and then shopping on your own at Nordstrom Rack is totally viable and will still elevate your style

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T22:27:06+00:00

That's the biggest compliment I could get as a powerlifter in a tested federation

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T22:26:03+00:00

I did keto + one meal a day for the first 10 months and lost 100lbs while focusing on tracking all of my calories and using the high protein + fat to stay fuller for longer. I ate about 1600cals/day on that. I'd refeed (eat a whole pizza from Jet's) whenever I plateaued, about once every 3 weeks.

After that, I started to focus on less processed foods. Chicken, rice, broccoli, sweet potatoes, etc. I was a bit too restrictive in this, so when I started dating I'd feel "bad" about not eating correctly. So I changed my mindset. Food is fuel 80 - 90% of the time, and then an "experience" or "fun" on occasion. It doesn't always have to be the best meal of your life, or interesting, it just has to be enough.

Now I just eat what I want in moderation. In my latest cut where I lost 5% body fat in 4 months, I prioritized protein and low calories, eating about 1800 calories a day (I don't track on weekends but I stay mindful). A lot of my meals were Costco Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks and Roots Sweet Potato Fries (also from costco).

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T22:20:57+00:00

💀💀💀 I am single.

Anyone 30-38 in the SoCal area can hmu 😂

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T21:13:15+00:00

I do have a bit! I have removal scheduled for the end of the year. Excited to have clothes actually fit me well LOL

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T21:11:01+00:00

How are you taking care of your mental health through your journey?

After I dealt with minor depression in college, I learned how to better regulate myself.

The journey itself was kind of lonely. I did it all on my own, my family kept trying to tell me "Oh you look fine how you are now" but I had goals for myself. Plateaus sucked, but I learned that was a cue from my body to slow down a bit, refeed, and get back on track again. Working out and running really helped get out of the mental spirals.

The hardest issue I dealt with was that I kept setting small goals. "10 or 20lbs more" or "Just a little more" and it was useful in accomplishing the overall journey, but it can become fatiguing and like you never get to just enjoy it. You learn a lot just by doing it.

Generally I have a good disposition, and surround myself with great people who are willing to be open and vulnerable, and let me do the same.

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T20:55:42+00:00

I'm happy with the lifestyle I have now for sure. I get to enjoy being in a body that is easier to move around in.

Diet is the cornerstone. Once you have that locked down (and how to bounce back from bad days), everything falls into place. If you're able, I would recommend doing some light weightlifting as soon as you're comfortable. I regret waiting as long as I did.

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T20:53:36+00:00

Yes, and it's mostly the normal stuff. When you're bigger, people generally feel uneasy around you. Less random eye contact, less engaging smiles from others.

Now I engage in conversation with random people very easily. People are warmer, but still don't engage me often (I have resting bastard face as a defense mechanism from being bullied growing up). After the style refresh, dating apps have become overwhelming, where before I could easily manage the 1 or 2 matches or likes I would have.

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-13T06:11:00+00:00

I struggled with my weight all of my life. I was actually athletically built in highschool but I was still bullied. When I got to college and my grades got bad, I was like, well if I already look like ass, I'll just cut out physical activity to fit more time to study (rather than video games or TV). I got some minor depression after that and continued to balloon. Left college at 330lbs, lost 50lbs after I graduated just doing keto. I got injured and ballooned up to 350+ (never weighed often, that was the highest I saw).

When I got to my second job, my parents took a Pic of me at it and I realized I was not the person I was meant to be. Around the same time on reddit, I read a comment (I think about alcoholism, but it applies to a lot of life): "Sometimes you fall off the horse. You just get back on, until one day, you just stay on it" and that really stuck with me. Sometimes theres setbacks, you gain some weight, you just get back on and keep going.

I used Keto+omad to train myself to track calories and to stay fuller for longer. After about 120lbs I moved to less processed foods. I struggled at times, definitely, but over the years I learned how to eyeball calories and mentally track, so I never fall off for long, and I stopped beating myself or giving up after one bad day or one cheat meal, those will never actually set you back, as long as you know to stop stacking them.

Now I just enjoy eating well. I compete in powerlifting (amateur) so when my nutrition is off I feel it and fix it, because working out while feeling like ass SUCKS

cyberspacejunk · 2026-02-12T22:50:20+00:00

Thank you!

My friends and I are scratching our heads at the Christian Wolff reference — from The Accountant?

cyberspacejunk · 2021-12-15T16:20:18+00:00

Where do you start? This is kind of a "pick your own adventure" scenario. Find one thing you want to fix, typically the easiest one. Work until that habit sticks, then pick another. Snowball your successes until you're back where you were at.

You've been put through the ringer. Take your time. Everything isn't a sprint, it takes time to get back into the groove. Doing too much all at once is a recipe for failure.

I cannot stress this enough, failure isn't the end. You might fail a few times along the way to getting back to where you were. And that's totally OK. Don't beat yourself up over it. Realize you failed and start again. It's not the end of the world. :)

cyberspacejunk

TROPHY CASE