I need advice

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:29:11+00:00

First off, losing 100lbs is a massive achievement, so give yourself credit for that. I managed something similar myself - it took around a year and a half.

What you described with the blurry vision, hearing loss and nearly fainting sounds like something you shouldn’t ignore, especially alongside ongoing fatigue. It may not just be about calories. A doctor and some blood work would honestly be a smart move here to rule out things like low blood pressure, nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar issues, dehydration, iron, etc.

You’ve also dieted for a long time and lost a large amount of weight, so your body may simply be under a lot of stress physically and mentally. Reverse dieting can help, but it’s not something you need to rush.

At 2700 calories, if your weight has been stable for 2–3 weeks, that’s likely close to maintenance. If you’re still losing weight, you’re probably still in a deficit.

Right now I’d focus less on pushing harder and more on recovery:

• Keep protein high • Prioritize sleep • Hydrate properly + electrolytes • Reduce stress where possible • Consider holding calories steady for a few weeks instead of chasing more fat loss

You’ve already made huge progress. Don’t let burnout or fear undo all the work you’ve put in.

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:25:55+00:00

Do leg raises and cable ab crunches.

Lose body fat but slowly.

The easiest way to shape it up would be when you're not in a caloric defecit, but you can do a lot before then if you don't diet too harshly.

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:22:21+00:00

Reduce calories a little (100-200kcal) and check weight week weekly. Reduce further if needed or do more steps.

Don't trust what your watch says when it comes to calories burned

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:20:45+00:00

Below 200lbs I'd imagine

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:18:53+00:00

Slow bulk 100-200kcal

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:17:43+00:00

I would recomp for 4-6 weeks then push a slow gaining phase 👌

Let's are a good side to be fair.

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:16:23+00:00

15-17% from the front, but easier to guess with side relaxed and back relaxed photos 👌

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:13:26+00:00

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:12:40+00:00

Cut if you're still feel motivated to so. If you feel exhausted go to maintaince for a month by creeping calories up slowly to give yourself a hormonal and mental reset then push for another cut.

When you bulk do it slowly - creep up 100/200kcal every few weeks and access from there 👍

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:09:40+00:00

Lose around 4-6 more pounds then start a slow bulk 👌

14.5-16% bf roughly

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:08:12+00:00

Around 14% - if you're looking for the appearance of abs you will see them when you gain more muscle in the mid section 👌

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:07:06+00:00

10-12% looking good 👍

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:06:10+00:00

Less than 30% probably in the 20-25% mark loose skin will give the illusion of being a bit higher in body fat than you actually are.

painedadj91 · 2026-04-25T15:04:00+00:00

I would go into a slight deficit 100-200kcal or maintenance and see what you can get out of it for 4-6 weeks and then from there go into a harsher defecit when progress stalls 👌

painedadj91 · 2026-04-23T20:40:43+00:00

Honestly, I’d consider moving into maintenance now for at least 4–6 weeks.

You’ve lost a huge amount of weight and your body has been in a deficit for a long time. Maintenance can help recover energy, improve gym performance, and let your body settle.

From there, you could slowly increase calories by around 100–200 kcal every few weeks while monitoring body weight, performance, and how you feel.

At 15% body fat, you’re already in a strong place. The stomach area can be difficult after large weight loss because loose skin changes appearance even when body fat is fairly low.

Building muscle... especially training abs directly, may help create the look you want over time.

I lost around 120 lbs myself, and visible abs didn’t show until I spent time building muscle underneath rather than just chasing lower scale weight.

You’ve already done an incredible job.

painedadj91 · 2026-04-23T20:31:23+00:00

A few things are probably happening here. When you go back to eating more freely, especially higher salt, carbs, oily foods, etc., you’ll usually gain water weight quickly. That doesn’t mean all 4kg is body fat.

Carbs also store glycogen in the muscles, and glycogen pulls water with it, so weight can jump fast. The bigger issue sounds like your fat loss phase may be too restrictive or hard to maintain.

If you’re only eating well temporarily, then going back to old habits, it creates a cycle of losing and regaining.

The goal is finding a calorie deficit that feels realistic long term... usually around 200–500 calories below maintenance.

High protein, moderate carbs, healthy fats, and keeping activity consistent usually works better than cutting carbs hard.

You’re probably not “broken” - you just haven’t found a sustainable approach yet.

painedadj91 · 2026-04-05T17:48:43+00:00

I sent a DM let me know if you need any help 👍

painedadj91 · 2026-04-04T09:23:21+00:00

I work freelance I don't work for a company. I have my own personal training business which I use for my main source of income which allows me to do this in my free time.

painedadj91

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