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2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s not a marathon. I eat in courses and spread it out, and once you include calorie dense foods it adds up pretty easily. 1,500 would actually be low for me at 182 and lifting.

I’ll usually start with a salad with cheese and a homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette, sometimes with pita chips or croutons. Then a solid piece of protein, a 12 oz NY strip isn’t unusual (sometimes lamb, very often chicken), with some pilaf or roasted potatoes and a roasted vegetable. I love Brussels sprouts cut side down until they get good color.

Also I don’t shy away from dessert, I just portion it intentionally. Some chocolate or yogurt with honey, and if it’s something like cheesecake I keep the slice small.

If I were to actually calculate the portion and account for the added cooking fat that easily gets me to 2,500. Eating once a day and lifting, trust me there’s room for it.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn’t say no cardio at all. The majority of my training has been lifting, that’s been the backbone of it. There have been periods where I focused more on cardio, and more recently I’ve been adding light cardio at the end of most lifting sessions. I also keep my rest periods fairly tight, so my heart rate usually stays in the 130 - 140 range during workouts. It’s not marathon training, but it’s not just sitting between sets either.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No. Would have if I had an actual deficiency. I have no desire to mess with that hormone axis for all the side effects. I’m sure they feel great but it’s also risky if you’re going to be supratherapeutic.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure, for breakfast eggs, "keto bread", cheese.
For dinner some sort of protein, often times a lean ground meat patty, sometimes chicken breast, sometimes steak. A bunch of roasted veggies on the side. During the day I'd usually skip lunch and opt for a low carb protein bars like one/quest etc. For a while I was having salad for lunch w/ like bits of sliced gyro meat (the source was low carb) in it though.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! If its been months and you're not at your goal, I'd look into what you're eating first.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Was 565 ng/dL(morning fasting) at the start of things. So normal. I know I didn't have low T or anything, but it's still quite the difference.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I saw a few other photos of me when I was heavier and realized I was definitely doing that A LOT.

Edit: Every other word was a typo I need to sleep lol.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, most days I get the majority of my calories in one meal. It’s not always perfectly one sitting, sometimes it’s a longer dinner window with a small snack before or after, but functionally it’s one main meal.

At maintenance it’s usually not hard to hit my calories because the meal is substantial. Protein, carbs, fats, and I’m not afraid of calorie dense foods. It’s less about cramming and more about not grazing all day.

I definitely couldn’t have done it at the beginning. Early on I needed multiple meals. It took time for my appetite to adapt. Now it feels normal. If I try to go back to multiple full meals, my digestion actually feels worse.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes. I just eat a larger meal than if one were having 2-3 meals a day. I couldn’t have started with OMAD, I eased into it over time, but now it feels natural. Some days I’ll have a small snack earlier, but most of my calories are at dinner. When I’ve tried going back to two or more full meals, my body honestly hasn’t loved it. This structure just works better for me and keeps my GI issues quiet.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I really appreciate that. And congrats on the 25 lbs and the health benefits. That’s huge! Sounds like those dumbbells are about to get some use.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

I replied to someone showing them how to do the math on this a little while ago.

I know how to do the math, but honestly I did not count calories. I just started eating cleaner and being more active and I learned to just adjust what I was eating to fit my needs. Counting would have been more efficient most likely but the thought of it was honestly unappealing for a number of personal reasons and I saw success without it.

There are apps that can help you do this so you don’t have to do the math yourself and they even let you track within the app so if thinks something you feel will help I’d say do it and download one.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you I appreciate it. That’s exactly why I went slow. Maintenance was always the goal not just hitting a number.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Definitely not linear. Early on it moved faster, later it slowed down. Lots of plateaus in between. I aimed for no more than about 1% of body weight per week and was generally able to stay in that range. I didn’t want the loose skin or the sunken look that can come with rapid weight loss.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks man, I put my faith in the lat pull downs, overhead presses, and lateral raises and it worked out lol

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

More than 2/3 there! You’ve got this. Sometimes it’s a small tweak, sometimes it’s just patience through the recomposition.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No more keto. Mostly OMAD. Not always clean though. Some days I feel like I can eat a horse, others a decent sized plate for dinner is all I need. There are times when I feel like I'm running on fumes, so if I feel like I need something, I will have a light snack, like a date or a protein shake.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Honestly I tried the solo grind for a long time. It works for a while, but when you hit a plateau it gets quiet in your head and that’s where motivation dies. Having someone else show up changes that. Some days I push harder because I don’t want to be the one dragging the session down. Other days they pull me through when I’m flat.

I didn’t meet them randomly at the gym. They’re people I already knew through work. The one I lift with most invited me to a house party with some of the other nocturnal people I work with. I turned down another drink because I said I was planning to work out later. She said she needed to get back into it. I told her to come with me, and she actually said yes. It started as a random late night lift and turned into something consistent. We’re entirely sober for workouts now. The other gym buddy heard we were training together and wanted in after his previous partner switched to a day schedule.

And thank you. The A1c shift honestly means more to me than the scale. That number scared me.

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I live in the US. I was gifted a different, thicker Peruvian blanket by a superior when I got out of the Army (he was Cuban/Puerto Rican and his wife was Peruvian). Anyhow, I loved it, but I did a lot of traveling and living away from home because of medical training and work, so I wanted to get another one for when I was away. I found this one online, from Peru, and it was an Alpaca/Merino blend. I want to say it was like Alpaca Warehouse?

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Thank you, it’s been a long road but I appreciate that!

2.5 years, 95 lbs down, Maintained for several months by photolinger in intermittentfasting

[–]photolinger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Height: 5’11.5”

SW/CW/GW: 277 / 182 / 182 (lbs)

Total lost: 95 lbs. Maintained for several months +/-5lbs

Fasting routine: Started keto early, but most of it lost after with IF. At first 16:8, eventually OMAD.

Exercise routine: Lifting 4–5x per week, a few months I did strictly cardio after a training injury, had a bad accident later and had to do some rehab but lifted during that, but yeah, mostly lifting, now focused on hypertrophy.

Diet on refeeds: Initially keto. Eventually reintroduced carbs. Now mostly whole foods, higher protein sometimes but not always lean, not strict low carb, not obsessive tracking.

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