5-6 month transformation and BF estimates

[RLB313]

I thought I'd post this and see what people thought my BF% is now.. I'm figuring its still at about 14% where it has been for awhile. Body is getting more cut though, but I'm doing mini bulk/cut phases because I'm trying to avoid getting too small (145-148 pounds atm)

Does anyone think my waist will get much smaller if I drop to 140? I figure I don't really have much fat left there, so I might be fine.. My abs are actually pretty ripped under the fat, I just hold a lot there.

Anyways.. heres my progress photo.

[GettinCutup]

Great progress. Very impressive for 5-6 months

[nlite2000]

13-15%

Fantastic progress for a year, let alone 5-6 months.

[RLB313]

Thanks guys, really at a crossroad between dropping to 140 to get to 11-12% or just doing mini cut/bulks until summer ends. Scale still says 14% as it has for about 2 months, but my stomach is def getting more ripped so, ill keep at it as hard as I can. Major focus is abs for 6 months...plus lats, shoulders.. Also curled 60 pounds with my right arm today..first time I have got 60 up. ..Left hand still at 55 for now hah.

[sultan33g]

I thought I'd post this and see what people thought my BF% is now.. I'm figuring its still at about 14% where it has been for awhile. Body is getting more cut though, but I'm doing mini bulk/cut phases because I'm trying to avoid getting too small (145-148 pounds atm)

Does anyone think my waist will get much smaller if I drop to 140? I figure I don't really have much fat left there, so I might be fine.. My abs are actually pretty ripped under the fat, I just hold a lot there.

Anyways.. heres my progress photo.

Hey man you look great. What was your weight and age in the first picture you took in front of the mirror? what workout program did you do to get to where you are and what does your meal plan look like? I look almost exactly how you look in the first picture and im inspired by your transformation in such a short time. Thanks for any tips

[NOSCOP3]

Hey man you look great. What was your weight and age in the first picture you took in front of the mirror? what workout program did you do to get to where you are and what does your meal plan look like? I look almost exactly how you look in the first picture and im inspired by your transformation in such a short time. Thanks for any tips

seconded

[dmacdonal9]

Looks like 13 or 14 to me. I don't see much left to go on the waist, but if you're thinking about pants sizes, the other thing to consider is your butt and hips, that may have more influence on sizes at this stage.

[Anthonybc78]

Great work man! Im about where you are myself and have lost about 35-40 lbs in around 6 months. Ive started running 2-3 miles every other day along with my workout regime and Its helping drop those pounds I plateued at. Whats your hight and what type of diet have you followed?

ahh nm, It says on your profile. Damn, Im at like 185 myself, 145 would be way to light for me, but you do look good. I would say 13-14% BF for you.

[duffman18]

Congrats man. You already look like a completely different person. You might be ready for a longer bulk by the look of it.

[Flexz0r]

good one.

It's amazing how dropping weight can make you visably younger/better looking

[RLB313]

Hey man you look great. What was your weight and age in the first picture you took in front of the mirror? what workout program did you do to get to where you are and what does your meal plan look like? I look almost exactly how you look in the first picture and im inspired by your transformation in such a short time. Thanks for any tips

I was 27 in the first three photos, I started in the 178-180 range.. but the first two mirror photos were taken a month after I started dieting.. so I was probably 170ish, my diet didn't really take off too fast until mid Jan though I have heard I look bigger, I think its because I hold a lot of fat in my stomach area.. more than most people..not much fat goes to my legs. The beginning of March I was 160 pounds, 150 by the end of April and 145 since May (I keep bulking to 150 then cutting back to 145..but I think im going to do 140 instead.. idk.

So I started working out heavy (with a home gym sadly) about a week after those shirtless photos so about a week into Feb...started protein a week later.. I started out on a 4 day split (I used to lift 10 years ago, when I stopped lifting I was benching 235 and weighed 127 pounds, so I did retain a little muscle) I might should have started on a compound, but the 4 day worked for me.. it was a 12-10-8-6 split..im now trying the Power, Muscle, Burn split by Steve Shaw.. I did no cardio..just dieting..

And as for my meal plan.. people will complain but it was a starvation diet, I started to just have a banana for breakfast, skip lunch, eat about 500-800 cals for dinner and eat blueberries for a snack. Probably not the best idea but it did what I needed it too, and I don't have much of an appetite. That was what I ate during the pre-lifting phase.. which is where I lost about 20 pounds. The next 10 I was having more calories, protein for breakfast and dinner, and usually tuna fish for lunch.. but I found out too much tuna is bad..recently lol.. I want to pick up some shrimp and replace most of it with that.

So yeah... I was pretty much your exact weight/height.. And my calories intake was always under 1k a day during the dieting..usually 800-1000 Now heres the thing.. I work a desk job.. people that work harder jobs probably would get hungry more often.

My lifts have all gone up quite a bit though, so not much muscle loss, as a lot of people will complain about since I did a large cal deficient..

[RLB313]

Looks like 13 or 14 to me. I don't see much left to go on the waist, but if you're thinking about pants sizes, the other thing to consider is your butt and hips, that may have more influence on sizes at this stage.

Thanks, and yeah, I might push it down because I think most of the weight would come straight off my stomach. I haven't bought new pants at all lol, I use a belt..so not a big deal. And I have no fat at all on my butt/hips..so maybe ill give it a try. My friends are already saying how small my waist has gotten so I'm trying to avoid it, but I can gain the weight back if it gets too small. I guess its worth a shot, looking at my photos when I was 127 pound in highschool.. I dont really appear to weigh much more now, so ill probably try it, 140.

[RLB313]

Great work man! Im about where you are myself and have lost about 35-40 lbs in around 6 months. Ive started running 2-3 miles every other day along with my workout regime and Its helping drop those pounds I plateued at. Whats your hight and what type of diet have you followed?

ahh nm, It says on your profile. Damn, Im at like 185 myself, 145 would be way to light for me, but you do look good. I would say 13-14% BF for you.

Yeah, I started out at less than you are at, you must have a lot more muscle on, good work, I'd like to get to up there and maintain a lot BF% but thats going to be a long road.

good one.

It's amazing how dropping weight can make you visably younger/better looking

Well that and dressing different/hair helps too. I'm 28, and have been told that I look like im 21 now..and I pretty much agree when comparing myself to other people my age online. Most people tend to guess I'm quite a bit younger...so if they keep saying it..I might believe it hah

[NOSCOP3]

Wow dude you are real living example of a successful large deficit.

What would you eat for a typical 1000 calorie day? How much carbs?

[RLB313]

Wow dude you are real living example of a successful large deficit.

What would you eat for a typical 1000 calorie day? How much carbs?

Well heres the catch.. I would cheat on the weekends.. so I got a little more calories.. But I never overdid it. I still cheat on weekends..but my cheat days might be 2500 calories.. so its not that big of a cheat hah..it feels like it after eating sub 1k during the week.

This was literally my meal for the longest time 160-145..

Morning - 2 scoops of protein - 260 cals
After work - 1 can of tuna - 100-120 cals (sometimes 2 cans) and there for a little bit I went on a snack binge..where id eat like 13 chips..or a couple table spoons of PB...
Evening - 2 scoops of protein - 260 cals

So yeah... 800 cals was really my top for a long time. Before I started protein.. it was..

Morning: Banana
After Work: Random meal from 500-700 cals (frozen food usually 1/3rd of a pizza seemed like a pretty good meal)
Before Bed: Half a cup of blueberries.. so yeah.. that ranged from 500-1k depending on my after work meal.


I have lost a little size on a few of my muscle groups, but I say its from fat loss, because all my lifts have gone up, quite a bit. I lifted for 3 years in HS and I can already outlift myself in 5 months then I could back then. My shoulders still suck compared to then though. I used to be able to overhead 185, now I can only overhead 145 I blame the home gym I was using. I have better equipment now.

[RLB313]

BTW the Hardest part wasn't even not eating... one thing..keeping junk food out of the house helps a lot. But the hardest part was lifting on like no energy. Which is why I started to try the snacking of 100-200 cals after dinner.. It didn't help.. I tried pre-workout.. no help..

What helps? Just blasting some music and getting started.. And making sure I don't wait too long to start.

[sharpieblet]

BTW the Hardest part wasn't even not eating... one thing..keeping junk food out of the house helps a lot. But the hardest part was lifting on like no energy. Which is why I started to try the snacking of 100-200 cals after dinner.. It didn't help.. I tried pre-workout.. no help..

What helps? Just blasting some music and getting started.. And making sure I don't wait too long to start.

also helps to have a higher amount of average cals per day. finding energy to lift shouldn't be very hard if you're eating at a moderate deficit, which you weren't. but you made it work, regardless, and that's what counts. great job!

[NOSCOP3]

So you ate basically your LBM in protein sometimes a little more. Then to keep your sanity after work you binge out 200 cals or so. And on the weekends you refeed. So basically like RFL with more cheat days. This is some serious dedication man, I work at home myself, and I would be crying if I only at 1k cals, hahaha.

[RLB313]

So you ate basically your LBM in protein sometimes a little more. Then to keep your sanity after work you binge out 200 cals or so. And on the weekends you refeed. So basically like RFL with more cheat days. This is some serious dedication man, I work at home myself, and I would be crying if I only at 1k cals, hahaha.

Basically, I tried to get 140..I also would snack on slices of ham sometimes, for a protein boost.. but my goal was always 2 pounds a week..which I still feel like I can do pretty easy right now on the days I decide to do it. Work days are so much easier than the weekends. At work theres no food around, and I don't get hungry...some people just get a lot more hungry than I do.. I think its partly cuz I can't smell at all hah.

also helps to have a higher amount of average cals per day. finding energy to lift shouldn't be very hard if you're eating at a moderate deficit, which you weren't. but you made it work, regardless, and that's what counts. great job!

Thanks, honestly when I switched to more free weights, and started listening to music off the computer...I used to listen to the sat radio...it helped.. That and I would lift at about 6pm because of work..so I had already been up awhile.. I still do that though, but its alright. I also got my friends to start lifting once a week with me..so it helps..otherwise I lift alone.

[sharpieblet]

Basically, I tried to get 140..I also would snack on slices of ham sometimes, for a protein boost.. but my goal was always 2 pounds a week..which I still feel like I can do pretty easy right now on the days I decide to do it. Work days are so much easier than the weekends. At work theres no food around, and I don't get hungry...some people just get a lot more hungry than I do.. I think its partly cuz I can't smell at all hah.



Thanks, honestly when I switched to more free weights, and started listening to music off the computer...I used to listen to the sat radio...it helped.. That and I would lift at about 6pm because of work..so I had already been up awhile.. I still do that though, but its alright. I also got my friends to start lifting once a week with me..so it helps..otherwise I lift alone.

my iPod is what keeps me going on most mornings, seeing as i work rotating 12 hr shifts i usually get 5 hrs of sleep before getting up for the gym...jack3d and iPod keeps me focused. i'd be SOL as far as focus and energy went if i didn't have an mp3 player lmao.