An Actual "90 day Transformation"... (Belatedly Posted)

[Luclin999]

Weight: 161.0 Pounds
Waist: 29.7
Lower Stomach/back: 32.6"

Sleep schedule is back to normal and my weight is basically back to what it was 2.5 weeks ago before the sleep deprivation so...

Conclusion:

Sleep = Good

No Sleep = Bad

(He said stating the obvious).

[Luclin999]

Weight: 161.2 Pounds
Waist: 29.6
Lower Stomach/back: 32.5"

Weight has been all over the place this past week bouncing around from 160 to 163.6. And that is not surprising as I have been eating roughly at maintenance as my average for the past eight days mostly due to bad weather preventing my usual 3-4 days of cycling and keeping me inside thus lowering my overall calorie consumption for the week.

I tried substituting time on my Percor elliptical machine however not only was it a lot more boring, I also had a really hard time getting my heart rate up past 130 bpm while on it even with it set to the highest resistance and maximum elevation. However unless the weather improves this afternoon, I may have to try it again later today.

[Luclin999]

Weight: 160.0 Pounds
Waist: 29.4
Lower Stomach/back: 32.3"

Making progress in the right direction again.

Still not sure how much I will have to drop to completely deplete the fat in the lower stomach/back but whether I do or not I will probably just stop cutting once my waist hits 29" and the lower stomach/back hits 32".

[Luclin999]

Weight: 159.4 Pounds
Waist: 29.4
Lower Stomach/back: 32.2"

Haven't made really any progress over the past week and a half. Relaxed a bit and been eating at maintenance mostly to see what happens and when eating that way my weight looks like it jumps back up by 2-3 pounds and stays at that level (probably glycogen stores being replenished).

Going to spend the next 2-3 weeks back at the 600+ cal/day deficit levels and see where that gets me by Labor day.

[xsquid99]

Enjoy seeing a realistic transformation from someone that obviously understands the process, nice work! I'm going through one myself right now, lockdown really messed with my activity levels and general well being and I got up to around 21-22% bodyfat, currently on my way back down and I'm within about 8 lbs of my goal now.

I may have missed it, but how tall are you?

[snailsrus]

Enjoy seeing a realistic transformation from someone that obviously understands the process, nice work! I'm going through one myself right now, lockdown really messed with my activity levels and general well being and I got up to around 21-22% bodyfat, currently on my way back down and I'm within about 8 lbs of my goal now.

I may have missed it, but how tall are you?

I agree with this. Can’t believe this is my first time checking out this thread. I would guess your around 5’10 but I missed that too. My husband is try again to lose weight but won’t listen to crash diets don’t work it’s life style changes. I’m gunna show him this. I really think you also gained muscle while losing weight. How has your strength and energy been? And with sleep, cutting can actually cause insomnia. What is one of the biggest factors /thing you did to lose weight?

[xsquid99]

I agree with this. Can’t believe this is my first time checking out this thread. I would guess your around 5’10 but I missed that too. My husband is try again to lose weight but won’t listen to crash diets don’t work it’s life style changes. I’m gunna show him this. I really think you also gained muscle while losing weight. How has your strength and energy been? And with sleep, cutting can actually cause insomnia. What is one of the biggest factors /thing you did to lose weight?

He's 6', I just now checked his bodyspace. Yeah 159 is getting down there at that height.

Now I don't feel so bad now dropping down to 198 at 6'5".

[snailsrus]

He's 6', I just now checked his bodyspace. Yeah 159 is getting down there at that height.

Now I don't feel so bad now dropping down to 198 at 6'5".

My pl BMI is around that

My bikini show day weight is several points lower

It just seems so much lower. My dad’s 6’4 though and 190 and I never thought he looked too skinny but the hubby is 5’8 200 which he has a bit of muscle but got that Buddha belly which is cute lol

Do you have a log?

[xsquid99]

Do you have a log?

I'm just using the current 90-day weight loss thread in the main Losing Fat forum.

[AlexSays]

Enjoyed ground breaking discovery around sleep haha

Nice going, interesting findings from maintenance spell. What visual changes did you get?

Deficit time again!

[Luclin999]

I may have missed it, but how tall are you?

6' tall (but you already found that...)

And yes, sub 160 is pretty light but frankly I don't ~feel~ ridiculously skinny ATM so chasing down and getting rid of the last bits of stubborn fat is still the priority.

(Frankly, I've probably lost all of the lean mass already that I am going to during this cut anyway)

[Luclin999]

I agree with this. Can’t believe this is my first time checking out this thread. I would guess your around 5’10 but I missed that too. My husband is try again to lose weight but won’t listen to crash diets don’t work it’s life style changes. I’m gunna show him this. I really think you also gained muscle while losing weight. How has your strength and energy been? And with sleep, cutting can actually cause insomnia. What is one of the biggest factors /thing you did to lose weight?

It's possible that I managed to recover a bit of old gains and build up a couple of under developed areas like my shoulders and backside a bit over the past few months but the rest is probably just from being able to see the muscle definition more clearly without all of the fat covering it.


My sleep (Except for the three weeks taking care of the baby bird) has been fine. Usually four hours of deep sleep along with four hours of light sleep each night with is generally what I need. Strength and energy are generally good. My lifts are still up a bit from the starting levels back in April.

As to losing the weight. Consistency. I plan out all of my food for the day in Myfitnesspal first thing before eating anything. That way I can just take a look at the log for each meal and eat accordingly. It avoids impulse eating and "forgetting" things that I might have had that might not have made it into the log if I had eaten first and then tried to remember everything hours later.

I also track a summary of daily calories and estimated daily TDEE in Excel so that I can track weekly/monthly averages.

[Luclin999]

Enjoyed ground breaking discovery around sleep haha

Nice going, interesting findings from maintenance spell. What visual changes did you get?

Deficit time again!

I really didn't notice much difference from the 2-3 pounds that came back on at maintenance, but my wife did make the comment last week that I was basically "nothing but shoulders & legs now" so maybe a bit more visual in those areas?

[Luclin999]

Today:

Weight: 158.8 Pounds
Waist: 29.4
Lower Stomach/back: 32.2"

Weight is definitely dropping again, measurements haven't changed but I expect that will happen after another pound or so is lost.

[Luclin999]

Today:

Weight: 158.6 Pounds
Waist: 29.3
Lower Stomach/back: 32.1"

Slight changes in the right direction.

[xsquid99]

Today:

Weight: 158.6 Pounds
Waist: 29.3
Lower Stomach/back: 32.1"

Slight changes in the right direction.

Any updates Luclin?

[Luclin999]

Pic from a couple of days ago at 158#...



If I had to guess, I'd say that I am in the "12%" BF range now.

I've been experimenting with my calories, bouncing around "Maintenance", "Slight deficit" and "Slight surplus" each week for the past month to get an idea of how that spread of a few hundred calories difference effects my body overall. Mostly seeing my weight bounce back and forth between 157.8 and 163 depending upon how I was eating that week. Which is of course mostly water/glycogen changes.

I'll probably switch over to a 3-4 week "serious" cut mode at a 500-700 cal/day deficit on Monday though to see what it takes to get rid of the last bit of significant fat on my lower back.

[Luclin999]

Going to be slowed down a bit (literally) until after the first of the year.

On Oct. 28th I did my normal Leg day with squats, leg extensions, leg curls & hip thrusters. Didn't notice any problems during the workout.

The next day I was feeling fine until late in the afternoon (about 24 hours after the workout) when the lower part of my right lateral hamstring muscle (around the side/back of the knee) began to get seriously sore and started to swell up considerably. I took some aspirin and applied alternating cold/heat to the area and after about two and a half hours the swelling suddenly went down (but the pain remained).

The next day I woke up to extreme soreness/stiffness and a large black bruise behind my knee and running down the upper part of my right calf.

After messing around with it myself for a week I finally talked to a doctor about it and it turns out that I have a "grade 2 tear" of the Semimembranosus (the tendon that connects to the back of the knee and runs up the inside of the thigh). Per the doctor's instructions I won't be able to fully resume "strenuous" activity with the leg for a minimum of eight weeks (potentially more) meaning no weight training "leg work", bicycling or elliptical cardio until after the first of the year.

At this point, it is still very sore to touch but I can walk on it without difficulty or pain. Right now I am supposed to just keep applying ice twice a day along with over the counter NSAIDs and topical creams (Icy Hot, Tiger Balm, Etc).

Next Monday I am supposed to start a recovery routine involving passive stretching each day advancing to active stretching a week or two after that followed by strengthening exercises a week or so after that.

Getting old really does suck.

[66jzmstr]

Going to be slowed down a bit (literally) until after the first of the year.

On Oct. 28th I did my normal Leg day with squats, leg extensions, leg curls & hip thrusters. Didn't notice any problems during the workout.

The next day I was feeling fine until late in the afternoon (about 24 hours after the workout) when the lower part of my right lateral hamstring muscle (around the side/back of the knee) began to get seriously sore and started to swell up considerably. I took some aspirin and applied alternating cold/heat to the area and after about two and a half hours the swelling suddenly went down (but the pain remained).

The next day I woke up to extreme soreness/stiffness and a large black bruise behind my knee and running down the upper part of my right calf.

After messing around with it myself for a week I finally talked to a doctor about it and it turns out that I have a "grade 2 tear" of the Semimembranosus (the tendon that connects to the back of the knee and runs up the inside of the thigh). Per the doctor's instructions I won't be able to fully resume "strenuous" activity with the leg for a minimum of eight weeks (potentially more) meaning no weight training "leg work", bicycling or elliptical cardio until after the first of the year.

At this point, it is still very sore to touch but I can walk on it without difficulty or pain. Right now I am supposed to just keep applying ice twice a day along with over the counter NSAIDs and topical creams (Icy Hot, Tiger Balm, Etc).

Next Monday I am supposed to start a recovery routine involving passive stretching each day advancing to active stretching a week or two after that followed by strengthening exercises a week or so after that.

Getting old really does suck.

Ugh. I'm sorry to hear that, man. I wish you a swift and full recovery!

[Luclin999]

Just over two weeks since the hamstring tear.

Leg is feeling a lot better but definitely isn't "healed". It doesn't hurt when doing normal activities like walking or going up/down stairs but is still sore when touched/massaged.

Will start the stretching program today.

[nr3279]

Incredible progress! You're showing us how it's done.

Good luck with the injury and reaching that goal!

[Luclin999]

Tendon feels much better. Swelling and soreness are almost completely gone.

Been eating at maintenance since the injury happened. Weight bounced right back up to around 164 pounds (which seems to be where it settles when my glycogen reserves are back up to normal).

I started the stretching exercises a few days ago. Also making sure to get in at least 10k steps of simply walking (no running, elliptical, Etc.) on it each day.

Still weight training M/W/F but focusing solely on upper body work (dumbbell shrugs, seated OH press, Lateral raises, reverse flys, dumbbell rows, bench press, skull crushers, bicep curls) so as to avoid any serious stress on the leg.

If things continue to improve, I may start trying 15 minute, low effort (low resistance, no incline) sessions on my elliptical next Monday and see how that feels.

[Luclin999]

I've been on the elliptical a few times since last week. I had a tiny bit of soreness in the tendon after the first session but none since so I will keep that up 3 times/week while very gradually increasing the resistance through December.

If everything is still good by Christmas, then I'll look at starting lightweight leg resistance training again at that point.

[Luclin999]

Finally started cycling again today.

Everything feels fine ATM but I'll give it a wait and see approach over the next day or so to make sure that there are no flare ups with the tendon before doing it again.

[808Handyman]

Update? Great work btw. Shows what can really be done at any age. I like your idea of putting in all of your food ahead of time in MyFitnessPal. I use it too. Might try your approach.