Fat.net

Feb 14, 2025, 2:31 PM

To get truly jacked, you basically have to build muscle by eating a caloric surplus for months at a time, and then cut weight by essentially starving yourself. The general hope is that you lose all the fat you gained and keep most of the muscle you gained.

I got down to 194lbs and 13% body fat in August 2023, but didn't like how lean I looked and wanted to have that robust physique that the bigger guys in the gym have. So for about 18 months, I oscillated between eating at maintenance, and then bulking for long periods of time, with some small efforts at "cutting" in the spring of last year that were thrown off by not taking it seriously.

The result in December was that I had tree trunks for thighs, 18-19" biceps and was deadlifting in the 500s, but I had a belly and a chunky face and was sitting at about 229, 35lbs from where I was a year and a half before. The bulk was successful! But you have a choice - permabulk and just be a big thick fella, or shave some of that chunk off and look like an amateur body builder.

2 days before year years, I started my cut. Here are the results. I'm down about 14-16lbs (some is water weight I realize), the vast majority of which is body fat (I've lost 10 lbs of fat as opposed to 3 lbs of muscle per the inBody machine at the gym)

- On average, I burn about 3300 calories per day -- this averages out workout days and rest days. I commit to eating no more than 2500, but most days its around 2300, which puts me on pace for a 7000 cal per week deficit. That's 2 lbs.
- I eat about the same amount of protein as my current body weight in grams. So if I weight 213, I aim for about 213 grams of protein a day. A lot of people would argue that this is too much.
- I eat a #### ton of carbs - nothing I do can be considered keto. To be able to work out with intensity when you're restricting calories REQUIRES carbs. Also, muscle maintenance requires it.
- I can cheat and I do cheat, but never multiple meals in a row, or days in a row. Saturday, I usually splurge and eat ice cream and cookies and ribeyes to keep my sanity.

Anyway, I challenged myself to be discliplined and this week is one of those weeks where it all kinda started to pay off with looking in the mirror and on the scale.

We can also put this on /r/nobodyasked, but based on how this goes I'm gonnna do some fitness coaching on the side so am practicing for that.

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

Went from 260 down to 215. It's been life-changing. But I've plateaued now for months. Can't break through 212. But, my garage gym is dusty, and that there's the reason. But, I'm much more ready/able to start back at 215 than I was at 260, from a confidence and health perspective. So it's exactly what you said -- a springboard into healthier lifestyle. The people who get in trouble with Semaglutide are the ones who lose the weight, don't change lifestyle, and gain everything back when they're off the drug.

But nobody should hate on Ozempic, or shame people for taking that route. It's truly a life-saver for people, and can put people in a much better place to take the reins on the physical/diet aspect of weight maintenance.

--

Back in my 20s, I went from 250 down to 180 on pure reps, sweat, and macros. Did it in less than a year. But I was single, my roommates were both my workout partner and my dietician, and I could grill chicken and throw on some parmesan cheese, and down that bland ####### without having to worry about other mouths to feed. It was glorious. When we all moved in together nobody had a microwave so we said eff it. Either warm in the oven or eat it cold. We were zeuses.

--

Pic of home gym cause I love it and need to stop decorating it and actually use it.

Fat.net

Pigs not loading

Get after it!!!!***

The Ozempic crowd infuriates me

Thanks man. I don't fault the Ozempic folks, especially ones

I'm on a similar drug.

ATLPawman cares

Re: ATLPawman cares***

I only get about 45 minutes to work out about

Load the bar with an extra 90lbs and be explosive in your

Realtalk. I haven't done squats since like Halloween or so? And even then, it

Re: Realtalk. I haven't done squats since like Halloween or so? And even then, it

I prolapsed myself with deadlifts.

I might know a guy***

Re: Fat.net

Good deal, dude. I'm convinced that you guys who have 30 years on

I legit bulked 20+ lbs since Thanksgiving

Re: Fat.net

pound for pound i am the strongest gal on the planet

I think I speak for all of us in the Jounge when I say

Yeah buddy***

While this is all true, I have to admit I'm glad we're well past those days of

Agreed

A good buddy of mine used to eat Swiss Cake Rolls stuffed with Slim Jims.

TigerBoard POTD