So it's been a total of 18 months since this whole weight loss process really started for me. I changed jobs and started biking to work in October of 2013. I was 31, 5'-8" and 235lbs. I dropped approximately 12 lbs just by eating at home everyday for lunch (since I was now only a 3 min bike ride away) and biking to and from work. In January I set out to get down to 185 by my birthday at the end of May. I found MFP, started logging food and got back to running 3-4 times a week putting in 10-20 miles. In March I joined a gym, but didn't really know what I was doing so I went from machine to machine and did the circuit for a couple of months. I made my "goal" of 185 around mid-May and was ecstatic with the results. I had dropped 50 lbs in 8 months and was the lightest I had been in over a decade.
In June I found the Stronglifts 5x5 program through all of the recommendations here on MFP. I had never lifted weights in my life...not really. I had gone through p90x a few years back, but the heaviest weights I had/used were 10lb dumbbells and resistance bands. I didn't quite start with the bar for all the lifts, but I was close. My starting #s were 60lb squat, 135lb bench, 175lb deadlift, 85lb OH press and 85lb row. I went through the first 12 weeks of this on a maintenance/slight deficit diet and finished with 1RM's of 365# squat, 235# bench and #385lb deadlift at a body weight of about 182-183. I went through another 12 week cycle, but this time on a calorie surplus and broke into the "1000# club" with a 405# squat, 245# bench and 405# deadlift. I had also gotten back up to 192lbs.
I didn't want to break 200lb body weight again as I had worked so hard to get down under that, so starting in January I went back on a calorie restriction with a goal of 160lbs by May this time. 3 months are gone now and I'm down 20lbs. I'm still lifting trying to keep as much muscle as I can and look forward to bulking again come June to start putting on some more muscle, but I took my 3mo pictures this weekend and wanted to share with everyone. So here they are...
These are 192lbs to 172 lbs
And here's my whole journey to date.
Let me know what you think, ask questions...I'm pretty much an open book.
Thanks everyone!
