My before and after (3 months, 28 lbs)

I have never been greatly overweight but over the years I piled on 30 extra pounds. Then I came to realize that I cannot eat all the crap I want and burn it all off as I used to when I was 18. My exercise regime used to be intermittent with several months of lifting followed by many months of inactivity. Plus I love to cook which is a double edged sword if you think about it.

I am 5'9" tall. I started out in late August at 182 lbs of flab. I don't have a picture at that point. I set my target loss at 1.5 lbs a week (1390 - 1290 cal a day), took 4 - 5 mile walks every day, and didn't eat back my exercise calories. In my first month I lost 12 lbs and went down to 169.

Then I went on a six week trip to Europe. Although I tried to eat sensibly, I didn't track at all. I managed to sort of maintain (my weight upon return was 172). We did a lot of walking while there which helped too. The first picture is taken towards the end of my trip and I am around 170 in it.

I started tracking again early November, with my previous weight loss goal of 1.5 lbs a week. I intensified my cardio routine and started lifting. The second picture is at my lowest of 154 yesterday.

I now have upped my calories to maintenance (2040 per day. I plan to build up some muscle and maybe go to 160 while maintaining or reducing my body fat percentage.

I feel so much better, physically and emotionally. I no longer have heartburn or morning fogginess. My energy levels are up. This experience also made me change the way I look at my meals and what I cook. I came to realize that food can be tasty and clean at the same time.

Total time - 3 months
Starting weight - 182 lbs
Starting waist - 34'
End weight - 154 lbs
End waist - 30'
Total loss - 28 lbs

Thank you for reading and please feel free to comment and ask questions. My food diary is open too.