My journey so far. This has worked for me. This post is mainly geared for guys trying to lose weight

Gentlemen,

I would like to share this mini novel with you all in the hopes that it will help to finally crack the code on consistent/healthy weight loss. Forgive me in advance. I know my writing tends to be all over the place.

In my humble opinion, I believe living by a structured dietary plan and lifestyle are essential. How many times have you heard some BS like, “Oh, just eat a balanced diet.” What the F%#K is a balanced diet? Explain! “Get plenty of exercise and drink lots of water.” What kind of exercise? How much water? “Everyone is different. You just need to find what works for you.” F$%& YOU!!!!!!! Be specific! I am going to share my experience. My demographics. My lifestyle. Hopefully at least one person finds this to be useful.

I am a 40-year-old American male. No preexisting conditions…. Besides joint and some mobility issues (15-year Veteran). 5’7” currently 198lbs. I was 217 lbs. on March 22, 2025. I am 198 lbs. as of June 6, 2025. It’s not an astronomical amount of weight loss, but it is steady, and that keeps me motivated. I should be able to hit my goal weight of 185 lbs. by the middle of July.

Diet

With slight variations in my diet, I can keep it interesting enough for me. This will not work for everyone. If you require a ton of variety every day, this will not work for you. I do have other recipes that I incorporate, and I will share them with anyone. Feel free to PM.

I really wish I would have learned about the symbiotic relationship between fiber, water, fat and weight loss 20 years ago. It has been a complete game changer. I am never hungry, and I am in a 500-1100 net calorie deficit every day (workout dependent).

To keep it simple, I shoot for .8g - .9g of protein per pound, and I fill the rest of my calories in as with fats and carbs. I don’t necessarily prefer one energy source over the other when it comes to weight loss. If I stay at 2000 calories +/- 50 calories, and get a minimum of 40g of fiber, I am on auto-track to success.

This diet is not designed for peak performance. Matter-a-fact, your performance WILL go down. Guaranteed. You’re going to feel like an absolute baby in the gym. Who cares? You will be achieving your true goal which is weight loss. Focus on that. The time to throw around big weights will come after you make your weight loss goals.

I’ve monologued enough. Here you go:

Breakfast

Coffee, black. 2 cups. 5 calories

Collagen peptides, Purely Inspired, 1 scoop, 70 calories

Naked BCAA, 1 scoop, 20 calories

Coffee creamer, Starbucks, 2 TBSP, 30 calories

^Mix these up together^ Enjoy your coffee

Chai seeds, 3 tbsp, 137 calories

Frozen raspberries, Great Value, 140g, 70 calories

Vanilla or blueberry Ratio Protein yogurt, Ratio, 2 containers

Lemon juice to taste

^mix these up together^

Snack

Protein Crisp Vanilla Marshmallow, BSN, 1 bar, 190 calories

Lunch

Huel Black – Chocolate, Huel, 2 scoops, 400 calories

Snack (2)

Pink Lady medium, apple, 1 apple, 72 calories

Almond butter, 1 tbsp, 98 calories

Dinner

Plus Rotini – cooked, Barilla, 4 oz (cooked), 210 calories

Chicken breast, grilled, skinless, 3.2oz, 160 calories

Italian sauce, Creamy parmesan Pesto, Prego, .2 cups, 60 calories

Kale, Boiled, 1 cup

My sweet indulgence

Carb smart fudge bar, Bryers, 1 bar, 50 calories

Totals

Calories- 1951

Protein- 186

Carbs-186

Fats- 70

Fiber- 50!!!

Total sugar- 48

Feel free to have another fudge bar. 2001 calories is pretty darn good too.

Notes

Breakfast is going to be hard to get through. For me, after I drink that coffee, I don’t really want anything for at least an hour. Here’s the thing; the body has been fasting all night and needs its furnace stoked. Getting in an extra 611 calories in, and a bunch of fiber, will ignite the coals and will keep you FULL.

My dietitian and nutritionist recommended that you take your weight, divide it by 2, and that's about how much water you need a day in ounces. Weather and activity dependent, of course.

The snacks can be customized (of course). Try to keep them high fiber and the same calorie content.

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I would also like to share my workout routine. No cardio required! Just picking things up and putting them down. Increasing your walking is highly encouraged though. This is not a performance-oriented workout routine. It is simply designed to tell your body, "HEY! Don't eat these muscles," while also keeping your calorie burning up.

workout 1:

Shoulders/triceps

Military press 3-5 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Cable interior delt press. For this one set the pully below the knee. use the small straight bar. Palms facing you. Keep your elbows and hands equidistant. elbows bent. If done correctly, your elbows should only be able to come parallel to the floor. If you can go higher, attempt to bring your elbows closer. 3 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Cable lateral raises 3-5 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Close-grip bench (I prefer to use the smith machine) 3 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Single-arm cable pushdowns 3 sets, 20 reps, 30 seconds rest between sets (you'll be working both arms individually. You'll end up getting more than a minute of rest).

Workout 2:

Back/ Biceps

Plate pulls on smith machine. It's just the last 2/3 of a deadlift. To the knees, then lock out.

3 sets, 30 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Dumbbell pullovers, 3 sets, 30 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Bent-over rows on smith machine, 3 sets, 30 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Preacher curls. Pull with your pinkies and ring fingers. Pull them towards the outside of your shoulder socket (Long head). 3, sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Hammer curls (use variants of the exercise. change your hand position to hit different parts of your forearms and flexors). 3 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Workout 3:

Chest/ triceps

Chest press/Bench press (whatever you want) 3 sets, 10-15 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Peck deck, 3 sets, 10-15 reps (Full stretch, and full squeeze), 1 minute rest between sets

Dumbbell flys 3 sets, 10-15 reps (full stretch), 1 minute rest between sets.

Close-grip bench (I prefer to use the smith machine) 3 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

V-bar pushdowns, 3 sets, 20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Workout 4:

Legs/ abs

squats or sissy squats, 3 sets, 15-20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Deadlifts or hamstring curls, 3 sets, 15-20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets

Ab machine or hanging leg raises, 3 sets, 15-20 reps, 1 minute rest between sets.

Wash/rinse repeat. At least do all 4 workouts once a week. These are very basic workouts. Nothing glamorous or high volume. That's because, the goal is fat loss and muscle preservation. Not high performance. With the redux in calories, you will not have the energy in reserves for long workouts. Save that for the fall and winter. This is beach season, baby. Priorities. Something interesting that I found is that even though my volume per workout has decreased, I am working out more frequently. Typically, 5-6 days a week. Rather than my typical 3 days a week. My overall weekly volume has increased.

Try it out as is or dissect it and recreate it. This works for ME. I have a good feeling that it could work for you too. If you are interested, I will be changing my dinner for next week. You can friend request me and check out my food diary any time you want. I’m not the greatest at checking my messages, but I will get back to you if you have any questions.