First log ever

[OldGuy1981]

Fittest: 189lb @ ~11% bf (year: 1998)
Fattest: 310lb @ ~40% bf (2021)
Present: 290lb @ ~35.5% bf (2025)
Goal: 199lb @ ~10% bf (2027?)

44 yo male, 5'11"
Food:
Daily budget, 85g fat, 130g carb, 200g protein.
Favorite daily meal:
Breakfast: double scoop Kirkland chocolate whey (50g protein), 9g optifiber.
Lunch: double scoop Kirkland chocolate whey (50g protein), 9g optifiber.
Optional second lunch: double scoop Kirkland chocolate whey (50g protein), 9g optifiber.
Dinner: 150g egg, 150g egg whites scrambled. 150-200g medium salsa on top. 150-200g 50/50 spring mix spinach lettuce with 60-75 grams of ranch.
Another round of double whey or more salad if still hungry.
6-8 cans of diet mt dew from morning to 4/5pm.

Pills: Every morning: 5mg creatine, multivitamin, 2 sodium naproxen, light blood pressure meds, 200mg sertraline, 80mg Vyvanse, 500mg metformin.

Gym:
Personal trainer T,Tr 30 minutes each.
Work gym cardio: 2-4 times per week, treadmill 30-60 minutes, 10-15% incline, 2.9-3.2mph.
Work gym strength: 2-4 times per week doing some random unfocused shit, e.g. the beginner PPL workouts on the hevy app.

Future plans: I told the PT I'd like to spend my half hours with him learning proper form on new exercises and getting a list of what I should be doing in the work gym because I don't know what I'm doing but need to be working out more than 30min x2. (Haven't connected with him on that yet).

Gear: Semiglutide got me from 310 to 290lb but I've been at 280-290 for over a year. Switched to Tirzepatide recently and ready to re-commit.
I have low T but other than a 3 month try on androgel 10 years ago, I've never done anything about it. Ready to do "all the things" so I went to a mens clinic and got a 100mg shot, and the rest of the 9.5ml vial. Blood came back with a 5.4 PSA so they asked me to come back in to do it again. Bloods came back 4.5 PSA so they told me to pause and see my doc about it. First available urology appointment is 5 weeks away but scheduled. So maybe add some dose of testosterone to this list in a couple months.

If you read all of that, thank you for your interest. I do hope I keep the effort up and the log too.

 

[OldGuy1981]

287lb
Kitchen: 5 good days out of 7.
Gym: 2 with PT. 2 on my own. 90 min treadmill for the week.
Gear: tirz 10mg (5mg twice a week).
Still waiting on the urology appt before any test because of high PSA.

Ask my PT for a gym program for work to do on my own. He texted me the below. Not exactly the "plan" I was hoping for, but ok.

DB chest press/ incline press
DB chest flys

Bb Rdl
Reverse lunges
Bridges

DB single arm rows
Close grip pull downs
Lat pull downs
Back flys

Sit ups
Knee tucks
Russian twists

Cable triceps extensions
Bench dips

 

[Chemicalreaction]

Love to hear how Triz is doing for you 10 mg a week is nutty to me I'm on 1mg and I could care less about food I would be nuked for weeks on that dose

 

[Hughmangoes]

Is there any specific reason you are drinking 6-8 servings of protein a day?

As a fatass myself who never ate properly I see the appeal, but I think it's a crutch that you have to learn to let go of and learn to eat properly.

 

[OldGuy1981]

Love to hear how Triz is doing for you 10 mg a week is nutty to me I'm on 1mg and I could care less about food I would be nuked for weeks on that dose

That's awesome. I guess I would say the starter dose for Zepbound is 2.5mg and the clinical trials spanned lower 5mg doses to higher 15 mg doses with weightloss increasing with dose. So it seems maybe many of us need a higher dose to feel how you feel. I'm going to go to the next dose, 12.5 mg per week soon because I'm starting to get binge cravings back.

 

[OldGuy1981]

Is there any specific reason you are drinking 6-8 servings of protein a day?

As a fatass myself who never ate properly I see the appeal, but I think it's a crutch that you have to learn to let go of and learn to eat properly.

No specific reason. Here are some I like: Cheap. Fast. Easy. Makes it easier to stay under my calorie budget. I don't disagree with you but right now I think i need the crutch. Hopefully some day I won't.

 

[Big_Jimmy434]

No specific reason. Here are some I like: Cheap. Fast. Easy. Makes it easier to stay under my calorie budget. I don't disagree with you but right now I think i need the crutch. Hopefully some day I won't.

First off, awesome job on recommitting. I understand the struggle. At my largest, I was 340lbs at over 40% BF so I understand the struggle. Keep it up because the hardest step is the first one.

Now, you have to learn to eat. You can't supplement that many meals with protein powder. You sound like me because you didn't get to 310 with healthy eating habits and neither did I. I didn't know how to eat healthy, and I'm guessing that you dont either. Right now, you're probably more focused on the scale and those scoops are a way to control yourself and you're substituting it for discipline and self- control. There is a whole big thread running right now about this same topic and I can assure you that with smart meal planning, it's cheaper and better because the absorption/digestion time of food is much slower than whey so you're going to stay full for longer. This is a marathon and you won't be able to keep those shake meals up for very long. Plan your meals, meal prep, and grab and go. "Committing" is much more than agreeing to get on a treadmill and in order to increase your chances of long-term success, you need to fully commit to your diet as well. There are tons of resources to help you with this, but it will be hard, and it will take discipline....alot of discipline. Get your "kitchen" to 7 good days out of 7. You can do it!

That program isn't terrible, but it could be better. There are some great people/ coaches here in ASF that would absolutely help you with a training program that would be more effective. Let me know if you're interested, and I could get you in touch with some people.

All this said with the utmost respect because like I said, I understand the struggle but we get stronger from our struggles. This battle isn't won in the 1 hour in the gym, it's won/ lost in the 23 hours outside. You've come to the right place though because there are a ton of great people here to help you as long as you help yourself. Now, they'll also jump off in your ass if you screw up and get lazy so just know what you're committing to.

I really hope you get some good news about your PSA. Again, great job, my friend, on making the decision to be an active participant in your own health. I'm sure there are people in your life that need you and want your trip riding planet earth to be as long as possible.

... I'm subbing to this log.

 

[OldGuy1981]

. . . Now, you have to learn to eat. You can't supplement that many meals with protein powder. You sound like me because you didn't get to 310 with healthy eating habits and neither did I. I didn't know how to eat healthy, and I'm guessing that you dont either. Right now, you're probably more focused on the scale and those scoops are a way to control yourself and you're substituting it for discipline and self- control. There is a whole big thread running right now about this same topic and I can assure you that with smart meal planning, it's cheaper and better because the absorption/digestion time of food is much slower than whey so you're going to stay full for longer. This is a marathon and you won't be able to keep those shake meals up for very long. Plan your meals, meal prep, and grab and go. "Committing" is much more than agreeing to get on a treadmill and in order to increase your chances of long-term success, you need to fully commit to your diet as well. There are tons of resources to help you with this, but it will be hard, and it will take discipline....alot of discipline. Get your "kitchen" to 7 good days out of 7. You can do it! . . .

Hi Big Jimmy, Thank you very much for your thought-provoking post. I do appreciate it. There's a lot there, so I'm going to read it a few more times over the coming weeks and let it sink in. I did want to share a few reactions though:

Poor eating habits? - yes.

Don't know how to eat healthy? - no. I'd pass a general nutrition exam. It's not ignorance, it's low self-control.

Substituting scoops for discipline and self-control? - Yes and No. I am VERY MUCH substituting Tirz for discipline and self-control. Is it bad to substitute something for discipline and self-control? I'm 44. I've been fat my whole life, other than for 3 years in HS because I loved wrestling. I've been fighting my unhealthy decent for 26 years now with almost zero success. No matter how many decades of telling myself hourly, "just stop eating so much," "just stop eating sugar," etc. I never have sufficient discipline or self-control to maintain a calorie deficit for more than 2 weeks. So yes, I have an abstract desire to be disciplined, but I do not have sufficient self-control, and substitute Tirz for that (semaglutide before that).



The scoops are because I like it. I understand real food would be better in the sense it brings more nutrients than just pure protein. I hope to get there one day. I appreciate the advice that real food will satiate longer than a protein shake. However, I'm not sure the "can't keep that up for too long" applies to me. On or off drugs I have never cared about food diversity. I worked in a building with a Subway for several years. I ate the same Subway sandwich (and three cookies) every single workday (including Saturdays and Sundays when in the office) for almost 18 months. Then I switched to a different subway sandwich and ate that same sandwich every workday for over 12 months until I got a new job that was in a building with a different downstairs restaurant. If the advice is that I will get sick of the shakes, that aspect might not apply to me, but I'll certainly keep an eye on it.



Right now, I'm committed to staying under my calorie budget and over my protein minimum. I'll ponder your words in earnest to see if I can get myself to a more nutritionally nuanced commitment.

Thank you again.

 

[Myvirtue]

Keep it up!
I think about food even when I’m full. It’s so hard lol.

 

[Astro95]

Seems like too little food for your size.

 

[Big_Jimmy434]

Hi Big Jimmy, Thank you very much for your thought-provoking post. I do appreciate it. There's a lot there, so I'm going to read it a few more times over the coming weeks and let it sink in. I did want to share a few reactions though:

Poor eating habits? - yes.

Don't know how to eat healthy? - no. I'd pass a general nutrition exam. It's not ignorance, it's low self-control.

Substituting scoops for discipline and self-control? - Yes and No. I am VERY MUCH substituting Tirz for discipline and self-control. Is it bad to substitute something for discipline and self-control? I'm 44. I've been fat my whole life, other than for 3 years in HS because I loved wrestling. I've been fighting my unhealthy decent for 26 years now with almost zero success. No matter how many decades of telling myself hourly, "just stop eating so much," "just stop eating sugar," etc. I never have sufficient discipline or self-control to maintain a calorie deficit for more than 2 weeks. So yes, I have an abstract desire to be disciplined, but I do not have sufficient self-control, and substitute Tirz for that (semaglutide before that).



The scoops are because I like it. I understand real food would be better in the sense it brings more nutrients than just pure protein. I hope to get there one day. I appreciate the advice that real food will satiate longer than a protein shake. However, I'm not sure the "can't keep that up for too long" applies to me. On or off drugs I have never cared about food diversity. I worked in a building with a Subway for several years. I ate the same Subway sandwich (and three cookies) every single workday (including Saturdays and Sundays when in the office) for almost 18 months. Then I switched to a different subway sandwich and ate that same sandwich every workday for over 12 months until I got a new job that was in a building with a different downstairs restaurant. If the advice is that I will get sick of the shakes, that aspect might not apply to me, but I'll certainly keep an eye on it.



Right now, I'm committed to staying under my calorie budget and over my protein minimum. I'll ponder your words in earnest to see if I can get myself to a more nutritionally nuanced commitment.

Thank you again.

No need to ponder it, my friend. It's not that deep. If you do ponder anything from my comments, ponder the part where I was at 340lbs and also struggle with my weight and eating so that you understand nothing I said was meant to be judgemental. I appreciate you being brutally honest about your issues because thats the first real step to success. You cant fix a problem that you dont acknowledge and most people that struggle with weight, like myself, hate to admit the truth. Admitting the problem is the hardest step. Its easy after that. Much respect to you for that!

I'm really wishing you the best on this journey. It really sounds like this is the one that sticks. I believe you'll make it to where you want to be. This is a great community of guys and everyone is always encouraging and supportive.

Something that helped me was i always tried to remember that I only needed to lose one pound. When I was 290, my only goal was 289, etc. Lose one pound, and do it a hundred times. It really helped me from getting discouraged. Just one more pound.

Good Luck and Much Respect! I'm really looking forward to watching you succeed.

 

[Chemicalreaction]

No need to ponder it, my friend. It's not that deep. If you do ponder anything from my comments, ponder the part where I was at 340lbs and also struggle with my weight and eating so that you understand nothing I said was meant to be judgemental. I appreciate you being brutally honest about your issues because thats the first real step to success. You cant fix a problem that you dont acknowledge and most people that struggle with weight, like myself, hate to admit the truth. Admitting the problem is the hardest step. Its easy after that. Much respect to you for that!

I'm really wishing you the best on this journey. It really sounds like this is the one that sticks. I believe you'll make it to where you want to be. This is a great community of guys and everyone is always encouraging and supportive.

Something that helped me was i always tried to remember that I only needed to lose one pound. When I was 290, my only goal was 289, etc. Lose one pound, and do it a hundred times. It really helped me from getting discouraged. Just one more pound.

Good Luck and Much Respect! I'm really looking forward to watching you succeed.

With that much triz something better stick I'm definitely following your. Journey! Excited to see the weight fall off you

 

[IronWave86]

How do you like that Kirkland brand whey? I buy the Optimum Nutrition from Costco and wondered how similar they were.

 

[OldGuy1981]

How do you like that Kirkland brand whey? I buy the Optimum Nutrition from Costco and wondered how similar they were.

Tastes good. Mixes easily. I kind of wanted to ask you the same thing. Every time I'm in there buying protein, I want to ask people grabbing the optimum if I should be paying more for the optimum. Kirkland works great for me.

 

[IronWave86]

Tastes good. Mixes easily. I kind of wanted to ask you the same thing. Every time I'm in there buying protein, I want to ask people grabbing the optimum if I should be paying more for the optimum. Kirkland works great for me.

I really like it so far. I’ve had a bag of it. Easily the quickest and easiest I’ve finished a bag. A lot of times I can’t seem to finish one flavor before moving on. I bought some of their vanilla ice cream to use in my creami machine. Now I want to try the coffee flavor.

 

[OldGuy1981]

285lb
Kitchen: 6 good days out of 7.
Gym: 2 with PT. 2 on my own. 120 min treadmill for the week.
Gear: tirz 10mg (5mg twice a week).
Still waiting on the urology appt before any test because of high PSA.

I'm feeling good. This is usually the time I start coming up with an excuse to quit, but I feel really good about it. IDK if I can maintain 2lbs per week, but if so I should be done cutting around August of next year, and ready for my first proper bulk.

I thought the upside of having the most expensive healthcare in the world was we could get care quickly. Pretty annoyed at how long I have to wait for a urology appointment.

 

[Old_Ironman1972]

Thanks for posting man. We'll walk with you. Just hang in there. Imagine next summer? You can stick with. I've never been 'heavy' but I do understand struggle to maintain my own sanity. I've been part of Celebrate Recover for decades. My point is, you are in a good community, the more support you have the more comfortable the difficult journey it. You are in the right place.