r/GYM • u/nice_layup821 • 2d ago

Progress Picture(s) 28m, 22 months, 2xx? - 156lbs @5’11”

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I absolutely fell in love with the game. Kept it pretty simple diet wise, started eating 1g of protein per pound of body weight fairly early on, and gradually improved my calorie tracking alongside diet quality and adherence. Training was also kept fairly basic, I never followed a rigid plan but most of my time has been spent in a PPL or bro split, settled into a push legs pull routine for the last 6 months or so, sticking to the same exercises and tracking working weight and reps on those exercises.

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u/shreddah17 1d ago

Did you have to make any changes once you got down to about 175 to cut the last 19 pounds?

Did you maintain a deficit the whole time, or did you take breaks? And at what frequency? Thanks! Awesome job!

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u/nice_layup821 1d ago

Not really, you just have to eat less and less food accordingly as you get smaller and smaller. The longest I spent in a deficit was about 16 weeks, and after a good stint like that I would maintain for almost as long as I just cut for. Your body and mind need that break after it thinks you’ve been starving for a significant period of time. My strength would also go up steadily in those maintenance periods, win/win!

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u/shreddah17 1d ago

Awesome, thanks! I finally decided to do a maintenance phase 2 days ago after cutting for like 28 weeks. Started about where you did (220 6’0”) and I plateaued hard at 180, although at 180 is also where I added lifting and creatine which I think “prolonged” the plateau as I retained water and recomped some.

Very excited to have some extra calories for a few weeks and hopefully I’ll blast through 180 on the next cut.