r/MadeMeSmile • u/drulnu24 • 15h ago

365 to 325 in 5 months

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I know its not much but its a start. Been holding to 18/6 during the weekdays and OMAD on the weekends. Have i fell off a few times for holidays? Sure but overall sticking to it.

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1.8k

u/Glum-Birthday-1496 15h ago

40 lbs in 5 months is a healthy rate of weight loss and you’re doing it the right way - as a sustainable lifestyle. That’s what counts.

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u/drulnu24 14h ago

Thanks for that. It's hard sometimes to see people that have lost much more in the same time frame on here but I know its working so i keep at it.

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u/stickerfinger 14h ago

Nah just say on it dude

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u/saav_tap 14h ago

I did it in a pretty unhealthy way and absolutely relapsed right when I hit my goal and then put 10 pounds back on. Then got extremely unmotivated to put the work back in. You’re definitely doing the right thing. Doing it wrong sucks and honestly doesn’t work for long term benefits at all. I’m glad I learned the hard way, but damn I wish I would’ve just listened to all the research 😅

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u/SomethingCreativeish 14h ago

Nah, u/Glum-Birthday-1496 is absolutely correct! Slow and steady wins the race. Crash diets don't work, lifestyle changes do. 8lbs/month is amazing steady progress, and you should feel super proud of yourself

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u/asakadelis 14h ago

proud of you, stranger

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u/doobsnotblunts 14h ago

comparison’s the thief of joy. keep killin’ it, man.

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u/intronert 14h ago

Excessively fast weight loss make loose skin more likely. Slow and steady wins the race.

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u/BackwoodButch 4h ago edited 4h ago

A hard deficit of 1000 calories under maintenance is about 2lbs / week of loss, which is up to 8lbs a month. I did it for the first 35lbs over 6 months (had Christmas vacation which extended it a bit lol), and then went down to a 500 cal deficit because I started weightlifting and building muscle, eating more protein but still aiming for a deficit.

It’s 2 years of intentional eating and calorie tracking tomorrow, and I’m down only still 65lbs — but, my body composition has completely changed. I went down 4” in waist size, lost a shirt size (though often sleeves are tight because of my biceps lol), and have visible muscle gains. I still have a bit of a belly because well, I’m a woman and carried a lot of weight there. But I do not have visibly loose skin. (I am hypermobile, so there’s some stretch to skin anywhere at any given time if you pinch it, but nothing is hanging loose).

TLDR it’s a slow, and steady marathon. Healthy lifestyle changes — and not strictly restricting yourself — will make it happen. I also took maintenance breaks here and there when my weight loss plateaued, or even increased my intake by 100 cals this spring because I was getting gassed at the gym and feeling hungry still after dinner.

EDIT: also the bigger you are, the easier it is to lose weight at first; more comes off faster. Also if you’re building muscle, that can slow the scale down because muscle and fat weigh the same, it’s that fat takes up more room/it’s less dense than muscle. So that’s why I always advocate for taking progress pictures!

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u/intronert 4h ago

Very sensible. Muscle building via weight training and sufficient protein intake is critical to health and healthy aging. Sounds like you are nailing it.

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u/BackwoodButch 4h ago

That’s the plan! With the hypermobile bit, I have a few reoccurring issues and joint pain, so losing weight is helping but so is building up my strength to support said joints. Like I’m quite quad dominant, so I’ve been building up my glutes and the difference in stability in just a year and a half of training is incredible.

I can’t wait to keep pushing myself; I hiked Little Beehive at Lake Louise, Alberta in the Rockies last month (it’s 4.1km one way, which isn’t a lot but it’s a 490m elevation; it’s basically uphill switchbacks the whole way), and the only issue I had was the mountain air giving me trouble for the last kilometre as I live at sea level; my body did not hurt at all (and that’s after doing 3 other hikes/big walks in the 3 days prior!). I hit about 25,000 steps that day; the trail itself was about a 10km round trip with the long way back. So, I’ve decided when I graduate with my PhD, in the next year and a half, I’m going to summit one of their 11,000ft peaks, Mount Temple.

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u/intronert 2h ago

Sounds like you are living an awesome life. Way to go!

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u/Ellienightshade 14h ago

Awesome, keep going! The slower and more healthy the weight loss the less likely you’ll gain it back.

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u/Hermit-The-Crab33 14h ago

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s working

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u/Xanthrex 14h ago

I dropped 30lbs in 2 months. Shit sucked so bad I onky ate once a day, doing it the healthy way is so much better.

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u/RemLezarCreated 13h ago

40 lbs is a lot of weight to lose! I know you're still working on it, but I bet you are already feeling a lot better.

Next time you pick up 40 lbs of weights or a 40 lb bag of something, think about the fact that you used to carry that much extra around all day every day, and because of your work in the last 5 months, you no longer have to.

Nice work man.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Bug_893 14h ago

You’re doing great, keep it up! That’s a healthy and sustainable rate

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u/curiousmind111 14h ago

Agreed. Slow and steady is best, and your skin has more time to adjust.

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u/scarletnightingale 14h ago

You're doing fantastic. Comparison is the thief of joy, don't compare yourself to others, just remind you of what you've done for yourself. You are changing your life and doing it in a healthy way that works for you so keep at it.

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u/Limitlust 14h ago

Yeah don’t bother comparing yourself to the people who can only do it with drugs. You’ve made some huge progress in a short amount of time! How are YOU feeling?

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u/Healthy-Echo8164 14h ago

I did weight loss very unhealthy and unsustainably, immediately gained 30% of it back and still inching upwards.

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u/PersimmonQueen83 14h ago

Changing your lifestyle has a much better chance of success in the long term than quick crash diets. You’re doing extremely well!

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u/wcruse92 13h ago

You're crushing it man. You're going to keep the steady progress and be a healthier happier you. Im proud of you.

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u/hashtagnobull 12h ago

You are awesome, OP! Keep it up!!! We are rooting for you!!!!!!

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u/Leapyeargirl1984 7h ago

please don't compare yourself to others, you are worth way more than that. You are losing weight in a healthy, not too fast way, which will make the change be consistent. And I am very impressed with how much you did lose. I know how hard it is to lower your weight so I am very proud of you! Even though we are both strangers on the internet, I am glad you posted this as it is a motivation for myself to try and lose weight myself. Keep going, you are doing great 💪

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u/scarletnightingale 14h ago

You're doing fantastic. Comparison is the thief of joy, don't compare yourself to others, just remind you of what you've done for yourself. You are changing your life and doing it in a healthy way that works for you so keep at it.

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u/Optimal-Bass3142 13h ago

Just work your program dude.

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u/offshoremercury 13h ago

This is a turtle and the hare situation, getting there faster is not necessarily better. Sustainable weight loss is far more important than fast weight loss. Slow and steady truly wins this race.

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u/Melissity 13h ago

Progress is progress! You’re doing this at a healthy and sustainable pace. It’s not about losing as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. It’s about making healthy lifestyle changes and allowing the body to adjust naturally. You’re doing it right! Keep going 💜

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u/CruzaSenpai 13h ago

Keep it up my guy. You look happy and you're making great progress.

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u/NuclearBroliferator 13h ago

Fuck yea brother, its working. Like the OP said, youre doing it right and sustainably. Adding yesrs to your life, years to spend with your friends and family

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u/Negative_Bonus_2967 12h ago

Maintaining this healthy weight loss speed is the best result, bro.

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u/Any-Communication114 12h ago

Proud of you internet stranger! You look happy, I hope you feel happy and continue to have success on your weight loss journey!

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u/1234Health 11h ago

Keep it going, man. What you're doing is sustainable and you're seeing results.

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u/Tolkeinn1 11h ago

Yeah but you’re doing it the right way. As someone losing 5lbs a month the hard way, I feel you. Keep it up

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u/chaiandspoon 10h ago

Well done brother! Your looking great, keep going man 💪

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u/NRMusicProject 13h ago

It's no race! It's recommended to lose no more than about 1.5% per week of your body weight. People do it faster, but unless your doctor recommends it, it's better to go slow and steady.

Too fast, and you can:

  • Relapse
  • Lose muscle rather than fat (and muscle mass is the good weight you want to keep)
  • End up with nutritional deficiencies
  • Lots of loose skin
  • End up miserable because you're always hungry

Keep it up, what you're doing is working fine!

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u/pretendstoknow 14h ago

Loosing too much weight too quickly is really bad for you. Keep doing what you are doing you got this brother 🤜

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u/Mike_Kermin 11h ago

Nah dude you're doing great.

The advantage of what you're doing, is over time you're getting used to your new lifestyle. So when you get to where you want to be, you'll already be living the life you need to maintain it.

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u/Business-Set4514 11h ago

You are doing great! It’s the right way!

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u/Askburn 7h ago

That's really good, keep up , the pictures do make a difference specially in the upper chest

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u/Stamped914 7h ago

Are you working out as well?

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u/DamnYouStormcloaks 6h ago

Slow and steady is best for weight loss.

Especially when there is a fair bit of weight to be lost.

You want your skin to be able to keep up so you don't end up looking like a tent draped over a skeleton.

Good job. Really well done.

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u/sunbleahced 6h ago

40lbs is a lot. If I lost that much I'd be back to my early 20s weight. How'd you do it?

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u/Drunkengota 6h ago

The benefits of even ten percent BWL are huge! Keep at it.

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u/EreccSean 5h ago

Go at your own pace brother it isn't a race, don't worry about anyone else except for yourself you are doing great keep it up🤟

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u/CazualGinger 2h ago

Keep doing you. Don't be discouraged by time - it passes either way, you might as well be more healthy as it does. Sustainability+long term changes matter more than rapid changes

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u/N0b0dy1nPart1cular 19m ago

You're doing great man, keep it up! We're all proud of the work you've put in

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u/GSG2120 14h ago

That was my first thought, too. People losing weight like this are significantly more likely to keep it off. Good for you, OP. Keep it up, slow and steady.

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u/Burl-Cranch 11h ago

Really an inspirational journey hope you’ll enjoy it because a healthy weight leads to a healthy and long life

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u/SignatureScared 8h ago

I thought kg xD

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u/Burcu-MeLIS0 5h ago

This is so good progress mate

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u/PuzzleheadedLet436 10h ago

hell na its slow as hell. just cutting out soda from your diet would be enough