Achieving Sustainable Weight Loss Through Calorie Counting and Weightlifting

Introduction

On April 1st, reddit user, solidus-flux, posted his fitness journey, from 220 pounds to his current weight, 163 pounds with 8% body fat. Though the original post was about a transformation competition, the post was informative and inspiring for many in the reddit community.

Reducing Caloric Intake

The secret to solidus-flux's success is calorie counting. He meticulously counted every single calorie he put into his mouth, aiming for a 1000-caloric deficit a day. Though he acknowledges that an aggressive deficit is not for everyone, he found that it helped him lose weight rapidly enough to stay motivated.

The Importance of Weightlifting

Solidus-flux lost most of his weight through weightlifting using traditional bodybuilding regimen on separate days for back/biceps, chest/triceps, legs, and shoulders, with lots of isolation exercises and machines. With minimal cardio, he gradually stepped up the pace, doing incline treadmill walking for about 20-30 minutes, 3.2 mph,at a 15% grade. Weightlifting was an essential part of his regimen as it helped build muscle while he was losing weight.

Sustainability over Speed

Solidus-flux's weight loss was gradual, with many ups and downs over the course of several years. Though his dedication to his diet went through changes, he always kept up with the weight lifting, making weightlifting a staple activity in his regime. His advice to others is to focus on sustainability over speed. He knows that weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and each journey is unique.

Conclusion

Solidus-flux's journey of weight loss offers insights into the basics of calorie counting and building muscle for sustainable change in the long run. However, it's important to remember that the journey is unique to everyone, and what works for one may not work for another. Nevertheless, we can all learn from his experience and try things out for ourselves.