Recomp success!

mcs

Member
Update from initial post.

Guys, I'm not 100% to my final goals yet, but for the first time in my life, I hit my mark in terms of recomp, am in better shape than in my 20s (I'm 5-7, now 165lbs, almost 65, was 193lbs at my heaviest) and now am on my way to the *refinement stage. I did it in less than 3 months, dropping an average of 2lbs per week.

Although not as accurate as DEXA or hydrostatic weighing, this is a good indication of progress:

IMG_3675.PNG

IMG_3677.PNG





What finally motivated me to get aggressive: an updated DEXA scan I did back in August. When I saw that my bodyfat was 24% (19.2 on the BIA scale) and my visceral fat was @ 4+lbs, I said f this, I've got to change things up, starting with the diet.

What worked this time:

DIET: I started on a slightly modified PSMF (protein sparing modified fast) similar to Lyle McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss diet and then starting adding in more protein and a little more carbs once I got lean enough, but kept the fat intake at all-time lows, something like this: 50-60% protein; 15-20% carbs; 10-12% fats (when I was @ 20%+ bf, my fat intake was way too high @ 50%+; keto does not work for me).

TRAINING: I changed nothing. I didn't add or subtract to my routine, but, as a result of the huge drop in bf and weight, I had more energy to do a split routine, up my cardio and training at different time intervals in one day.

*refinement stage:
- firming up loose skin around the pecs, flank and waist resulting from the marked fat loss
- lean bulking; adding lean mass slowly, carefully
- further tweaks to reduce SHBG and allow my 950 TT to be freed up to allow optimal FT levels
- get through some major abdominal surgeries (umbilical hernia; diastasis recti)
- followup DEXA scan

Closing comments:
I experimented with GLP-1s early on before all the hype, didn't like the side effects + it did nothing insofar as appetite control or fat loss, so I stopped. I've managed to get there without them.

I would have to say that the diet was 75% of the success. The other 25% I can attribute to aggressive use of a plethora of peptides, desiccated thyroid, injectable nutrients, Metformin, enclomiphene citrate and other compounds (no SARMS, no AAS). I was doing the 25% before, but not the diet and saw no improvement.

I now have definition and vascularity I never thought I could have or achieve.

If I can do it, anyone can!
 
Last edited:
Update from initial post.

Guys, I'm not 100% to my final goals yet, but for the first time in my life, I hit my mark in terms of recomp, am in better shape than in my 20s (I'm 5-7, now 165lbs, almost 65, was 193lbs at my heaviest) and now am on my way to the *refinement stage. I did it in less than 3 months, dropping an average of 2lbs per week.

Although not as accurate as DEXA or hydrostatic weighing, this is a good indication of progress:

View attachment 48819
View attachment 48820




What finally motivated me to get aggressive: an updated DEXA scan I did back in August. When I saw that my bodyfat was 24% (19.2 on the BIA scale) and my visceral fat was @ 4+lbs, I said f this, I've got to change things up, starting with the diet.

What worked this time:

DIET: I started on a slightly modified PSMF (protein sparing modified fast) similar to Lyle McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss diet and then starting adding in more protein and a little more carbs once I got lean enough, but kept the fat intake at all-time lows, something like this: 50-60% protein; 15-20% carbs; 10-12% fats (when I was @ 20%+ bf, my fat intake was way too high @ 50%+; keto does not work for me).

TRAINING: I changed nothing. I didn't add or subtract to my routine, but, as a result of the huge drop in bf and weight, I had more energy to do a split routine, up my cardio and training at different time intervals in one day.

*refinement stage:
- firming up loose skin around the pecs, flank and waist resulting from the marked fat loss
- lean bulking; adding lean mass slowly, carefully
- further tweaks to reduce SHBG and allow my 950 TT to be freed up to allow optimal FT levels
- get through some major abdominal surgeries (umbilical hernia; diastasis recti)
- followup DEXA scan

Closing comments:
I experimented with GLP-1s early on before all the hype, didn't like the side effects + it did nothing insofar as appetite control or fat loss, so I stopped. I've managed to get there without them.

I would have to say that the diet was 75% of the success. The other 25% I can attribute to aggressive use of a plethora of peptides, desiccated thyroid, injectable nutrients, Metformin, enclomiphene citrate and other compounds (no SARMS, no AAS). I was doing the 25% before, but not the diet and saw no improvement.

I now have definition and vascularity I never thought I could have or achieve.

If I can do it, anyone can!

Any chance you could go into a bit more detail regarding how you modified the PSMF diet?
 
Any chance you could go into a bit more detail regarding how you modified the PSMF diet?
The PSMF is a calorie, carb and fat restricted diet + high protein. I did not go strict and could not start at the 800kcal ceiling per day nor could I restrict fat to 20g or less. I started at a low of ~ 1000kcals and then took the protein intake a little higher to slow muscle catabolism from the calorie restriction. Some screenshots in my first few weeks of the diet:

View attachment 48875View attachment 48872
 
Last edited:
The PSMF is a calorie, carb and fat restricted diet + high protein. I did not go strict and could not start at the 800kcal ceiling per day nor could I restrict fat to 20g or less. I started at a low of ~ 1000kcals and then took the protein intake a little higher to slow muscle catabolism from the calorie restriction. Some screenshots in my first few weeks of the diet:

View attachment 48875View attachment 48872

Both files come back "page not found"?
 

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Lakshman KM, Kaplan B, Travison TG, Basaria S, Knapp PE, Singh AB, LaValley MP, Mazer NA, Bhasin S. The effects of injected testosterone dose and age on the conversion of testosterone to estradiol and dihydrotestosterone in young and older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Aug;95(8):3955-64.

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