Figured I’d post one final update on this cut.
Started taking things seriously after creeping up close to 220 around mid-October.
I had a DEXA done last May at 213.1 lbs and 28% body fat, so I’m assuming my starting point for this cut was somewhere around there.
Most recent DEXA (April) has me at 164.1 lbs and 13.7% body fat. Honestly, I expected to look a bit leaner at this point and have more defined abs.
Diet was pretty simple. High protein, generally consistent calories, nothing extreme. Just tried to stay in a deficit and be repeatable. (Very loosely tracked)
I did use a GLP-1 at the beginning of the cut. Being upfront, it helped with appetite control and cutting back on alcohol. Before this, I was regularly drinking around 12 to 15 drinks per week, so reducing that alone made a big difference.
Weight loss was very fast the first couple of months, then gradually slowed into a more sustainable pace.
What I could have done better is staying more consistent with calorie tracking. I’ve also started reducing my GLP dose back toward month 3 levels and plan to continue tapering, while managing feeling hungry all the time again… Cardio could have been more consistent, and I definitely should have trained abs more.
What went well was keeping protein intake high, especially around breakfast and post-workout. I trained 5 to 6 times per week, and having a long lifting background likely helped preserve muscle. Cutting back on alcohol was another big win.
Overall, I’m very happy with the progress. That said, I’m definitely feeling some diet fatigue. My main goal was visible abs, and I’m not sure I can confidently say I’m fully there yet, so I’ll likely push for one more 5 lb drop and reassess.
Open to any feedback or if anyone’s been in that “almost abs” phase.