I’ve always been on the heavier side and tend to relax my efforts when I reach what feels like an “okay-ish” weight and feel, around 17-18% body fat. But that’s not really what I want. This time, I’m truly committed to pushing further and maintaining my progress without slipping back in terms of body fat, weight, and other healthy habits such as sleeping early, exercising frequently, and eating fewer processed foods.
I’m all in for a 12-week transformation challenge. I’ll track everything, stay focused on my goals, and do my best to strictly adhere to my plan. Although I might stumble here and there, I’m determined to persist and see what I can achieve in these 12 weeks. To stay balanced, I’ll take a few days off (up to a week) every 4 weeks.
Here’s a look at my targets and how I plan to achieve them!
Mission
- Duration: 12 Weeks
- Weekly Tasks:
- Take measurements: weight, body fat percentage, waist circumference
- Monthly Tasks:
- Take before and after photos
- Rest Schedule:
- Rest 3-7 days every 4 weeks
- Eat whatever in moderation during reset days
- Starting Weight: 77.8kg (21st March 2024)
- Target Weight: 70kg by the end of 12 weeks (excluding reset days)
Game Plan
- Back to the gym
- Exercise daily for 45-60 minutes:
- HIIT/Tabata/Jogging or Weight Lifting at the gym
- Drink at least 3L of water
- One cheat meal/day per week (preferably low carb)
- Follow a not-so-strict carnivore diet:
- No plant-based food except spices and sauces (e.g., garlic, onion, soy sauce, tea)
- Mainly chicken and minced/ground beef
Sample Daily Diet
- Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and green tea
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- Lunch:250-500g boneless chicken thigh with skin
- Dinner:200-300g minced meat
Other Foods on the Diet List:
- Bone broth
- Chicken feet
- Beef cuts
- Pork belly
- Oil (Ghee and butter)
Week One: The Start of My Transformation
Initiating the Weight Loss Journey
This past week marked the beginning of my weight loss journey. I was full of excitement as I anticipated the changes that awaited me. Having experimented with keto and a strict carnivore diet in the past, the initial days didn’t feel too challenging. By the third and fourth day, I noticed a slight improvement – my stomach felt flatter, even though I couldn’t see visible changes in the mirror. It was a reassuring feeling.
Workout Routine Progression
Since it was only my first week, I decided not to push myself too hard to avoid any potential injuries from overtraining. For the initial four days, I stuck to 30-45 minutes of Tabata, HIIT, and body weight exercises before gradually reintroducing weight lifting on the fifth day. Returning to the gym after a long break felt refreshing and invigorating.
Stats (Omron):
Starting Weight: 77.8kg
Weight by End of Week One: 75.1kg
Total Weight Change: -2.7kg
Week Two: Challenges and Adjustments
Food Cravings and Progress Stagnation
As I entered the second week of my journey, things were going smoothly until Sunday (31st March) when I found myself craving more food, especially carbs. Luckily I was able to hold back and did not eat any carbs! I ended up working out twice on that day, and I suspect that undereating might have triggered these cravings. It’s depressing when progress seems to stall, as I failed to notice any visible changes in the mirror.
Exercise Routine Tweaks
In terms of exercise, not much changed this week except for a shift in focus towards weight lifting over HIIT. I managed to hit the gym consistently for 5-6 days, with only two sessions dedicated to HIIT. This adjustment in my workout routine brought a new dynamic to my fitness journey.
Stats (Omron):
Starting Weight: 75.1kg
Weight by End of Week Two: 74.6kg
Total Weight Change: -0.5kg
Week Three Progress
Diet Tweaks
In Week 3, I began to notice some positive changes in my body. Around day 3, I started feeling slimmer and stronger, which was really motivating. I even caught a glimpse of some visible changes in the mirror. To mix things up a bit, I decided to tweak my diet slightly. I swapped out chicken thigh for ground beef, added some sardines, and said goodbye to sesame oil. Surprisingly, the ground beef left me feeling fuller without those pesky food cravings.
Exercise Routine
As for my exercise routine, I kicked things up a notch this week. In addition to my usual 5 days at the gym, I also tackled the Insanity workout for 5 days. It was definitely a challenge, but the feeling of accomplishment made it all worthwhile.
Stats (Omron):
Starting Weight: 74.6kg
Weight by End of Week Three: 74.3kg
Total Weight Change: -0.3kg
Week Four: Wrapping Up Phase One
Progress Update
Last week, my weight loss progress started to slow down a bit. While my measurements kept going down as usual, I still felt the need to put in more effort to keep things moving. Both scales showed a decrease in my body fat percentage, even though I’m aware that home machines may not be very accurate in tracking body fat. Regardless, I noted down the readings for future reference.
One night during the week, I woke up feeling unwell. As a result, I decided to take a break and rest for the entire day, while also reducing my calorie intake to make up for the lack of exercise.
Exercise Routine Update
This week wrapped up phase one before my reset days. I stuck to my routine of working out twice a day every other day, switching between Weight Lifting and Insanity Workout. I also added in a skipping session with my Crossrope. It felt good to change things up, and I couldn’t even remember the last time I did a jump rope session.
Stats (Omron):
Starting Weight: 74.3kg
Weight by End of Week Four: 73.3kg
Total Weight Change: -1kg
Reflections on Phase One
I did my best to follow the plan. I increased my water intake to 4 liters a day on average, exercised daily, allowed myself one cheat meal per week, consumed less processed food, maintained a bedtime before 12 am, and woke up early each morning.
However, there were some slip-ups. Sometimes I went to bed a bit later, about 30 minutes past my usual time, and during one week, I indulged in two cheat meals instead of one, and another day of high carb dinner (family thingy).
In total, I lost 4.5kg during phase one. Most of this weight loss is likely water weight due to transitioning from a standard balanced diet to the carnivore diet, which was expected. Despite this, I feel healthier, slimmer, and my clothes fit better. Although there aren’t significant visible changes in my before and after pictures.
Overall, I consider phase one a success. I hope to avoid overeating in the coming days and quickly get back on track for phase two.
P.S. I use Google Sheets to keep track of my progress. To measure my weight, I rely on two different home machines – Omron and Bodypedia. If you’re curious, you can take a look at my weight tracker for more details 🙂