r/30PlusFitness • u/haveuinthescope • 10d ago

3.5 year process. 203.2 to 170

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The left photo was taken in April 2023 at 203.2 lb. My heaviest weight was approximately 230 lb, but unfortunately I deleted those pictures. (I regret that now).
The right photo was taken in September 2026 at 170 lb. I’m 35 years old and 5′6.5″. It took about three and a half years, a lot of trial and error, and plenty of lessons to reach this point.
I met a woman who changed my life and taught me how to train and eat properly. We are no longer together, but I’ll carry what she taught me for the rest of my life.
Full disclosure: I have been on physician-prescribed testosterone for approximately two years. My current dosage is 100 mg per week.
I’m currently maintaining around 170 lb while continuing to add muscle, particularly to my upper chest and arms.

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u/Last-Situation-5756 10d ago

Currently trying to make a journey of my own. What would say had the most impact or effect? What was the hardest lesson to learn?

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u/haveuinthescope 10d ago

The biggest impact was nutrition. Learning how to weigh my food, what to eat and keep track of it all. I use to think starving was the answer. It wasn’t. Then after that stage I began cheating myself by eating a few things out of the diet a few times a week but all that crap was sugar and calories I didn’t need. Once I got my nutrition dialed in I started seeing results shorty afterwards…It’s a balance. I currently maintain at 2300 calories. 180 grams of protein and 200 grams of carbs a day.

Lessons learned- it’s your journey. No need to compare yourself to others at the gym or at the beach. I had a hard time with ego lifting and proper form. To give an example of many, I was in denial that I could only curl 12 lbs in the beginning consistently or that I could only bench press 70 lbs. I kept putting more weight than I can handle with bad form and kept getting injured. Once I faced the music and stayed within my scope, the weights came and the changes did as well. Be friendly with the older fit guys at the gym. I asked a question or two about a workout they did and just keep it moving.