This week was a real turnaround after the challenges of Week 5. I successfully completed all my planned workouts (three strength and three cardio sessions), found a good rhythm again, and generally felt more in control. Although my weight ticked up by 0.5 kg (likely just water retention), my waist measurement decreased further — and that’s what truly matters.
Here’s how Week 6 looks in numbers:
After the tough times in Week 5, this was the restart I needed. I hit every single training session, got my groove back, and felt much more in control overall. The scale showed a small uptick, but I’m pretty sure it’s just water weight. My waist measurement dropped again — a clear sign of true progress.
No drastic changes needed — this was a solid week. I’m going to keep following the plan and wait for my next breakthrough:
After a rough Week 5 and a weekend with too much pasta, I decided: no more excuses. And things went really well today. To balance out the carb overload from recent days, I carefully tracked my calories and planned each meal.
One thing is clear: I won’t skip dinner with my family. That’s a non-negotiable for me. So I have to be extra disciplined during the day to keep evenings manageable.
I also followed through on my cardio plan:
Looking ahead: Tomorrow is a rest day for cardio, but I’ve got a strength session scheduled — time to get back to lifting with no excuses.
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 92,4 kg / 206.71 lbs
Belly Ø: 107 cm / 42.13 inch
Steps: 11.236
Kcal Deficit: -1800 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Squats:
Lunges:
Push-Ups: 0
Negative Pull-Ups: 0
Bicep Curls: 0
Band Overhead Press: 0
Plank: 0
Bike: 1 h/ 30 km
Hike: 0
Walk: yes
I started the day strong — revised my strength workout first thing in the morning. I knew there would be plenty of temptations in the evening. First up was a reunion dinner with a family member returning from abroad (lots of tasty food), then a birthday party for my friend Rudi. I managed to stick to 1 glass of white wine and 2 beers. When the late-night munchies hit, the buffet was already cleared out — lucky me!
Though my weight is still higher than it was at the end of Week 4, and my waist measurement hasn’t moved much for a couple of weeks, I’m pressing on. Tomorrow: back on the indoor bike, staying in the game.
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 92,1 kg / 203.95 lbs
Belly Ø: 107 cm / 42.13 in
Steps: 12002
Kcal Deficit: – 750 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Squats: 0
Lunges:
Push-Ups: 3×7
Pull-Ups w. Band: 3×10
Bicep Curls w. Band : 3×10
Band Overhead Press: 3×10
Plank: 3x 30 sec
Bike: 0
Hike: 0
Walk: yes
I’m finding my rhythm again, and thankfully my motivation is back. It feels like last week’s slump is behind me. I maintained a solid calorie deficit today, largely thanks to an evening indoor cycling session:
Interestingly, it took me about 20 minutes to get my heart rate into the 127–130 range, which is longer than usual. I’ll keep an eye on that going forward.
I also kept my carb intake low, relying mostly on potatoes as my main carb source. Over the next few weeks, I plan to adjust my diet further, especially by reducing carbs.
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 92,3 kg / 203.95 lbs
Belly Ø: 106,5 cm / 41.93 in
Steps: 12.368
Kcal Deficit: – 1.500 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Squats: 0
Lunges:
Push-Ups: 0
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band :
Band Overhead Press:
Plank:
Bike: yes
Hike: 0
Walk: yes
The day started perfectly: strength workout before breakfast, protein shake in hand, off to work — exactly how every day should begin.
Then it all went downhill.
At lunch, I tried a meal replacement shake for the first time. Verdict: Absolute disaster. It was easily the worst thing I’ve ever tasted.
That afternoon, I drove 100 km for a three-hour bike fitting. The whole time, my stomach was rumbling and cramping from that vile shake. On the way home, major cravings hit, and I detoured straight into McDonald’s. I had a shred of willpower left, but still scarfed down ~1,050 kcal.
The real meltdown came in the evening: on the couch, watching TV, binge-eating galore. Bread with bacon & cheese, yogurt, cookies, white chocolate… I went all out. My deficit ended up being basically zero.
Plan for tomorrow: Try a different meal replacement product and prepare it differently — hopefully it’ll be more palatable!
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 91,5 kg / 201.72 lbs
Belly Ø: 106 cm / 41.73 in
Steps: 16.262
Kcal Deficit: – 200
Workout /Cardio
Squats: 0
Lunges:
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band : 0
Band Overhead Press: 0
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike: 0
Hike: 0
Walk: yes
I’ve been stuck at roughly the same weight for almost two weeks, even though my workouts are on track. So I decided to tweak my diet to better fit my life: using meal replacements during the day for more flexibility in the evening. Let’s see how it goes — I’m curious myself.
Important: After yesterday’s awful meal replacement shake, I tried a different brand today that actually tastes much better. At last, I can use meal replacements without gagging!
I had two shakes (~500 kcal each) that kept me more or less satisfied. The first in the morning, the second around 11:30 a.m., which held me until about 5 p.m. That’s when I headed out for some cardio: a quick hike (5.13 km, 200 m elevation in 56 min). I’ve got some saddle soreness, so I’m taking a short break from the bike.
Afterward, I met friends for an aperitivo (two beers), and by the time I got home, I was starving. Thankfully, because I’d been disciplined all day (thanks, meal replacements!), I could enjoy a solid dinner plus a few snacks and still end up in a decent calorie deficit.
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 92,2 kg / 203.27 lbs
Belly Ø: 106 cm / 41.73 in
Steps: 18.320
Kcal Deficit: – 1000 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Squats: 0
Lunges:
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band : 0
Band Overhead Press: 0
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike: 0
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
Although it’s Saturday and the ski slopes were calling, I had housework and office tasks to handle — a perfect setup to keep experimenting with meal replacements. I also squeezed in a more extended strength workout this morning, which is taking longer these days because I’ve added more exercises and do thorough warm-ups and stretching.
In the evening, I was invited over to a friend’s place for a homemade sausage feast, plus plenty of beer. My daytime discipline was worth it. Two shakes (~400 kcal each) got me through the day with a clear conscience, ensuring I got enough nutrients while saving calories for the evening.
The dinner feast was massive, but I still ended the day at around a 950 kcal deficit thanks to my earlier restraint.
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 91,8 kg / 202.38 lbs
Belly Ø: 106 cm / 41.73 in
Steps: 15.113
Kcal Deficit: – 950 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups: 3×8
Pull-Ups w. Band: 10/8/10
Bicep Curls w. Band : 3×10
Band Overhead Press: 3×11
Plank: 3×35 sec
Knee Raise: 3×11
Bike: 0
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
This morning, I woke up to quite a surprise: 1.1 kg heavier than yesterday, even though I only had meal replacements for breakfast and lunch the day before. Maybe the homemade sausages and beer packed more salt (and water retention) than I expected. Oh well — it was a good time! My waist is still at 106 cm, and I spent half the day running to the bathroom, so I’m guessing it’s just water weight. Let’s see what tomorrow’s weigh-in has in store.
Since it’s Sunday, I didn’t do any formal workout, but I did enjoy some relaxed skiing — a nice way to stay active without it feeling like an actual workout.
Meals:
Measurements
Weight: 92,9kg / 204.81lbs
Belly Ø: 106 cm / 41.73 in
Steps: 13.569
Kcal Deficit: – 1200 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band : 0
Band Overhead Press: 0
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike: 0
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
Even with the scale fluctuations (most likely water retention), this was a big success week. I’m back in the groove with my workouts and introduced meal replacements as a strategy, which really simplifies things as long as they taste okay.
Key lesson: Weight is just a number that can fluctuate from one day to the next. What matters more is that my waist measurement is shrinking, my strength is improving, and I’m staying consistent. That includes making room to enjoy social events without throwing in the towel.
Looking ahead to Week 7:
