Today was an intense day: lots of time spent in the car and on the phone, and even lunch came with some pressure to eat. I managed to hold back somewhat, but the carnival donuts (Faschingskrapfen) got the better of me—I ended up having 2! They could easily have been 5, as so many were offered. Later in the evening, a bout of highway hunger led me straight to McDonald’s, where I tried a wrap (my first!), a small cheeseburger, salad, and a Coke Zero. With every McDonald’s visit, the calorie count goes down, right?
Late after getting home, I faced the big decision: reward myself with the couch, Netflix, beer, and snacks, or stick to my plan and do strength training (as always on Mondays). A quick glance at my tracker made it clear: I wasn’t hitting my deficit goals, and I had committed so much to staying on track. So, I ended up doing my latest training session ever—between 10 and 11 PM—and finished it with a protein shake in hand, feeling extremely satisfied with my self-discipline! I can tell that at day 50, keeping to my plan is much easier than at the start of the transformation. That makes it far easier to stay on course and keep pushing forward.
Measurements
Weight: 90,8 kg / 200.18 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 15.368
Kcal Deficit: – 1.150 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups: 3×9
Pull-Ups w. Band: 3×10
Bicep Curls w. Band : 3×10
Band Overhead Press: 3×10
Plank: 3×35
Knee Raise:3×10
Bike: 0
Hike:
Walk:
Right after waking up, the scale showed an encouraging 90.5 kg. I snapped my daily progress photo, spent nearly an hour tackling emails, and took the rest of the morning off. Today was cardio day. I still can’t get on the bike, and it may take a while for my saddle sore to fully heal – so I opted for hiking to stay on track. I decided on a longer hike today, choosing a route that allowed me to skip the descent by taking the cable car back down.
At 10 AM, I reached the valley station of the cable car, and from there I hiked for 1 hour and 38 minutes over 5.33 km with 900 m (2,953 ft) of elevation gain, much of it steep. In the variable, challenging terrain, it was tough to keep my heart rate around 130 bpm, so I had to slow down at times. For comparison, trained power walkers can usually make it in about 1:10, and very fit hikers even in 53 minutes. This popular hiking route, thanks to the cable car descent option, often sees me being overtaken—mostly by fit women in stylish, matching Mammut, Dynafit, or La Sportiva gear—while I huff along in my old Nike sweatpants, T-shirt, and down vest… not to mention the sympathetic looks from some of the ladies. On the bright side, I crossed paths with a magnificent ibex, a beautiful and rare encounter that I’d never have experienced with my previous lifestyle.
Despite the demanding hike, which burned 1,099 kcal, I managed my eating well: a 500 kcal meal replacement for breakfast and another 800 kcal meal replacement after training easily carried me into the evening. I was able to indulge properly at dinner and later on the couch—my tracker gave me the green light for eating until I was completely satisfied, while still maintaining a substantial calorie deficit.
Measurements
Weight: 90,5 kg / 199.52 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 23.200
Kcal Deficit: -1.300 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band :
Band Overhead Press:
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike:
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
Today was dominated by a lot of desk work, aside from a strength training session shortly after lunch. I noticed that as I continue performing the same exercises, my workouts are taking longer. Now, the 6 exercises I do in 3 rounds of circuit training take me a full hour. I’m taking my time warming up, executing the exercises with better form, and even spending a few extra minutes on stretching at the end—for the first time in my life!
On the eating front, I stuck with meal replacements all day. However, in the evening, an intense wave of hunger hit me, and I ended up giving in—resulting in a somewhat lower calorie deficit than usual. Once I hit 90 kg, I plan to dial down the deficit and ensure I no longer exceed a 1,000 kcal/day deficit.
Measurements
Weight: 90,1 kg / 198.64 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 12387
Kcal Deficit: -880 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups: 2×9 1×10
Pull-Ups w. Band: 3×10
Bicep Curls w. Band : 3×11
Band Overhead Press: 3×11
Plank: 2×45 1×50
Knee Raise:3×11
Bike:
Hike:
Walk: yes
Early this morning, it was clear: today will be a difficult day for my diet goals. It is “Unsigger Donnerstag/ giovedì grasso”, the first and most important day of Carnival. Even though I truly despise Carnival, I can’t completely shut myself off for the entire day due to social responsibilities, so I have to make the best of it. Even at breakfast, a Carnival donut replaced my meal replacement. Shortly before lunch, Weisswurst, Weißbier, and another Carnival donut at my working place replaced my lunch meal replacement.
Knowing that the biggest challenge still awaited in the evening, I excused myself from the party using an excuse and swapped my business dress for my mountaineering gear. Slightly tipsy, I then embarked on a hike with 529 meters of elevation gain and loss (totaling 1:42 hours and 882 kcal burned). Luckily, I sobered up relatively quickly – now that’s what I call a productive lunch break!
After a short work intermission and achieving a good calorie deficit, I headed to the next Carnival celebration: there, I enjoyed antipasti, spaghetti with a special tomato sauce (with a bit of cream, raw ham, and plenty of Parmesan), plus another Carnival donut and several bottles of beer. Finishing the day with a deficit of 850 kcal deserves a medal!
Measurements
Weight: 90,3 kg / 199,08 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 23407
Kcal Deficit: -850 kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band :
Band Overhead Press:
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike:
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
The Carnival celebrations have left their mark: this morning, I weighed 1.2 kg more than yesterday at the same time. On the bright side, my waist remains stable at 105 cm. This isn’t the first time during my body transformation that my weight has spiked in a short period—but I’m not too worried; it will settle again.
After my meal replacement this morning, I had a Carnival donut, which I promptly worked off with an extended strength training session. At lunch, I was treated to a small portion of lasagna with salad, and in the evening, I wrapped up with a Pizza Capricciosa and another Carnival donut. Despite all the indulgences, I still managed to achieve a solid deficit. However, it’s high time to transition from Carnival to a fasting period—over the next 40 days, I expect things will be easier with fewer temptations around.
Measurements
Weight: 91,5 kg / 201,72 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 16.503
Kcal Deficit: -980kcal
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups: 1×9 1×10 1×11
Pull-Ups w. Band: 3×10
Bicep Curls w. Band : 3×11
Band Overhead Press: 3×12
Plank: 1×45 1×50 1×55
Knee Raise:3×11
Bike:
Hike:
Walk: yes
Saturday began with skiing 🙂 Unfortunately, the beautiful weather quickly deteriorated this morning, and I only managed 3 or 4 runs. The visibility was so poor due to diffuse light that it became unsafe to tackle the challenging slopes with fresh snow and moguls.
After lunch at the hut (Spaghetti Chitarra), I headed back home. Once there, a wave of restlessness pushed me to go on another hike: a round-trip with 549 meters of elevation gain at a comfortable pace, keeping my heart rate at a maximum of 130 for 1 hour and 43 minutes. Another reason for this hike was that during my previous excursion I had left my beloved sunglasses up on the mountain, which I promptly retrieved.
As a reward for this double effort, dinner featured a generous portion of curry geschnetzeltes with rice, along with a couple of snacks on the couch in front of the TV.
Measurements
Weight: 90,5 kg / 199,52 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 22.021
Kcal Deficit: -1450
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band :
Band Overhead Press:
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike:
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
Today was Sunday and my schedule was packed with activities. For breakfast, I had scrambled eggs (2 eggs), freshly squeezed fruit juice, and black bread with honey, followed by a protein shake with soy milk. Feeling energized, I headed to the ski slopes: after 12 runs and 2729 meters of vertical descent, lunchtime arrived and I lost interest due to the crowded slopes. Interestingly, my Apple Watch Ultra recorded a solid 677 active calories burned—which is lower than what I’ve measured on days with far fewer slope kilometers. Perhaps the tracking of my skiing was improved in the last update, and I gladly accepted this calorie count.
At home, for lunch I was treated to a bowl of noodle soup, an asparagus strudel with a sort of Hollandaise sauce, and some fruit salad—a meal I truly enjoyed. Shortly thereafter, I headed back up the mountain, this time (and for the first time in a long while) with my partner. Not only is she in top shape, but she’s also a trained mountaineer. We chose a route with nearly 700 meters of elevation gain over 4.3 km. This time, I didn’t focus on keeping my heart rate at 130 bpm like I usually do during my cardio sessions—I went all out: we reached the summit in 1:04, which far exceeded my expectations. I never would have thought I’d be in such good shape these days. I was overjoyed—I felt once again that all this training is paying off: improved performance and fewer aches, as my strength training has eliminated the back pain that used to plague my hikes. I had absolutely no issues whatsoever. This is entirely new for me.
In my excitement on the mountain, I even left my phone behind. Fortunately, someone found it and promptly returned it when I called, and it was safely brought down. Thus, this week I left something on the mountain twice and managed to find it again. 🙂
On the way back, I enjoyed a protein shake and an open-faced sandwich with salami and cheese, and in the evening I treated myself to a baguette with ham, cheese, and grilled zucchini.
Measurements
Weight: 91,1 kg / 208,84 lbs
Belly Ø: 105 cm / 41.34 inch
Steps: 23.6012
Kcal Deficit: -1600
Workout /Cardio
Push-Ups:
Pull-Ups w. Band:
Bicep Curls w. Band :
Band Overhead Press:
Plank:
Knee Raise:
Bike:
Hike: yes
Walk: yes
