The Next Chapter: Maintaining Muscle, Losing Fat, and Pursuing Lifelong Independence

A new phase, not a finish line

Winning a body transformation competition was a milestone, but it was never meant to be the end of my journey. After a five-month lean-bulking phase and a two-week vacation, I am now back to a structured nutrition and training program. My new challenge is straightforward to describe and much harder to accomplish: lose body fat while preserving as much of the muscle and strength I have worked to build as possible.

What the lean bulk taught me

During my lean bulk, I intentionally ate roughly 400 calories a day above my estimated maintenance needs. Over five months, my scale weight increased by about 11 pounds. My strength in the gym improved markedly, and I believe I added muscle, although the scale alone cannot tell us how much of that gain was muscle versus fat or water. That is the trade-off of a gaining phase: sufficient energy to support training and growth, without allowing unnecessary fat gain to get out of hand.

Why I am taking the slow route

For this next phase, I am aiming for a gradual loss of roughly one to one-and-a-half pounds per week, recognizing that even this may be ambitious for me. I will keep resistance training central to the plan, monitor my performance and recovery, and adjust as needed. At this stage of life, I am not interested in simply making the number on the scale smaller. I want to become leaner without sacrificing the strength and function that support lifelong independence.

The first week: consistency over perfection

After a week back on plan, I feel better than I expected. I am once again weighing and measuring what I eat rather than relying on guesses. My daily app targets are 1,985 calories, 215 grams of protein, 135 grams of net carbohydrate, and 65 grams of fat. The first week was hardly a perfect match: my carbohydrate intake frequently ran above target while fat intake often fell below it. But my calorie intake stayed close to plan on most logged days, and protein was consistently high. That is useful feedback, not a reason to throw out the plan.

What the numbers actually show

The six daily screenshots included here cover October 8, 9, and 11–14; forgot to weigh on October 10, so these are not a complete seven-day record. Across these six days, my logged intake averaged about 1,951 calories and 219 grams of protein daily. Carbohydrate and fat distribution varied considerably. These logs are estimates based on the accuracy of food entries and portion measurements; they do not directly establish fat loss or muscle retention.

Getting back under the bar

Returning to the gym after two weeks away was not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. I was like a little kid kicking and screaming, finding every excuse to put it off. Then I started lifting, and suddenly I remembered why I do this. Unfortunately, I chose leg day for my return. My legs reminded me of that decision for the next 48 hours! The lesson was familiar: motivation is unreliable, but showing up can change how you feel.

The bigger goal

I am pursuing approximately 15% body fat by May 2027, while preparing for hip surgery and navigating all the ordinary interruptions of life—family events, holidays, travel, and unexpected setbacks. I cannot promise a straight line to that goal. I can promise to keep learning, adjusting, and sharing what works and what does not. If you are following along, I hope you will see that meaningful improvement is possible well beyond midlife—not because the process is effortless, but because deliberate habits add up over time.

Join me on the journey

This is the first installment of my ongoing fitness journey. I will share my training, nutrition, measurements, setbacks, and lessons learned as openly as I can. For more evidence-informed education about metabolic health, physical function, and healthy aging, visit www.MetabolismU.com. My goal is simple: a stronger body, better health, and more years of independence.

ABOVE ALL, NEVER SETTLE!

A look at my nutrition log

Date	Calories	Net carbs (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
Oct 8	1,965	127	49	225
Oct 9	2,024	159	46	229
Oct 11	1,788	161	20	213
Oct 12	1,971	164	46	209
Oct 13	1,982	139	61	211
Oct 14*	1,976	112	65	225