I am 7 months into consciously watching my nutrition, and 100 days into daily strength training.

In March of this year I was 5'11, 220 pounds, 27% body fat, about a 1.0 shoulder-waste ratio. If vanity fair had a Skinny Fat Nerd issue, I could have easily gotten the cover.

Today, I am still 5'11, but 205 pounds, an estimated 20% body fat, and a 1.25 shoulder-waste ratio.

I wanted to make this quick update because I feel like many progress reports are over longer periods of time and only show exponential growth which is impressive, but leads something to be desired in encouragement if you are just starting out.

Some small exciting things that have happened already:

  • My t-shirts fit better. My side profile used to look like a potato with legs. Slopey shoulders, protruding midsection, and a fatty back. Even though I still have a bit of a gut, my chest and shoulder development makes me look significantly better in any of my clothes.

  • A few people - ones who are secure with themselves and who see me frequently- have made unsolicited comments about my progress.

  • I no longer feel completely overwhelmed or out of place when using fitness equipment or reading online reccomendations. I feel like I can have intellectual conversations and informed decisions on my body.

  • I can take a selfie or be in a family photo without looking like complete shit. This probably has to do with posture and face fat, but I remember trying to use a selfie stick to take a LinkedIn head shot a year ago and literally looking like shit in every single photo.

  • I get flirted with every once in a while. If I go to the hip place in my neighborhood on Friday and Saturday (capacity of about 100 people), I usually have one girl show signs of interest by the end of the weekend. Doesn't sound great, and it's not, but trust me when I say I used to be completely invisible.

  • I have more appreciation for both other men and women who put effort into their bodies. Yes I know some of it is genetics, but there are a lot of people who bust their ass in the gym and have been tracking their calories for years to become attractive. Mad respect to them.

Some things that haven't happened yet:

  • I am not shredded or ripped, no one ever mistakes me as such either. I don't get my arms flirtatiously felt up or asked to lift things like many of my really fit friends do.

  • Even with my growing confidence, I'm usually not the most attractive or fit guy in the room. I am currently hovering around the top 33% percent though.

  • Tinder is still basically a wash. I can still swipe through hundreds of girls and only have marginally better success than before.

  • My sexual options are still limited/non existent. Platonic female friends aren't sending me nude snapchats yet.

The future

I estimate I need another 100 days of lifting and diet before some of these things start to change. Some of them still seem like wishful thinking on days I'm feeling pessimistic, but on more positive days I can't believe how far I've already come. Most importantly, I can't ever imagine going back to my old lifestyle and not progressing. Nothing could be worse.