Fat loss process (Natty)

[Mike-Larry]

Hi All,

I’ve been cutting naturally for the past 2 years. I started at 100kg and now currently weigh 58kg at 5.7 feet.

My Journey started in late September 2023. I’ve tried to lose fat many times but always failed. I was able to lose weight but never “fat”. Now people will say, if you lost weight, you would have also lost fat. This is true, but I never took diet and nutrition serious so most of my weight loss was muscle and water. I would get down to 70kg but still have a big belly. I was basically starving myself.

I decided to give the whole fat loss another go in 2023. I researched a lot and like most fat guys wanted a quick fix. Social media promoted to me ripped dudes and I thought steroids would be the way to go. But the more I researched the more I understood that I was not at the right place to use it.

In June after I took several month diet break I decided to give it one more push. Using this lovely forum I found a vendor and bought some Reta. This was a game changer for me. First few weeks I was still hungry but soon after the Reta kicked in. I made sure to hit my protein target and calories because I wanted to lose fat and not just weight. I understood from my past mistakes that if I did not eat right, my body will just adapt and I will stop losing fat.

This morning I weighed in at 58kg. I don’t know my current body fat, but I’m hoping to reach a healthy body fat by December that will allow me to start my first test cycle in January 2026.

It’s been a long journey but I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Below are some pics (start and current)

October 2023

July 2024



July 2025



September 2025





I don’t know my current body fat (feel free to speculate from my recent pics) but what I do know is I’m really close. In the mornings I can see my upper 4 packs. I can feel the muscles behind my stomach fat for the first time in forever. This motivates me to keep going.

 

[Mike-Larry]

Nutrition:

I eat the same thing everyday but drop potatoes in Thursdays and Sundays when I’m doing cardio only.

Breakfast:

1/4 cup oats
250ml skimmed milk
1tbs pbfit peanut powder
1/4 cup blueberries
1/3 cup egg white

Lunch:

180-220g of white potatoes cooked in air fry
150g of beef mince

Dinner:

150g chicken breast with salad

3l of water

X2 scoop of protein powder

On Thursday’s and Sundays for dinner I substitute the chicken with steak (6oz) and x3 eggs.

 

[Mike-Larry]

Excercise:

I run PPL (Mon-Wed)
Cardio only on Thursdays and Sunday
Upper on Friday
Lower on Saturday

 

[BigDadd7]

It's time to start building muscle.

 

[Mike-Larry]

It's time to start building muscle.

Hey thanks for the advice.

The only issue with that is everything I read on here and elsewhere is that you build muscle on a calorie surplus and you should only eat at a surplus if you are lean <12-13%. I’m nowhere near that and would probably balloon back up.

Any advice on how I can build muscle without spilling over?

 

[BigDadd7]

Hey thanks for the advice.

The only issue with that is everything I read on here and elsewhere is that you build muscle on a calorie surplus and you should only eat at a surplus if you are lean <12-13%. I’m nowhere near that and would probably balloon back up.

Any advice on how I can build muscle without spilling over?

You are definitely very lean. Sometimes, when we cut for too long, we get a little dysmorphia and we can't see our progress. Have you had a dexa scan?

I'm very sincere here. You have a great base to build from.

 

[Banana Joe]

The only issue with that is everything I read on here and elsewhere is that you build muscle on a calorie surplus...

You build muscle when you work out. Don't overcomplicate these things. Seriously.

Apply common sense here:
Will your twin, who does the same exercises, eats the same diet, BUT also does proper workouts with weights (and maybe even adds 50-70g of carbs) look:
a) the absolute same as you do
b) more muscular while probably also being leaner

Nutrition:

...

You also need to eat more, if you deduct some of the protein, this is literally my, and many others on this board, breakfast if I am going full steam.


Apart from that - you did great!
But now you need to keep going!

 

[BigDadd7]

@Iamlordsirnigus

You're going on stage in a few weeks. Is this guy ready for a clean bulk, or should he cut some more?

 

[Mike-Larry]

You are definitely very lean. Sometimes, when we cut for too long, we get a little dysmorphia and we can't see our progress. Have you had a dexa scan?

I'm very sincere here. You have a great base to build from.

Thanks. No dexa scan yet but planning to do one in the next week or so to see where I am at.

 

[BigDadd7]

Thanks. No dexa scan yet but planning to do one in the next week or so to see where I am at.

Google and find one in your area. They're pretty cheap now days.

 

[Mike-Larry]

You are definitely very lean. Sometimes, when we cut for too long, we get a little dysmorphia and we can't see our progress. Have you had a dexa scan?

I'm very sincere here. You have a great base to build from.

Thanks. No dexa scan yet but planning to do one in the next week or so to see where I am at.

You build muscle when you work out. Don't overcomplicate these things. Seriously.

Apply common sense here:
Will your twin, who does the same exercises, eats the same diet, BUT also does proper workouts with weights (and maybe even adds 50-70g of carbs) look:
a) the absolute same as you do
b) more muscular while probably also being leaner



You also need to eat more, if you deduct some of the protein, this is literally my, and many others on this board, breakfast if I am going full steam.


Apart from that - you did great!
But now you need to keep going!

I lift weights 5 times a week but it’s difficult to grow when the calories are not there. I’m in a deficit and not on anabolics. Only someone with superior genetics is going to grow whilst in a deficit.

“But now you need to keep going!”

Are you suggesting I keep cutting? That’s exactly what I’m currently doing and was planning to do so till December.

 

[Mike-Larry]

T

Google and find one in your area. They're pretty cheap now days.

View attachment 348679

Thank you. I’m based in the UK so these companies are not available to me but I did find a dexa scan near me for around 125 which also comes with health check (lipids,ECG ect). I’ll book that and report back when I get my results.

 

[Banana Joe]

Thanks. No dexa scan yet but planning to do one in the next week or so to see where I am at.


I lift weights 5 times a week but it’s difficult to grow when the calories are not there. I’m in a deficit and not on anabolics. Only someone with superior genetics is going to grow whilst in a deficit.

“But now you need to keep going!”

Are you suggesting I keep cutting? That’s exactly what I’m currently doing and was planning to do so till December.

Ok, I was confused since you didn't look like you don't lift weights.

But no, start eating today, I am serious.
I really meant it when I wrote you did a great job, but I am equally serious about the latter as well.
You weigh 58kg, what else do you want to cut (off)? An arm or a leg? Even if you were still fat, which you objectively aren't, I would tell you the same. You need to start building muscle now. You will look at feel better in December if you do, and don't keep burning off body weight.

I know you are worried about getting fat again, but use an objective metric to track your body. This can be as easy as using a measuring tape around your waist 2x a week. Or buy a cheap caliper from Ali express and measure 5(?)cm next to your belly button.
Your waist will grow a bit initally from having more food in your stomach, etc. but then it should stabilise. If it doesn't then stop increasing the calories.

Take reproducible pictures each week (basically a few poses like check-ins for a coach), but don't trust yourself to evaluate if you got fat or not. YOU will not be able to tell, because you can't see the progress that you have made, and will make. I am not saying that to talk down to you, but this is just your current state of mind.

Dinner:
150g chicken breast with salad
3l of water
X2 scoop of protein powder

On Thursday’s and Sundays for dinner I substitute the chicken with steak (6oz) and x3 eggs.

My advice would be very simple, drop the protein powder and substitute with a fourth meal. Then add some carbs to meal 3, like that baked potato or whatever you like.

 

[sionnach]

Double (or more) your chicken, beef, whey and eggs. You need more protein. You're getting just enough to maintain skinny muscles. But you're also taking reta, which tells your body to use the protein for gluconeogenesis, not building or repairing muscle. And just switch to eggs from egg whites. There's good stuff in that yolk.

If you need the oatmeal to poop properly, that's fine. But the blueberries and potatoes are just confusing your body - the reta is telling it to burn fat for energy, but you're telling it to store fat (via insulin). 50-150g carbs is fine for reta, but anything more is unnecessary if you're hitting your protein goals cuz your body is making plenty of glucose. You also run the risk of hyperglycemia (which is bad because reta is telling you to make ketones) with possible swings down into hypoglycemia.

You look way better than you did, but they're right, it's time to rebuild. Good luck bro.

 

[sionnach]

My advice would be very simple, drop the protein powder and substitute with a fourth meal. Then add some carbs to meal, like that potato or whatever you like.

This way works too, @Mike-Larry . The tried and true BB method - just eat more, lift more. But if you go this route, drop the reta.

 

[Bandern]

Listen to these gentlemen!!

You don’t need to be any leaner than you are, at your level of advancement. In my early lifting days I wasted a few months of my life trying to get super lean to reveal a certain physique that wasn’t there.

If you spend some time in a surplus and then get back down to a similar body fat % you’ll be happy with the look.

 

[sionnach]

T

Thank you. I’m based in the UK so these companies are not available to me but I did find a dexa scan near me for around 125 which also comes with health check (lipids,ECG ect). I’ll book that and report back when I get my results.

Great price including all that. Let us know how it goes! I just got a dexa a few weeks ago. Super useful information, I wish I'd been getting them longer so I'd have a baseline and progress.

 

[Mike-Larry]

Double (or more) your chicken, beef, whey and eggs. You need more protein. You're getting just enough to maintain skinny muscles. But you're also taking reta, which tells your body to use the protein for gluconeogenesis, not building or repairing muscle. And just switch to eggs from egg whites. There's good stuff in that yolk.

If you need the oatmeal to poop properly, that's fine. But the blueberries and potatoes are just confusing your body - the reta is telling it to burn fat for energy, but you're telling it to store fat (via insulin). 50-150g carbs is fine for reta, but anything more is unnecessary if you're hitting your protein goals cuz your body is making plenty of glucose. You also run the risk of hyperglycemia (which is bad because reta is telling you to make ketones) with possible swings down into hypoglycemia.

You look way better than you did, but they're right, it's time to rebuild. Good luck bro.

Thanks for your response.

I need carbs. If you look at pics October 2023 and July 2024 I did the whole keto/low carb. My gym performance was abysmal. I know it’s not much but the July 2025/sep 2025 is when I started to incorporate carbs strategically (pre/post workout) and my training improved whilst still losing fat. My last meal is always carb less/trace carbs.

 

[Mike-Larry]

My advice would be very simple, drop the protein powder and substitute with a fourth meal. Then add some carbs to meal 3, like that baked potato or whatever you like.

I think I’m going to go with your 4th meal advice. I’ll get my dexa scan first so I know my starting point. At least I know now how to cut, so on my next go, it shouldn’t take too long.

 

[BigDadd7]

I think I’m going to go with your 4th meal advice. I’ll get my dexa scan first so I know my starting point. At least I know now how to cut, so on my next go, it shouldn’t take too long.

You should. He's in other threads bragging you up as the champ and an example of how to do it right.