I started Stronglifts 5x5 18 weeks ago while being completely new to compound lifts. Attached is my progress, and as you can see I’ve deloaded several times on some lifts. I’d always be frustrated at plateauing at such “weak” lifts, and was convinced that I needed to literally eat my way through them. It works…
But eyeballing my calories wasn’t a good idea. I guestimated to eating ~3000 calories per day, and in the process gained 16 pounds in over a month! I looked in the mirror and noticed my gut was a little larger than before, so I broke out the measuring tape. Turns out my waist size increased from 91cm (35.8in) to well over 37in. Further complicating things is that I’m east Asian, and having a gut that large puts me over the cutoff for health complications associated with a big belly.
Health is my top priority. In August of 2018, I was a whopping 295lbs and decided I’ve had enough. I’m still chasing that goal in 2020 from a much healthier weight, but I’d also like to push myself to be as strong as possible. The simplest way for me to see that is progressing on the Big Four lifts.