2023 My Weight Loss Journey from 184 lbs --> 165 lbs ; 19 lbs lost

Health & Fitness

My Weight Loss Journey

Breaking through plateaus — from 184 lbs toward a goal of 150 lbs

184

Starting lbs

150

Goal lbs

34

lbs to lose

10k

Daily step goal

Table of Contents

① Goals & Strategy

② Weekly Progress Summary

③ Key Lessons Learned

④ Journey Log — Weeks 1–17

 

Section I

Goals & Strategy

I've tried for years to lose weight, but each attempt ended in short-lived success, as I quickly lost focus. Recently, my weight hit 184 lbs, and I decided to try again, motivated by feeling and looking bloated. Despite setbacks, I'm determined to achieve my goal this time.

• → Daily Steps — 10,000 steps (5 miles at 3 mph, ~100 minutes); a 4 mph pace cuts it to 75 minutes
• → Diet — Avoid chips, cookies, and soda; focus on fruits, vegetables, and portion control
• → Alcohol — Limit to 1–2 times per week, maximum 1–2 drinks per occasion
• → Caloric Deficit — ~119,000 calories total to lose 34 lbs; targeting 2 lbs per week over 15–29 weeks
• → Reward — AirPods 2nd Gen for reaching the goal

Section II

Weekly Progress Summary

Week	Goal	Change	Actual
Week 01	182 lbs	−4 lbs	180 lbs
Week 02	180 lbs	−5 lbs	175 lbs
Week 03	178 lbs	0 lbs	175 lbs
Week 04	176 lbs	−2 lbs	173 lbs
Week 05	174 lbs	−3 lbs	170 lbs
Week 06	172 lbs	−1 lb	169 lbs
Week 07	170 lbs	−2 lbs	167 lbs
Week 08	168 lbs	+2 lbs	169 lbs
Week 09	166 lbs	−4 lbs	165 lbs
Week 10	164 lbs	+3 lbs	168 lbs
Week 11	166 lbs	−1 lb	167 lbs
Week 12	165 lbs	0 lbs	167 lbs
Week 13	165 lbs	−2 lbs	165 lbs
Week 14	163 lbs	−1 lb	164 lbs
Week 15	161 lbs	0 lbs	164 lbs
Week 16	161 lbs	0 lbs	164 lbs
Week 17	161 lbs	0 lbs	164 lbs

Weekly goals have been reset several times due to plateaus and gains. At 17 weeks in: 20 lbs lost from 184 lbs, currently at 164 lbs — 14 lbs remaining to reach the goal of 150 lbs.

Section III

Key Lessons Learned

• → Diet beats exercise — No amount of walking can offset extra calories. Skipping one snack saves more calories than an entire walk.
• → 20k steps is achievable — A two-week vacation proved it. Previously averaging 5k steps, 20k per day is possible with intention.
• → Shoes matter — Ditching Court Vision and Converse eliminated foot pain. Proper footwear is essential for a walking-based routine.
• → Socks matter too — Switching from low-cut to ankle-high padded socks prevented blisters at higher speeds.
• → Moderate exercise — Ambitious goals of 12 hours per week led to fatigue. 4 hours is more sustainable.
• → Weight comes back fast — The LA trip and dinner functions proved how quickly gains happen. Vigilance is constant.

Section IV

Journey Log

Week 1 — June 11, 2023 · 180 lbs · −4 lbs

Steps: Mon 6.2k · Tue 8.5k · Wed 7.6k · Thu 9.3k · Fri 5.4k · Sat 13.9k · Sun 16k · Total: 66.9k (−4% vs. 70k target)

I tried my best, but it's difficult to walk 5 miles a day without a purpose. In Japan and Korea, walking was essential to get anywhere, but here in the U.S., driving is necessary. I often find myself driving to a mall just to walk for exercise—ironic, isn't it?

Morning walks around the company campus helped gain 1k extra steps on Tuesday to Thursday. I also realized my shoes were the problem — ditched the Court Vision and Converse, cold-stored the AJ1 Mids, and added an AJ1 Low 10.5M for comfort.

Week 2 — June 18, 2023 · 175 lbs · −5 lbs

Steps: Mon 13k · Tue 9k · Wed 12.3k · Thu 12.8k · Fri 7.8k · Sat 14k · Sun 14.5k · Total: 85k (+21% vs. 70k target)

Getting into a rhythm — hitting over 10k steps per day. The morning walk plus two walks at work and an afternoon walk keeps me moving. Yes, it takes almost 100 minutes a day, but it's worth it. I feel less bloated, likely due to healthier eating and reduced inflammation. My face feels less puffy.

Increased walking speed to 3.3 mph, finishing workouts faster. VO2 levels improving, hitting 32 as heart rate reaches 140 bpm. Starting the day at 6 am and feeling productive by 8 am. I've also begun limiting daily steps to 13–14k to avoid injury.

Week 3 — June 25, 2023 · 175 lbs · 0 lbs

Steps: Mon 13k · Tue 13k · Wed 7.7k · Thu 10.3k · Fri 7.4k · Sat 15.3k · Sun 14.3k · Total: 80.7k (+15% vs. 70k target)

No weight loss this week, but I feel stronger — likely a plateau after two weeks of loss. Calf aches prompted me to throttle back to 2 miles morning and 2 miles afternoon on weekdays. Reduced calories, focusing on two big meals and a light dinner. Switched from low-cut to ankle-high socks to prevent blisters.

Week 4 — July 2, 2023 · 173 lbs · −2 lbs · 1-Month Checkpoint: 11 lbs lost

Steps: Mon 12.5k · Tue 11.3k · Wed 4.1k · Thu 9.5k · Fri 5.5k · Sat 8.6k · Sun 11.2k · Total: 62.6k (−11% vs. 70k target)

Most weight loss happened in the first two weeks. After hitting a plateau, seeing progress again. Realized no amount of exercise can offset extra calories — higher quality calories from fruits and vegetables are key. Cut weekly exercise from an ambitious 12 hours down to 4 hours to avoid fatigue.

Week 5 — July 9, 2023 · 170 lbs · −3 lbs · 50% of Goal to 155 lbs

Steps: Mon 7.6k · Tue 7.8k · Wed 7.3k · Thu 9.8k · Fri 9.3k · Sat 11.8k · Sun 11.2k · Total: 65.1k (−7% vs. 70k target)

Focusing on moderation in both exercise and diet. Learned that skipping snacks saves more calories than walking. Halfway to 155 lbs — feeling optimistic about hitting the goal in the next eight weeks.

Week 6 — July 16, 2023 · 169 lbs · −1 lb

Steps: Mon 12.1k · Tue 8.8k · Wed 7.3k · Thu 7.7k · Fri 6k · Sat 10k · Sun 10k · Total: 63k (−10% vs. 70k target)

Hit 169 lbs, breaking a barrier. New routine of limiting meals to one large breakfast and a small dinner seems to work. Avoiding unnecessary calories.

Week 7 — July 23, 2023 · 167 lbs · −2 lbs

Steps: Mon 7.4k · Tue 8.4k · Wed 7.2k · Thu 7.1k · Fri 4.8k · Sat 10k · Sun 13.5k · Total: 58.5k (−16% vs. 70k target)

Stress from work led to missing two days of exercise, affecting my mood.

Week 8 — July 30, 2023 · 169 lbs · +2 lbs

Steps: Mon 10.7k · Tue 9.5k · Wed 16.2k · Thu 10.2k · Fri 6k · Sat 11.4k · Sun 11k · Total: 74.4k (+6% vs. 70k target)

The LA trip set me back — overeating led to gaining 2 lbs. A reminder of how easily weight comes back.

Week 9 — August 6, 2023 · 165 lbs · −4 lbs

Steps: Mon 8.4k · Tue 7.9k · Wed 7.3k · Thu 10.9k · Fri 5.6k · Sat 11.5k · Sun 10.2k · Total: 61.9k (−12% vs. 70k target)

Revised goal to 150 lbs for a healthier BMI. Weight gained in LA was temporary — returned to regimen and bounced back strong.

Week 10 — August 13, 2023 · 168 lbs · +3 lbs

Steps: Mon 6.7k · Tue 5.6k · Wed 4.8k · Thu 10k · Fri 5.9k · Sat 10.3k · Sun 8.3k · Total: 51.8k (−26% vs. 70k target)

Lots of events and big dinner functions — inevitably gained weight. Also well below the walking goal. Working to get back on track. It's so easy to gain weight back.

Week 11 — August 20, 2023 · 167 lbs · −1 lb

Steps: Mon 6.4k · Tue 7.8k · Wed 10.4k · Thu 9.3k · Fri 5.5k · Sat 12.1k · Sun 6.2k · Total: 57.6k (−18% vs. 70k target)

Week 12 — August 27, 2023 · 167 lbs · 0 lbs

Steps: Mon 6.5k · Tue 5.1k · Wed 8.6k · Thu 8.5k · Fri 5.6k · Sat 8.3k · Sun 8.9k · Total: 51.5k (−26% vs. 70k target)

Plateaued — wasn't taking dieting seriously, ate quite a few snacks at work and consumed several alcoholic drinks per day. Being flat is actually good considering that perspective.

Week 13 — September 3, 2023 · 165 lbs · −2 lbs

Steps: Mon 6.1k · Tue 5.4k · Wed 8.6k · Thu 7.6k · Fri 6.6k · Sat 13k · Sun 8.5k · Total: 55.7k (−20% vs. 70k target)

Enough of a break from dieting — cut back on snacks and resumed proper nutrition. The key has always been eating healthy and portion control. Exercise only helps invigorate the body and keep your mind off of things.

Week 14 — September 10, 2023 · 164 lbs · −1 lb

Steps: Mon 8.2k · Tue 7.7k · Wed 7.2k · Thu 6.1k · Fri 3.7k · Sat 9.7k · Sun 9k · Total: 51.5k (−26% vs. 70k target)

Week 15 — September 17, 2023 · 164 lbs · 0 lbs

Steps: Mon 9.5k · Tue 8.3k · Wed 7.5k · Thu 5.4k · Fri 7.3k · Sat 11.2k · Sun 9.2k · Total: 58.4k (−17% vs. 70k target)

Plateau yet again. Better than gaining weight. Increasing walking steps might be helping avoid weight gain — just keep trying.

Week 16 — September 24, 2023 · 164 lbs · 0 lbs

Steps: Mon 7.1k · Tue 7.5k · Wed 7.3k · Thu 8.6k · Fri 5.8k · Sat 6.4k · Sun 7.6k · Total: 50.3k (−28% vs. 70k target)

Flatlined and not walking as much as I should.

Week 17 — October 1, 2023 · 164 lbs · 0 lbs

Steps: Mon 7.1k · Tue 6.4k · Wed 7.2k · Thu 5.9k · Fri 7k · Sat 10.7k · Sun 8.9k · Total: 53.1k (−24% vs. 70k target)

This sucks. Flatlined.

The journey continues. Weeks 18 and beyond are in progress — the log will be updated as the data comes in.

184 lbs → 164 lbs · 17 weeks · 20 lbs lost · 14 lbs to go — one step, one meal, one week at a time.