Getting to shape

One and a half year ago, before our son was born, I found myself weighting 123.5 kg. In April 2025 I said no more, and did something with it.

I am not short (186 cm) and was never of a slender build, but this weight have shocked me. When it got (years ago) above 100, I have stopped stepping on the digital scale. I was aware that the weight is rising, but was somewhat expecting it to be around 110 kg or so. As well, as much as this may seem an excuse, I am and always was rather big-boned - without any weight belt i sink like a brick even in salt water.

Stage 1 - initial weight loss

The task I set before me was to shed more weight before our son's birth than my wife gains during the pregnancy. Final aim was to get below 100 kg again. As it was just about two months to expected term, I had little time to experiment, so I have visited a nutrition specialist. The message I got was "Well, your diet looks OK as far as composition goes, but the amount you eat is too much. If you worked manually, it would be OK. Sitting at the PC, it is too much. And, obviously, you could use more exercising." (who would not?)

I have ended with the weight loss injections, in particular Mounjaro, in the lowest medicated amount (2.5 mg/dose (week)). I was told it was supposed to have two effects - removing the hunger and helping the body to burn sugars in blood more effectively. Along with it came the diet (no more occasional sweets with coffee) and reduced amount of food. Well, the injections might have helped burning the blood sugars, but definitely did nothing for hunger. On the other hand, I have fairly strong will, so some hunger cannot get me. After first month, I was at 116 Kg (most of it first two weeks) and mightily pissed off all the time. Raising hands above head was a major problem at that time.

During the medical check-up after first month, the doctor suggested that I raise the dose (so that the hunger feeling is mitigated), but I was already scared off by the speed of the weight loss, so we have decided to stay at basic 2.5 mg dosing for the next month as well. Another suggestion was to rise the exercising activity, which was hardly imaginable in my state - so I have settled to exchanging public transportation to and from work for walking (cca 2.5 km one way). The weight started to drop again, steadily this time, and I have finished the second month below 110 kg. That was the moment our son came, and I had to say...

mission accomplished. Weight loss: 14 kg. Wife weight gain: 8 kg.

Stage 2 - getting below 100 Kg

Third month, still the same Mounjaro dosing, still hungry and pissed off, and on top of that, lack of sleep. Eventually my stomach got used to the small portions (so it would be more difficult to eat as much as I was used to before starting the diet) and I have endured the diet to the end of the third month on the medication. The result was...

mission accomplished. Weight on the scale starting with 99 four days to go.

Stage 3 - keeping it there

OK. After three months on the medication, I was 24.5 kg lower with the weight. Out of that significant portion was muscle (about 8 kg) but that was expected, given the fatigue I was facing last months. I believed that I do not need the Mounjaro anymore (because I was hungry the last three months while on it, so what it was doing for me?), so I stopped using it. My expectation was that when I keep the portions size, stepping back a bit from the diet (some sweets with coffee again, although ones more healthy), that the weight will go down still, but very slowly. It was not true, unfortunately - the weight eventually dropped to 98.something and oscillated there wildly - some mornings I woke up with weight above 100 again, next one was starting with 98, ...

The good news were that I stopped feeling that terribly weak. I guess it was because Mounjaro really helped in keeping the blood sugar low and that caused the fatigue. Second good news was that the weight this style was not returning back up. I was fairly strict with the diet still - eating everything, but the portions being smaller than before, but it was actually balanced with the energy income. And, finally, I could start with more exercises, so I signed up on another weekly activity.

Still, 100 kg weight is a psychological barrier for me, and moving up and down around it based on how well I sleep was not desired. So, as much as I was keeping more or less the same weight and could say... mission accomplished, I decided to get to a bit safer weight bracket.

Stage 4 - dropping the weight to around 95 kg

This was January 2026, after Christmas, which are always difficult to keep weight through. I didn't want to embark in the weight-loss injections again, so I expected this to be a tough fight. I was right. My plan consisted from adding more physical activity to lose some kilos, but this is unfortunately double-sided weapon. Muscle weights more that the same volume of fat, so I can say that my body shape is better in general, it is just not visible on the weight.

Before the weight loss challenge, my sports on a normal week were limited to 1.5 hours of volleyball, and occasionally a squash match. I do not count a walk or two a week (cca 10 km each) as I do not consider these intense enough to change anything. During the weight loss, I have added the walks to/from work. After the weight loss program, I have signed up to the course of historical fencing (more on that once that project is added here).

What I did was:
- made the walks to and from work more intense. I try to keep the pace below 10 min/km, typically around 9:20.
- invented a plan to start and eventually finish the "Stezka Českem" - long distance trail going around the borders of Czech Republic. More on that project once it is added on this site.
- in April 2026, I got a mad idea I subscribed myself to - to start running, and train enough during the year so that I can finish a 10km race under 1 hour, and be able to run a half-marathon in Autumn 2026 and survive it. The training consisted of three runs a week, with rising distances, starting at about 5 km and ended at cca 15 km.
- added a fitness training every other week

Long story short: Particular partial goals were fulfilled. Going to work still on foot, and fast. We have started the Via Czechia, and it is a fun venture, not to be finished this or next year though. Trained hard for the running, and finished 10 km by the end of August in 57 mins, and half marathon at start of October (survival secured). With the fitnes trainings, I can now do stuff I could not do for years (like push-ups). Overall, still...

mission still not accomplished - weight is still above 95kg (95.9 yesterday morning). I keep on, as if I do it by the end of October, I have a special (secret) prize prepared for me.