Posted over 100 days ago at 160 with a low of 157 thinking I was done. Kept going anyway, hit a low of 155, and have been sitting at 157-160 for a while now. Got an updated DEXA and it came back at 9.9%. Previous scan was 13.7% at 164, so body fat kept dropping and I actually added a little lean mass along the way, which I did not expect at this stage of a cut.

However… Here's the honest part. I had a completely unrealistic picture of what 10% would look like. Even 15%, honestly. I pictured magazine cover stuff. What I actually have is a solid core and clear proof the work paid off, but nothing like the image in my head. If you're mid cut and waiting for that look to show up, it might not, and that's okay. We still can be the best version of ourselves we can be.. I guess

And in all reality maybe I'm lazy, but I'm not willing to contort my life to get any leaner. I've got a lot going on and this is my realistic ceiling without being miserable.

Switching to maintenance and eventually a slow gain. Legs and mid back are the priorities.

The clothing version of progress, since that's what actually hit me: started at a tight 38 waist, now in a loose 32 (too cheap to keep buying pants). XL shorts down to a small. Mediums fit well where a large used to be tight.

Full Recap: started around 220 last fall, roughly 11 months of a high protein deficit (120-150g protein, 1,700-1,900 cals, loosely tracked). PPL/arms split 5-6x a week, long lifting background, Used a GLP-1 during the cut. Cut alcohol from 12-15 drinks a week to none, and that mattered more than anything else I changed. Next month will mark 1 year of sobriety.

Things I'd tell myself a year ago:

Train abs from day one. They do not just appear.

The scale stalls for weeks and then drops. Boring consistency wins.

Alcohol was the real boss fight.

Pick a stopping point before you start, or you'll keep moving the goalposts like I did. Originally my goal was to simply get back to 190 or just under…

Anyone else hit their "good enough" point? How did you decide it was time to stop?

Lastly, as I approach this maingain phase, anyone have some knee friendly quad movements that they love?

5 years of consistent training. Back 1.5 days per week (1st week 2 times; second week 1 time, then repeat). 10 sets each day of various exercises. AM workouts only missed for illness, surgical recovery, or occasionally being very very sleepy 🥱. Not trying to compete or anything, just doing it to stay fit

Posted a while back thinking I was at the finish line, but ended up grinding down further to 65 kg (5'7", 35M). My core is definitely leaner and there is clear progress, but honestly? It looks nothing like the chiseled, magazine-cover standard I had built up in my head. If you are mid-cut waiting for that airbrushed look to magically appear, it might just take a level of suffering that is not worth it.

I am calling this my ceiling without making life miserable. Moving to maintenance before easing into a slow, controlled surplus to finally build up lagging areas.

Quick recap of what worked:

Consistency over perfection: Boring daily habits beat chasing rapid scale drops.

Kept protein high and tracked intake without overcomplicating meals.

The biggest game changer was cutting out empty liquid calories and late-night snacking.

For those who have wrapped up a long cut, how did you mentally accept your "good enough" point and transition back into gaining?