Day Sixteen- Flips, Fitness & Second Chances: A Middle-Aged Man's Return to Gymnastics

Day 16: Listening to the Body

Sixteen days into this journey, and today brings an important lesson in balancing persistence with prudence. Sometimes, the most disciplined choice isn't pushing through pain but making intelligent adjustments that preserve long-term progress.

The Numbers Today

My weight continues its steady decline, now down to 187 pounds – representing a 13-pound total loss and 6.5% of my starting weight. This consistent progress reinforces that the nutritional approach is working effectively, even as I navigate training adjustments.

My 5K time today was 38:45, which shows improvement from yesterday's 43:32 interval session, though still reflecting a modified approach rather than the all-out continuous running of earlier days.

Visual Progress Check

As we reach the sixteen-day mark, it's time for another visual check-in to track the changes that might not be as immediately apparent as the numbers on the scale:

Looking at these side-by-side images, the transformation is becoming more visible. Though I've mentioned before that significant visual changes typically require losing about 10% of your starting weight, at 6.5% loss some differences are starting to emerge – particularly in facial definition and the way clothes fit. As the journey continues, these visual markers provide additional motivation beyond just the numbers.

Shoulder Management

The shoulder discomfort that began a couple of days ago has intensified. Today, I significantly scaled back my push-up volume, completing just 50 (25 + 25) compared to the 100-120 I've been consistently doing for the past two weeks.

This wasn't an easy decision. The momentum of consecutive days at high volume creates both physical and psychological benefits. Breaking that streak feels like a setback, but in reality, it's a strategic adaptation that will likely yield better long-term results.

As I noted in my journal: "Shoulder still hurts." Those three simple words represent an important reality in any fitness journey – the body provides feedback that we need to heed. Ignoring such signals typically leads to more significant setbacks down the road.

I plan to make up the push-up volume on Day 17 if the shoulder allows, maintaining my commitment to the overall training volume while respecting the body's need for recovery.

Nutritional Strategy

Today I maintained my ketogenic approach with particular attention to nutrient density:

• Pumpkin seeds (240 calories)

• Egg whites, shredded sirloin & zucchini (600 calories)

Total: 840 calories

This represents a significant caloric deficit while focusing on quality protein, healthy fats, and micronutrient-rich foods. As I noted in my journal, I'm supplementing with "a multi vitamin along with magnesium and potassium supplements" to ensure nutritional completeness while maintaining the deficit.

The approach of "snacking on pumpkin seeds, eating egg whites and occasional leafy greens and avocado" provides a practical and sustainable way to maintain nutritional adequacy within a restricted caloric framework. This addresses all nutrient needs while keeping the caloric deficit that supports continued weight loss.

Modified Training

Today's exercise lineup reflected the shoulder adaptation:

• 50 push-ups (reduced from 100-120)

• 120 sit-ups (maintaining core work)

• 2 miles biking (continuing low-impact cardio)

This represents a thoughtful adjustment to the program – maintaining the sit-up volume and biking work while reducing the specific movement that aggravates the shoulder. The 120 sit-ups demonstrate that I'm not backing off from all challenging work, just making strategic modifications where needed.

Looking Forward

As I approach the end of my second week and begin thinking about the third, I plan to:

1. Continue monitoring the shoulder with thoughtful modifications

2. Potentially make up some push-up volume if the shoulder allows

3. Maintain the effective nutritional approach that's producing steady results

4. Begin exploring more lower-body and core-focused gymnastics movements that don't stress the shoulder

5. Continue the 5K work with strategic variations in format

This journey continues to provide valuable lessons beyond the physical transformation. The mental discipline of knowing when to push and when to yield is perhaps as valuable as any strength or endurance gains I've made so far.

What I'm learning is that consistency doesn't mean rigid adherence to the same protocol every day. Rather, it means showing up daily with the intention to progress, even if that progression sometimes involves strategic retreats in specific areas.

The Psychological Challenge

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of this journey isn't the physical discomfort but the mental challenge of accepting temporary adjustments. There's often a fear that any reduction in volume or intensity will derail progress or reflect a lack of commitment.

In reality, the most successful fitness transformations involve constant listening and adaptation. The body isn't a machine that performs identically day after day – it responds, adapts, and sometimes requires adjustments to continue moving forward.

In reality, the most successful fitness transformations involve constant listening and adaptation. The body isn't a machine that performs identically day after day – it responds, adapts, and sometimes requires adjustments to continue moving forward.

Day 16: Listening to the Body

Weight down to 187 pounds today (-13 total, 6.5% of starting weight) with 5K time improving to 38:45 from yesterday's interval session. Made the difficult but necessary decision to reduce push-ups to just 50 (25+25) as my shoulder pain intensified, planning to make up the volume on Day 17 if possible. Maintained full volume on sit-ups (120) and continued biking (2 miles) while focusing on a nutrient-dense approach with limited calories (840 total from pumpkin seeds, egg whites, shredded sirloin and zucchini). Added progress photos comparing Day 1, Day 10, and Day 16, showing visual changes beginning to emerge, especially in facial definition and how clothes fit. Supplementing with multivitamin, magnesium, and potassium to ensure nutritional completeness while maintaining a significant deficit. The biggest challenge today wasn't physical but psychological—accepting that consistency doesn't mean rigid adherence to the same protocol daily, but rather showing up with the intention to progress, even if that sometimes involves strategic modifications.

#MiddleAgedGymnastics #StrategicAdaptation #ProgressPhotos

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A Middle-Aged Man’s Guide to Beginner Gymnastics is awaiting an official announcement, but has a planned latest release date of January 2026.

Jay Horne is the author of the science fiction fantasy realm of Rootworld where magic came before science. His latest works explore the discovery of magic on the Earth when the first witch is born and turns water into wine. Now, both realms are trying to educate and acclimate their students into new subjects.

Jay is the father of four and works as a cardiac monitor tech while he writes. He has a newsletter at substack called Stories that Slap. The only thing he loves more than writing is fooling his children.