175lbs Down and I don't recognize myself anymore!

FlakeyMusician

I started at 400lbs January 2016. Now I've been hovering around 225lbs since the end of December. I'm obviously fine with this. If I lose more, great. If I gain a bit, great. I've been IF 20:4 and eating Keto from the beginning, always using a macro calculator monthly to make sure my intake is on point.

At the moment I'm averaging around 2000-2500 calories with macros of 210g protein, 30g net carbs, and the rest fat. I do this to ensure my body has what it needs to at least maintain my muscles. I lift everyday except Sundays, following golden era bodybuilding routines. I just recently went from Gironda Muscle has 4 sides to Gironda's 8x8. It's rough going sometimes, but can't argue with the results!

I literally looked at myself in the mirror today and didn't recognize myself. It was a pretty crazy realization. My abs are about to come through. Definition is finally coming. I have a bit of loose skin but not as bad as one would think! Genetics and lotion maybe coming into play? Who knows. I'm extremely happy with my progress. I recently went to see my family and they haven't seen me since I was 400lbs and they were all shocked. It feels pretty good.

I'm just here to say, if I can do it, a lazy slob, then anyone can. I still play video games. I still drink alcohol. I pretty much sit on my *kitten* the whole day. But for that one hour a day, I work as hard as I can to ensure I continue to make progress. I was on blood pressure medication, but no more. I was prescribed a CPAP machine. No need anymore. I was prediabetic. No more.

I still have work to do. I'm still a work in progress. I don't think I'll ever be done. But it's nice to see and feel like a new man. As one of my sports obsessed friends likes to say, I've literally lost a weight class. That's pretty crazy. I've signed up for some stupid nuts obstacle course run. Crazy thing is, I'm actually looking forward to it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Add me if you want. I'll accept. If you want to check out my diary, it's open.

L1zardQueen

Wow, you look terrific! Way to go!

lorrpb

Very cool!

k2theSo

Uuuuhhhmazing!!! For real great work!

halizabeth

Very inspiring.... Thanks for sharing with us!!

success313

You put in the hard work and look at you now! Congratulations on your new life!

Ilb320

Amazing job. Great results.

momofamadhouse

Awesome work! It's kind of weird when your own family doesn't recognize you isn't it?

RedsGirl73

WTG! Amazing job!

naomillion

What an amazing transformation! You surely look like a new man. Congratulations, Mr Rockstar!
Now I need to find my jaw that I dropped when I read this thread. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!

MissSaturday

Mamma mia man!!

jeanmariemcp

Great job! You look amazing!

spolk47

Wow! You look wonderful!

Kilika735

Amazing Job!!! All that hard work really paid off!

Mithridites

It's inspiring to see your transformation. Well done!
Just curious about one thing: how much would you say you spend weekly or montly on supplements?

NannersBalletLegs

Holy cow! What a transformation!

laceyslabaugh

You are amazing!! Congratulations and Keep up the GREAT work !!!!!

CorneliusPhoton

I get so happy when I hear things like this:

I was on blood pressure medication, but no more. I was prescribed a CPAP machine. No need anymore. I was prediabetic. No more.

Awesome!

craignev

Wow!...great dedication and results. Very well done

majesticdj

Wow wow and WOW.... what an amazing transformation!!! Great work

bijouchocolat

You are an inspiration!! Keep it up!!!

FlakeyMusician

wow!! thanks for all the kudos!! It's extremely flattering. Lets see if I can answer a few of these questions...

momofamadhouse wrote: »

Awesome work! It's kind of weird when your own family doesn't recognize you isn't it?

YES! It's pretty nuts. Weight problem runs on my mother's side of the family. My dad's is pretty fit. My sister got the good genes lol. I'm fine with it now, though. Just means I have to work harder.

naomillion wrote: »

What an amazing transformation! You surely look like a new man. Congratulations, Mr Rockstar!
Now I need to find my jaw that I dropped when I read this thread. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!

Found your jaw lmao thanks for the nickname. I'm going to try to make it catch on hahaha!

Mithridites wrote: »

It's inspiring to see your transformation. Well done!
Just curious about one thing: how much would you say you spend weekly or montly on supplements?

I really don't spend that much. Like $50-$60/month. I'm trying a few new things to see if they work for me so it's gone up a bit the past couple months, but I'm also a thrift shopper when it comes to the supplements. I'm always looking for deals. priceplow.com is definitely my friend!

RockyThreads wrote: »

FOR SOME REASON A PRIVATE MESSAGE WON'T GO THROUGH:


First off congrats. I am so inspired by your story. I am saving it to reference whenever I get frustrated or want to quit.

I started at 326lbs a year ago. I am 6ft 2inches. I have gotten down only to 309 in a whole year - boo. Been on this journey many times before losing at most 40lbs. But am geared up again to get it right this time. I believe I am likely prediabetic from things going on with my body. I want to rip up every picture people take of me. I can't do the things I want (hike, backpack, swim with friends, take my shirt off outside, BREATHE, etc). I use a CPAP too (sometimes). I want all this to stop!

I am literally just starting this week. Trying to follow a LCHF system because it seems easiest to me. Meats + veggies + fats. No pasta, pizza, bread, etc which always get me in trouble and are my arch nemesis. No exercise planned yet - was thinking of starting out just walking. Exercise is what ended my journey last time when I stress fractured my foot. But healed up and back at it.

When you first started at 400lbs what was your exercise like - any plan you followed?

What about eating when you first started out - any plan your followed? Rules you lived by?

Any tips, suggestions, ideas, etc would be amazing. Would love insight and ideas for someone who has been there and done it. Again congrats.

This really hits home. I struggled all my life with the same issues you are currently having. Let me go in order. I'm 6'4" if that matters and when I started, I realized diet was the main thing. I needed to go extreme or not at all. I decided on a keto diet with emphasis on protein. My macros run at around 1:1 ratio grams to lean body weight for protein. If a bit higher no big deal. My net carbs are 30g. If lower, no big deal but not too low because you have to feed your brain and organs with the carbs. The rest fat. My calories are pretty consistent at around 2000 calories a day. Intermittent Fasting helped A LOT for me to keep control of my calorie consumption, but I'm also the first to admit it's not for everyone. I usually eat like a pig in a four hour window and call it good. With the keto diet I do, you pretty much can't have beer, bread, sweets, starchy veggies, etc. I've learned that my body holds onto the carbs and looking back on all the crap I ate, I can totally see it.

I started exercising doing the Body for Life exercise routine. 6 days on 1 day off. You can search the routine. It's readily available. I did that for about 4-5 months and started looking for some other routine. I somehow stumbled onto Vince Gironda. You have to realize, I'm still a lazy mofo most of the day. I sit on my butt and play video games all day if I could. I do not like going to the gym. I do it though, because I can't argue with the results. My goal for the gym is to lift for 45-60 minutes. No more. This means I have to work my butt off to make sure I get all my sets and reps in within those minutes. I build up a major sweat every single time. I sacrifice my valuable time for that one hour every day to make sure I continue to be healthy and so I EARN my lazy.

My food is pretty much standard everyday. My food diary is open so you are more than welcome to look. Every once in a while you'll see chicken crust pizza or a fatburger with no bun. Those are the days I crave cheese. It doesn't happen often, maybe every week or two. Cheese makes me retain, I've noticed, so I pretty much keep that as a once in a blue moon type of thing. Usually for a wrestling PPV lol. I'm also a peanut butter nut, but I've found a couple tablespoons of powdered peanut butter in my nightly protein shake deals with that craving. I'm also a cookie nut. LOVE cookies. I found a delicious shortbread cookie recipe that uses almond flour that I tear up once a month or so. These are all things I've learned throughout the year by reddit and straight up searching the internet whenever a craving hits. I just remember, it's a craving and can't have it everyday. My mantra is treats are for dogs.

Like I said before, you are more than welcome to add me as a friend to have a better idea of what I do and how I do it.

Amazinn22

I just joined myfitpal yesterday congrats on you weight loss I'm 39 morbidly obese 390 to 400 may be more I'm trying to get a life for my son I been fat for almost my entire adult life I gained lots of ailments over the years cardiovascular high blood pressure and a bad back you heard it all before I'm sure I'm in pain most of the time its like my skeleton bones and muscles hurt and take more time to stop hurting than normal size people when you started you journey what where some of the things you did to stop pain or did you just fight thru it and at my weight should I walk or bike ride to start

highlightshadow

Amazing work!!! So very impressed and inspired

FlakeyMusician

Amazinn22 wrote: »

I just joined myfitpal yesterday congrats on you weight loss I'm 39 morbidly obese 390 to 400 may be more I'm trying to get a life for my son I been fat for almost my entire adult life I gained lots of ailments over the years cardiovascular high blood pressure and a bad back you heard it all before I'm sure I'm in pain most of the time its like my skeleton bones and muscles hurt and take more time to stop hurting than normal size people when you started you journey what where some of the things you did to stop pain or did you just fight thru it and at my weight should I walk or bike ride to start

If stuff hurts I would go to the doc and change your diet first. Add exercise little by little. My experience is losing weight is mostly diet. Once your diet is in check then start adding whatever exercise you like. I like weights, so I lift. But that's just me.

I really didn't have pain starting off. But I was obviously on the road to that. Getting the weight down will help you be more mobile. Trust me when I say we didn't get to be 400lbs by being eating right. We ate way too much than what we should. The first couple months, after cutting down my calories, I lost like 40ish lbs or so. Maybe 50lbs. I don't remember. I can guarantee you it's because my body needed more calories than I was taking in to maintain the 400lbs.

The first step is always the hardest. Congrats on that! Now is the next hardest. Keeping the momentum going. But if I can do it, anyone can. Keep it up!

Amazinn22

Thank you for this advice and info I'm going to take it to heart and change my life I'm a hit the weights light though lol ✌

Ms_Consistency

What an inspiration!! You look great!

TCB40Life

Amazing I am a work in progress but I am enjoying it!!!

dorisj717

Wow! Amazing! What an inspiration!

wildfire1204

This is truly a great share, and just the motivation I needed to slowly begin lifting again. Congrats on this awesome success!

tufntender

You look awesome. Thank you for sharing.

I will show this to a dear friend of mine who is obese and has said a million times he needs to diet or lose weight or change his eating habits. Go on this diet or that diet, Become a vegetation. I have heard it all. It has never happened.

I have known him most all of my adult life. He has had diabetes probably most of his life but refused to go to the doctor. He finally had to go a couple of years back because of an illness and of course his sugar was sky high and he was put on medication.
In addition to this, his eyesight has gotten blurry and he now has to go to an eye doctor and get some sort of shot in his eye ( shudder). His ankles and knees hurt constantly.
I spent some time with him not too long ago and cooked healthy food while I was there but found fast food bags in his truck, he said he was addicted to fast food.
Maybe your post will help. I remember when we were young, he was overweight but he was lifting weights and enjoyed it, and he still has a weight bench, so maybe this hits home for him. Sorry for the ramble but I care about my friend deeply and I don't want to lose him.