I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything

Mjanegranger

Thank you for sharing your success story and the words of encouragement and wisdom for others to gain from your journey. Great job! I am according to the charts obese and wish to loose 50 pounds. May not seem like a lot to many but it is to me. I would like more information on the 5 X 5 weight lifting that you said you would have used from day 1. Do you have a link that would give me more information on it? I am a female and 54 years old. What would you suggest for me for weight lifting? I appreciate your help. Congratulations again you look great!

annaskiski

Jane, There's a great group here called
Stronglifts 5x5 for Women.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
(or just search Stronglifts under groups)

It has a very good explanation of the program, and a great support system. The basic Stronglifts app is (still I think) free on your phone. (don't pay for extras, not worth it)

There is a Stronglifts website, but less friendly for women. The above group has everything you need.

vismal

grier250 wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

I've always wanted to do an AMA so I thought I'd set one up here. The basics about my story are that I went from 315lbs to 195 and have been making small gains in muscles/losses to fat ever since. Ask me anything, anything at all!


Add me as a friend on here too!

Hey I am also a person of dramatic weight loss. I used to be 378 pounds and now I am 225. And counting. I am currently in the recruiting stage for the United States Marine Corps. However, I know that I am going to have to eventually get some skin removed. Do you know how to go about this if you are not financially stable to afford cosmetic surgery.

Unfortunately I know of no way, unless you had a doctor find a way to get health insurance to cover it, or a doctor that would do it for free. Sometimes you can finance plastic surgery but that will actually only make it cost more in the long run.

manfa1980 wrote: »

Hi I was just wondering what the first bits of exercise you started to do were??? Im the same size as what you started at and need to get down to where you are now but as you know being this size sometimes even getting dressed is tiring.. Any help would be great.!

Any exercise is okay. Do something you enjoy and can tolerate. Pick something you can be consistent with. I also recommend that everyone, at some point, add weight lifting to their routine.

youlikethis

Quick question, did you take protein to get from the middle picture to the last?

camoloud456

Congratulations you look great! I was just wondering if you found as the weight was dropping it was coming off evenly or from different places? I'm kinda stuck cos I've lost 55lbs. My ribs are starting to show and bones in my chest which is thin enough for me but I would like to lose more off my arms and legs....is this gonna be down to exercise?

ny24j1022

Congrats! You are such an inspiration. I have been on my diet for a week and a half now and I am down 10 pounds. My question is, is there a right way and a wrong way to do this or do you just lose the weight how you feel seems right for you?

Dorine315

When you were starting out, how did you maintain motivation? Do you have any advice for someone (me) new to My Fitness Pal? Thanks!

vismal

youlikethis wrote: »

Quick question, did you take protein to get from the middle picture to the last?

I eat protein every day. By "take protein" I assume you mean protein powder. Don't think of protein powder as a supplement, think of it as food. If you want to use it to help hit your protein requirement for the day, that's fine, if you want to eat whole food instead, that's fine too.

camoloud456 wrote: »

Congratulations you look great! I was just wondering if you found as the weight was dropping it was coming off evenly or from different places? I'm kinda stuck cos I've lost 55lbs. My ribs are starting to show and bones in my chest which is thin enough for me but I would like to lose more off my arms and legs....is this gonna be down to exercise?

This is actually all genetic. I lost most of my weight fairly evenly until I got very lean. At that point my stomach and lower back seemed to hold fat the most. This is common for men. You cannot spot reduce fat so exercise won't really help this problem.

vismal

ny24j1022 wrote: »

Congrats! You are such an inspiration. I have been on my diet for a week and a half now and I am down 10 pounds. My question is, is there a right way and a wrong way to do this or do you just lose the weight how you feel seems right for you?

While I wouldn't say any one way is "the right way", there are plenty of "wrong ways". Going super low calories for extended periods of time is not a good idea. I personally believe highly restrictive diets can work in the short term but have major issues with long term compliance. My preferred approach, and the one I think is appropriate for at least 80% of people, is to simply set a calorie goal that puts you into a caloric deficit. Eat foods you enjoy while staying under your calorie goal. Eat enough protein and fat to hit minimums while staying under the goal, and then fill your remaining calories with whatever you want to eat.

Dorine315 wrote: »

When you were starting out, how did you maintain motivation? Do you have any advice for someone (me) new to My Fitness Pal? Thanks!

To stay motivated you must recognize that this is a very slow process. Set reasonable, obtainable goals. Long term goals are great but they are also lofty and hard to concentrate on when they seem so far off. 2-3 month short term goals are more concrete. As for tips for newbies, the number one thing I can recommend is to learn how to count calories correctly. Your log is only as accurate as you are. Lots of guessing, mislogging, or cheating makes the entire process far less effective.

thisisabbie

Amazing work! You're my hero!

Mjanegranger

Thank you Annaskiski for posting site for more information on the 5X5 for women. I will view it--thanks again for your help.

ny24j1022

Vismal, thank you for answering my question. I am definitely determined!

erbass411

Wow great job. Reading your success story is a big motivator for me. Thanks

muneeraisha237

Hii. I m 5'3 and weigh 198 lbs. can you please guide me with loosing weight. I m bad with exercise. Though i have started doing yoga. Is it necessary to work out for weight loss or just sticking with the calorie intake would help.

LAMCDylan

I am a little confused. Earlier, someone asked you a question and you said that you cannot lose weight and build muscle at the same time. Then later you said you wished you were lifting from day 1. Could you explain why you wish you were lifting from day 1? And is it not possible to build muscle and lose weight? I've heard from several long time body builders that you can. Basically, you eat enough protein to sustain your muscle mass while eating a calorie deficit. And if you incorporate some lifting you shouldn't lose any muscle. You lose body fat and sustain and/or build muscle. Is this all correct?

chloeelizabethm

Wow! I definitely have extra motivation for the gym! What you've done is incredible, well done

vismal

muneeraisha237 wrote: »

Hii. I m 5'3 and weigh 198 lbs. can you please guide me with loosing weight. I m bad with exercise. Though i have started doing yoga. Is it necessary to work out for weight loss or just sticking with the calorie intake would help.

To lose weight you simply need to eat less calories than you burn in a day. Exercise increases the calories you burn. Lifting weights helps ensure the weight you lose is fat.

LAMCDylan wrote: »

I am a little confused. Earlier, someone asked you a question and you said that you cannot lose weight and build muscle at the same time. Then later you said you wished you were lifting from day 1. Could you explain why you wish you were lifting from day 1? And is it not possible to build muscle and lose weight? I've heard from several long time body builders that you can. Basically, you eat enough protein to sustain your muscle mass while eating a calorie deficit. And if you incorporate some lifting you shouldn't lose any muscle. You lose body fat and sustain and/or build muscle. Is this all correct?

Gaining muscle while losing fat isn't impossible, it's just extremely difficult for most. People new to lifting, the obese, teenagers, and those who use PEDs can usually do it without tons of difficulty but for the rest of us, it's an uphill battle. The reason lifting is important in a deficit is to preserve muscle, not necessarily build it. Even if you are able to pull off a true recomp, it's almost always less efficient then traditional bulk / cut cycles.

LAMCDylan

Vismal, another quick question.

My situation now is like your situation when you started. I am about the size you were. Though, I do have some good muscle mass. My arms, chest, and legs got good amounts of muscle. It is only my belly and waist where a lot of the fat is. Right now I am tracking calories and keeping a deficit. I am also doing P90. After this I plan on doing P90x. From that point I have no plans yet on an exercise or workout program. My goal is to lose belly fat but preserve most of my muscle. What are your thoughts on the way I am doing things right now? What types of exercise or workout programs do you suggest now and/or in the future?

Thanks for your help

vismal

LAMCDylan wrote: »

Vismal, another quick question.

My situation now is like your situation when you started. I am about the size you were. Though, I do have some good muscle mass. My arms, chest, and legs got good amounts of muscle. It is only my belly and waist where a lot of the fat is. Right now I am tracking calories and keeping a deficit. I am also doing P90. After this I plan on doing P90x. From that point I have no plans yet on an exercise or workout program. My goal is to lose belly fat but preserve most of my muscle. What are your thoughts on the way I am doing things right now? What types of exercise or workout programs do you suggest now and/or in the future?

Thanks for your help

I do not think p90x is nearly as efficient at maintaining muscle mass as barbell and dumbbell training. I think of p90x programs more like interval cardio than I do strength training.

LAMCDylan

Gotcha. Thanks for the tips.

maram29

Congratulations! What an accomplishment. Very inspiring.

Pembo77

Hey man... Great Job!

Sorry if you already answered this but... What macros did you use for weight loss?
Had a quick look at your diary. Is it 45/30/25 (protien/carbs/fat respectively)??

I only have a bit to lose so I'm running about 4 days a week & about to start 5x5 again. I've had a few attempts to get cut before but never seem to get to get rid of the final bit of stomach fat so kudos to you man.

GameOfPounds

Wow! That is some great work. Congrats for your dedication,it really paid off!

vismal

Pembo77 wrote: »

Hey man... Great Job!

Sorry if you already answered this but... What macros did you use for weight loss?
Had a quick look at your diary. Is it 45/30/25 (protien/carbs/fat respectively)??

I only have a bit to lose so I'm running about 4 days a week & about to start 5x5 again. I've had a few attempts to get cut before but never seem to get to get rid of the final bit of stomach fat so kudos to you man.

I never use percentages to calculate macros. That method is a bit outdated. My own macros have changed vastly throughout the process of losing fat. This is how I calculate things now: http://youtu.be/7cc18wLJW3k

abhisheksengupta

Congratulations! Great transformation indeed.
I have a few questions, it'll be a great favor if you (or others) could help me on these:

So about me:
Male, 21, 5'10
Waist - 32 inches
Current weight - 160 lbs

I was touching obesity at 212 lbs and had a lot of body fat (man boobs, love handles and everywhere else), little muscle due to my lack of physical activity. I have lost 52 lbs starting last June. A bulk of that was lost in the four months. Even though my weight loss and physical transformation was speedy and visible I kind of overkilled it by doing a few mistakes: Low calorie diet (started with 1300 calories and averaged at 1600-1700). I walked for 2 hours a day (gym+college and back, with earphones on) and a bulk of gym time was spent in cycling (30-45 minutes). Total 75 minutes of steady cardio and very little weights (mostly to strengthen my weak calves for running).

By December I dropped to lean waist and sizes but although I 'look' pretty fit in my jackets and jerseys now much to the amazement of everyone who saw me obese just a few months back, I still have considerable belly fat (tire shaped which is grabbable in the fists on the back) and bit of fat on my chest which are burning off relatively slowly. Rest of my body remains in pretty thinnish shape. I have relatively muscular arms and thighs now. And 32' waist and jeans sync mostly well.
Basically I'm at a good weight and frame but body fat still high imo. Google tells me I'm skinny fat.

Q1. I don't want to go any thinner. How do I burn away rest of my fat without going thinner? Calorie deficits may go against me.

Q2. I joined the gym after 2 months of exams and holidays. Have begun strength training in the past 10 days. How much is sufficient/too much? Is 6 days a week (muscle group on alternate days) fine or too much? I have been sore few times, but have gotten stronger.
Also should I focus on core and back workouts?

Q3. How much extra calories do I account for when strength training? I have been eating roughly 2200-2400 cals on average with emphasis on protein, calcium, fibre and post workout (night) carbs.

Q4. I have stuck to walking 3-5 miles a day (I enjoy it), and do HIIT twice a week for 20 minutes. Is that fine?

Q5. Lastly I don't want a body builder look, a leaner, athletic (say Christiano) look is my aim. How do I juggle between losing fat and building muscle? Especially for the abdominal area (which was significantly more fat and tire like even when I was at 212 lbs)

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

vismal

abhisheksengupta wrote: »

Q1. I don't want to go any thinner. How do I burn away rest of my fat without going thinner? Calorie deficits may go against me. You can't. You will not lose the rest of your fat without a calorie deficit and losing more weight. One option is to focus on muscle builder for a period of time, gain a few lbs, then switch back to fat loss so you look more muscular then you do thin in the areas that worry you.

Q2. I joined the gym after 2 months of exams and holidays. Have begun strength training in the past 10 days. How much is sufficient/too much? Is 6 days a week (muscle group on alternate days) fine or too much? I have been sore few times, but have gotten stronger.
Also should I focus on core and back workouts? This depends on your calories and your goal. If you are still going to be in a deficit I recommend 3 total body workouts a week. If you are going to be in a surplus, 3-5 days a week is usually enough. Most beginners do best on a 3 day a week total body routine like ICF 5x5 or stronglifts. Doing 1 body part each day is inefficient. You should always try to hit everything 2-3 times a week.

Q3. How much extra calories do I account for when strength training? I have been eating roughly 2200-2400 cals on average with emphasis on protein, calcium, fibre and post workout (night) carbs. Again, this depends on your goals. I wouldn't add in any extra calories if you plan on continuing to lose weight, but if you are trying to gain muscle, add in enough so that you are gaining about 1/2 a lb a week.

Q4. I have stuck to walking 3-5 miles a day (I enjoy it), and do HIIT twice a week for 20 minutes. Is that fine?The walking is fine, HIIT twice a week might be overkill if you are doing all that strength training. A true HIIT session is similar to a strength training bout in terms of recovery.

Q5. Lastly I don't want a body builder look, a leaner, athletic (say Christiano) look is my aim. How do I juggle between losing fat and building muscle? Especially for the abdominal area (which was significantly more fat and tire like even when I was at 212 lbs)A "bodydbuilder" look is never achieved by accident, it takes many years of training to specifically look that way so don't worry, it won't just happen. Most people do alternating periods of muscle gain followed by fat loss. It's called bulk/cut cycling. You spend 4-6 months in a small caloric surplus. You seek to gain around 2 lbs a month. Say after 6 months you've gained 12 lbs. You can then do a cutting phase for around 2-3 months and then lose the 12 lbs you gained. The idea is to lose mostly fat when cutting and to gain a mix of fat and muscle when bulking. The net result after a bulk followed by a cut should be muscle gain, and fat loss. Each cycle should leave you leaner yet more muscular. As time goes on, you will generally gain less and less muscle each time you bulk. The more muscle you have, the harder it is to build new muscle.

Answers above in bold.

mrshewitt1975

Love this thread! So informative!

Freddi_O

You actually look fantastic! Congrats on losing the weight and your engagement. What would a typical day in your food diary look like?