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

AtticWindow · May 2014

No questioning, just ogling

rgilsenan1 · May 2014

5x5 training is a method of training that has you doing 5 sets of 5 reps for your heavy compounds like bench, squat, rows, etc. There are several programs out there. The "Ice Cream Fitness 5x5" is my favorite. Google it if you want to check it out. Stronglifts 5x5 is another.

ICF 5x5 this guy knows what hes talking about

Will_Thrust_For_Candy · May 2014

First off.....OP absolutely fantastic work. You look phenomenal and I absolutely appreciate the fact that you have given solid advice throughout this thread, something which is often lacking in forum land here on MFP. Now I'm going to go and perv on you because.....HOT.

:flowerforyou:

Secondly.....for the life of me I can't understand why people are nitpicking if the OP was obese or morbidly obese? I mean really. :huh:

AnabolicKyle · May 2014

another question

What are your goals from here?
weight
lifting
fitness
etc

seehowyousoar · May 2014

Home workouts won't really compare to using barbells and dumbbells. Do you have a YMCA around you? Many of them have a policy to never turn people away due to cost. They will work with you. My buddy was allowed to join for 5 bucks a month.

Thanks for your reply!
Unfortunately I live in Croatia, so we have no such things here, I might be wrong but I highly doubt it...
Gym membership here is around 40$ for 3 days/week access, and sadly I can't spare that much.

But I guess it's time to start saving up!
Thank you again, I appreciate it.

NadiaJalal1999 · May 2014

I'm having big issues with getting rid of my extra stomach fat. How did you get results?

jofjltncb6 · May 2014

I'm having big issues with getting rid of my extra stomach fat. How did you get results?

(I'm not OP, but I bet I know what he'll say: by losing fat from all over. Where you lose fat first and last is entirely genetics. All fat is lost in a deficit...so if you still have fat somewhere (like your stomach), then you simply need to continue at an appropriate deficit for an appropriate amount of time. Okay, now I'll stop stepping on his thread and let him say what he wants to say. [kanyeimmaletyoufinish.gif])

ETA: this is advice is for grown adults and not growing kids. Just saying in case there was any possible confusion or before my advice happens to be misused by the latter.

lavendy17 · May 2014

You are very inspiring and wise.
I have a few questions.

1. Did you eat at a caloric deficit? I want to lose 10 lbs but more than that I want to be fit and strong. I am doing The New Rules of Lifting For Women and plan to switch to 5x5 after I'm done. I am unsure my daily calorie goal is correct. I feel pretty good about it but wanted to hear from someone who managed to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time.

2. How much can you lift now for squats and deadlifts? Just curious.

melaniecmajors · May 2014

I starting lifting maybe 6 months into my weight loss. Originally it was just diet and running. I wish I would have started lifting from the get go though. That would be what I consider my number 1 mistake. As for the type of lifting, I did it wrong at first by doing a typical "bro split" where you do a body part a day with high reps and low weight. I later switched to 5x5 training which is what I would have started with day 1 if I had to go back and do it again. I currently do a upper/lower 4 day a week split for intermediate lifters.

Are you doing strong lifts 5x5? that's what i just started after 6 weeks of insanity...

Ramen237 · May 2014

Wow, congratulations on your huge success!!! :drinker:

I hope to lose my last 10-15 lbs soon, but after reaching my goal weight I would like to build more muscle.

Would you recommend lifting to a female (I've always thought of it as a "guy thing")?
Is it the best way to get stronger muscles and maintain them?
I'm still recovering from what might have been tendonitis/tennis elbow/shoulder/nerve injury in one of my arms (doctors' opinions vary on what it actually is), is lifting likely to aggravate it?

Thanks! I'm sticking around to read all your other answers. They have been very informative and inspiring!

vismal · May 2014

So many great questions. I'm at work now but I'll answer them all tomorrow (I work nights). Just an FYI, my bmi at 6'1 315lb would have been 41.6. Morbid obesity is usually considered a bmi > 40, depending on what source you use.

Frogtalk · May 2014

You don't want to stay at 1200 calories.. that puts the body into starvation mode, and it will hang on to all the fat it can. Have MFP figure out what your MBR is for a day, then subtract 500 calories or so from that. That should give you a weight loss projection of a pound a week, which is very doable. If your body is used to eating 3000 calories, going to 1200 will shock it in bad ways.

Frogtalk · May 2014

Try picking up some free weights (I know WalMart carries them, I don't know if a dept store in Croatia would) and use those. You could spend maybe a months worth of gym time total, and have the weights for a much longer time.

Frogtalk · May 2014

You can lift

My fitness class has a program of 30 minutes of cardio (about 14 min "normal" pace and 16 minutes of kill yourself sprinting), plus a weight program for 15 minutes, then 10 of stretching. Obviously with that little time on weights, I can't' work every area, but I am working on shoulder /chest, back, quads, and hamstring ATM. The instructor changes up the weights every few months, so by the end of the year, I have covered most of my main areas.

I am gaining muscle and losing body fat, so the scale hasn't moved in like 20 months. BUT, I do have someone measure me every so often, and as of my last measuring from Oct 3 to Mar 19, I lost 4 inches off my body

So don't be scale obsessed if you want to gain muscle. Muscle is more dense and heavier than fat, so the scale won't budge for a while.

lorigrocks · May 2014

You look amazing wow...I'm sure I will have lots of questions to ask you later lol.

gwhizeh · May 2014

Im pretty sure I seen you on bodybulding.com. Checked out a youtube vid even. Pretty sure its you, lol. If not, either way an amazing transformation and dedication!