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

vismal

BuccaneersFan wrote: »

As I'm sure it's a problem for most, when I'm on a cut my energy level when I lift diminishes quite a lot. What I would like to know is what is the minimum amount of sets and reps I can do during a cut to not lose strength and muscle mass. So lets say for example during a bulk I'm doing 5 sets of 200lbs. in squats, what is the minimum sets and reps I can get away with during a cut?

It's going to vary from person to person but you can probably cut both volume (total sets and reps) and frequency (how often you hit a muscle group) by up to 60%. For instance if I was doing a 5x5 4 times a week I could easily switch to a 3x5 3 times a week. The key is not reducing intensity (weight on the bar). Keep the weight on the bar the same, just cut back on as many sets/reps/days a week you need to make that possible.

SparklyBubblyBabe wrote: »

Damn! My question is: how do you feel!

I feel pretty great. It's hard to describe all the major and minor differences in how one feels physically and emotionally after losing so much weight!

Jezreel12

You're so wise Vismal

vmtama27

HELP. I'm stuck at 47lbs loss!! I can't get over this hump and I don't know what else to do! Did you plateau? How did you go over it!?

vismal

vmtama27 wrote: »

HELP. I'm stuck at 47lbs loss!! I can't get over this hump and I don't know what else to do! Did you plateau? How did you go over it!?

Real stalls occur for really only 1 reason. Before we get into that we need to determine if you are really stalled. How long has it been since you've seen weight loss? Sometimes weight loss is occurring and masked from the everyday fluctuations in weight. I recommend weighing daily and logging weights at trendweight.com which will give you a nice graph showing the trend of your weight. If, after 3 weeks or so of daily weight logging your trend is not moving downward you have indeed stalled. The reason this happens is that you are no longer in a calorie deficit. One way or another you're not eating less per day then you are burning. This can happen because you're calorie goal is too high (did you adjust it down after losing nearly 50 lbs?) or you might be eating more than you think (very common). Are you weighing all your food on a food scale? Do you have cheat days and if so how often? How often are you guesstimating calories? How many calories are you currently eating and for how long?

Schila64

vismal wrote: »

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.

Can you guide me on how to use the Stronglift Spreadsheet. I entered the day I start and my current weight in Kg. Then it says Body Fat , which I don't know. The other thing that I noted is the number below the exercise. For example it says Squat 5x5 and below 20. Is that the weight I should squat with? Those numbers look too heavy for a woman.

Blubberbuster1

So many posts, I know someone must have asked this, but TL;DR.

Did you hit a plateau? At what weight(s) and how long roughly did it take to break through them? How did you adjust to overcome them? I also saw you say you wish you started lifting day one, do you mean you wish you didn't do cardio and strictly did a weight loss journey based off of lifting alone? Or do you mean both? What do you think about 1 hour fasted cardio in the mornings and lifting at night on 2000 calories per day?

Fit_in_Folsom

I just wanted to give a personal shout out to Vismal for all he does for this group. There are a handful of people that really devote their time to paying back to this community. He is one of them and he really knows his stuff. Thanks man!

vismal

Schila64 wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

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.

Can you guide me on how to use the Stronglift Spreadsheet. I entered the day I start and my current weight in Kg. Then it says Body Fat , which I don't know. The other thing that I noted is the number below the exercise. For example it says Squat 5x5 and below 20. Is that the weight I should squat with? Those numbers look too heavy for a woman.

I've never used the spreadsheet. The basic idea of the 5x5 is you pick a starting weight, something you are able to complete all 5 sets with 5 reps reasonably easy with good form. If you complete all the reps and all the sets add 5 lbs for the next week. I'm guessing the spreadsheet puts arbitrary starting weights in that are probably not specific to you or your level of training. The starting weight should be based on what you find easy/difficult, not a cookie cutter number.

mawill08 wrote: »

So many posts, I know someone must have asked this, but TL;DR.

Did you hit a plateau? At what weight(s) and how long roughly did it take to break through them? How did you adjust to overcome them? I also saw you say you wish you started lifting day one, do you mean you wish you didn't do cardio and strictly did a weight loss journey based off of lifting alone? Or do you mean both? What do you think about 1 hour fasted cardio in the mornings and lifting at night on 2000 calories per day?

Everyone hits "plateaus" including me. The first thing to do is make sure this is a real stall and not just water retention or daily weight fluctuation masking actual loss. To do this you really must weigh daily. I then take my daily weight and track it on trendweight.com. This is key because daily weights in a vacuum are almost meaningless. Trendweight does a rolling average of your weight and makes sense of the minor gains and losses that occur each day. If after 3-4 weeks your trend is a flat line then you can officially say you have stalled. Real stalls only really occur when you are not eating in a deficit. This happens because you either have your calorie goal set too high or you are eating more than you think (very common). I address eating more than you think in this thread http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. If you are very certain of your calorie count (doing most of the things in the guide especially weighing all your food) and still not losing, then it's time to reduce calories by about 10%.

Lifting along with cardio is probably best if you have a decent amount of weight to lose. Diet is more important than lifting which is more important than cardio (and should be prioritized as such) IMO if you goal is weight loss/body recomposition. Fasted cardio is no better or worse then fed cardio so it doesn't really matter when you do it other than that I would recommend doing it right before weight training though early in the day or right after is fine. As to how long your cardio sessions should be, this depends on the intensity. An hour of medium or high intensity cardio might be too much if you are also weight training. If you are doing low intensity like walking then an hour even every day is fine. As far as 2000 calories a day I can't really say if that is a good calorie goal or not without knowing your height, weight, age, and activity level.

bfanny

Hi To flatten my mid section do you think I should aim to recomp or keep losing? 5'4 130-132 42 y/o

vismal

bfanny wrote: »

Hi To flatten my mid section do you think I should aim to recomp or keep losing? 5'4 130-132 42 y/o

It's hard to say. In this picture your midsection doesn't look like it's in need of flattening. Simply looking at you height and weight either a little bit more fat loss would be okay but recomp would certainly be appropriate too. It basically depends on what you want more. What's your ultimate goal and what is your training like?

Kimgreen27

Kimgreen27 wrote: »

Sunshine...how much have u lost thus far and how long has it taken you? If u don't mind me asking

vismal

Kimgreen27 wrote: »

Kimgreen27 wrote: »

Sunshine...how much have u lost thus far and how long has it taken you? If u don't mind me asking

The amount lost and time it took is all in the very first post of this tread

BklynFitGuy

Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.

seanoxmix

I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.

fdburnett

Kudos to you on an amazing transformation! Thank you for sharing and giving your advice to so many!!!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

fdburnett

I'm pretty new in my weight loss journey. I'm a 39 year old female, 5'5", & 269 pounds.
With a clean diet, what would you suggest I start with as an exercise regimen? I have stiff knees (one of those lovely symptoms of being morbidly obese) but I'm pretty active most days as I work outdoors....
Thanks for your time!!! Your success helps so many of us!

Megmakesithappen

Having a hard time just getting started. I think it's because the whole process seems overwhelming. What do I set my weekly weight loss goal to? Do I need to eat certain types of food (i.e. low carb, clean food etc)? How often do I work out? Can I just do cardio as I'm not terribly comfortable with weights and don't want to spend money on a trainer? Do I eat those calories back? I need to loss approximately 70-80 pounds. I don't like calculating my TDEE since my workouts are so inconsistent.

bfanny

It's hard to say. In this picture your midsection doesn't look like it's in need of flattening. Simply looking at you height and weight either a little bit more fat loss would be okay but recomp would certainly be appropriate too. It basically depends on what you want more. What's your ultimate goal and what is your training like?
[/quote]

Under my navel (lower abs) I can grab around 2-3 inches of fat I do a lifting class (Body Pump) once a week, lift two more days on my own as heavy as I can (upper/lower body) 1 hr spin once a week and running or elliptical or walking 45 minutes 2-3 days 10k+ steps 6 days a week, one day of rest....I really love my carbs and I hope I don't have to cut them from my diet, my macros are 50 carbs/25 protein/25fat @ 1,500 cals...
Thank you!!!

luciemarieleduc

wow amazing ~

vismal

BklynFitGuy wrote: »

Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.

I'm taking a break from YouTube for now. I am currently finishing up my graduate degree which includes class and clinical time, plus I am still working, plus my wife and I have a 1-year-old so there simply wasn't time. I will hopefully be back after I graduate in November but being realistic it probably won't be until early 2018 because I will be taking boards and job hunting once I graduate.

seanoxmix wrote: »

I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.

Increasing calories only on the days you work out is likely not going to be enough to put on mass efficiently. Bulking is not a free for all where you eat whatever you want and fall back into old habits. If you are currently eating at maintenance, bulking is really only adding about 300 calories a day. That's not much room to make major changes your diet. The prospect of intentionally gaining weight is always difficult for "big losers" and I struggled with the same fears. What's important to remember is that this time your weight gain will be very structured and controlled. It will have and end point (you set a target weight to reach and switch back to fat loss after hitting the target). You also have proven that you know how to successfully lose fat so once you reach the end point you'll know exactly what is needed to lose the added fat. Keeping the surplus modest at 300 calories helps because it prevents adding much more fat than is necessary. Just know there isn't really an effective way to put on muscle without putting on fat. It's just part of the process but also know that you've lost 100 lbs in the past, losing the 15 you gain during a long bulk will be much, much easier!

TeinyWinehouse wrote: »

Really inspirational! Did you experience a plateau at any point? How did you deal with that (if you did)?

Not a true plateau, no. I feel like most people don't, they either get impatient and call a temporary stall a plateau or they are looking at random weigh ins throughout a given period of time and don't realize they are actually losing weight. To me a real plateau is when you've weigh daily, track those weights for a month, and then input those weigh ins to something like trendweight.com which conducts a rolling average and tells you your actual rate of loss. If your trend is zero after a month then you are eating maintenance. When this occurs there is only one way to fix it, create a deficit. You either need to reduce intake or increase output (or a combination of both). That's all a plateau is, eating maintenance.

People end up in maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they lose a lot of weight and simply require less calories per day. Obviously my maintenance was significantly lower at 250 lbs compared to 315, and at 200 lbs it was significantly lower than at 250. Another reason is poor tracking of intake. Calorie counting is hard to do well. I made a whole post about doing it well: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. Finally, when you have been eating in a deficit for a while many people subconsciously start moving less. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreases. NEAT is the unintentional exercise of the day. Walking around, tapping your foot, etc. A way to monitor some of your NEAT is to wear a step counter. I was very surprised to see how much less I moved when dieting compared to when I was in a bulking phase. Setting a consistent step goal helps reduce the variability of the "calories out" side of the equation and lets you focus more on calories in which is generally the variable most in need of manipulation if you aren't losing weight.

vismal

fdburnett wrote: »

I'm pretty new in my weight loss journey. I'm a 39 year old female, 5'5", & 269 pounds.
With a clean diet, what would you suggest I start with as an exercise regimen? I have stiff knees (one of those lovely symptoms of being morbidly obese) but I'm pretty active most days as I work outdoors....
Thanks for your time!!! Your success helps so many of us!

I usually recommend doing some kind of weight training routine. Any proven beginners program is fine (stronglifts, greyskull, starting strength). Start with low weights that you can accomplish easily and work your way up. As far as cardio, just do whatever you enjoy or in my case, hate the least!

Megmakesithappen wrote: »

Having a hard time just getting started. I think it's because the whole process seems overwhelming. What do I set my weekly weight loss goal to? Do I need to eat certain types of food (i.e. low carb, clean food etc)? How often do I work out? Can I just do cardio as I'm not terribly comfortable with weights and don't want to spend money on a trainer? Do I eat those calories back? I need to loss approximately 70-80 pounds. I don't like calculating my TDEE since my workouts are so inconsistent.

I like to take all the complication out of the process. I don't use much of what MFP offers as I feel it's not necessary and can sometimes work against you. I do not set a weight loss goal with MFP nor do I log my exercise. I simply use it as a device to count calories and macronutrients. I eat a set number of calories each day and if I'm not losing weight after several weeks, I reduce calories. Plain and simple. I also do not use MFP's recommendations for calories or macronutrients. I calculate this all myself based on the principles in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cc18wLJW3k

. I know you said you don't like calculating by TDEE but I really feel it's the absolute best way to do it. The numbers given for calories burned by MFP or a fitness device are very much estimates and IMO overestimates for most people (especially the overweight and obese). I advise weights to most everyone as I feel they are hands down more effective at achieving changes in body composition in comparison to cardio. Doing cardio in addition is fine too but I had to pick one or the other it would be weights and it wouldn't even be a close call. You don't necessarily need a training to do basic barbell and dumbbell movements. The key is to start with the weights so light that injury isn't a concern and you can focus on your form. There is no shame whatsoever in using an empty barbell when first starting. Add weight as you become more comfortable. As for cardio, do whatever you enjoy or tolerate the most. Diet will always be the most important factor in weight loss which is why I place so much of the emphasis on that. Once you know how to accurately count your calories it's simply a matter of staying compliant and trusting the process.

Jezreel12

vismal wrote: »

BklynFitGuy wrote: »

Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.

I'm taking a break from YouTube for now. I am currently finishing up my graduate degree which includes class and clinical time, plus I am still working, plus my wife and I have a 1-year-old so there simply wasn't time. I will hopefully be back after I graduate in November but being realistic it probably won't be until early 2018 because I will be taking boards and job hunting once I graduate.

seanoxmix wrote: »

I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.

Increasing calories only on the days you work out is likely not going to be enough to put on mass efficiently. Bulking is not a free for all where you eat whatever you want and fall back into old habits. If you are currently eating at maintenance, bulking is really only adding about 300 calories a day. That's not much room to make major changes your diet. The prospect of intentionally gaining weight is always difficult for "big losers" and I struggled with the same fears. What's important to remember is that this time your weight gain will be very structured and controlled. It will have and end point (you set a target weight to reach and switch back to fat loss after hitting the target). You also have proven that you know how to successfully lose fat so once you reach the end point you'll know exactly what is needed to lose the added fat. Keeping the surplus modest at 300 calories helps because it prevents adding much more fat than is necessary. Just know there isn't really an effective way to put on muscle without putting on fat. It's just part of the process but also know that you've lost 100 lbs in the past, losing the 15 you gain during a long bulk will be much, much easier!

TeinyWinehouse wrote: »

Really inspirational! Did you experience a plateau at any point? How did you deal with that (if you did)?

Not a true plateau, no. I feel like most people don't, they either get impatient and call a temporary stall a plateau or they are looking at random weigh ins throughout a given period of time and don't realize they are actually losing weight. To me a real plateau is when you've weigh daily, track those weights for a month, and then input those weigh ins to something like trendweight.com which conducts a rolling average and tells you your actual rate of loss. If your trend is zero after a month then you are eating maintenance. When this occurs there is only one way to fix it, create a deficit. You either need to reduce intake or increase output (or a combination of both). That's all a plateau is, eating maintenance.

People end up in maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they lose a lot of weight and simply require less calories per day. Obviously my maintenance was significantly lower at 250 lbs compared to 315, and at 200 lbs it was significantly lower than at 250. Another reason is poor tracking of intake. Calorie counting is hard to do well. I made a whole post about doing it well: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. Finally, when you have been eating in a deficit for a while many people subconsciously start moving less. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreases. NEAT is the unintentional exercise of the day. Walking around, tapping your foot, etc. A way to monitor some of your NEAT is to wear a step counter. I was very surprised to see how much less I moved when dieting compared to when I was in a bulking phase. Setting a consistent step goal helps reduce the variability of the "calories out" side of the equation and lets you focus more on calories in which is generally the variable most in need of manipulation if you aren't losing weight.

I'm so happy for all your goals and studying that you're doing for you and your family. I also miss the videos, but what you're doing is most important so keep on ! I'm very proud of you Vismal and at least you still active here to respond to people and give your wise advice in all related fitness. Oh! By the way Vismal, I'm really enjoying Jason Blaha's Workout that you suggested. Thank you. I'm enjoying the whole body workout in contrast to splits and am seeing results indeed. Thank you for that too. Blessings to you and your wife and baby from me.

lrb142014

No questions, but Amazing transformation! Congrats! Very inspiring

amiraammora

Awesome transformation!
I have a one. How did you stay motivated during your journey? I started like a month ago for the six pack. But the resulted is not there yet! I train and eat clean, only this Easter weekend I really messed it up

vismal

bfanny wrote: »

It's hard to say. In this picture your midsection doesn't look like it's in need of flattening. Simply looking at you height and weight either a little bit more fat loss would be okay but recomp would certainly be appropriate too. It basically depends on what you want more. What's your ultimate goal and what is your training like?

Under my navel (lower abs) I can grab around 2-3 inches of fat I do a lifting class (Body Pump) once a week, lift two more days on my own as heavy as I can (upper/lower body) 1 hr spin once a week and running or elliptical or walking 45 minutes 2-3 days 10k+ steps 6 days a week, one day of rest....I really love my carbs and I hope I don't have to cut them from my diet, my macros are 50 carbs/25 protein/25fat @ 1,500 cals...
Thank you!!!

[/quote]

The lower abdomen is among one of the last places fat usually leaves the body. The only way to make it happen is to just keep eating at a deficit and keep losing weight. You may find that you have to get too lean for your liking in order to make it happen. If this begins to happen the better approach IMO is to actually spend some time lean bulking where you gain weight very slowly in an attempt to alter your body composition. For women you ideally only want to gain about a lb a month on average. After a 6-9 month span of doing this you can cut weight again and may find you are able to get lean enough to expose your abs without having to make yourself miserable.

vanette2013

How long did it take to see results

GreyMatterMama

Just wondering how it's going for you years later in the maintenance phase. I am nearing the end of my weight loss and approaching maintenance myself. Please feel free to friend me.

vismal

Jezreel12 wrote: »

vismal wrote: »

BklynFitGuy wrote: »

Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.

I'm taking a break from YouTube for now. I am currently finishing up my graduate degree which includes class and clinical time, plus I am still working, plus my wife and I have a 1-year-old so there simply wasn't time. I will hopefully be back after I graduate in November but being realistic it probably won't be until early 2018 because I will be taking boards and job hunting once I graduate.

seanoxmix wrote: »

I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.

Increasing calories only on the days you work out is likely not going to be enough to put on mass efficiently. Bulking is not a free for all where you eat whatever you want and fall back into old habits. If you are currently eating at maintenance, bulking is really only adding about 300 calories a day. That's not much room to make major changes your diet. The prospect of intentionally gaining weight is always difficult for "big losers" and I struggled with the same fears. What's important to remember is that this time your weight gain will be very structured and controlled. It will have and end point (you set a target weight to reach and switch back to fat loss after hitting the target). You also have proven that you know how to successfully lose fat so once you reach the end point you'll know exactly what is needed to lose the added fat. Keeping the surplus modest at 300 calories helps because it prevents adding much more fat than is necessary. Just know there isn't really an effective way to put on muscle without putting on fat. It's just part of the process but also know that you've lost 100 lbs in the past, losing the 15 you gain during a long bulk will be much, much easier!

TeinyWinehouse wrote: »

Really inspirational! Did you experience a plateau at any point? How did you deal with that (if you did)?

Not a true plateau, no. I feel like most people don't, they either get impatient and call a temporary stall a plateau or they are looking at random weigh ins throughout a given period of time and don't realize they are actually losing weight. To me a real plateau is when you've weigh daily, track those weights for a month, and then input those weigh ins to something like trendweight.com which conducts a rolling average and tells you your actual rate of loss. If your trend is zero after a month then you are eating maintenance. When this occurs there is only one way to fix it, create a deficit. You either need to reduce intake or increase output (or a combination of both). That's all a plateau is, eating maintenance.

People end up in maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they lose a lot of weight and simply require less calories per day. Obviously my maintenance was significantly lower at 250 lbs compared to 315, and at 200 lbs it was significantly lower than at 250. Another reason is poor tracking of intake. Calorie counting is hard to do well. I made a whole post about doing it well: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. Finally, when you have been eating in a deficit for a while many people subconsciously start moving less. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreases. NEAT is the unintentional exercise of the day. Walking around, tapping your foot, etc. A way to monitor some of your NEAT is to wear a step counter. I was very surprised to see how much less I moved when dieting compared to when I was in a bulking phase. Setting a consistent step goal helps reduce the variability of the "calories out" side of the equation and lets you focus more on calories in which is generally the variable most in need of manipulation if you aren't losing weight.

I'm so happy for all your goals and studying that you're doing for you and your family. I also miss the videos, but what you're doing is most important so keep on ! I'm very proud of you Vismal and at least you still active here to respond to people and give your wise advice in all related fitness. Oh! By the way Vismal, I'm really enjoying Jason Blaha's Workout that you suggested. Thank you. I'm enjoying the whole body workout in contrast to splits and am seeing results indeed. Thank you for that too. Blessings to you and your wife and baby from me.

Thank you for the kind words!

amiraammora wrote: »

Awesome transformation!
I have a one. How did you stay motivated during your journey? I started like a month ago for the six pack. But the resulted is not there yet! I train and eat clean, only this Easter weekend I really messed it up

You have to set goals both short term and long. Getting a six pack is very difficult, especially for a female. IMO that's a good long term goal. Unfortunately goals that can take many months or even years can sometimes feel as though they are never going to be completed. This is why short term goals are equally as important. If your long term goal is a six pack, a short term goal might be to lose X amount of weight in a given time frame. For short term goals I like to use between 2-3 months usually. Make it something reasonable and obtainable. If you complete the short term goal you can set a slightly more ambitious one next time. If you fail, examine why. Was the goal too aggressive for the given amount of time? Did you struggle with compliance? Is something about diet or training off? Answering these questions will help you with your next goal. Using both short and long term goals helps you keep motivated even if your ultimate goal seems very far off.

Bradx8148

bump