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

vismal · May 2014

In. Was lurking before, but now in. Great job, great transformation, and very inspiring. Just all around great job at creating a new you.

But really I am in beacuse I want to call out and praise (as others have) your attitude and approach to forum conversations -- freaking awesome! Honest; sincere; not taking bait offered up here and there; not being drawn into side discussions; encouraging to others; polite; gracious.

Your physical transformation is wonderful and inspiring; your online demeanor and presence is even more inspiring, and certainly more unusual. Thank you!

Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes the temptation to be rude or angry is there on the forums. Especially when someone is purposely trolling or really just spouting nonsense. I do my best to still try and be polite and present facts. People are simply more inclined to listen to you that way.

Dude, I just want to say holy crap that is beyond awesome! That is amazing work my hat goes off to you.

Thanks bro!

WOW! You are such an inspiration. And pretty hot too, if you don't mind me saying! Well done you

I don't mind at all!

vismal · May 2014

OK...so based on your answer to my last question, could you confirm the following:

1. Do you think eating below your BMR could cause your metabolism to slow down?
2. Do you believe in metabolism resets?
3. Did you ever eat under your BMR?

Thanks!

Metabolic slowdown WILL occur if you eat below your bmr long enough. Note I said slowdown, not stall, stop, damage, or anything like that. Even in cases of severe calorie restriction, your metabolic rate will never slow enough to stop weight loss. People who stave to death don't do so fat.

Depends what you mean by metabolic reset. If your metabolism has slowed from some prolonged dieting and you add a 100 calories a week back in to your diet slowly does the slowdown reverse? Yes. If you think by adding 100 calories a a week slowly you'll magically be able to eat way more then before you started dieting, no way. There are a lot of people that think reverse dieting can fix metabolic damage. I don't really think a lot of people actually eat low enough for long enough to have metabolic damage. Those with severe under eating disorders might be the select few who do and they should consult a physician and dietitian. For your average MFPer who lost big weight from sensible calorie counting or even if your calories were fairly low, a simple slow return to normal should be all you need.

I don't regularly eat under my BMR. It might happen once in a while if I am really banking calories for the next day. Every now and then I fast a day simply to prove to people that a 24 hour fast will not cause all your muscles to fall off. But I don't eat that low for say, a week. There are safe, and efficient ways to go about doing very low calorie dieting but I still don't recommend it. It makes you feel awful and makes your very binge prone. The only reason people even consider it is to lose weight faster. I know everyone wants the weight off right now but that's not the best strategy. You can lose 100 lbs a year losing 2 lbs a week. I spent a quarter century getting fat and lost it in a years time. When you look at it in that perspective, it seems pretty fast!

UtahWI · May 2014

After another evening of reading/mulling over, I came to ask the questions that chelleymae110 has just so nicely typed in. LOL!

vismal · May 2014

Sorry, a few more questions:

1. How long do you suggest eating at a certain cal level before determining that you are losing weight at this cal level or not and it's time to switch it up?
2. Do you think taking a break from a deficit every 6 to 8 weeks, for say, a week, is a good idea? Does it help your body to NOT adjust metabolism down to your deficit cals and cause plateau?

Thanks!

I would go at least 3 weeks before I changed calories. Women might want to wait a month seeing as they can have water weight shifts with their menstrual cycle. I weigh daily and take a 7 day average and compare to the previous weeks averages. Weighing once weekly and comparing can be less accurate.

I am a huge proponent of diet breaks. By diet break I mean you remove the deficit and eat at maintenance. You still have to track everything and hit goals, you simply increase the calorie goal. I would take a 2 week maintenance break every 8-12 weeks of dieting. How often depends on how lean you are. If you have low BF and are trying to get super low do every 8 weeks, average body fat do every 10, high body fat do every 12. It can prevent metabolic slowdown, yes.

chelleymae1105 · May 2014

Sorry, a few more questions:

1. How long do you suggest eating at a certain cal level before determining that you are losing weight at this cal level or not and it's time to switch it up?
2. Do you think taking a break from a deficit every 6 to 8 weeks, for say, a week, is a good idea? Does it help your body to NOT adjust metabolism down to your deficit cals and cause plateau?

Thanks!

I would go at least 3 weeks before I changed calories. Women might want to wait a month seeing as they can have water weight shifts with their menstrual cycle. I weigh daily and take a 7 day average and compare to the previous weeks averages. Weighing once weekly and comparing can be less accurate.

I am a huge proponent of diet breaks. By diet break I mean you remove the deficit and eat at maintenance. You still have to track everything and hit goals, you simply increase the calorie goal. I would take a 2 week maintenance break every 8-12 weeks of dieting. How often depends on how lean you are. If you have low BF and are trying to get super low do every 8 weeks, average body fat do every 10, high body fat do every 12. It can prevent metabolic slowdown, yes.

Thank you SO much! This is really really helpful information. I am trying out the EM2WL thing and eating at my scooby calc TDEE and have gained 4 lbs so far (been doing it for a month now) and I know some of that is glycogen restoration, but I'm going to do it another week or so and if i keep gaining, I'll drop down 100, etc until I find my true TDEE.

And of course, I have to congratulate you are on your amazing transformation and thank you so much for answering all of our questions!

iTend2Offend · May 2014

This post was in reply to the girl who mentioned a gluten allergy. I am not sure how it jumped down here... I am fairly new here so sorry for any confusion lol

I noticed your comment about gluten. My boyfriend has celiac disease (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeliac_disease) which is basically an allergy/sensitivity to both gluten and milk based products. He only really figured out that he has this when we started dating 2 years ago and I started doing research on how his gluten and dairy sensitivity was going to effect my life. Then I discovered a large majority of people who are allergic to gluten or dairy (milk based products, or anything with cows milk as an ingredient) tend to have a reaction to the other. I just wanted to suggest that you be mindful of that, and pay close attention to your body when you consume milk based products if you feel sick or something unusual happens.

That being said I know the struggle of eating gluten free (especially on eating out of the house) even though I am technically not restricted I often restrict myself to make it easier for him. He loves cheese, bread, and milk (though they knew of his dairy allergy from birth when he spewed breast milk like he was being exorcised lol) We have found other alternatives to a lot of his "comfort foods". He can pretty much eat anything thats vegan as long as it does not contain wheat as far as getting his "dairy fill". Gluten is a trickster and it comes in all forms and is in a lot of things you would not expect. Fortunately we are in a time when being healthy is no longer on the back burner, and a lot of stores have sections for people with gluten sensitivity. He still eats bread, but just special kinds. His current comfort food and frequent meal is vegan hot dogs complete with gluten free buns that don't taste totally terrible.

I'm sure you know this but for the sake of saying it - ALWAYS check ingredients (wheat even exists in vegan meats or "meatless meats" as well as black bean and veggie burgers). I am pleased to say that most companies will make a list of known allergens such as soy, wheat, milk, and tree nuts after the main ingredients list. If you are looking to keep some kind of bread and/or sweets in your diet Udi's is a pretty good brand http://udisglutenfree.com/. We (he) has gone through a lot of trial and error in his quest for deliciously flavored edibles. I hope this has been somewhat helpful and that I have not wasted your time with stuff you already know.

whit_7 · May 2014

Very Encouraging!!!!

GreatDepression · May 2014

Grrr I'm still jealous of you.

SaxoBeat71 · May 2014

lets me know this is possible

DarkAngel272 · May 2014

Hello! I'm very new to this process (7 weeks in) and want htis to be a different time where I don't just give up because I'm not getting instant results. So far I've had a great attitude and sticking with it.

My question is, was there ever a time where you just gave up or came very close to giving up? If so, what pulled you out of that funk?

You are very handsome and the fact you have answered 15 pages of questions means you are a truly helpful and genuine person. THAT is what makes someone sexy so enjoy the compliments and kind words :flowerforyou:

dmenchac · May 2014

Vis, I can't read the last weight.

After you hit 190, did you go on a lean bulk or just a body recomp?

Meaning, how did you get from the 2nd picture to the 3rd?

Thank you!

Looks like 190 in both pictures. Did you do a bulk then cut or just eat at maintenance ?

dmenchac · May 2014

Vis, I can't read the last weight.

After you hit 190, did you go on a lean bulk or just a body recomp?

Meaning, how did you get from the 2nd picture to the 3rd?

Thank you!

Looks like 190 in both pictures. Did you do a bulk then cut or just eat at maintenance ?

Rawr nevermind, got my answer in the first couple pages

Cpollard6608 · May 2014

FWIW, this guy's transformation is totally possible for everyone on here. I followed his instructions to a T and have ended up losing around 115 pounds myself. He was one of my groomsmen in my wedding so when I saw the initial results, I immediately wanted to do the same thing. Again, we both were around 315 pounds when we started, both offensive linemen at the same high school. I just wanted to drop my $.02 here for those who are kind of skeptical about their own abilities in weight loss. I do not have any transformation pictures like him, but he could throw up one of the two of us from my wedding. Also, I wish I would have listened in the beginning and lifted more, as I am now recovering a lot of muscle lost through dieting.

Thanks so much Vismal for your help! Only two questions.

1. Looking to readjust my goals and aiming to bench 250 and squat 350-375. I cannot seem to squat and get my running miles in the same week due to intense soreness. Any advice?

2. When are we brewing some more beer?

vismal · May 2014

Hello! Question-- I drink a LOT of water on a daily basis. As in, probably around 12-16 glasses of water a day. I do not do this consciously I just am always thirsty. Is this inhibiting weight loss?

No. Hydration and water intake may cause short term shifts in weight but this is just due to how much water the body is retaining. Drinking lots of water actually helps ward off water retention. None of this prevents fat loss in any way, it can simply make the scale stay put even though fat is being lost. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for the scale to reflect the fat lost because the body wants to hang on to h20.

What kind of exercise would you recommend for someone who doesn't have equipment. I can neither afford equipment or pay for a gym membership at this time. I walk 4 miles 3x a week and 8 miles 3x a week with one day off on Wednesdays. I would like to do strength training, but don't know what to do. I want to possibly tighten up the loose skin that is hanging around my belly.

Do you live near a YMCA. They will generally cut you a discount on a membership or even let you join for free if you cannot afford to join. They have a policy (at least the ones near me) never to turn people away due to finances. If that is not an option, you could get p90x or something similar from a public library and run those.

Questions:

You don't log exercise, don't know cals burned from it, basically create your cal deficit via food, any extra you may burn from exercise is just a boost. So ... net calories are not relevant? (net calories continue to confuse me, as I've never considered them before reading about them at mfp).

How did you determine your calorie deficit number?

Do you always eat the exact same number of cals/day? Don't you ever have days where you're less hungry or more hungry? Wouldn't eating within a range (zig-zagging cals), as long as your average for the week was your cal deficit #, also work for losing weight?

I've been focusing on cardio the past 7 weeks, mostly because I was a lead weight (see my profile page for why). I am ready and able to move beyond this. As a female, 53, with 30 lbs to lose ... where/how do I start with weights? I have 5, 8, 10, 15 lb dumbbells, 10 lb kettlebell, have no problem adding to this. Hubs has a Total Gym that is collecting dust. Any advice is appreciated.

I watched some of your youtube vids ... you write exactly as you speak! Lots of great info, looking forward to learning a lot from your experience. Thanks for this thread!

Net calories still confuse me. The concept is great. If our polar watches and step counters were 100% accurate and we knew exactly what our BMR was and what our thermic effect of food was, you could literally determine exactly how much your output was. Unfortunately we can only guess our bmr, we can only guess our TEF, and those fancy devices we wear or the read out on the cardio machine are all just estimates. Further more, while you might burn 500 calories doing an hour of cardio, you'd have still have burnt around 150 calories doing an hour TV watching. So do you count your cardio as 500 calories, 350 calories? Too many questions, too much guessing. I find it far, far, easier to not try and guess output.

I simply set a calorie limit that has worked in the past. I know from trial and error I can lose weight eating in or around 2500 calories. I found this number simply by starting high, and seeing if weight dropped. When it did not, I reduced calories by 10%. Even to this day, if I stall for 3 or more weeks, I simply reduce calories by 10%. I eat the same every day simply for simplicity. Some days I feel much hungrier then others. If I'm getting towards the end of my calories and I'm still rather hungry, I use my remaining calories for more satiating choices, If I'm not all that hungry I eat sweets or junk I've been craving. Also you need to just flat out accept that sometimes you will have to be hungry. It's just a feeling and it won't kill you. As far as kettle-bell workouts, I don't know much about them as I don't use them often but I'm sure there's a total body kettle-bell workout out there somewhere.

Confuzzled4ever · May 2014

What kind of exercise would you recommend for someone who doesn't have equipment. I can neither afford equipment or pay for a gym membership at this time. I walk 4 miles 3x a week and 8 miles 3x a week with one day off on Wednesdays. I would like to do strength training, but don't know what to do. I want to possibly tighten up the loose skin that is hanging around my belly.

Go to a park... the jungle gym is a great place to exercise. Get Resistance bands and you can replicate most of the exercises found in the gym. use the monkey bars for pull ups. Throw the band around a pole to do the extensions. Stand on your band to do shoulder presses. wrap the band around 2 poles and stand up straight to do standing bench press. Use benches to do step ups and tricep dips. Borrow a friends smallish kid and throw over your back to do weighted squats.

Confuzzled4ever · May 2014

OP You are a true inspiration!

I looked up the ice cream 5x5 and I wanna do it.

vismal · May 2014

Hello! I'm very new to this process (7 weeks in) and want htis to be a different time where I don't just give up because I'm not getting instant results. So far I've had a great attitude and sticking with it.

My question is, was there ever a time where you just gave up or came very close to giving up? If so, what pulled you out of that funk?

You are very handsome and the fact you have answered 15 pages of questions means you are a truly helpful and genuine person. THAT is what makes someone sexy so enjoy the compliments and kind words :flowerforyou:

I never gave up this go around but this wasn't the first time in my life I tried to lose weight. I tried after high school, during college, after college, etc. Each time I failed for the same reason. I went full sprint right from the get go. Severely restricted calories, banned foods from my diet entirely, worked out 7 days a week. Eventually I'd burn out, or binge, or something would derail me and I'd let that one setback turn into 2 or 3 then I'd give up. So many people do this. The key is to make gradual life changes. Ask yourself when you start creating a diet, "Is this something I can do forever?" This is why I hate gimmick diets or restrictive diets. If you love ice cream there is little hope of you never eating ice cream again. It's better to find a way to make ice cream work from within your diet.

When you are ready to give up, identify why and make adjust to your program to fix it. If you're feeling burned out take a rest week. Don't exercise and eat at maintenance. It's a nice break but you must be certain to return to a caloric deficit and resume exercise once the week is over.

OP You are a true inspiration!

I looked up the ice cream 5x5 and I wanna do it.

People have asked me many times in the past to make up a beginner's program but I can't think of anything that would be better then this one. There isn't a single substitution that would make it better so I basically refer them all to it.

vismal · May 2014

FWIW, this guy's transformation is totally possible for everyone on here. I followed his instructions to a T and have ended up losing around 115 pounds myself. He was one of my groomsmen in my wedding so when I saw the initial results, I immediately wanted to do the same thing. Again, we both were around 315 pounds when we started, both offensive linemen at the same high school. I just wanted to drop my $.02 here for those who are kind of skeptical about their own abilities in weight loss. I do not have any transformation pictures like him, but he could throw up one of the two of us from my wedding. Also, I wish I would have listened in the beginning and lifted more, as I am now recovering a lot of muscle lost through dieting.

Thanks so much Vismal for your help! Only two questions.

1. Looking to readjust my goals and aiming to bench 250 and squat 350-375. I cannot seem to squat and get my running miles in the same week due to intense soreness. Any advice?

2. When are we brewing some more beer?

Chris has been the biggest success of anyone I have helped with diet or weight loss! We both helped each other get fat (Denny's, Chinese buffet, and Golden Corral on the reg!) so it would only make sense that we motivate each other to stay in shape!

As far as getting your squat up while keeping up with your running miles, they will somewhat be competing goals. I would try and time squatting as far away from your longest run of the week as possible. Also you might have reduce squatting volume and frequency a bit. 3x5 instead of 5x5, twice a week vs 3 times a week.

Beer must be brewed soon! Something for summer!

From buffet marathons to actual marathons! This **** works people! It takes time and dedication but it really does work!

me+and+chris.jpg

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sadiebea25 · May 2014

I didn't read all the posts, but you guys look great! Very handsome

And inspiring!

mskimberlee · May 2014

I am enjoying reading your questions/answers. Thank you so much for sharing your journey and your knowledge! It is such a refreshing post. Also, thank you for leaving your food journal open. I LOVE potatoes! Of course many weight loss gurus would state that you shouldn't eat potatoes, they turn straight to sugar, so they say? So you can eat potatoes??? Also how do you prepare them? I noticed you eat alot of chicken as do I. How do you prepare it? Grilled? And the infamous bread! It's a supposed no-no but I love eating a sandwich for lunch. I eat the "healthy" bread from Bountiful Baskets. I noticed that you eat bread, so this isn't a huge NO, NO? It's so hard with all of the advice/myths out in this big bad world of fitness!!!! Trying to decyfer it all is exhausting!!! I think we get caught up on trying to have a huge variety of foods to eat, where we don't really need alot of different foods, just the right foods. It seems that you eat the same foods?? Also, I do cardio, 45 min to an hour a day. My problem only started when I hit my 40's, grrrrrrr it's been freaking hard. So, in your experience does one need to do long hours of cardio to first get rid of that weight, especially around the mid section? I notice you are a big fan of weights. I have a pretty nice home gym so I will for sure look for some weight exercises. Thanks again for sharing your journey and more importantly your time to answer long winded questions like mine!

If you are not a personal trainer, why not? You have shared more good info on fitness with this post then I have seen! Good luck to you and congrats on your weight loss!!!

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

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