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

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.

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.

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 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.