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

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  • ttwagneriii360
    ttwagneriii360 Posts: 2 Member
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    Question: Did you have to significantly up your game (different workouts, cardio, more calorie restriction) to lose the final pounds for the shred?
  • TalhaKhan05
    TalhaKhan05 Posts: 18 Member
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    Vismal I'm a beginner at these things like cardiovascular, calorie counting, strength training etc. I have been obese my whole life, currently I'm 20 years old weighing 260lbs at 6'1. I joined MYP and saw you and I was inspired the moment I saw your transformation. I was just asking I want to lose atleast 75lbs to reach my normal weight.
    Please help me like how many calories should I eat, along with how many days should I do cardio and how many days should I do 5x5, how many of rest days so that I can lose weight and gain muscles and be like that for the rest of my life.

    P.s. Please reply I need help, and which 5x5 should I do ice cream or strong lifts as I'm a beginner.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Th3Ph03n1x wrote: »
    Sorry if this is been asked did you work out at the gym or at home or both? Also where did you look to for information when you were starting to life (assuming you didn't already have basic knowledge).
    I primarily work out in the gym. I prefer to use barbells and dumbbells for most of my workouts and I don't have the space/money to put together a proper home gym. A good place for beginners to start are places like this! Many of the pinned posts here are treasure troves of information. Lyle McDonald's website is another very good place to start (www.bodyrecomposition.com). All of his stuff is scientifically based and IMO quite trustworthy.
    ttwagneriii360 wrote: »
    Question: Did you have to significantly up your game (different workouts, cardio, more calorie restriction) to lose the final pounds for the shred?
    You don't really need different workouts. I do buy the "keep the body guessing" BS. You may need to add some cardio if you need/want to eat more food. Increasing calorie restriction will most likely be necessary as you get leaner and leaner.
    TalhaKhan05 wrote: »
    Vismal I'm a beginner at these things like cardiovascular, calorie counting, strength training etc. I have been obese my whole life, currently I'm 20 years old weighing 260lbs at 6'1. I joined MYP and saw you and I was inspired the moment I saw your transformation. I was just asking I want to lose atleast 75lbs to reach my normal weight.
    Please help me like how many calories should I eat, along with how many days should I do cardio and how many days should I do 5x5, how many of rest days so that I can lose weight and gain muscles and be like that for the rest of my life.

    P.s. Please reply I need help, and which 5x5 should I do ice cream or strong lifts as I'm a beginner.
    Either of those programs are fine for a beginner. Both are 3 days a week. I would do cardio 2 times a week and take 2 rest days. As far as calories, give this video series I made a watch: http://goo.gl/zqIv6H
  • Th3Ph03n1x
    Th3Ph03n1x Posts: 275 Member
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    I'd just like to put in it's really great you pay it forward and give people tips to help them follow your success. I've seen quite a few success stories where they don't say much about what all they did to get there.

    I'm sure everyone asking you questions is as grateful as I am you're taking the time to answer them.
  • abhisheksengupta
    abhisheksengupta Posts: 28 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Hi again Vismal, I watched the video series. Was really great, thanks.

    I had mentioned earlier how I have become a little skinny fat. At 163 pounds, 5'10 (after losing 50 lbs). So according to your suggestions, the videos, in the past week I have started with the following:

    Primary Workout: Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 (3 days a week)
    Secondary Workout: Walking - upto 6 miles on workout days and 2.5 miles on break days (560/260 cals respectively)

    BMR/TDEE at Sedentary - 1760/2100

    Diet - 2600 calories on workout days and 2000 calories on rest days.
    Is this regime fine? I am trying to cut my tire like belly fat and bit of chest fat.
    I know this might sound extremely silly, but should I be expecting weight loss or maintenance? since I am (trying for) adding muscle mass simultaneously?
  • w0den
    w0den Posts: 84
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    You're impressive! Wow! I need your motivation :smile:
  • nickpnh
    nickpnh Posts: 111 Member
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    Great job.
  • netflixnboxedwine
    netflixnboxedwine Posts: 7
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    holy crap that's awesome! good job.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    abhisheksengupta wrote: »
    Hi again Vismal, I watched the video series. Was really great, thanks.

    I had mentioned earlier how I have become a little skinny fat. At 163 pounds, 5'10 (after losing 50 lbs). So according to your suggestions, the videos, in the past week I have started with the following:

    Primary Workout: Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 (3 days a week)
    Secondary Workout: Walking - upto 6 miles on workout days and 2.5 miles on break days (560/260 cals respectively)

    BMR/TDEE at Sedentary - 1760/2100

    Diet - 2600 calories on workout days and 2000 calories on rest days.
    Is this regime fine? I am trying to cut my tire like belly fat and bit of chest fat.
    I know this might sound extremely silly, but should I be expecting weight loss or maintenance? since I am (trying for) adding muscle mass simultaneously?
    My best advice would be do not try to lose fat while adding mass. It's usually an uphill battle and most people only end up failing at both goals. If you are going to be walking up to 6 miles a day, and doing the 5x5, why would you put your activity level to sedentary? I'd simply things and just start eating 2500 calories a day, after a few weeks start watching what the scale does (the first few weeks will have water weight gain). You will ideally want to gain 2 lbs a month. If you are gaining at an appropriate rate, don't change anything. If you aren't gaining, increase calories by about 100 calories a week. I'd give it at least 6 months time before you cut again.
  • yetagainhereweare
    yetagainhereweare Posts: 13 Member
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    A proper inspiration. You have got to where I want to be.. I am using your photos as my target if you don't mind...
  • lmanasero
    lmanasero Posts: 19 Member
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    I checked out your food diary, just trying to get some food ideas. I feel like i am so picky about food, but seeing other peoples diaries sometimes help me to create an idea of my own. My husband and i are both trying to get back in shape. I need to lose about 15 pounds and i have been reading more and more about how people are doing more lfiting than cardio and it seems like they are better results that way. I was wondering how you track calories burned for your weight lifting. I can't seem to find anything that actually tracks my calories i am burning acurately.
  • sexynessa77
    sexynessa77 Posts: 9 Member
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    You look great!!! I'm actually doing the ice cream 5x5 program. I want to build muscle but not lose weight I just have a bit a fat that needs to go which is hard to do. I'm trying to figure out if I should lose fat first or just lift?
  • marietta100
    marietta100 Posts: 11 Member
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    Well done
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    lmanasero wrote: »
    I checked out your food diary, just trying to get some food ideas. I feel like i am so picky about food, but seeing other peoples diaries sometimes help me to create an idea of my own. My husband and i are both trying to get back in shape. I need to lose about 15 pounds and i have been reading more and more about how people are doing more lfiting than cardio and it seems like they are better results that way. I was wondering how you track calories burned for your weight lifting. I can't seem to find anything that actually tracks my calories i am burning acurately.
    I don't track calories burned for any activity. I explain why I don't here: http://youtu.be/tTb7lEs_6BU
    sexynessa77 wrote: »
    You look great!!! I'm actually doing the ice cream 5x5 program. I want to build muscle but not lose weight I just have a bit a fat that needs to go which is hard to do. I'm trying to figure out if I should lose fat first or just lift?
    If you have fat you want rid of, you need to eat in a deficit to do that. You will need to lose weight. It's very hard, next to impossible really, to lose fat while remaining the same weight. You simply cannot build lean tissue at the rate you can lose fat. Not even close. My advice would be to focus on either losing fat, or building muscle. Not both. After one goal is complete, move on to the other. Whichever goal you pick first, you should still lift weights. It will be necessary in the muscle building process, but is still useful even if fat loss is the goal. Lifting while losing weight helps ensure that what you lose is predominately fat, not lean tissue. So regardless of your goal, you should do some kind of resistance training.
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 921 Member
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    Do you touch your own abs a lot? I would! lol.
  • mwebster01
    mwebster01 Posts: 111 Member
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    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!
    fat+skinny+fit.jpg

    Add me as a friend on here too!

  • ScarletFyre
    ScarletFyre Posts: 754 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Fantastic! You are an inspiration! This will be a thread I read thoroughly and refer back to!
  • Liz4J
    Liz4J Posts: 23 Member
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    vismal wrote: »
    You look great!


    How has getting down to this weight and building up muscle impacting your life? The good and bad of it.
    The good: Feel better physically and emotionally by a degree I cannot put into words. Look better. More confidence. I can climb stairs with feeling like death. I work in health care and no long feel like a hypocrite when I tell my patience about the risk factors associated with obesity. I love being able to pull out old fat picture when someone says something to the effect of "You don't understand because your in shape" or "you don't get it, you've never been fat". I could go on and on in this category.

    The bad: I'm kind of a pain about going out to eat certain places. I don't much like eating food I didn't prepare unless its on my very few and far between free days. Don't get me wrong I eat treats and snacks all the time but I weigh/prepare them myself so I can account for it. I will always feel the need to better myself. When I was fat I didn't care. Sometimes this can be mentally exhausting. But the bads don't even begin to compare to all the goods.

    Came across your story tonight! You look fantastic! I can only imagine how good it feels to be healthy. What you said about being healthy can be mentally exhausting really resonated with me...I'm feeling that and I'm only 3 weeks in! But if I look back on all that I've learned so far about portions, good and bad fats, the importance of protein, it's been worth it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your story. Really inspiring.
  • sammiRy266
    sammiRy266 Posts: 21 Member
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    wow congrats !
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    staceypunk wrote: »
    Do you touch your own abs a lot? I would! lol.
    Every now and then, not going to lie...lol

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