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

zaxx1953 wrote: »

Also, can we stop using BMI for anything please....I am 6' and was bod podded in a performance lab in college at like 267lbs and 17 percent bodyfat....i'd of been BMI "obese" at a ripped 245lbs. It's just nonsense.

BMI is useful for what it was intended for. Making generalizations about populations. Sure it doesn't translate well to athletes or people who train with weights, but for the average Joe or Jane, it can make some accurate predictions about certain health conditions.

As far as bodpod is concerned, I do not trust their accuracy. There is no way on god's green earth you were 267, 17% body fat and 6 foot tall. That would make you 245lbs at 10% which equates to 220 lbs of lean mass. That is not naturally obtainable by a 6'0 tall male, and would require not only the use of, but the massive abuse of PEDs. This article can explain why that is so: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html/
I mean even Arnold was 235 on stage and roughly 250-260 off season where he was around 10%. And he was 2 inches taller. AND HE WAS ARNOLD! lol

BJAdW wrote: »

on a completely random note: The VitaFiber is sold out in the 5kg jugs. FYI, they are switching over their products to ship through Amazon! Should make it a lot easier (maybe even cheaper for shipping) to get my hands on some! Thanks for sharing your Quest-style protein bar recipe.

That would be awesome if it's a Prime item. Free shipping would cut the cost per bar down nicely!

tjsingh91 wrote: »

Hey man, It was good reading your story. I am a 5'11" male. I started my journey at 274 lbs and now Im roughly 30 -31 lbs down to 243. My ideal goal is to get under 200 lbs and maintain while looking lean and keeping muscle. Are there any quick tips that you can suggest or any other exercised that really help reducing the gut quicker? Ive read everywhere that spot reducing doesnt work but any tips at all would be appreciated. My routine workout entails 30 minutes of cardio (elliptical or treadmill) and the the rest lifting towards a specific body area. My last question is, have you ever dealt with any plateaus and how did you overcome them?

Thanks!

Unfortunately what you've read is completely true. There is absolutely no way to spot reduce fat. No exercise will target belly fat. I wish one existed. You must simply lose fat in general and it will eventually come off of everywhere. I would not focus on one body part a day for lifting. This is inefficient. You should hit each body part 2-3 times a week for maximum efficiency. Either a 3x a week total body workout, or and upper lower split would be a much better idea then 1 body part a day.

As to plateaus, I never really got into a long term stall. If you are stalling for more then a few weeks it's because you are eating too much. You must either reduce calories or increase activity (or both). If you have been in a deficit for a long time, sometimes taking a maintenance break for 2 weeks can help.

Brittanynicole1992 wrote: »

Hey, I was wondering if you could give me some advice? I'm trying to lose about 40lbs. I weigh 207 right now. I'm in good shape I work out about 6 times a week. However I can't seem to lose weight. The more I lift the bulkier I get. about 7 years ago I lost 40 lbs on a no carb diet and running 4 miles a day, but I gained it Back over the last 3 years. And I don't want to do that again because I heard it's really unhealthy. I don't really what I should eat or how much to eat. Do you have and advice?

The only reason you are not losing weight is that you are not in a caloric deficit. You need to eat less per day than you burn to lose weight. Track your calories diligently on MFP for a few weeks. If you lose weight, continue to eat at the level of calories you currently are. If you do not lose weight, reduce the calories some. Continue this process until you start losing weight.

tomasitahodges wrote: »

How do you get "the last 10lbs" off? I am struggling badly, need advice please!

The same way I got the first 105. You just have to eat in a caloric deficit. Sometimes, after prolonged dieting, the calories per day you burn are less. Also, I've found after long stents of dieting, it's easier to get relaxed with the process. You cannot do this. Your weighing and tracking of foods is even more critical at the end. If you have been stuck not losing weight for more then 3 weeks or so, you probably need to reduce the calories you are consuming or reevaluate how strictly you are counting and tracking them. Another option is a diet break. After 8-12 weeks of dieting I usually eat maintenance calories for 2 weeks. This give a much needed psychological break as well as allowing for some of the physiological things that happen during dieting to reverse.