I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything
Replies
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Hey man, your transformation is awesome. I lost some weight and have just started StrongLifts5x5, hope I can accomplish my own goals like you did.0
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I agree with everyone else...awesome results! You have a very nice approach and attitude to answering all these questions. I like how you've handled all of them (including the bad ones) as they really define the kind of person you are.
I would be interested in knowing what your guess would be for daily calories for petite female, 4'11", 111 lbs, walking 4 miles 6x per week. I have been tweaking this for 2-3 years so have a pretty good idea what's needed for maintenance and what's needed for weight loss. I don't mean to test your knowledge on this by asking for your input. I just need another opinion to assure myself that my tweaking is accurate to some degree. And I need to know if I'm being too harsh or not disciplined enough. Thanks in advance for your time and input.0 -
You look fantastic well done.0
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Wow! You look amazing! Great job! I just upped my calorie intake to 2200 per day and I setup a work out room with an elliptical, Bowflex, and Dumbbells last weekend. I do 30 min intervals on my elliptical then upper or lower body workouts for 30 min. The upper and lower body workouts on the Bowflex are done 4 days per week (days 1&2, skip day 3, then days 4&5). I use my elliptical on the day off in between the upper/lower body workout. I am hoping this works for me. I have about 50-60 lbs to lose and I am so tired of low calorie diets! I am a large framed person and have always been able to eat more than the average woman without gaining. The problem is that I kept eating a lot and got lazy when I got married 13 years ago. I used to workout everyday before I got married and then stopped and became sedentary. I still have a lot of muscle but also a lot of fat lol. My body fat is about 35% and I would like it to be 25%. When I worked out daily and ate whatever I wanted, I had 26% body fat and weighed 186 lbs, so I have set my goal weight to 185 lbs and plan to get there by exercise.0
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I would say for maintenance somewhere around 1500 and for weight loss, as low as 1000. Ultra petite women are tough to guess sometimes. That particular group, in my experience, has more variance than other groups. Those numbers would also reflect STRICT calorie counting, not a lot of cheating and not a lot of estimation of things.I agree with everyone else...awesome results! You have a very nice approach and attitude to answering all these questions. I like how you've handled all of them (including the bad ones) as they really define the kind of person you are.
I would be interested in knowing what your guess would be for daily calories for petite female, 4'11", 111 lbs, walking 4 miles 6x per week. I have been tweaking this for 2-3 years so have a pretty good idea what's needed for maintenance and what's needed for weight loss. I don't mean to test your knowledge on this by asking for your input. I just need another opinion to assure myself that my tweaking is accurate to some degree. And I need to know if I'm being too harsh or not disciplined enough. Thanks in advance for your time and input.
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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!
1) Is there a way to build muscle and lose fat (48 kilos,161 sm)? 2) Is that thing about 1 g of protein per pound right ? 3) about the 1st-Should I eat what TDEE tells me (1720 ) or less ( I currently eat 1300-1400 (and sometimes less) 4) I lift 10 kilo, should I increase it 5) Is soy protein good ( I don't eat animal products) ?0 -
Katerina9408 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!
1) Is there a way to build muscle and lose fat (48 kilos,161 sm)? 2) Is that thing about 1 g of protein per pound right ? 3) about the 1st-Should I eat what TDEE tells me (1720 ) or less ( I currently eat 1300-1400 (and sometimes less) 4) I lift 10 kilo, should I increase it 5) Is soy protein good ( I don't eat animal products) ?
1. Not efficiently, no.
2. No. Most people need about 0.6-0.8 grams per lb they weigh depending how overweight they are. The more overweight you are, the less you need.
3. Depends. I don't concern myself with tdee, mfp calories, or the like. I just pick a reasonable number to start with and eat that much for a few weeks. If I lose weight, I keep that number, if I don't, I reduce that number. Much easier and after a while you get really good at guessing what your starting point will need to be. When you have a weight loss stall, you can do the same thing, reduce calories a bit, give it a few weeks, and reevaluate.
4. Yes. You should always try and increase weight over time. Lifting the same weight the same amount of times each week will not cause you to ever increase strength or muscle. You also should not be lifting the same weight for all exercises. Major muscle groups like quads, chest and back should be able to handle a much larger load then smaller muscles like biceps, and calves.
5. Soy is probably okay. I say this because it is not studied enough. There are some claims and research that it can reduce testosterone levels in men (not a risk for you). I would say if you aren't eating any animal products, it's going to be next to impossible for you to get adequate protein without a healthy amount of soy. I'd say in your case, it's probably your best bet.
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Katerina9408 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!
1) Is there a way to build muscle and lose fat (48 kilos,161 sm)? 2) Is that thing about 1 g of protein per pound right ? 3) about the 1st-Should I eat what TDEE tells me (1720 ) or less ( I currently eat 1300-1400 (and sometimes less) 4) I lift 10 kilo, should I increase it 5) Is soy protein good ( I don't eat animal products) ?
1. Not efficiently, no.
2. No. Most people need about 0.6-0.8 grams per lb they weigh depending how overweight they are. The more overweight you are, the less you need.
3. Depends. I don't concern myself with tdee, mfp calories, or the like. I just pick a reasonable number to start with and eat that much for a few weeks. If I lose weight, I keep that number, if I don't, I reduce that number. Much easier and after a while you get really good at guessing what your starting point will need to be. When you have a weight loss stall, you can do the same thing, reduce calories a bit, give it a few weeks, and reevaluate.
4. Yes. You should always try and increase weight over time. Lifting the same weight the same amount of times each week will not cause you to ever increase strength or muscle. You also should not be lifting the same weight for all exercises. Major muscle groups like quads, chest and back should be able to handle a much larger load then smaller muscles like biceps, and calves.
5. Soy is probably okay. I say this because it is not studied enough. There are some claims and research that it can reduce testosterone levels in men (not a risk for you). I would say if you aren't eating any animal products, it's going to be next to impossible for you to get adequate protein without a healthy amount of soy. I'd say in your case, it's probably your best bet.
Ok thank you. One more thing (sorry that I am so annoying).What do you mean by reasonable number? Do you mean to control the portions you eat for example to eat from the same plate ? Or you just don't eat too fatty foods or "junk food" most of the time ? Also is it ok to increase cal 100 at a time to build muscles ? And is it good to combine cardio with strenght training or just do strenght training ? And is 2 hours of strenght training a day too much and should I do one week with heavy and one with not so heavy weights ?0 -
Do you track exercise? I watched your video about not eating your earned calories (and I agree with that)! Because I've been logging in my exercise, it confuses my food tracking. If you don't track exercise on MFP, where do you track it? I am new to MFP and IIFYM and following you has been a giant help to me. Thank you!0
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Thank you0
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By pick a reasonable number, I meant pick a reasonable number of calories to start with. For weight loss, generally 9-11 calories per lb you weigh is a good starting point. 12-16 calories per lb is usually a good guess for maintenance, and 16-17 is usually a good starting point to try and gain weight. If gaining weight in the form of muscle is your goal I'd suggest you try and eat just slightly over maintenance. As a women, a realistic goal for weight gain in a year is about 12 lbs. That's only 1/4 lb a week. That's kind of hard to keep track of. You essentially want to see the scale creeping up ever so slowly. If you are spending 2 hours strength training in the gym, your program probably needs tweaked, or scraped all together. I would recommend you get on a decent beginners lifting program. Something like ICF 5x5 or stronglifts. They can be completed in about 1-1.5 hours and are done 3 days a week. Either one would be a great choice. There is no reason to have a heavy day and a light day until you become a more advanced weight lifter.Katerina9408 wrote: »Katerina9408 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!
1) Is there a way to build muscle and lose fat (48 kilos,161 sm)? 2) Is that thing about 1 g of protein per pound right ? 3) about the 1st-Should I eat what TDEE tells me (1720 ) or less ( I currently eat 1300-1400 (and sometimes less) 4) I lift 10 kilo, should I increase it 5) Is soy protein good ( I don't eat animal products) ?
1. Not efficiently, no.
2. No. Most people need about 0.6-0.8 grams per lb they weigh depending how overweight they are. The more overweight you are, the less you need.
3. Depends. I don't concern myself with tdee, mfp calories, or the like. I just pick a reasonable number to start with and eat that much for a few weeks. If I lose weight, I keep that number, if I don't, I reduce that number. Much easier and after a while you get really good at guessing what your starting point will need to be. When you have a weight loss stall, you can do the same thing, reduce calories a bit, give it a few weeks, and reevaluate.
4. Yes. You should always try and increase weight over time. Lifting the same weight the same amount of times each week will not cause you to ever increase strength or muscle. You also should not be lifting the same weight for all exercises. Major muscle groups like quads, chest and back should be able to handle a much larger load then smaller muscles like biceps, and calves.
5. Soy is probably okay. I say this because it is not studied enough. There are some claims and research that it can reduce testosterone levels in men (not a risk for you). I would say if you aren't eating any animal products, it's going to be next to impossible for you to get adequate protein without a healthy amount of soy. I'd say in your case, it's probably your best bet.
Ok thank you. One more thing (sorry that I am so annoying).What do you mean by reasonable number? Do you mean to control the portions you eat for example to eat from the same plate ? Or you just don't eat too fatty foods or "junk food" most of the time ? Also is it ok to increase cal 100 at a time to build muscles ? And is it good to combine cardio with strenght training or just do strenght training ? And is 2 hours of strenght training a day too much and should I do one week with heavy and one with not so heavy weights ?
I write all my workouts down in a workout log. It has what lifts I did, how many sets, and how much weight. You can also track them on MFP. I believe it has a function where you can manually add calories burned. What people who don't eat back exercises calories do is log the workout and manually add 1 calorie burned so it doesn't mess with your count.Do you track exercise? I watched your video about not eating your earned calories (and I agree with that)! Because I've been logging in my exercise, it confuses my food tracking. If you don't track exercise on MFP, where do you track it? I am new to MFP and IIFYM and following you has been a giant help to me. Thank you!
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I was a young man and extremely skinny, one day I just woke up and wanted to change. It took me about 6 mths to see change and it was amazing! Omg... Food Omg..... Rest & grow. Weight lifting, cardio & boxing no so much as to fight but to train like a boxer. I literally ate anything and stayed fit-riped. But I had to do something everyday to stay that way. Now 30 yr. Later @ 54 yr. & 220# 6'2". things are starting to get rusty. My blood sugar is high, my blood pressure also. Only fell off the workout wagon 3 mths ago. Getting back to format.. Now!!! Your story makes me wanna wake up and change.... Again. I'll keep you posted.
Chick0 -
whats 5x5 weight lifting0
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Amazing transformation.. You look incredible!0
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You lift 5 sets for 5 reps. This allows you to go relatively heavy. The idea is to increase your weight as often as possible. If you are able to lift all 5 sets for all 5 reps, you increase the weight on that particular lift. The 5x5 is meant for compound movements: Bench, squat, deadlift, rows, etc. Isolation moves like curls, tricep movements, calve raise etc can be done in a higher rep, low set range. Maybe 3x8 or 3x8-12whats 5x5 weight lifting
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Do you mean 9-11 calories per lb net or + cal from workout ? Do I have to eat only 1160 cal (48kg )when I workout like 60-90 min a day (every day) ?
By pick a reasonable number, I meant pick a reasonable number of calories to start with. [b ]For weight loss, generally 9-11 calories per lb you weigh is a good starting point. 12-16 calories per lb is usually a good guess for maintenance, and 16-17 is usually a good starting point to try and gain weight[/b]. If gaining weight in the form of muscle is your goal I'd suggest you try and eat just slightly over maintenance. As a women, a realistic goal for weight gain in a year is about 12 lbs. That's only 1/4 lb a week. That's kind of hard to keep track of. You essentially want to see the scale creeping up ever so slowly. If you are spending 2 hours strength training in the gym, your program probably needs tweaked, or scraped all together. I would recommend you get on a decent beginners lifting program. Something like ICF 5x5 or stronglifts. They can be completed in about 1-1.5 hours and are done 3 days a week. Either one would be a great choice. There is no reason to have a heavy day and a light day until you become a more advanced weight lifter.Katerina9408 wrote: »Katerina9408 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!
1) Is there a way to build muscle and lose fat (48 kilos,161 sm)? 2) Is that thing about 1 g of protein per pound right ? 3) about the 1st-Should I eat what TDEE tells me (1720 ) or less ( I currently eat 1300-1400 (and sometimes less) 4) I lift 10 kilo, should I increase it 5) Is soy protein good ( I don't eat animal products) ?
1. Not efficiently, no.
2. No. Most people need about 0.6-0.8 grams per lb they weigh depending how overweight they are. The more overweight you are, the less you need.
3. Depends. I don't concern myself with tdee, mfp calories, or the like. I just pick a reasonable number to start with and eat that much for a few weeks. If I lose weight, I keep that number, if I don't, I reduce that number. Much easier and after a while you get really good at guessing what your starting point will need to be. When you have a weight loss stall, you can do the same thing, reduce calories a bit, give it a few weeks, and reevaluate.
4. Yes. You should always try and increase weight over time. Lifting the same weight the same amount of times each week will not cause you to ever increase strength or muscle. You also should not be lifting the same weight for all exercises. Major muscle groups like quads, chest and back should be able to handle a much larger load then smaller muscles like biceps, and calves.
5. Soy is probably okay. I say this because it is not studied enough. There are some claims and research that it can reduce testosterone levels in men (not a risk for you). I would say if you aren't eating any animal products, it's going to be next to impossible for you to get adequate protein without a healthy amount of soy. I'd say in your case, it's probably your best bet.
Ok thank you. One more thing (sorry that I am so annoying).What do you mean by reasonable number? Do you mean to control the portions you eat for example to eat from the same plate ? Or you just don't eat too fatty foods or "junk food" most of the time ? Also is it ok to increase cal 100 at a time to build muscles ? And is it good to combine cardio with strenght training or just do strenght training ? And is 2 hours of strenght training a day too much and should I do one week with heavy and one with not so heavy weights ?
I write all my workouts down in a workout log. It has what lifts I did, how many sets, and how much weight. You can also track them on MFP. I believe it has a function where you can manually add calories burned. What people who don't eat back exercises calories do is log the workout and manually add 1 calorie burned so it doesn't mess with your count.Do you track exercise? I watched your video about not eating your earned calories (and I agree with that)! Because I've been logging in my exercise, it confuses my food tracking. If you don't track exercise on MFP, where do you track it? I am new to MFP and IIFYM and following you has been a giant help to me. Thank you!0 -
how do you build the lean muscle?! ive lost all my weight and am lifting now0
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Bump0
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This is just a starting number. It's the total calories per day to eat. If you workout a lot, you can probably get away with a little more. If you are sedentary you might need a little less. This is why you must use trial and error. I would guess that you really don't need to lose much more weight. For someone petite like you, weight will come off SLOWLY. I would be okay with 1/2 a lb weight loss per week. After about 5 or so lbs, I'd consider gaining weight in the form of lean muscle. After doing that for a period of time, I'd return to fat loss. This will have an overall positive effect on your physique.Katerina9408 wrote: »
Do you mean 9-11 calories per lb net or + cal from workout ? Do I have to eat only 1160 cal (48kg )when I workout like 60-90 min a day (every day) ?
By pick a reasonable number, I meant pick a reasonable number of calories to start with. [b ]For weight loss, generally 9-11 calories per lb you weigh is a good starting point. 12-16 calories per lb is usually a good guess for maintenance, and 16-17 is usually a good starting point to try and gain weight[/b]. If gaining weight in the form of muscle is your goal I'd suggest you try and eat just slightly over maintenance. As a women, a realistic goal for weight gain in a year is about 12 lbs. That's only 1/4 lb a week. That's kind of hard to keep track of. You essentially want to see the scale creeping up ever so slowly. If you are spending 2 hours strength training in the gym, your program probably needs tweaked, or scraped all together. I would recommend you get on a decent beginners lifting program. Something like ICF 5x5 or stronglifts. They can be completed in about 1-1.5 hours and are done 3 days a week. Either one would be a great choice. There is no reason to have a heavy day and a light day until you become a more advanced weight lifter.Katerina9408 wrote: »Katerina9408 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!
1) Is there a way to build muscle and lose fat (48 kilos,161 sm)? 2) Is that thing about 1 g of protein per pound right ? 3) about the 1st-Should I eat what TDEE tells me (1720 ) or less ( I currently eat 1300-1400 (and sometimes less) 4) I lift 10 kilo, should I increase it 5) Is soy protein good ( I don't eat animal products) ?
1. Not efficiently, no.
2. No. Most people need about 0.6-0.8 grams per lb they weigh depending how overweight they are. The more overweight you are, the less you need.
3. Depends. I don't concern myself with tdee, mfp calories, or the like. I just pick a reasonable number to start with and eat that much for a few weeks. If I lose weight, I keep that number, if I don't, I reduce that number. Much easier and after a while you get really good at guessing what your starting point will need to be. When you have a weight loss stall, you can do the same thing, reduce calories a bit, give it a few weeks, and reevaluate.
4. Yes. You should always try and increase weight over time. Lifting the same weight the same amount of times each week will not cause you to ever increase strength or muscle. You also should not be lifting the same weight for all exercises. Major muscle groups like quads, chest and back should be able to handle a much larger load then smaller muscles like biceps, and calves.
5. Soy is probably okay. I say this because it is not studied enough. There are some claims and research that it can reduce testosterone levels in men (not a risk for you). I would say if you aren't eating any animal products, it's going to be next to impossible for you to get adequate protein without a healthy amount of soy. I'd say in your case, it's probably your best bet.
Ok thank you. One more thing (sorry that I am so annoying).What do you mean by reasonable number? Do you mean to control the portions you eat for example to eat from the same plate ? Or you just don't eat too fatty foods or "junk food" most of the time ? Also is it ok to increase cal 100 at a time to build muscles ? And is it good to combine cardio with strenght training or just do strenght training ? And is 2 hours of strenght training a day too much and should I do one week with heavy and one with not so heavy weights ?
I write all my workouts down in a workout log. It has what lifts I did, how many sets, and how much weight. You can also track them on MFP. I believe it has a function where you can manually add calories burned. What people who don't eat back exercises calories do is log the workout and manually add 1 calorie burned so it doesn't mess with your count.Do you track exercise? I watched your video about not eating your earned calories (and I agree with that)! Because I've been logging in my exercise, it confuses my food tracking. If you don't track exercise on MFP, where do you track it? I am new to MFP and IIFYM and following you has been a giant help to me. Thank you!
In short, you eat in a surplus, get in adequate protein, and lift weights in a manner that progressively increases the weight lifted over time. That's it in a nutshell. This video explains it in more detail:how do you build the lean muscle?! ive lost all my weight and am lifting now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcgwkZ-iq40
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I have no question that haven't been answered in your previous posts, just want to say.. congratulations! Awesome transformation
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Congrats0
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That is so wonderful!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!
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What exercises should I do to tone my stomach more? That little pouch on the lower belly is evident and I'm trying to minimize me. Help!!!
Congrats on your progress. Hard work pays off0 -
You cannot tone a muscle. Muscles do not tone, they either grow or shrink. For a muscle to look "toned" two things must exist. You must have built up the muscle enough so that it will show, and you must lose enough fat so that it is not covered. The abdomen as a muscle group will not grow a dramatic amount. 9 times out of 10, if you abs aren't showing, it's because there is fat covering them. The only way to fix this is to lose fat overall. Just as you cannot tone a muscle, you cannot spot reduce fat.What exercises should I do to tone my stomach more? That little pouch on the lower belly is evident and I'm trying to minimize me. Help!!!
Congrats on your progress. Hard work pays off
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No questions but just wanted to say great job!0
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Well, apparently I'm a little late coming to the party... but if you are still taking questions, I have one. Did you strictly count calories according to what MFP assigned you, or did you follow a specific diet or track macros? In other words, did you do something such as say low carb, or keep track of your carbs (or whatever macros) that are tracked in MFP? Congratulations on your success!! Great job!!0
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Congrats on your progress so far. Unfortunately it's difficult to set an hard target at which point it will be a good idea to switch from losing fat to muscle gain. The best bet is to simply reevaluate things every 5kg or so. I would try dropping 5kg, then determine if dropping an additional 5 would be reasonable, further your goals. I'm guessing 72kg might be about right for you, but until you get there, it'l be hard to tell. The good news is, if you look lean enough before you get that low, you can just make the switch earlier.awarreningermany wrote: »Thanks so much for the post and so much info!
My question for you...
I am about 5'10 with a large build. I started using mfp and training with weight in the gym 3 times a week as well as pilates once and cardio 2-3 times in July 2014. I have lost about 10 kilos so far and weight loss has slowed down a lot for me now (was made worse by using a non digital kilo scale until recently!). I am having trouble with getting a goal weight idea for myself / knowing when to try to switch to muscle gain for a time. I was 93 kilos when I started (110 at my heaviest) and am now just over 82. I still have some fat to loose, especially in the horrible last to go tummy area! What do you recommend about choosing weight goal and at what point you start with cutting/bulking cycles, would it still be a bit too early for me?
I never used the MFP guidelines. They base their recommendations off the RDA which I feel is fundamentally flawed for me people's goals. As far as setting calories, I take the simplest of approaches. I just pick a reasonable starting number, maybe 10-11 calories per lb I weigh. I then eat that many calories for a few weeks. If weight comes off, I continue, if it does not, I reduce calories slightly and give it more time. I can repeat this process any time I stall as well. As far as macro nutrients go, I have a video to explain how I do that:jules92761 wrote: »Well, apparently I'm a little late coming to the party... but if you are still taking questions, I have one. Did you strictly count calories according to what MFP assigned you, or did you follow a specific diet or track macros? In other words, did you do something such as say low carb, or keep track of your carbs (or whatever macros) that are tracked in MFP? Congratulations on your success!! Great job!!
http://youtu.be/7cc18wLJW3k
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That video is very helpful! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.0
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Wow! Congrats!0
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Great video! Thanks!0
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