I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything
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Thanks for the "skinny fat" lesson. And you are correct, I'm NOT skinny fat like I thought0
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Please add me I don't know how n need help
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If you haven't lifted in a long time and planning on starting the 5x5 how much weight should you start with? Seems like with adding 5lb per workout that the lifts could get stalled out especially if I am really trying to lose fat first. Thanks.0
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I commend your amazing work and dedication.
I'm starting my journey down a similar path, and I would like to know mainly your dietary restrictions. I'm assuming you've already been asked this, but that's quite a few pages to scroll through!!
Did you avoid all bread and sugars? Did you stop soda cold turkey?
I don't have quite as far as you did to go, but I want to do it right and get the results I'm looking for.
Also, where did you find your motivation to keep going when you weren't seeing results early on.
Thank you!!0 -
orangbatak wrote: »For the first 3 months, how many calories were you consuming a day?
During the same time for fitness, did you focus more on cardio or resistance?
Any issue with loose skin? Did you get surgery done?
One of the things that caused me to back slide was the skin thing. This time around it seems to be better, though I still have a very long way to go. Some things I think probably helped: Making sure that I get enough Vitamins D and E via supplements. A is important too, but best to get that from veggies. Also I tried this stuff and it really seems to be making a difference. That and an astringent that has CQ10. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N4UXI6G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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It says that it helps with cellulite as well, but I don't know about that and the only bit I really care about is keeping the skin taut. It has also helped the appearance of my face and neck and the turkey wobble triceps thing. Lifting heavy really does help as well.0 -
amazing results! Keep up the good work0
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When starting a 5x5 you should start low enough that you finish all 5 sets of 5 without a ton of struggle. You only increase weight if you are able to lift all 5 sets for all 5 reps. If, after a few weeks, you can only lift 3x5 or 4x5, you do not increase weight. You can attempt the weight and try and get closer to the 5x5. Once you hit the 5x5 you can increase the next session. The program is technically designed to be used with a calorie surplus, but as a beginner you should still be able to make decent gains in a deficit.If you haven't lifted in a long time and planning on starting the 5x5 how much weight should you start with? Seems like with adding 5lb per workout that the lifts could get stalled out especially if I am really trying to lose fat first. Thanks.
I have no dietary restrictions. I eat whatever I want so long as it fits my caloric and macro nutrient goals. Asking questions of this nature clue me in that you should really take the time and read through this thread. It's got a lot about the basics and fundamentals of losing weight that will do you worlds of goodI commend your amazing work and dedication.
I'm starting my journey down a similar path, and I would like to know mainly your dietary restrictions. I'm assuming you've already been asked this, but that's quite a few pages to scroll through!!
Did you avoid all bread and sugars? Did you stop soda cold turkey?
I don't have quite as far as you did to go, but I want to do it right and get the results I'm looking for.
Also, where did you find your motivation to keep going when you weren't seeing results early on.
Thank you!!
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Hi ive been training for about a year now and can't seem to loose my stubborn belly fat, ive been dieting for about 2 months and have lost a fat but still can't seem to loose the belly fat? Any tips Thanks0
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You cannot spot reduce fat. You must continue to lose fat until it eventually leaves your abdominal region. Unfortunately, the abdomen along with the lower back tend to be the places men store fat the longest.leedavies53 wrote: »Hi ive been training for about a year now and can't seem to loose my stubborn belly fat, ive been dieting for about 2 months and have lost a fat but still can't seem to loose the belly fat? Any tips Thanks
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OP, I'm really enjoying following this thread. You seem very knowledgable. After struggling with my weight yo-yoing for the past 10 years or so, I decided this year is the year I am getting serious about implementing a lifestyle change. Ultimately my goal is to transform/lean out- I would estimate that I have around 15 lb to go, but the number really isn't important to me. I am currently in week 10 of 12 of Livefit Trainer, which is a circuit training style strength program, pretty intense, lifting 6 days a week/HIIT sprints 4 x week in the current phase. I am seeing great strength results (probably mostly newbie gains) but I am not experiencing the fat loss I had hoped for. I am starting to look "fat-strong" if that makes any sense. I think I am learning that I need to focus primarily on fat loss for a while, and then go back to strength as the primary focus. What would be a good direction to go from here to maintain some of what I have gained? Stronglifts in conjunction with HIIT and steady state cardio? Do you think IIFYM is worth trying in favor of CICO? I would so appreciate any insight you might have!0
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Wow
Looks like you lost like 120 pound in you first 1 and a half year ?
Is it true?0 -
How do you get pass the first 3 months?
I have never managed to go pass that.
Also, I don't like cardio, I just want to get into weight lifting.
I have drastically changed my diet lately but I need serious physical activity added to my routine0 -
It was from Mar 2011 to Aug 2012. So closer to 1 and a half years.jee_nee_us wrote: »Wow
Looks like you lost like 120 pound in you first 1 and a half year ?
Is it true?
I didn't do anything special to get past the first three months. I just focused on my goals. You have to accept that it's a long term process, not a quick fix.How do you get pass the first 3 months?
I have never managed to go pass that.
Also, I don't like cardio, I just want to get into weight lifting.
I have drastically changed my diet lately but I need serious physical activity added to my routine
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@mapes84 You are actually in a pretty decent place right now. You what appears to be a decent muscular base that just needs a little fat loss to be revealed. I would certainly advise tracking macros as well as calories if you have physique or strength goals. I would attempt to lose 10 lbs, then see how things look. You might need to lose another 5-10 after that depending on how lean you want to be. I'd drop the circuit training and do a 5x5 for sure. HIIT I'd limit to once or twice a week as it can interfere with recovery. How many calories are you currently eating and how accurate is your tracking? Are you weighing all you foods?
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5x5 program 4th week lost an inch in my legs i feel stronger and my husband looked at my boobs this morning and said (Are those new!)lmao i actually blushed
ladys listen to the man!!!!! 0 -
@mapes84 You are actually in a pretty decent place right now. You what appears to be a decent muscular base that just needs a little fat loss to be revealed. I would certainly advise tracking macros as well as calories if you have physique or strength goals. I would attempt to lose 10 lbs, then see how things look. You might need to lose another 5-10 after that depending on how lean you want to be. I'd drop the circuit training and do a 5x5 for sure. HIIT I'd limit to once or twice a week as it can interfere with recovery. How many calories are you currently eating and how accurate is your tracking? Are you weighing all you foods?
Thanks so much for the response! Generally I am shooting for a 500 calorie deficit- I got the fitbit that does HR monitoring last month, so I have been using TDEE to work those numbers out. Generally it ends up being 1500-1800 depending on my activity level that day (with the exception of the last two weeks, which have been laughably bad- birthdays and out of town guests, man). I recently got a digital scale, so I have shifted from sloppy measuring (cups/spoons) to something more precise. I'm think maybe if I start adhering to IIFYM, it might be better if I just shoot for the recommended calories from the IIFYM calculator (which was 1512), and not eat back exercise calories? Thoughts? In addition to HIIT 1-2 week and 5 x 5, should I be doing steady state cardio a few times a week? I am an on-again off-again runner- off right now, but before too long it will be on-again, because I am registered for a half later this year. So that could be a curveball with the whole how many calories is ideal thing. Thanks again!0 -
It's my first week dieting, and here is my progress pic!! I've lost 6lbs this week, have you any tips on a toned stomach? Any stomach routines you have that work well?0
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I just now found this post. AMAZING WORK!!! I guess my question would be this; did you have man boobs when you started? If so, what kind of exercises could I do to lose them and get that "leafy chest" look?0
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Congratulations0
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bump for questions after class 0
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For cardio should I do HIIT or long slow walks 3-4 miles to burn fat???0
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While I'm a fan of IIFYM, I hate the IIFYM calculator. I hate the whole IIFYM website. They are trying to come off like they invented IIFYM, but it's actually been around for decades. It was just called flexible dieting. They didn't even come up with the acronym. Someone on another forum much like this one did. The people who own that site are just profiting off the acronym. I feel like their calculator usually has people eating too much protein, and sometimes not enough fat. As to the calculation of macros, I posted a video a few pages back on how I'd do it. If you do a 5x5 I'd limit cardio to 3 sessions max, including hiit. You can split up HIIT and LISS any way you want, but 3 total sessions seems like enough. Too much cardio, especially high intensity, can interfere with your progression on the 5x5. When you start training for endurance events, I'd consider removing the HIIT all together.@mapes84 You are actually in a pretty decent place right now. You what appears to be a decent muscular base that just needs a little fat loss to be revealed. I would certainly advise tracking macros as well as calories if you have physique or strength goals. I would attempt to lose 10 lbs, then see how things look. You might need to lose another 5-10 after that depending on how lean you want to be. I'd drop the circuit training and do a 5x5 for sure. HIIT I'd limit to once or twice a week as it can interfere with recovery. How many calories are you currently eating and how accurate is your tracking? Are you weighing all you foods?
Thanks so much for the response! Generally I am shooting for a 500 calorie deficit- I got the fitbit that does HR monitoring last month, so I have been using TDEE to work those numbers out. Generally it ends up being 1500-1800 depending on my activity level that day (with the exception of the last two weeks, which have been laughably bad- birthdays and out of town guests, man). I recently got a digital scale, so I have shifted from sloppy measuring (cups/spoons) to something more precise. I'm think maybe if I start adhering to IIFYM, it might be better if I just shoot for the recommended calories from the IIFYM calculator (which was 1512), and not eat back exercise calories? Thoughts? In addition to HIIT 1-2 week and 5 x 5, should I be doing steady state cardio a few times a week? I am an on-again off-again runner- off right now, but before too long it will be on-again, because I am registered for a half later this year. So that could be a curveball with the whole how many calories is ideal thing. Thanks again!
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The only way to have a toned stomach is to lose fat all over. You cannot spot reduce fat at all. A stomach routine is also unnecessary. You should train your abdominal muscles in the same fashion you train everything else. Train them 2-3 times a week with some kind of progressive overload. People would never do 100 reps of bench press ever single day so I don't know why they ever started doing 100 sit ups every day. Just do something like weighed cable crunches 4x12, or planks 3x a week if you don't have weights/cable machines available. Increase the intensity as time goes on.kerryp4648 wrote: »It's my first week dieting, and here is my progress pic!! I've lost 6lbs this week, have you any tips on a toned stomach? Any stomach routines you have that work well?
Same kind of thing here, you cannot spot reduce chest fat. Simply get lean all over and your man boobs will shrink. I will say that the only exception with man boobs is if it's not just fat but actual gynocomastia. If you have gynocomastia then you have actual breast tissue that will not go completely away by becoming lean. There isn't much you can do until you figure out if that's what your dealing with so the best bet is to just get lean and see if they go away. As far as exercises, any decent beginners lifting program will have you do plenty of work for your chest. No need to get any fancier then bench press here.wetwookie1988 wrote: »I just now found this post. AMAZING WORK!!! I guess my question would be this; did you have man boobs when you started? If so, what kind of exercises could I do to lose them and get that "leafy chest" look?
Either, both, or none! Both will burn calories. HIIT will burn more calories in a shorter session but can effect recovery. Walking takes longer but you can go for much longer before recovery becomes an issue. You could also completely control calories through diet and just not do cardio. I feel like the best option for most people will be a little of both but it's going to depend on the individual and their goals/recovery.For cardio should I do HIIT or long slow walks 3-4 miles to burn fat???
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Hey vismal just checking in again, thanks for answering my questions earlier. I have to tell you I "rolled the dice" on eating TDEE - 20% which seemed absurdly high for me (2450 cals for me at 39 yrs, 6'3", 275 lbs)... mainly because some goofball dr told me to eat 1500 cals to lose. I found 1500 cals a day for my size to be unmaintainable and depressing and it basically made me give up.
But your videos and testimonial inspired me at the end of last year. I just want to say thank you very much.
TDEE - 20% for 81 days now.
18.5 lbs lost total weight
2-3 lbs muscle gained
20-22 lbs fat lost
3.5" waist inches lost
5% body fat lost
I chart things... it's what I do. Fairly linear waist loss... about 1/4" inch every six days.
No reason to stop now this is too easy, especially after attempting low carb, paleo, 1500 cals a day, and all that other goofy stuff.
Thank you so much. I'll see you in another 5% if not before then.0 -
Your story is amazing. Congrats on your success. I have a question for you; I started my weight loss journey a little over a year ago. I began a boot camp class, started walking and using myfitnesspal. I lost 53 pounds in 90 days but I was busting my butt, not cheating. Over the year I lost a total of 63 pounds, but have gained about 20 pounds back. I have recently started back (March 9th) motivated and dedicated to getting the weight I have gained back, plus I want to lose another 70 pounds. For me, it's really not about the number, but just being healthy and looking better.
I have read a lot of these comments (not all) but what's your best advice for getting rid of stomach fat and the right exercises and/or weights to do to help with the skin flab once you lose. My mid section is my biggest problem!
I have been going to gym and walking on treadmill at high inclines burning anywhere from 650 to 795 calories an hour doing so, along with doing other things, but my main focus is trying to lose the stomach!! Any suggestions or advice you would have for me would greatly be appreciated! 0 -
Thanks again for the feedback! Can't wait to see how it goes@mapes84 You are actually in a pretty decent place right now. You what appears to be a decent muscular base that just needs a little fat loss to be revealed. I would certainly advise tracking macros as well as calories if you have physique or strength goals. I would attempt to lose 10 lbs, then see how things look. You might need to lose another 5-10 after that depending on how lean you want to be. I'd drop the circuit training and do a 5x5 for sure. HIIT I'd limit to once or twice a week as it can interfere with recovery. How many calories are you currently eating and how accurate is your tracking? Are you weighing all you foods?0
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This thread is amazing! You have enlightened me on many issues and helped me understand what went on during my previous efforts to get in shape (ie: before having baby #6): why it worked so well and what I need to change this time around. I will definitely pull out my dumbbells again to complement my current kick boxing routine
Thank you SO much for sharing! 0 -
First off amazing transformation! Second off I have been losing weight for about a year I started off at 210 and am now down to 150-155 depending on water weight. My body looks built except for my abs. Only the top part looks developed and I want a 6 pack badly. Did you have this problem anywhere in your weight loss?0
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This is usually just the difference between being lean, and being very lean. You just need to lose that last bit of fat to expose the lower abs. It's often the hardest part of the weight loss process.mattgrenier9 wrote: »First off amazing transformation! Second off I have been losing weight for about a year I started off at 210 and am now down to 150-155 depending on water weight. My body looks built except for my abs. Only the top part looks developed and I want a 6 pack badly. Did you have this problem anywhere in your weight loss?
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