From a size 20 to a size 8 with strength training, in one year! PICS!

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Replies

  • TK6299
    TK6299 Posts: 502 Member
    Fantastic! Your hard work is amazing and you should be so proud. You are an inspiration to everyone!
  • wapan
    wapan Posts: 219 Member
    wow, very inspiring. thank you for sharing.
  • RRBww
    RRBww Posts: 40 Member
    Awesome! Not a big cardio fan myself, well done!
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    edited July 2015
    tretoptreece wrote: »
    Ok two things, those legs are ahhhhhmazing!!! And your lashes! What mascara are you using in your after shots!? Beautiful and congrats!!!

    Thank you, my dear. :blush: I have actually been using the same exact mascara for YEARS, like 20 years, lol... I have always been blessed with long lashes but during my years of being overweight, they started to thin out and get very brittle. When I started eating right and improving my nutrition, my hair (eyelashes included) started growing again!

    But to answer your question, I use and have always used, Great Lash in brownish black, by Maybelline. :wink:

    It's amazing what taking care of your body will do... So many great side effects. Too many to count!
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    edited July 2015
    tottie3912 wrote: »
    My hero. THIS is why I lift. Can't wait for the awesome results!

    Awesome, get it girl!!!! :wink: Every day counts but it's ok to mess up too, just keep going on to the next!

    And thank you everyone, I appreciate it! :heart:
  • mfm143
    mfm143 Posts: 131 Member
    GenElizabeth wrote: »
    SweetAzn wrote: »
    You look amazing! May I ask what a typical strength training workout looks like?

    That's a hard one to answer because my workouts change daily!!! I tend to do upper and lower in one workout (just prefer it like that for me) with 4-5 exercises for each.

    Here are some example exercises I would do, for about 30-45 mins:

    Squats 3x10 at typically 30lbs (using either barbell, dumbbells, kettlebell, etc)

    Walking lunges 3x10 with 15lb dumbbells each side

    Hip thrusts off bench 3x10 at 25lbs

    Step ups with milk crate 3x10 at 32lbs

    Clean and press 3x10 at 32lbs

    Overhead press 3x10 at 30lbs

    Bicep curls 3x10 at 15lbs each side

    Tricep kick backs 3x10 at 10lbs each side

    As you can see, I don't lift too terribly heavy when I lift at home but it's heavy enough for me and as long as I'm seeing strength improvements, I'm happy and will keep doing it. I enjoy it so much!

  • mfm143
    mfm143 Posts: 131 Member
    edited July 2015
    Amazing progress thanks for sharing ! I just started ICF 5x5 and am doing similar weights - good to know that I'm not the only one ;)
    May I ask what kind of core exercises you did and if you could provide a sample routine :) thanks in advance
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    tbpmtb wrote: »
    That is such an inspiring story. I have loved reading about your transformation. No gimmicks, just hard work and determination. I have a question for you. Is there a nutritional formula for weight loss based on your current state and goals? I noticed that you consumed 1200-1300 calories per day, with the following breakdowns: Carbs: 100-120 gr; Protein: 100 gr, Fiber 25 gr. But is there a percentage suggestion based on your weight and goals? Also what about Fat grams?

    I'm glad you've enjoyed it! :blush:

    My macro % split was an even split for the first year - 35p/30c/35f. Fat grams would be around 60/day. As far as a nutritional formula? Not exactly sure what you mean by that, other than by me eating at 1200-1300 cals/day, it gave me about a 500 calorie deficit each day (based on my activity levels) which equated to a 1lb loss each week (3,500 calories = 1lb of fat). There were ups and downs, some weeks where I even gained or didn't lose at all, and then weeks where I lost more than normal.

    It all depends on your body and the consistency of what you're doing to see fast results like I did. There are also TONS of calorie calculators online to check and see what your cals should be, based on your stats and goals.
  • wwh140
    wwh140 Posts: 133 Member
    Wow what an inspiration you are to the rest of us! You look fantastic!
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    mfm143 wrote: »
    Amazing progress thanks for sharing ! I just started ICF 5x5 and am doing similar weights - good to know that I'm not the only one ;)
    May I ask what kind of core exercises you did and if you could provide a sample routine :) thanks in advance

    Hello and thank you! :smile: I did not do any additional core or ab work in my training. Most all of the exercises I did do however, required using my core for stabilizing my body during the endless squats and other things I did. I will have a six pack one day, without having done a single crunch, sit up or plank!! Giving myself another year to see what I can accomplish in this area of my life and looking forward to seeing more results! :wink:
  • mfm143
    mfm143 Posts: 131 Member
    edited July 2015
    ^^ Awesome! Thanks ;)
  • ICanNotHazCheeseburger
    ICanNotHazCheeseburger Posts: 8 Member
    So impressive! Thanks for posting! I love seeing how fit people can get, not just skinny! You were gorgeous before but now you look like you could kick serious butt!
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    ICanNotHazCheeseburger wrote: »
    So impressive! Thanks for posting! I love seeing how fit people can get, not just skinny! You were gorgeous before but now you look like you could kick serious butt!

    Thanks, girl. Love it! :kissing_heart:
  • fitmomof4SA
    fitmomof4SA Posts: 1 Member
    Awesome work! You look great! Question though....I noticed you said you eat about 100 of protein...my stats are saying I should eat 160g of protein because that's what I currently weigh. And I'm trying to drop about 30lbs. So....it just doesn't sound right to me
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    edited July 2015
    fitmomof4SA wrote: »
    Awesome work! You look great! Question though....I noticed you said you eat about 100 of protein...my stats are saying I should eat 160g of protein because that's what I currently weigh. And I'm trying to drop about 30lbs. So....it just doesn't sound right to me

    Thank you! :smile:

    Yes, during that first year of weight loss, I was consuming around 100g of protein/day. I think you are referring to consuming "1g of protein per lb of bodyweight", when you mention you are at 160g because that's how much you weigh. While that amount/guideline is great also, I did not eat 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight. I chose to calculate it according to macro percentages (35p/30c/35f), which is what gave me the 100g.

    How much protein you consume isn't nearly as important as keeping your calorie range in check each day though. Protein for me, keeps me fuller longer, helps keep my carb intake at a reasonable amount (100-120g/day) and it definitely helps with muscle growth and repair so it is still very important!

    It's easy to focus too much on macros at times, so just know that any "reasonable" amount of protein each day and at the right TIMES during the day, will help you reach your goals. :blush:

    Hope that makes sense! :lol:
  • sammygold2015
    sammygold2015 Posts: 630 Member
    Fantastic!
  • ngaliyin
    ngaliyin Posts: 71 Member
    Congratulations!!!!!!!! You look AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Thank you for doing your thing and being an inspiration.

    1. There's a belief that eating at a deficit while lifting preserves muscles but doesn't grow them. Do you think your muscles grew in that first year as you dropped the fat and lifted on a deficit?

    2. You were lifting 5/6 days per week - did you find that not taking rest days in between affected you in any way?

    I do ICF 5x5 and for 2.5 weeks did it 5/6 days per week, but I've been counseled here on MFP to cut back and take the rest days recommended for the program. I am doing so now. I know you weren't following said program specifically, but still you were doing the exercises in the program - squats, presses, deadlifts etc. I'm just interested in knowing with the experience you now have, what would be your thoughts on this?

    Thank you!!!!!!!!
  • Dklee710
    Dklee710 Posts: 19 Member
    Awesome work! And you look amazing :)
  • candykay0605
    candykay0605 Posts: 1,019 Member
    amazing work! I would love to have a friend on here that lifts! I have started to but I would love to have some one to go to with questions
  • tbpmtb
    tbpmtb Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you for taking the time to reply! You look amazing!! I'm really excited for you! It must feel amazing to have such an incredible transformation!
  • peiotter
    peiotter Posts: 35 Member
    Wow...Thank you so much for sharing your practice.
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    edited July 2015
    ngaliyin wrote: »
    Congratulations!!!!!!!! You look AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Thank you for doing your thing and being an inspiration.

    1. There's a belief that eating at a deficit while lifting preserves muscles but doesn't grow them. Do you think your muscles grew in that first year as you dropped the fat and lifted on a deficit?

    2. You were lifting 5/6 days per week - did you find that not taking rest days in between affected you in any way?

    I do ICF 5x5 and for 2.5 weeks did it 5/6 days per week, but I've been counseled here on MFP to cut back and take the rest days recommended for the program. I am doing so now. I know you weren't following said program specifically, but still you were doing the exercises in the program - squats, presses, deadlifts etc. I'm just interested in knowing with the experience you now have, what would be your thoughts on this?

    Thank you!!!!!!!!

    Thank you! :blush:

    In my experience and research, I've found that under certain circumstances, you can build some muscle on a calorie deficit. Here is a photo that shows my personal progress. There is a 9 month difference between each photo, 18 months total time, while eating between 1200-1500 calories/day. I can't say exactly how much muscle was gained but I am happy so far and am excited about what the next 9 months will do.

    c21g0xgktdr9.jpg

    You'll learn that a lot of people will come and go throughout your journey who think they know everything about everything, but it's going to be up to you to figure out what is valuable information to you and what is not. And while yes, the "norm" is to take days off between work outs, I preferred to work out (practically) daily for that first year.

    I say "train legs like you mean it" and that's what I did. HOWEVER, please note that I was not lifting as heavy as I possibly could've. I used a challenging weight, nothing too strenuous but I was consistent. It kept me focused, interested and helped to keep my motivation high also. I would take an extra day of rest when I felt like I needed it, but having a desk job and making sure that I got 8 hrs of sleep a night, helped me to recover quickly.

    Here is a video I made to help answer you guys on my experience with body recomp if you'd like to check it out. Hopefully I answered your questions! Best of luck to you here. :smile:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ke_RdVC2I
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    And thank you very much all! :blush:
  • opalsqueak007
    opalsqueak007 Posts: 433 Member
    What an inspirational person! You look incredible, and thank you for sharing your tips.
  • edwardetr
    edwardetr Posts: 140 Member
    Amazing transformation. Thanks for sharing. I think the thing with body recomposition is that it is more feasible for a novice. The leaner you are, the harder it would be to achieve incremental gains.
  • GenElizabeth
    GenElizabeth Posts: 291 Member
    edited July 2015
    edwardetr wrote: »
    Amazing transformation. Thanks for sharing. I think the thing with body recomposition is that it is more feasible for a novice. The leaner you are, the harder it would be to achieve incremental gains.

    You sir, are correct! I mention that in my video as well as a few other things on recomp.

    For myself, in the future, I will be transitioning to bulking/cutting vs staying on a deficit, to keep the progress rolling. Feeling much more comfortable with the idea of eating more now so that's exciting. :blush:

    Thank you @opalsqueak007 :wink:
  • alfonsinarosinsky
    alfonsinarosinsky Posts: 198 Member
    No words except you go girl!!
  • ngaliyin
    ngaliyin Posts: 71 Member
    GenElizabeth wrote: »
    ngaliyin wrote: »
    Congratulations!!!!!!!! You look AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Thank you for doing your thing and being an inspiration.

    1. There's a belief that eating at a deficit while lifting preserves muscles but doesn't grow them. Do you think your muscles grew in that first year as you dropped the fat and lifted on a deficit?

    2. You were lifting 5/6 days per week - did you find that not taking rest days in between affected you in any way?

    I do ICF 5x5 and for 2.5 weeks did it 5/6 days per week, but I've been counseled here on MFP to cut back and take the rest days recommended for the program. I am doing so now. I know you weren't following said program specifically, but still you were doing the exercises in the program - squats, presses, deadlifts etc. I'm just interested in knowing with the experience you now have, what would be your thoughts on this?

    Thank you!!!!!!!!

    Thank you! :blush:

    In my experience and research, I've found that under certain circumstances, you can build some muscle on a calorie deficit. Here is a photo that shows my personal progress. There is a 9 month difference between each photo, 18 months total time, while eating between 1200-1500 calories/day. I can't say exactly how much muscle was gained but I am happy so far and am excited about what the next 9 months will do.

    c21g0xgktdr9.jpg

    You'll learn that a lot of people will come and go throughout your journey who think they know everything about everything, but it's going to be up to you to figure out what is valuable information to you and what is not. And while yes, the "norm" is to take days off between work outs, I preferred to work out (practically) daily for that first year.

    I say "train legs like you mean it" and that's what I did. HOWEVER, please note that I was not lifting as heavy as I possibly could've. I used a challenging weight, nothing too strenuous but I was consistent. It kept me focused, interested and helped to keep my motivation high also. I would take an extra day of rest when I felt like I needed it, but having a desk job and making sure that I got 8 hrs of sleep a night, helped me to recover quickly.

    Here is a video I made to help answer you guys on my experience with body recomp if you'd like to check it out. Hopefully I answered your questions! Best of luck to you here. :smile:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ke_RdVC2I

    I appreciate you hugely for taking the time to go into such detail with your response. Thank you!!! The video is awesome and I learned a lot from it. Your July 2015 picture totally rocks!!! What you have accomplished in 18 short months is proof that your system works...fast. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • fourstar143
    fourstar143 Posts: 2 Member
    Wow
  • BeautifullyB
    BeautifullyB Posts: 41 Member
    Incredible results! Awesome job!

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