I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything
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Hi Vismal,
Love this thread. I have read almost all of it -- very helpful! Thank you so much! I have what I suspect is a dumb question, but here goes
I am currently in weight loss/fat loss mode. My question: If I'm not gaining muscle mass (and perhaps even losing some), why am I getting stronger as I continue lifting weights while I'm losing weight?
Some info about me: I'm 46yo, female, 5'9", currently about 172 lbs. I have lost 22 lbs. and I have about 28 lbs. to my goal weight. For exercise, I am doing both cardio and weights on different days. Weights are mostly compound exercises with barbell and dumbbells, and some cable machines (e.g., lat pulls).
It's my understanding that in weight loss/fat loss mode, I won't gain muscle, but I can work at maintaining what I have, or at least minimizing muscle loss. I hope that part is accurate. It seems to be, based on body composition data from getting weighed at my doctor's office every two weeks. For example, after losing 20 lbs. the data from the scale said I had lost 13 lbs. of "fat mass" and 7 lbs. of "fat-free mass". (Btw, I realize that "fat-free mass" isn't just muscle but also bone, water, everything not fat.) I get that I am not going to gain muscle while I'm losing weight, but I'm curious why I'm able to lift/squat heavier and heavier weights, and I figure there must be some logical explanation. Thanks!
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Great thread, Larned a lot about your journey, awesome indeed and helpful. I almost did the same as you, except I keep facing injuries from sports like, Karate, soccer/football and basketball. I've beef doing Insanity and P90x and body beast that helped me from and redesign my whole life. Currently trying to lower my BF and gain more muscle mass. Having hard time revealing my abs bc of the body fat almost 19%, which was 32% couple years ago. Hope to learn from you and m any other in the months to come.0
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1. Myfitnesspal of course. It wasn't until I began tracking my intake that my success really started to take offCongratulations, that's an amazing transformation. What do you think are the top 5 things that led to your success?
2. Understanding that "eating clean" is meaningless and that in order to have true life long success I had to eat foods I enjoyed (ice cream, cookies, etc) on a regular basis but in moderation
3. Lifting heavy weights
4. Not listening when people say "you lost enough already" or "you are getting too skinny"
5. Learning as much about the science behind nutrition and dieting as possible. There is more pseudoscience and myths in this field then any other on earth! So much BS to cut through to find the truth.
This should form base for any diet/fat loss strategy. Impressive journey n amazing results.
Question for u if u don't mind answering from ur diary looks like u eat once a day , r u following IF ??? N ur training what rep range u adhere to??0 -
I don't think you were morbidly obese before, but there is no doubt about your transformation. Good job to you man. 0
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You get stronger for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is muscle gain. While you are correct that normally, while in a deficit, muscle gain is slim to none. If you are a beginner, this isn't necessarily the case. Beginners do gain a bit of muscle while in a deficit. There are also other reasons you gain strength. The next most import reason is you are making neurological adaptations to lifting weights. Strength has a lot to do with your central nervous system responding to the stimuli of weight lifting. In the beginning you can make loads of strength gains through neuro pathways. Finally, your form improving can cause strength gains. For example, a novice lifter might utilize a disproportionate amount of triceps vs chest to do a barbell bench press. If you are able to correct this imbalance through use of improved form, strength can go up. As for body fat measurement scales, even the expensive ones, they are VERY inaccurate. I would use them only as a guide. I would not trust them as far as determining how much fat vs fat free mass you are losing.FitRoberta wrote: »Hi Vismal,
Love this thread. I have read almost all of it -- very helpful! Thank you so much! I have what I suspect is a dumb question, but here goes
I am currently in weight loss/fat loss mode. My question: If I'm not gaining muscle mass (and perhaps even losing some), why am I getting stronger as I continue lifting weights while I'm losing weight?
Some info about me: I'm 46yo, female, 5'9", currently about 172 lbs. I have lost 22 lbs. and I have about 28 lbs. to my goal weight. For exercise, I am doing both cardio and weights on different days. Weights are mostly compound exercises with barbell and dumbbells, and some cable machines (e.g., lat pulls).
It's my understanding that in weight loss/fat loss mode, I won't gain muscle, but I can work at maintaining what I have, or at least minimizing muscle loss. I hope that part is accurate. It seems to be, based on body composition data from getting weighed at my doctor's office every two weeks. For example, after losing 20 lbs. the data from the scale said I had lost 13 lbs. of "fat mass" and 7 lbs. of "fat-free mass". (Btw, I realize that "fat-free mass" isn't just muscle but also bone, water, everything not fat.) I get that I am not going to gain muscle while I'm losing weight, but I'm curious why I'm able to lift/squat heavier and heavier weights, and I figure there must be some logical explanation. Thanks!
I eat multiple times a day. I do not believe nutrient timing effects results so I simply log all my food into one meal for simplicity. I do utilize intermittent fasting in dieting phases but purely because it helps me stay compliant with the calorie deficit. My training is a mixture of rep ranges. Compound lifts are usually in the 5 rep range, with accessory movements 8-10 and isolation movements 12 or higher. I personally believe rep range is far less important than maintaining progression. No matter what range you are in, if you are progressing in weight, you are building strength/muscle.
1. Myfitnesspal of course. It wasn't until I began tracking my intake that my success really started to take offCongratulations, that's an amazing transformation. What do you think are the top 5 things that led to your success?
2. Understanding that "eating clean" is meaningless and that in order to have true life long success I had to eat foods I enjoyed (ice cream, cookies, etc) on a regular basis but in moderation
3. Lifting heavy weights
4. Not listening when people say "you lost enough already" or "you are getting too skinny"
5. Learning as much about the science behind nutrition and dieting as possible. There is more pseudoscience and myths in this field then any other on earth! So much BS to cut through to find the truth.
This should form base for any diet/fat loss strategy. Impressive journey n amazing results.
Question for u if u don't mind answering from ur diary looks like u eat once a day , r u following IF ??? N ur training what rep range u adhere to??
This has been discussed here already. Morbid obesity isn't a qualitative condition. You either meet criteria or don't and I did. I weighed 315lbs at 6'1. That gave me a BMI of 41.6. The generally accepted definition of morbid obesity is anyone who meets any of these three criteria: 100 lbs over ideal body weight, a BMI > 40, or a BMI > 35 and experiencing obesity related health issues (hypertension, diabetes, etc). I met 2 of those 3 criteria so by definition, I was indeed morbidly obese. I feel this is important because people say this often when I claim I was morbidly obese. While it's okay to say you think I didn't look morbidly obese, its important to recognize that regardless of how well one carries their excess body fat, the dangers and risks of obesity don't care.I don't think you were morbidly obese before, but there is no doubt about your transformation. Good job to you man.0 -
You get stronger for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is muscle gain. While you are correct that normally, while in a deficit, muscle gain is slim to none. If you are a beginner, this isn't necessarily the case. Beginners do gain a bit of muscle while in a deficit. There are also other reasons you gain strength. The next most import reason is you are making neurological adaptations to lifting weights. Strength has a lot to do with your central nervous system responding to the stimuli of weight lifting. In the beginning you can make loads of strength gains through neuro pathways. Finally, your form improving can cause strength gains. For example, a novice lifter might utilize a disproportionate amount of triceps vs chest to do a barbell bench press. If you are able to correct this imbalance through use of improved form, strength can go up. As for body fat measurement scales, even the expensive ones, they are VERY inaccurate. I would use them only as a guide. I would not trust them as far as determining how much fat vs fat free mass you are losing.FitRoberta wrote: »Hi Vismal,
Love this thread. I have read almost all of it -- very helpful! Thank you so much! I have what I suspect is a dumb question, but here goes
I am currently in weight loss/fat loss mode. My question: If I'm not gaining muscle mass (and perhaps even losing some), why am I getting stronger as I continue lifting weights while I'm losing weight?
Some info about me: I'm 46yo, female, 5'9", currently about 172 lbs. I have lost 22 lbs. and I have about 28 lbs. to my goal weight. For exercise, I am doing both cardio and weights on different days. Weights are mostly compound exercises with barbell and dumbbells, and some cable machines (e.g., lat pulls).
It's my understanding that in weight loss/fat loss mode, I won't gain muscle, but I can work at maintaining what I have, or at least minimizing muscle loss. I hope that part is accurate. It seems to be, based on body composition data from getting weighed at my doctor's office every two weeks. For example, after losing 20 lbs. the data from the scale said I had lost 13 lbs. of "fat mass" and 7 lbs. of "fat-free mass". (Btw, I realize that "fat-free mass" isn't just muscle but also bone, water, everything not fat.) I get that I am not going to gain muscle while I'm losing weight, but I'm curious why I'm able to lift/squat heavier and heavier weights, and I figure there must be some logical explanation. Thanks!
Thanks for the response! That makes sense and satisfies my curiosity. I am going to continue enjoying my strength gains and fat loss, and try not to get too hung up on details. My goal is just to be healthy. Thanks again!0 -
Vismal , Thnx so much for the info. Sometimes I doubt myself even if I m walking on the right path but coming from someone like u who has been there, just reinforces it . I m currently doing IF as I am in cutting phase and doing RPT mainly compound movements, got 16lb more to loose any tips from u will be Greatly appreciated. .1
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FitRoberta wrote: »
You get stronger for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is muscle gain. While you are correct that normally, while in a deficit, muscle gain is slim to none. If you are a beginner, this isn't necessarily the case. Beginners do gain a bit of muscle while in a deficit. There are also other reasons you gain strength. The next most import reason is you are making neurological adaptations to lifting weights. Strength has a lot to do with your central nervous system responding to the stimuli of weight lifting. In the beginning you can make loads of strength gains through neuro pathways. Finally, your form improving can cause strength gains. For example, a novice lifter might utilize a disproportionate amount of triceps vs chest to do a barbell bench press. If you are able to correct this imbalance through use of improved form, strength can go up. As for body fat measurement scales, even the expensive ones, they are VERY inaccurate. I would use them only as a guide. I would not trust them as far as determining how much fat vs fat free mass you are losing.FitRoberta wrote: »Hi Vismal,
Love this thread. I have read almost all of it -- very helpful! Thank you so much! I have what I suspect is a dumb question, but here goes
I am currently in weight loss/fat loss mode. My question: If I'm not gaining muscle mass (and perhaps even losing some), why am I getting stronger as I continue lifting weights while I'm losing weight?
Some info about me: I'm 46yo, female, 5'9", currently about 172 lbs. I have lost 22 lbs. and I have about 28 lbs. to my goal weight. For exercise, I am doing both cardio and weights on different days. Weights are mostly compound exercises with barbell and dumbbells, and some cable machines (e.g., lat pulls).
It's my understanding that in weight loss/fat loss mode, I won't gain muscle, but I can work at maintaining what I have, or at least minimizing muscle loss. I hope that part is accurate. It seems to be, based on body composition data from getting weighed at my doctor's office every two weeks. For example, after losing 20 lbs. the data from the scale said I had lost 13 lbs. of "fat mass" and 7 lbs. of "fat-free mass". (Btw, I realize that "fat-free mass" isn't just muscle but also bone, water, everything not fat.) I get that I am not going to gain muscle while I'm losing weight, but I'm curious why I'm able to lift/squat heavier and heavier weights, and I figure there must be some logical explanation. Thanks!
Thanks for the response! That makes sense and satisfies my curiosity. I am going to continue enjoying my strength gains and fat loss, and try not to get too hung up on details. My goal is just to be healthy. Thanks again!
I'll add another detail. As a beginner you don't use ALL the muscle cells in a muscle to complete a movement. As you train your neurological pathways, your nerves learn to recruit more and more of the muscle cells (called work units) in the same muscle, increasing the force the muscle can generate. Combined with better technique, it makes for fast strength gains
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Hi, your results are absolutely amazing. Its very impressive. I am almost in the similar state. I weigh 194 Lbs , height 5' 10" and age 29 years. my goal is to built a slim, sculpted and muscular body. should I go for a weight loss phase first ? should I do weight training along with cardio ?0
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What I'm having trouble with is binge eating. Has this ever happenned to you and how did you deal with that. Thanks
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bump to read later0
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I don't use the MFP recommended calorie or rate of loss. I prefer to set up my macros using this method:
Doing it that way you would NOT eat back any exercise calories as they are accounted for already.
Oh man, thank you for this video! I was trying to figure my macros on the IIFYM site and it was giving me poverty macros - like only 100 carbs a day! This is so much better!!!0 -
With those stats it's very hard to tell without a picture. If you want to look sculpted and muscular, regardless of what you do first, you absolutely need to lift weights. If have never lifted weights seriously, I'd maybe suggest your first 3-6 months just eating maintenance calories while focusing on lifting. After that you can proceed to a fat loss phase.LalitJethani wrote: »Hi, your results are absolutely amazing. Its very impressive. I am almost in the similar state. I weigh 194 Lbs , height 5' 10" and age 29 years. my goal is to built a slim, sculpted and muscular body. should I go for a weight loss phase first ? should I do weight training along with cardio ?
Binge eating was certainly a problem for me. It's how I got as heavy as I was. Once I started counting calories I simply would not let myself eat if I didn't have the calories available for it. It didn't matter how hungry I was, I simply didn't eat if I had no calories left. As time went on, I learned what foods provided the maximum amount of satiation compared to the calories they contain. You can eat quite a bit of vegetables and lean meats for very few calories. I made sure I ate plenty of foods like that every day.mlabelle33 wrote: »What I'm having trouble with is binge eating. Has this ever happenned to you and how did you deal with that. Thanks0 -
GOOOD JOB !!! You look amazing and the best part you feel amazing as a person .
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.You look great!
How has getting down to this weight and building up muscle impacting your life? The good and bad of it.
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.0 -
Well done0
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Hi Vismal I read through a lot of ur posts and I commend you not just on ur weight loss but answering all the questions everyone has. Your time is valuable and that ur willing to share it with all of us so we can be as successful as you is pretty cool. My question is what was your daily calories goal and what foods did u eat. I don't know if I shld eat less or more or what but I lose then gain then lose but myeasurents are dropping. I lose about a half an inch every two weeks sonim thrilled but the number in thee scale is driving me nuts.0
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My starting point is almost exactly as yours, 6'0'' 313lbs. Currently at 305lbs. What did one day look like for you in the beginning, I want to replicate your success. started off powerlifting and have stuck it, don't eat carbs but do a carb evening time week. do?.0
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Sorry my previous posts were from my cell phone and all jumbled here is was I was saying, My starting point is almost exactly as yours, 6'0'' 313lbs. Currently at 305lbs. What did one day look like for you in the beginning, in other words if I could shadow you for one day lets say your second month in what would your calorie intake have been? How many meals would you have eaten? What exercise did you do? Did you count calories? 60 pgs is a ton of comments to read through but I'm working on it! I want to replicate your success. I started off powerlifting and have stuck to it I recently received a recommendation to not do as much as I do and switch to a 5x5 routine which I have done, don't eat carbs but do a carb evening one time a week. Thoughts? I have a food scale and pretty much measure out everything. I follow John Kiefer and his carb cycling diet called the carbnite solution. So at this point i'm doing the diet recommended for someone +150lbs which means I eat approx. 2200 calories in healthy fats and proteins such as beef, chicken, and fish. I also take protein shakes and vitamin supplements0
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Great story. If you're still answering questions:
I'm in a weight loss study (they pay me to study me losing weight... ) I've lost about 3/4 of what I want, and initially was doing some weight training. After an ankle injury, I kinda backed off the weight training and concentrated on the cardio (which was a "requirement" of the study). I'd like to start in on the weight training again, but even before, I was having a bit of trouble with squats (48yo knees and all). Any suggestions? 0 -
I tell people all the time not to do what you are trying. Do not mirror what I did exactly. We are two different people with different genetics, preferences, etc. While we share a similar height and starting weight, that doesn't mean the amount of calories I ate is appropriate for you. You need to eat enough calories so that you lose weight consistently. This can be determined through trial and error. 2200 seems a touch low, but accuracy of your calorie count effects that more than anything. When I first started dieting, what I thought was 2000 calories was more than 3000 due to logging inaccuracies, cheat days, and forgetting to log things. The number of meals you eat in a day and when you eat them is almost completely irrelevant to fat loss. I don't find carb cycling to be necessary beyond personal preference. If you enjoy or find it easier to only eat carbs once a week, that's fine, but it isn't going to make you lose weight any faster with all other factors being equal. As to powerlifting vs 5x5, they are both fine. Do whichever you enjoy most. If you have aspirations to become a powerlifter at some point, the powerlifting routine makes sense to me.fitnthine5teban wrote: »Sorry my previous posts were from my cell phone and all jumbled here is was I was saying, My starting point is almost exactly as yours, 6'0'' 313lbs. Currently at 305lbs. What did one day look like for you in the beginning, in other words if I could shadow you for one day lets say your second month in what would your calorie intake have been? How many meals would you have eaten? What exercise did you do? Did you count calories? 60 pgs is a ton of comments to read through but I'm working on it! I want to replicate your success. I started off powerlifting and have stuck to it I recently received a recommendation to not do as much as I do and switch to a 5x5 routine which I have done, don't eat carbs but do a carb evening one time a week. Thoughts? I have a food scale and pretty much measure out everything. I follow John Kiefer and his carb cycling diet called the carbnite solution. So at this point i'm doing the diet recommended for someone +150lbs which means I eat approx. 2200 calories in healthy fats and proteins such as beef, chicken, and fish. I also take protein shakes and vitamin supplements
If your knees make it so you cannot tolerate squats, there are plenty of other ways to exercise your legs. While squats are absolutely great, and everyone who can do them probably should, there is no point in trying to do something that hurts you. Leg press is a decent alternative, lunges are good, leg extensions. All of those substitutes can also aggravate the knee. You have to try them and see how they work for you.iloveclones67 wrote: »Great story. If you're still answering questions:
I'm in a weight loss study (they pay me to study me losing weight... ) I've lost about 3/4 of what I want, and initially was doing some weight training. After an ankle injury, I kinda backed off the weight training and concentrated on the cardio (which was a "requirement" of the study). I'd like to start in on the weight training again, but even before, I was having a bit of trouble with squats (48yo knees and all). Any suggestions?0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cc18wLJW3k
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