I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything
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BuccaneersFan wrote: »As I'm sure it's a problem for most, when I'm on a cut my energy level when I lift diminishes quite a lot. What I would like to know is what is the minimum amount of sets and reps I can do during a cut to not lose strength and muscle mass. So lets say for example during a bulk I'm doing 5 sets of 200lbs. in squats, what is the minimum sets and reps I can get away with during a cut?SparklyBubblyBabe wrote: »Damn! My question is: how do you feel!
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You're so wise Vismal0
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HELP. I'm stuck at 47lbs loss!! I can't get over this hump and I don't know what else to do! Did you plateau? How did you go over it!?0
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HELP. I'm stuck at 47lbs loss!! I can't get over this hump and I don't know what else to do! Did you plateau? How did you go over it!?2
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5x5 training is a method of training that has you doing 5 sets of 5 reps for your heavy compounds like bench, squat, rows, etc. There are several programs out there. The "Ice Cream Fitness 5x5" is my favorite. Google it if you want to check it out. Stronglifts 5x5 is another.
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So many posts, I know someone must have asked this, but TL;DR.
Did you hit a plateau? At what weight(s) and how long roughly did it take to break through them? How did you adjust to overcome them? I also saw you say you wish you started lifting day one, do you mean you wish you didn't do cardio and strictly did a weight loss journey based off of lifting alone? Or do you mean both? What do you think about 1 hour fasted cardio in the mornings and lifting at night on 2000 calories per day?0 -
I just wanted to give a personal shout out to Vismal for all he does for this group. There are a handful of people that really devote their time to paying back to this community. He is one of them and he really knows his stuff. Thanks man!6
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5x5 training is a method of training that has you doing 5 sets of 5 reps for your heavy compounds like bench, squat, rows, etc. There are several programs out there. The "Ice Cream Fitness 5x5" is my favorite. Google it if you want to check it out. Stronglifts 5x5 is another.
I've never used the spreadsheet. The basic idea of the 5x5 is you pick a starting weight, something you are able to complete all 5 sets with 5 reps reasonably easy with good form. If you complete all the reps and all the sets add 5 lbs for the next week. I'm guessing the spreadsheet puts arbitrary starting weights in that are probably not specific to you or your level of training. The starting weight should be based on what you find easy/difficult, not a cookie cutter number.So many posts, I know someone must have asked this, but TL;DR.
Did you hit a plateau? At what weight(s) and how long roughly did it take to break through them? How did you adjust to overcome them? I also saw you say you wish you started lifting day one, do you mean you wish you didn't do cardio and strictly did a weight loss journey based off of lifting alone? Or do you mean both? What do you think about 1 hour fasted cardio in the mornings and lifting at night on 2000 calories per day?
Lifting along with cardio is probably best if you have a decent amount of weight to lose. Diet is more important than lifting which is more important than cardio (and should be prioritized as such) IMO if you goal is weight loss/body recomposition. Fasted cardio is no better or worse then fed cardio so it doesn't really matter when you do it other than that I would recommend doing it right before weight training though early in the day or right after is fine. As to how long your cardio sessions should be, this depends on the intensity. An hour of medium or high intensity cardio might be too much if you are also weight training. If you are doing low intensity like walking then an hour even every day is fine. As far as 2000 calories a day I can't really say if that is a good calorie goal or not without knowing your height, weight, age, and activity level.
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Hi To flatten my mid section do you think I should aim to recomp or keep losing? 5'4 130-132 42 y/o
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Hi To flatten my mid section do you think I should aim to recomp or keep losing? 5'4 130-132 42 y/o
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Kimgreen27 wrote: »Sunshine...how much have u lost thus far and how long has it taken you? If u don't mind me asking
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Kimgreen27 wrote: »Kimgreen27 wrote: »Sunshine...how much have u lost thus far and how long has it taken you? If u don't mind me asking
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Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.0
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I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.0
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Kudos to you on an amazing transformation! Thank you for sharing and giving your advice to so many!!!0
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I'm pretty new in my weight loss journey. I'm a 39 year old female, 5'5", & 269 pounds.
With a clean diet, what would you suggest I start with as an exercise regimen? I have stiff knees (one of those lovely symptoms of being morbidly obese) but I'm pretty active most days as I work outdoors....
Thanks for your time!!! Your success helps so many of us!0 -
Having a hard time just getting started. I think it's because the whole process seems overwhelming. What do I set my weekly weight loss goal to? Do I need to eat certain types of food (i.e. low carb, clean food etc)? How often do I work out? Can I just do cardio as I'm not terribly comfortable with weights and don't want to spend money on a trainer? Do I eat those calories back? I need to loss approximately 70-80 pounds. I don't like calculating my TDEE since my workouts are so inconsistent.0
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It's hard to say. In this picture your midsection doesn't look like it's in need of flattening. Simply looking at you height and weight either a little bit more fat loss would be okay but recomp would certainly be appropriate too. It basically depends on what you want more. What's your ultimate goal and what is your training like?
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Under my navel (lower abs) I can grab around 2-3 inches of fat I do a lifting class (Body Pump) once a week, lift two more days on my own as heavy as I can (upper/lower body) 1 hr spin once a week and running or elliptical or walking 45 minutes 2-3 days 10k+ steps 6 days a week, one day of rest....I really love my carbs and I hope I don't have to cut them from my diet, my macros are 50 carbs/25 protein/25fat @ 1,500 cals...
Thank you!!!
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wow amazing ~0
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BklynFitGuy wrote: »Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.TeinyWinehouse wrote: »Really inspirational! Did you experience a plateau at any point? How did you deal with that (if you did)?
People end up in maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they lose a lot of weight and simply require less calories per day. Obviously my maintenance was significantly lower at 250 lbs compared to 315, and at 200 lbs it was significantly lower than at 250. Another reason is poor tracking of intake. Calorie counting is hard to do well. I made a whole post about doing it well: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. Finally, when you have been eating in a deficit for a while many people subconsciously start moving less. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreases. NEAT is the unintentional exercise of the day. Walking around, tapping your foot, etc. A way to monitor some of your NEAT is to wear a step counter. I was very surprised to see how much less I moved when dieting compared to when I was in a bulking phase. Setting a consistent step goal helps reduce the variability of the "calories out" side of the equation and lets you focus more on calories in which is generally the variable most in need of manipulation if you aren't losing weight.4 -
I'm pretty new in my weight loss journey. I'm a 39 year old female, 5'5", & 269 pounds.
With a clean diet, what would you suggest I start with as an exercise regimen? I have stiff knees (one of those lovely symptoms of being morbidly obese) but I'm pretty active most days as I work outdoors....
Thanks for your time!!! Your success helps so many of us!
I usually recommend doing some kind of weight training routine. Any proven beginners program is fine (stronglifts, greyskull, starting strength). Start with low weights that you can accomplish easily and work your way up. As far as cardio, just do whatever you enjoy or in my case, hate the least!Megmakesithappen wrote: »Having a hard time just getting started. I think it's because the whole process seems overwhelming. What do I set my weekly weight loss goal to? Do I need to eat certain types of food (i.e. low carb, clean food etc)? How often do I work out? Can I just do cardio as I'm not terribly comfortable with weights and don't want to spend money on a trainer? Do I eat those calories back? I need to loss approximately 70-80 pounds. I don't like calculating my TDEE since my workouts are so inconsistent.
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BklynFitGuy wrote: »Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.TeinyWinehouse wrote: »Really inspirational! Did you experience a plateau at any point? How did you deal with that (if you did)?
People end up in maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they lose a lot of weight and simply require less calories per day. Obviously my maintenance was significantly lower at 250 lbs compared to 315, and at 200 lbs it was significantly lower than at 250. Another reason is poor tracking of intake. Calorie counting is hard to do well. I made a whole post about doing it well: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. Finally, when you have been eating in a deficit for a while many people subconsciously start moving less. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreases. NEAT is the unintentional exercise of the day. Walking around, tapping your foot, etc. A way to monitor some of your NEAT is to wear a step counter. I was very surprised to see how much less I moved when dieting compared to when I was in a bulking phase. Setting a consistent step goal helps reduce the variability of the "calories out" side of the equation and lets you focus more on calories in which is generally the variable most in need of manipulation if you aren't losing weight.
I'm so happy for all your goals and studying that you're doing for you and your family. I also miss the videos, but what you're doing is most important so keep on ! I'm very proud of you Vismal and at least you still active here to respond to people and give your wise advice in all related fitness. Oh! By the way Vismal, I'm really enjoying Jason Blaha's Workout that you suggested. Thank you. I'm enjoying the whole body workout in contrast to splits and am seeing results indeed. Thank you for that too. Blessings to you and your wife and baby from me.1 -
No questions, but Amazing transformation! Congrats! Very inspiring0
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Awesome transformation!
I have a one. How did you stay motivated during your journey? I started like a month ago for the six pack. But the resulted is not there yet! I train and eat clean, only this Easter weekend I really messed it up0 -
It's hard to say. In this picture your midsection doesn't look like it's in need of flattening. Simply looking at you height and weight either a little bit more fat loss would be okay but recomp would certainly be appropriate too. It basically depends on what you want more. What's your ultimate goal and what is your training like?
Under my navel (lower abs) I can grab around 2-3 inches of fat I do a lifting class (Body Pump) once a week, lift two more days on my own as heavy as I can (upper/lower body) 1 hr spin once a week and running or elliptical or walking 45 minutes 2-3 days 10k+ steps 6 days a week, one day of rest....I really love my carbs and I hope I don't have to cut them from my diet, my macros are 50 carbs/25 protein/25fat @ 1,500 cals...
Thank you!!!
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The lower abdomen is among one of the last places fat usually leaves the body. The only way to make it happen is to just keep eating at a deficit and keep losing weight. You may find that you have to get too lean for your liking in order to make it happen. If this begins to happen the better approach IMO is to actually spend some time lean bulking where you gain weight very slowly in an attempt to alter your body composition. For women you ideally only want to gain about a lb a month on average. After a 6-9 month span of doing this you can cut weight again and may find you are able to get lean enough to expose your abs without having to make yourself miserable.3 -
How long did it take to see results0
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Just wondering how it's going for you years later in the maintenance phase. I am nearing the end of my weight loss and approaching maintenance myself. Please feel free to friend me.1
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BklynFitGuy wrote: »Fell off track and just getting refocused the last few weeks. Sorry if I missed the answer to this somewhere but are you still doing your Feeding Fitness channel? Just getting caught up and notice there hasn't been any recent videos.I lost 100lbs last year without being very smart about such things, so I ended up very "skinny-fat". What is your opinion on lifting three days a week and increasing calories those three days (as opposed to long bulk and cut cycles)? Honestly, bulking freaks me out because I can really see myself picking up old habits.TeinyWinehouse wrote: »Really inspirational! Did you experience a plateau at any point? How did you deal with that (if you did)?
People end up in maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they lose a lot of weight and simply require less calories per day. Obviously my maintenance was significantly lower at 250 lbs compared to 315, and at 200 lbs it was significantly lower than at 250. Another reason is poor tracking of intake. Calorie counting is hard to do well. I made a whole post about doing it well: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101. Finally, when you have been eating in a deficit for a while many people subconsciously start moving less. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreases. NEAT is the unintentional exercise of the day. Walking around, tapping your foot, etc. A way to monitor some of your NEAT is to wear a step counter. I was very surprised to see how much less I moved when dieting compared to when I was in a bulking phase. Setting a consistent step goal helps reduce the variability of the "calories out" side of the equation and lets you focus more on calories in which is generally the variable most in need of manipulation if you aren't losing weight.
I'm so happy for all your goals and studying that you're doing for you and your family. I also miss the videos, but what you're doing is most important so keep on ! I'm very proud of you Vismal and at least you still active here to respond to people and give your wise advice in all related fitness. Oh! By the way Vismal, I'm really enjoying Jason Blaha's Workout that you suggested. Thank you. I'm enjoying the whole body workout in contrast to splits and am seeing results indeed. Thank you for that too. Blessings to you and your wife and baby from me.
Thank you for the kind words!amiraammora wrote: »Awesome transformation!
I have a one. How did you stay motivated during your journey? I started like a month ago for the six pack. But the resulted is not there yet! I train and eat clean, only this Easter weekend I really messed it up
You have to set goals both short term and long. Getting a six pack is very difficult, especially for a female. IMO that's a good long term goal. Unfortunately goals that can take many months or even years can sometimes feel as though they are never going to be completed. This is why short term goals are equally as important. If your long term goal is a six pack, a short term goal might be to lose X amount of weight in a given time frame. For short term goals I like to use between 2-3 months usually. Make it something reasonable and obtainable. If you complete the short term goal you can set a slightly more ambitious one next time. If you fail, examine why. Was the goal too aggressive for the given amount of time? Did you struggle with compliance? Is something about diet or training off? Answering these questions will help you with your next goal. Using both short and long term goals helps you keep motivated even if your ultimate goal seems very far off.0 -
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