I went from morbidly obese to 6 pack abs! Ask me Anything

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  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
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    Your transformation is amazing! And thanks for the offer of your knowledge and insight. :) Of which I'm going to use right now.... :)
    My only exercise ATM is brisk walking 2+ miles a day. (I'm a lazy one :() I'm a 66 yo female, retired, not really any health issues, been overweight all my life but am now about 5 lbs. above my goal weight(due to holidays) of 135. Oh yeh, I'm 5'9".
    I'm looking for some other exercise to support my walking and have given lifting weights(or even using resistance bands) some thought. I've got lots of firming up to achieve, phobia of gyms, so with all that information, do you have any suggestions?
    Thanks so much and congratulations!!
  • Nightfly01
    Nightfly01 Posts: 85 Member
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    Did you exercise daily? How could you run at 315? How many calories were you usually under daily? I’m in a huge rut.
    vismal 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!
    fat+skinny+fit.jpg

    Add me as a friend on here too!
    vismal 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!
    fat+skinny+fit.jpg

    Add me as a friend on here too!

  • jyarring
    jyarring Posts: 38 Member
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    Wow - that is awesome. Congratulations on your transformation! Keep up the great work and dedication!
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    vismal wrote: »
    Hi! I was happy to see you were still answering our many questions in your thread. Thank you for your video you posted in June. Very honest & in terms I can understand.

    When you think about what is realistic/long term (mainly related to measurements). Are there any ways you feel are reliable for measuring body fat? Between my home scale, the hand held one at my former gym & a hand held attached to the scale at my current gym I'm getting a little anxious about that number. I'd love to have accurate measurements, but I'm just not sure how.
    I'm basically 100% over body fat percentage at this point. To me it's essentially a worseless number. There is no really reliable way to track it for most people and even if you had access to one of the more accurate measurements (dexascan) I still don't know that it's terribly useful. If you are losing weight over the long term, you are almost certainly losing fat. If while you are losing fat you are maintaining your strength you can safely assume that you are not losing significant muscle mass. At the end of the day, look in the mirror. Are you as lean as you'd like to be? If not then continue to lose body fat. I think too often people chase a number and when they finally hit that number they may not be as happy with how they look as they thought they would be. For instance, somehow between magazines, bro science, and internet groupthink the idea that men achieve visible abs at 10% bodyfat and women at 15% became "common knowledge". Problem is, it's very hard to know with any accuracy what your body fat % is, and even if you do, if your goal is abs then lose weight until you have abs. You don't need to know your body fat % to do that. As far as using body fat as another data point to track alongside weight, measurements, and the mirror that's fine. Just don't get too caught up with that number because it's likely to be one of the least accurate numbers you have to track.
    grebber1 wrote: »
    You keep mentioning about lifting early. So is it bs that you can't build muscle and lose weight at the same time? Besides noob gains at the beginning.
    From someone who is morbidly obese all I hear is lose weight first then work on muscles. It's kinda disheartening
    Morbidly obese, non-trained individuals, and teenagers are all capable of building muscle while losing fat much more efficiently than people who do not fall into those categories. The advice to "lose weight first than do weights" is stupid for 1000 reasons. First off, even if you don't gain a terribly significant amount of muscle mass you will maintain muscle mass you already have. You will also build strength. Finally, lifting weights does NOT inhibit weight loss. That's something people say all the time and it's complete nonsense. So in short, anyone who says lose weight first then lift weights is just wrong.

    To the bolded, A-freaking-MEN!

    Seconded.... I just wanna be strong like my favorite power lifting heroine!!!! :*
  • friedpet
    friedpet Posts: 20 Member
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    Judging from your responses to others, I gather you aren't a proponent of the recomp approach when one nears the end of their initial fat loss process. If my assumption is correct, why don't you believe in it?
  • carengomes
    carengomes Posts: 2 Member
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    Right on man!!.. you look amazing! Very inspiring for sure!
  • Ddsb11
    Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
    edited January 2021
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    Thank you for being so clear, kind, and motivating. I’m excited to check out your YouTube channel.

  • Ddsb11
    Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
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    msalicia07 wrote: »
    Thank you for being so clear, kind, and motivating. I’m excited to check out your YouTube channel.

    Nvm I guess you’re not making them anymore. Your explanation makes sense.
  • elmusho1989
    elmusho1989 Posts: 321 Member
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    Well done dude😊

    So I guess I want to know...

    Did you ever *kitten* up and binge? And if you did, what drove you to keep going and not give up?
  • StephanieStC
    StephanieStC Posts: 59 Member
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    I haven't read through all the posts (obviously, there are so many pages), but I am wondering if you lost any friends? I am not very far along in my own journey, but I notice two of my friends are acting differently around me. One seems to be WAY overcomplimenting me, almost like she's uncomfortable with me taking charge of my life, but she doesn't want to admit it. She's trying to be supportive, but it's almost weird. And the other friend seems to be responding to my texts less and less. (We didn't have a fight or anything).

    Thanks for all the advice! Especially about lifting and loose skin. I hope one day to be able to post a similar AMA.
  • smiletraci
    smiletraci Posts: 1 Member
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    How do you deal with sugar cravings? Sugar cravings are my downfall. I don't sleep well (restless leg syndrome) and then I have no energy and then I think I need sugar. Yes, I need to keep it out of my house. I think keeping it here to eat in moderation is perhaps a very bad idea for me. My other question is how to deal with the in between time. When you are working your tail off and the belly fat is still there and living large. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story?
  • abbelina04
    abbelina04 Posts: 280 Member
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    Wow you have put in a lot of hard work and it shows! I appreciate your weight loss journey because I have been on one of my own also. I am down 135lbs. So congratulations to you! I was reading your post and shaking my head yes in total agreement.
  • Ms_Mia_
    Ms_Mia_ Posts: 128 Member
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    You look fantastic first of all and congrats on your self-discipline!
    My goal is to lose around 100 lbs, SW 214 lbs. I am kind of dreading dealing with loose skin. Did you encounter this problem while losing weight? I am aware that losing weight slowly and working out help more or less prevent that from happening. Do you have any tips or comments on this?
  • Ket0_queen21
    Ket0_queen21 Posts: 14 Member
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    @OP.. How?
  • stealthette
    stealthette Posts: 35 Member
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    They say you feel less hungry as you shed the pounds, did you find this?
  • suhailkt00
    suhailkt00 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello boss
    Can you share your current status and pics.
  • Sunsetwind
    Sunsetwind Posts: 5 Member
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    vismal 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!
    fat+skinny+fit.jpg

    Add me as a friend on here too!

  • Sunsetwind
    Sunsetwind Posts: 5 Member
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    You are an inspiration!! Thank you for sharing.
  • motherofcats2020
    motherofcats2020 Posts: 8 Member
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    Diet? what is your primary eating plan? Keto or Primal/cave man? You look great btw. I am a eary 50-something woman looking to lose some fat and gain muscle - start body building again after 20 years.
  • stonekristy33
    stonekristy33 Posts: 3 Member
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    What kind of diet do you follow?
    You look amazing! You are very inspiring!
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