Ask a former fat guy who lost 90lbs anything

[Phenom]

hey man! Congrats on the amazing transformation. I've been seriously training for over a year and a few months now and progress is slower than my expectation. I guess I'm expecting the similar results that I see advertised on the internet which I know is a bunch of crap now. lol. As far as training goes, I'm very consistent (5-6 times a week) and my Achilles's heel is on weekend where one or 2 meals where I don't eat very clean. But it's changing as I will meal preps these days.

Curious to know your training routine/cardio amount. By the way, what's the app/program you use for your food diary above? Looks pretty awesome.

 

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[samuraijack]

R u aware?

and serious question,

best plan of attack to gain 5 lbs of muscle and drop some bf by summer? Currently gaining some back through muscle memory.

 

[JasonR]

I'm currently doing IIFYM at 40/40/20 (carbs/protein/fats) at around 2,300 calories with a refeed/carb day once a week at around 2,500 calories.

I gotta ask, what's IIFYM?

This was me a couple years ago, need to get back there, but it's hard to find the time lately to eat as healthy as I was and I was in the gym 7 days a week.

 

[GuestUser113]

I gotta ask, what's IIFYM?

http://www.muscleforlife.com/what-is-if-it-fits-your-macros-and-does-it-work/

 

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[K.Y.]

hey man! Congrats on the amazing transformation. I've been seriously training for over a year and a few months now and progress is slower than my expectation. I guess I'm expecting the similar results that I see advertised on the internet which I know is a bunch of crap now. lol. As far as training goes, I'm very consistent (5-6 times a week) and my Achilles's heel is on weekend where one or 2 meals where I don't eat very clean. But it's changing as I will meal preps these days.

Curious to know your training routine/cardio amount. By the way, what's the app/program you use for your food diary above? Looks pretty awesome.

yeah. avoid comparing yourself to internet fitness ads at all costs. it's an ad for a reason.

one or 2 meals on the weekend shouldn't hinder your progress very much. that is unless you're eating at a pizza buffet for the day... are you tracking your calories/macros? I've learned that I can enjoy food/life while achieving the body I want. it's not either/or anymore.

I currently strength train 3-4 times a week and train jiu jitsu 2 times a week as my cardio.

the app is myfitnesspal.com

R u aware?

and serious question,

best plan of attack to gain 5 lbs of muscle and drop some bf by summer? Currently gaining some back through muscle memory.

misc brah? zyzz brah? we're all gonna make it.

5 lbs of muscle while dropping bf? eat clen and tren hard.

but seriously. it depends on where your physique is at the moment. for example if you're skinny already then gaining 5lbs of muscle can make it look like your bf dropped.

I gotta ask, what's IIFYM?

This was me a couple years ago, need to get back there, but it's hard to find the time lately to eat as healthy as I was and I was in the gym 7 days a week.

@Raoul Duke linked to a good post on it. it's pretty much having a certain amount of proteins/fats/carbs that you eat everyday.

the idea is that food choice doesn't matter as long as you hit those targets. so technically you can eat poptarts and whey all day but it's generally not advised. like the article says, I eat 80-90% "clean" and the remaining I fill with things I crave like chocolate/pizza/etc.

people call it flexible dieting too.

damn boiii. let me holla. you can get back that physique without 7 days in the gym. it can be achieved with 3 days in the gym and watching your diet

 

[smarty]

I just got back home from gym. I'm usually a timid guy and often feel like "gym is not my thing" but this post has me fired up already. Thanks for a great post!

 

[BeGreat]

Amazing work man. Its easy to see you being successful in whatever you do if you bring that discipline and focus to other ventures (ala Arnold).

Whats the most practical, simple advice you can give anyone who is trying to completely transform their body for the better (gaining muscle or losing weight, either way)?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

 

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[Bort]

Congratulations, that's an amazing transformation. I currently look similar to your first pic

A couple questions. To lose the weight in the first place, was it jut a case of regular exercise and eating healthily? Was there any specific exercises you would do more of (e.g. cardio vs weights) and was there any particular foods you ate?

I'm sure it's had a huge impact on your confidence and sex-life.

 

[Vigilante]

Keep motivating people. Your journey is fast lane and this thread has the chance to be life changing gold.

 

[K.Y.]

I just got back home from gym. I'm usually a timid guy and often feel like "gym is not my thing" but this post has me fired up already. Thanks for a great post!

The gym may or may not be your thing. If it's not then you don't need to force it.

Getting your body moving and active should be a part of your life though! Whether it is sports, running, walking, martial arts, the gym, etc. It's a crucial part to functioning at an optimal level

Amazing work man. Its easy to see you being successful in whatever you do if you bring that discipline and focus to other ventures (ala Arnold).

Whats the most practical, simple advice you can give anyone who is trying to completely transform their body for the better (gaining muscle or losing weight, either way)?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

The most simple advice I can give you is to be consistent in whatever diet/workouts you try. Experiment with it for a month or so and record how you feel/if you're getting results.

Since I'm not familiar with your background, it'll be tough to give you a recommendation. What's your goal? What do you want?

Congratulations, that's an amazing transformation. I currently look similar to your first pic

A couple questions. To lose the weight in the first place, was it jut a case of regular exercise and eating healthily? Was there any specific exercises you would do more of (e.g. cardio vs weights) and was there any particular foods you ate?

I'm sure it's had a huge impact on your confidence and sex-life.

Yes it was a combination of regular exercise and healthy eating.

Your question regarding weights vs cardio depends on your goal. What is your goal? What kind of body type are you looking to build?

As for foods. I think the easiest way for a beginner to get started is to follow a paleo diet. NOT because eating like our ancestors has some sort of magical fat loss cave man effect but because when you follow paleo you're generally cutting out the garbage from your diet and eating better.

it's sort of like a trojan horse to eating healthy.

here's a cheat sheet I found: http://www.fireforcefitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/paleo-cheat-sheet.jpg

coming from a place of low self esteem it definitely helped me in terms of confidence however it didn't magically turn me into a super confident person. I realized after the weight loss that there was an inner game that I needed to work on as well as the "outer game". mind+body

Keep motivating people. Your journey is fast lane and this thread has the chance to be life changing gold.

thanks @Vigilante

 

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[Bort]

The gym may or may not be your thing. If it's not then you don't need to force it.

Getting your body moving and active should be a part of your life though! Whether it is sports, running, walking, martial arts, the gym, etc. It's a crucial part to functioning at an optimal level



The most simple advice I can give you is to be consistent in whatever diet/workouts you try. Experiment with it for a month or so and record how you feel/if you're getting results.

Since I'm not familiar with your background, it'll be tough to give you a recommendation. What's your goal? What do you want?



Yes it was a combination of regular exercise and healthy eating.

Your question regarding weights vs cardio depends on your goal. What is your goal? What kind of body type are you looking to build?

As for foods. I think the easiest way for a beginner to get started is to follow a paleo diet. NOT because eating like our ancestors has some sort of magical fat loss cave man effect but because when you follow paleo you're generally cutting out the garbage from your diet and eating better.

it's sort of like a trojan horse to eating healthy.

here's a cheat sheet I found: http://www.fireforcefitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/paleo-cheat-sheet.jpg

coming from a place of low self esteem it definitely helped me in terms of confidence however it didn't magically turn me into a super confident person. I realized after the weight loss that there was an inner game that I needed to work on as well as the "outer game". mind+body



thanks @Vigilante

Thanks for the cheet sheet. In terms of what kind of body I'd like to build - something similar to yours. Not looking to get bulky.

 

[Luffy]

Let's say you want to shed 10-20 pounds of fat, what would your plan be and how long do you think that would take?

 

[K.Y.]

Thanks for the cheet sheet. In terms of what kind of body I'd like to build - something similar to yours. Not looking to get bulky.

are you currently lifting weight?

Let's say you want to shed 10-20 pounds of fat, what would your plan be and how long do you think that would take?

• if you were starting at completely ground zero with no health problems then I would recommend following a paleo diet (for reasons I mentioned above).
• if you were planning on exercising then I would recommend weight training 3x a week.
• how long would depend on your current weight and body fat percentage. a rough range would be 6-10 weeks.

if you provide more details I can be more specific

 

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[kph200]

Hey K.Y I just want to ask a quick question.

Is it absolute necessary to consume protein powder? They are really expensive in my country because of around 40% import tax.

I have been training hard for last 4 months. And almost everyone keeps saying to buy those powder.
By the way I am 23yr old, 178cm tall and weight 73kg.

 

[Bort]

are you currently lifting weight?

• if you were starting at completely ground zero with no health problems then I would recommend following a paleo diet (for reasons I mentioned above).
• if you were planning on exercising then I would recommend weight training 3x a week.
• how long would depend on your current weight and body fat percentage. a rough range would be 6-10 weeks.

if you provide more details I can be more specific

No I don't lift weights, but from what I've heard it's superior to life than doing loads of cardio?

 

[Luffy]

are you currently lifting weight?

• if you were starting at completely ground zero with no health problems then I would recommend following a paleo diet (for reasons I mentioned above).
• if you were planning on exercising then I would recommend weight training 3x a week.
• how long would depend on your current weight and body fat percentage. a rough range would be 6-10 weeks.

if you provide more details I can be more specific

I'm 177cm in height and weigh 82kg. I don't have any visible musclegains, my plan is simply to lose fat, I have around 25% bodyfat. I was gonna go on a juice fast so I will drop alot but I also want to make gains at the same time.

 

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[K.Y.]

Hey K.Y I just want to ask a quick question.

Is it absolute necessary to consume protein powder? They are really expensive in my country because of around 40% import tax.

I have been training hard for last 4 months. And almost everyone keeps saying to buy those powder.
By the way I am 23yr old, 178cm tall and weight 73kg.

no it is not necessary at all. protein powder is simply for convenience. supplements are just that. supplemental!

how's your diet and what are you trying to achieve?

No I don't lift weights, but from what I've heard it's superior to life than doing loads of cardio?

there are benefits to both weight lifting and cardio. I don't think I'd go as far as to say weight lifting is "superior" though.

I've found it's important to have a balance of both. at one point I was only focused on weight training with zero cardio work. I was strong and could lift heavy things but my heart would race from walking up a flight of stairs.

I'm 177cm in height and weigh 82kg. I don't have any visible musclegains, my plan is simply to lose fat, I have around 25% bodyfat. I was gonna go on a juice fast so I will drop alot but I also want to make gains at the same time.

I don't have experience juice fasting but my guess is is going to be really tough to "make gains" while fasting. if you're at 25% I recommend just focusing on the fat loss first. if you have muscle underneath it'll start to show as "visible gains".

 

[kph200]

no it is not necessary at all. protein powder is simply for convenience. supplements are just that. supplemental!

how's your diet and what are you trying to achieve?

Hey thanks for reply.
My focus is more on being healthy and looking fit. I have made horrible choices in past which has directly taken toll on my overall health. Since last 5 months I have changed my shitty lifestyle and started working out for better physical and psychological health.
As far diet is concern I am trying to eat vegetables and fruits as much as possible. Also trying meal prep to avoid junk food.

 

[K.Y.]

Hey thanks for reply.
My focus is more on being healthy and looking fit. I have made horrible choices in past which has directly taken toll on my overall health. Since last 5 months I have changed my shitty lifestyle and started working out for better physical and psychological health.
As far diet is concern I am trying to eat vegetables and fruits as much as possible. Also trying meal prep to avoid junk food.

meal prep has been crucial to me for maintaining consistency.

a big part of weight loss is modifying your environment so that it's optimal meaning keeping junk food out of your house so you're not tempted. we only have so much will power. it's mentally taxing to try and fight it.

having meals ready and already decided also reduces mental thinking/use of will power. you know what you're eating and don't need to think about it.

i've found this true for many thing in life. don't fight your environment, change it so it helps you.

I don't see myself as a mega disciplined monk or anything. if I lived in an oreo factory I'd probably get diabetes. I'm just able to maneuver myself and my environment so that it helps me and so that I use as little will power as I can for the results that I want.

 

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[Esquire]

Got a Question:

A new Planet Fitness just opened yesterday right down the road.

So I am going to shift my focus away from cardio ... and start focusing on weight lifting.

Anyway ... I find that I do MUCH better ... where exercise is concerned ... when I do it EVERY day.

For me ... one day off ... becomes two ... becomes three ... etc. etc.

But when I get in the habit of exercising every day ... I tend to stick with it.

So my question is ...

Assuming I am going to the gym six (or seven) days a week ... for about an hour a clip ... how would you recommend I break those days down?

What should I focus on ... on what days ...?

Any suggestions ...?

 

[K.Y.]

Got a Question:

A new Planet Fitness just opened yesterday right down the road.

So I am going to shift my focus away from cardio ... and start focusing on weight lifting.

Anyway ... I find that I do MUCH better ... where exercise is concerned ... when I do it EVERY day.

For me ... one day off ... becomes two ... becomes three ... etc. etc.

But when I get in the habit of exercising every day ... I tend to stick with it.

So my question is ...

Assuming I am going to the gym six (or seven) days a week ... for about an hour a clip ... how would you recommend I break those days down?

What should I focus on ... on what days ...?

Any suggestions ...?

What is your goal for going to the gym?

Leaner? Stronger? Better endurance? Sexier naked?

 

[Esquire]

What is your goal for going to the gym?

Leaner? Stronger? Better endurance? Sexier naked?

Good question.

Hands down: Sexier naked.

I don't care about the rest of the stuff (... how much I can do this or that ... or how long ...)

It's all about the mirror.

 

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[Bila]

My plan is to shed 10 Lbs in 2 months ( 1.25 Lbs a week ) ...Do you think it is too much ?

 

[K.Y.]

Good question.

Hands down: Sexier naked.

I don't care about the rest of the stuff (... how much I can do this or that ... or how long ...)

It's all about the mirror.

how does your diet look? I would say that body composition is 80% diet and 20% exercise. unless you're on gear!

My plan is to shed 10 Lbs in 2 months ( 1.25 Lbs a week ) ...Do you think it is too much ?

how much do you weight right now and at what bodyfat percentage?

 

[Esquire]

how does your diet look? I would say that body composition is 80% diet and 20% exercise. unless you're on gear!

Atkins. It is the only diet I have ever had meaningful success with. I gain weight when I go off diet (bad eating habits) ... then slowly take it off. Up and down. Moderation ... is not my forte. I am either 100% disciplined. Or 100% out of control.

But right now ... I'm in the 100% disciplined stage. I need to get down 25-30 pounds ... to 185 ... to get to a solid eight pack. That's my perfect weight (175 does not look good on me).

Right now I am somewhere around 210-215.

So the plan is to focus on weight lifting in the meantime ... while the diet does it work. I know that is going to take time. I am guessing I will lose somewhere between 1 to 1.5 pounds a week on average. So when the weight comes off ... I'll be looking good.

Most of the time ... in the past ... I spent all of my time on the treadmill and elliptical ... so I am not accustomed to focusing on weights instead.

So what do you think ...? Right now (my default plan) is arms on day ... legs the next day ... core the third day ... repeat.

Good game plan?

 

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[K.Y.]

Atkins. It is the only diet I have ever had meaningful success with. I gain weight when I go off diet (bad eating habits) ... then slowly take it off. Up and down. Moderation ... is not my forte. I am either 100% disciplined. Or 100% out of control.

But right now ... I'm in the 100% disciplined stage. I need to get down 25-30 pounds ... to 185 ... to get to a solid eight pack. That's my perfect weight (175 does not look good on me).

Right now I am somewhere around 210-215.

So the plan is to focus on weight lifting in the meantime ... while the diet does it work. I know that is going to take time. I am guessing I will lose somewhere between 1 to 1.5 pounds a week on average. So when the weight comes off ... I'll be looking good.

Most of the time ... in the past ... I spent all of my time on the treadmill and elliptical ... so I am not accustomed to focusing on weights instead.

So what do you think ...? Right now (my default plan) is arms on day ... legs the next day ... core the third day ... repeat.

Good game plan?

I would recommend a PPL (push/pull/legs) routine like this

Push (Chest/Triceps/Shoulders):

Flat Barbell Bench Press: 3x5
Seated (or Standing) Barbell Shoulder/Overhead Press: 3x5
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3x5
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3x10-12
Rope Pushdowns (circuit machine): 3x10-12
Overhead Dumbbell Extension or similar triceps exercise: 3x10-12
Shrugs(circuit machine or dumbbells): 3x10-12

Pull (Back/Biceps):

Barbell Rows: 3x5
Lat Pulldowns with (Long Bar or V-bar) (circuit machine): 3x8-10
Seated Rows (circuit machine) - optional if already doing barbell rows: 3x8-10
Face-pulls: 3x-10-12
Barbell Bicep Curls (Alternate between close and normal grip): 4x-10-12
Choice of one other bicep exercise (typically Hammer Curls): 3x10-12

Legs (Quad/Ham/Calves):

Barbell Squats: 4x5-6
Leg Press (optional if already doing above squats): 3x8-10
Leg Extensions (circuit machine): 3x10-12
Hamstring Curls (circuit machine): 3x10-12
Standing Calf Raises (circuit machine): 5x10-12

source: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=149807833

So do push day, then pull day, then legs day. take a rest day or do HIIT cardio depending on how you feel and repeat the cycle.

this is only if you insist of working out 7 days a week. however I worry about burn out (mentally) at this rate though.

if you're not accustomed to weight training regularly then I would recommend you try monday- push day, wednesday-pull day, friday-leg day, then saturday or sunday do HIIT and see how you feel after 3 weeks of that. if you need to exercise on the off days then do some steady state cardio.

again. it boils down to "it depends"

 

[jazb]

Some simple maths for you guys.

1lb of fat = 3500 calories

Let's say you need 2500 calories to maintain your weight. maybe you did some exercise and burnt 500 calories

Now your body requires 3000 calories for that day. If you ate 2500 calories. and repeated all week...you will lose 1lb of fat (-3500 calories in total). Yes it is as painfully simple as that.

Most of you can afford to lose more fat than that though. 1lb a week of fat loss is typically for lean people who want to get ripped (without losing too much muscle).

The problem is not that though. many people have no problem losing fat, the problem is adding back on.
here is the truth:

your metabolism is not static. your body might require 2500 calories to maintain itself. but after months of dieting, it will lower. maybe down the road you might only need 2000 calories to maintain your weight. it changes.

This is the problem. your metabolism is now LOWER, and you are eating as much as you did before. which is why you pile on the fat much faster.

Solution? slowly increase your calories back up after dieting (like 20+ per day).


any questions?...then ask me here.

I know all about bodybuilding too.

 

[Adam Cerantivu]

Anyway ... I find that I do MUCH better ... where exercise is concerned ... when I do it EVERY day.

For me ... one day off ... becomes two ... becomes three ... etc. etc.

But when I get in the habit of exercising every day ... I tend to stick with it.

I am the same as you and find it helps me even if for 4 out of the 7 days I just do some minimal exercise while attending the gym and the other 3 days (eg: Mon, Wed, Fri) do a set exercise plan that is of significance. Just the mere fact of going to the gym on the 4 days (eg: Sat, Sun, Tue, Thu) I find it helps to attend the remaining "main 3 days" that the real working-out is done on. Else it becomes "oh, I will go tomorrow to the gym" and all of a sudden one realises that one has not been for a week or two-weeks or even longer

 

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[Adam Cerantivu]

I would say that body composition is 80% diet and 20% exercise

What about sleep?

I personally observed the breakdown to be more like
* 70% nutrition = 65% diet (wholefoods, natural veg & fruit juices) + 5% supplementation (eg: whey protein powder, BCAA's, creatine, casein protein powder)
* 15% rest & recovery = sleep (6.5 to 8.5 hours of 'uninterrupted' night sleep.. or those that have to work the night-shift, make sure that one sleeps in a darkened room where daylight does not effect one as they sleep in the daytime)
* 15% exercise & working-out