A Nerd who lost a lot of weight, you can do it too!

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: RealWarlock
Just whipped out my digital camera and it was hard to look at a picture of myself.

I guess that IS the motivation to take a hard look @ yourself.

LOL, yea, that would work. I think it was Red Dawn who about the problem of overweight people eating at fast food restaraunts said that they should just put mirrors on the doors.

BTW, congratulations on your good work, John.

<-- a young geek who needs to start getting much more exercise.

Maybe if I take a pic of my fat self and set it as my wallpaper on my desktop then I will have some good motivation.

 

[AthlonXP]

Wow, that guy's got pimp juice now!

 

[DamageInc]

Damn nice job, man. I went from 191 to 141 a couple years ago in about 10 months, but I'm back at the 149-151 range right now. Never checked my body fat before I lost the weight, but I did after, and it was 9.4% when I was 141. All I did was eat less crap (no beverages other than water) and lifted weights, went for some walks, and did some running.

Anyway, the dedication you showed these past four months is completely amazing. Awesome job! Hopefully seeing you will motivate me to shed a few of these extra pounds I've gained in the past few months.

 

[BentValve]

Congrats on your progress John. Personally I was overweight in high school and did not do anything about it until I was 23 , which at the time I balooned to around 230lbs on my 5' 9" frame. In 6 months I was down to 145lbs and then went up to around 155lbs.
That was 10 years ago and now I am at 185lbs and well on my way back up again.

The problem is that I did a few things wrong and starved myself on and off over the years and at some point I picked up some bad habits. One for example was that I found I could eat all sorts of tasty things and not put on much weight as long as I threw it up shortly after I ate it. This went on for many years ..in fact I did not put 100% stop to this until January of this year.

I am trying to acess the situation once more so I can begin again but its going to be harder then ever now and its seems alot more complicated now than it was then.

Your story is inspiring and at the same time it brings up alot of uncomfortable feelings from my own battle that took place 10 years ago.

Apparantly I did something wrong the first time around , this time I would like to do it right.

 

[SuperTool]

I must say, I am impressed. Not suprised that if you keep food intake down and exercise, you'll lose weight, but impressed with your ability to stick through with it.
This time last year, I did that too. I limited intake to about 1500-2000 calories, and ramped calorie use to 4500 calories a day. I biked to work 20 miles a day, then after work, I went to the gym and rode the Precor (elliptical) thing for 1 hr.
I went from 275 to 230 lbs in under 3 months. But then I stopped going to the gym, and just biked to work, and that was enough to keep the weight off, but not lose more.
Now I gotta get back into it.

 

[LordMaul]

Hey John...

Excellent job on your regimen, as you've already heard numerous times. I have also, like many others here, been trying to drop some weight. I am 6'6" 265-270. I used to work out often about 2 years ago until I hurt my back(herniated disc) but have recently been going back into the gym as the docs seem to think I'm not doing too bad. I'm very sturdy, shall we say, and not alll flab by any means, but I do have a gut and other fat areas on me I really need to work on and get my self esteem back up, as well as my health.

A lot of workouts have been seemingly inadequate for me because of my above-average size, and I've heard it might be a bad idea to take in the low-low calorie counts without adjusting them to my size(height, at least). Currently, I try to work out whenever possible(been too busy/tired lately to make it to the gym more than a couple times a week at most, as opposed to my previous 5 times a week) and I have a protein shake for breakfast, etc. but aside from that, I really don't have any plan I'm currently following.

My goal is basically to lose aprox. 30 pounds or so, and/or replace that weight with muscle mass as well as tone the existing muscle. Wanna give some help to a fat geek with some real desire? :heart:

 

[RealWarlock]

Try putting the picture on the Internet. Now we're talking about extreme motivation

I'm trying... I'm designing my webpage just for that as of now.

I'm more the happy to help anyone who asks--post a message, email or PM me--whatever's most comfortable

Will do!


Couple of questions for you (take your time since you have to make your protein shake ):

1: What's the ideal ratio of carbo, protein and fat when losing weight? I see that your carbo is lower than your protein. Does that make you hungry all the time or you do feel satisfy at every meal?

2: What is the ideal ratio of carbo, protein and fat when gaining muscle? I've recieved tons of suggestions on that. Some say to try the Dr Hatfield's diet (Dr Squat) by using 1-2-3 (fat-protein-carbo)? Or, using the ratio of 60%-30%-10% (carbo-protein-fat)?

3: How soon after a meal can you start working out? Say you eat every 3 hours... would you start working out an hour or two after a meal?

4. I heard that you should have an equal portion of protein (in the form of whey protein) and simple carbo right after a workout to speed recovery, right?

5. Do you eat more carbo like 60% in your main meal after a workout or do you stick with more protein than carbo meal?

6. Do you add fat like flax oil or hemp seed oil into your protein shake in the evening /without carbo?

I hope I'm not scare you away with my questions.

 

[JohnStoneFl]

Fausto1, Actually when I first started my program, I was not accustomed to even eating breakfast, let alone eating 5-6 meals a day. So at first I actually had to force myself to eat. Even though it was not a lot of calories, I felt like I was over-eating because of the frequency with which I ate. I remember thinking, "This information I read is B.S.! I'll never lose weight like this, I should go back to starving myself like I usually do when I needed to drop weight." Well, I stuck with it and boy was I wrong--it did work!

So even though I didn't go around hungry, I was not eating enough back then. Eating 1400 calories a day (sometimes even less) when I weighed 200 pounds was a huge mistake and truthfully, it probably hindered my progress somewhat. If you want to lose fat, it's best to create a mild caloric deficit, and then divide those calories between 5-6 meals per day. A good general rule for fatloss is to eat 10 times your body weight in calories per day. So, at 200 pounds, I should have been eating 2000 calories per day, not 1400. One can't just eat any old calories, mind you. They must come from good, "clean" foods. I aim for a 40/40/20 diet, which means I try to get 40% of my calories from protein, 40% from good, complex carbs (no simple carbs or refined sugar/flour), and 20% from good fats, which are fats rich in omega 3 and omega 6 (found in fish and olive oil, for example). Keep in mind that the above diet contains way too much protein unless you are committed to an intense weight training-program. You also should not take in that amount of protein if you have any history of kidney problems.


BentValve, I'm glad you have put those unhealthy ways behind you, hopefully for good. It doesn't have to be difficult or painful. It just takes some knowledge and some dedication. Before you know it, the bad habits are replaced with good habits and then you don't have to think about it anymore. When I first started it was weird getting used to such a new way of eating, but it didn't take long to get in the groove and now everything is second nature. Feel free to write me if you want some more information. I was a nutritional dummy before I started this "project", but over the past few months I've learned a tremendous amount. Desire and dedication only take you so far with out the knowledge to fuel them (Christ--I'm sorry--I'm starting to sound like a lame motivational poster).


LordMaul, others, check out my response to Fausto1 for some general tips on losing fat. I know that's not a lot of detail, but it's a good start. Unless you are happy with your shape, I think weight training is a very important part of any good fatloss plan. Otherwise you just become a smaller, softer version of what you are now. People who diet without exercise usually lose more muscle than fat. There are basically 3 key ingredients for transforming your body: diet, cardio and weight training.


I could go on forever, but it's time for my to go make my salmon. I am very strict about not missing meals. At this point, my body lets me know every 3 hours: TIME TO EAT.

Thanks to everyone else who commented, I wish I had more time right now. I really appreciate the props. Every single one of you can do what I did, I'm just an average guy who was sick of looking and feeling like crap. If you are in the same boat, it doesn't have to be that way. In 4 months you could look down and count your abs, not your fat rolls.

More later...

EDIT: RealWarlock, just saw your questions but I'm out of time. I touched on some of what you were asking about above, but I'll return later and answer your questions as best that I can.

 

[StageLeft]

Until somebody else answers I figured I'd pipe in some ideas

Originally posted by: RealWarlock

1: What's the ideal ratio of carbo, protein and fat when losing weight? I see that your carbo is lower than your protein. Does that make you hungry all the time or you do feel satisfy at every meal?

There are valid differing opinions on this. Atkins, for instance, states to keep carb intake super low (I think it's around 10g of carbs when you start the program). Others like say 30/40/30 (protein/carb/fat) or something around that. I personally don't use atkins. Not because it doesn't work (it works well) and not because of health repercussions (jury still out really), but because I sure as hell can't stay on a super low carb diet. I'd go bonkers. Many people find that when they reduce their carb intake - at least simple sugars - they can go longer between meals without being hungry because theid body doesn't illicit such a rollercoaster insulin response. Protein has a satiating quality about it such that two meals of equal size one that is high in protein and one that is high in carbs will leave you feeling more fulfilled if you take the high protein meal.

2: What is the ideal ratio of carbo, protein and fat when gaining muscle? I've recieved tons of suggestions on that. Some say to try the Dr Hatfield's diet (Dr Squat) by using 1-2-3 (fat-protein-carbo)? Or, using the ratio of 60%-30%-10% (carbo-protein-fat)?

Atkins is awesome for quick weight loss but I do think that a person needs more carbs when gaining muscle, although the key macronutrient is protein of course. For me personally to gain muscle I've always tried to eat healthy at a maintenance or higher calorie intake (higher the more muscle you're likely to gain) and make sure I'm getting 150+ grams protein/day divided over 5 meals (6 is more of a hassel). Once I've got my protein the second key thing I look for is calories. I don't care much if my calories are fat or carbs after that as long as the food composition is good (naturally a high fat meal is not very likely to be healthy, so that would keep the fat down).

3: How soon after a meal can you start working out? Say you eat every 3 hours... would you start working out an hour or two after a meal?

Since my diet is similar to John's in portion size I've found no problem working out almost immediately after a "meal". If you take in 1200 calories of pasta you're going to hurl going for a run but 300 calories is no problem.[/quote]

4. I heard that you should have an equal portion of protein (in the form of whey protein) and simple carbo right after a workout to speed recovery, right?

Not sure if ratios are that important, but definitely some good carbs and protein after a workout have been shown to be good. Protein in a quickly absorbable form like whey powder would be preferable to a hunk of charred steak. I've always believed that taking in a high protein meal _before_ working out is good because food takes so long to digest that if you take it immediately post-workout your body won't have the available nutrients for a long time; take the meal before hand and as long as it doesn't upset your workout then the nutrients will be accessible earlier.

6. Do you add fat like flax oil or hemp seed oil into your protein shake in the evening /without carbo?

I used to be so nuts over weight lifting that i wanted all my calories perfectly geared towards it. All seemed to come from either protein or complex carbs and I got to the point where my diet was so low in fat I felt it was worth while taking in some vegetable oil so for a while I used to have a very low fat meal and then take a teaspoon of it after (you get used to it), so you can do that if you like.

realwarlock it seems that you've definitely put some effort into learning things and that's always good but early on I wouldn't get too hung up in the details. They can tweak your program but to start off basically and get the ball rolling I'd recommend hitting the weights, doing cardio frequently, and cutting back your calories splitting your food intake quite evenly throughout the day betwen 5-6 meals, each one high in protein. The weight will go away believe it!

 

[JohnStoneFl]

After eating that delicious salmon meal, I'm reminded that it's important to eat in a sustainable way. Meaning, don't go on a "diet", but change the way you eat forever. I love how I eat now, and I never feel deprived in the least. Once I reach my fatloss goal, I will treat myself to the occasional indulgence, but sweets and junk food are not items I crave anymore.

realwarlock, IMO skoorb just posted a tremendous amount of sound, obviously well-informed information. I agree with just about everything he said. I'm not a big fan of Atkins/keto either. It works for some people, but I researched it and it just was not a good match for me.

I'll just add that I think one of the reasons we see so many different options and seemingly contradictory information when it comes to fatloss and gaining muscle is because what works one may not work for another. We are all different. That's why I think it's important to learn as much as you can, and to not be afraid to change your program if something is not working (or even if something is working--there's always room for improvement and fine-tuning). I'm always changing my program in little ways because it helps keep my body guessing. Besides, sometimes I learn cool new things in the process (of course there is the occasional backfire, but that comes with the territory when you are trying something new). Our bodies are so good at adapting that the same cardio and weight program will lose much of its effectiveness after 4-6 weeks anyway. Change is good.

 

[PCboy]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
From 80 pounds? Thats going up over 120 pounds in 4 months... a pound a day, or 15 pounds every two weeks, no Fin way

Sure you can. I went from benching 75lbs to 150lbs in 2 months. Some people put on muscle faster than others.

Are you weightlifting daily or every other day and do you take supplements? I don't have take any diets, eat whatever I want, drink milk and take vitamins daily. However, it's been 2 months and I improved from 75 to 125.

 

[melly]

subwayyyyy, eat fresh!

if jared did it, anyone can!

 

[RealWarlock]

Fantastic advices.

That was my mistake in the past to workout as soon as I was hungry, which kind of mess up my post-recovery metabolism. I wasn't feeling hungry afterward and that made me miss my "window of opportunity".

John, do you eat more carbo (higher than protein) in your main meal after a workout (not the post-recovery one... the one after that)?

Anyway, just finished with my website and I'm deciding on whether to show you guys it or not.

/me flipping a coin...

 

[Feldenak]

Thanks folks. This is the kind of information I've been looking for. Now that I don't have classes for the next 3 months I can try to get myself on a schedule that allows me time to work out.

No, the "lack of time" arguement is not always a cop-out. Work from 4:30 PM - 2:30 AM, class from 11:00AM - 4:00 PM doesn't realisitically leave anytime to cook, workout, etc... I'm trying to remedy that this summer and then stick with it in the fall.

 

[Spac3d]

Originally posted by: JohnStoneFl
Hi. Referrer logs rock. Thanks for the (mostly) positive comments. heh. There's nothing wrong with being skeptical. I think I'd have a hard time believing it myself. However, I assure you all--nothing on my site is fabricated, altered or in any way not truthful. I did lose the weight that I said I did, I can lift 205 pounds 8 times (w00p, big deal), I do have a glorious Florida tan, none of my pictures have been modified in any way and my hair did look a little like Bruce Willis' in 5th Element for a little while. The reason my arms look longer now is twofold: first, yes, my posture has improved, but also, notice that I changed the angle of the camera slightly (it's lower in the first picture). Look at my (non-existent) shoulders, especially in the profile picture, and it's obvious the camera is placed higher. I created the site to motivate myself, and I guess it worked. I've also apparently motivated a lot of other people because I'm getting tons of hits and emails now, so that's kind of cool.

If you saw me IRL, you'd see that I'm really not overly-skinny. Take a look at my current pictures with clothes on and you'll see that I have a pretty normal build now. I am going to add some lean mass once I get rid of that last bit of fat that is covering my lower abs. I've not seen my "6-pack" in over a decade and that's a goal of mine right now.

If any of you other nerds think I can help you with your own program, feel free to drop me a line.

Impressive feat to say the least.

I was working out heard until earlier this year when I was involved in a serious car accident ... I was unable to work out for almost four months. I am finally getting back into it and now that I have seen your story, I am really motivated I went from 185-150 in something like four months while living in the dorms. I have kept it off pretty well, but I would like to drop my body fat too.

I bet this was a life changing event for you. Congrats.

 

[DuallyX]

I could really use this kind of motivation.

Freshman year of HS I played football and wrestled- 180 lbs.
I quit the sports due to an immune deficiency.
By the start of sophomore year, I was healthy and had undergone a growth spurt. -220 lbs.
My weight bounced around between 220-260 lbs for the remainder of high school. I entered college at 245 lbs.
I now work as a graphic designer full time, which means sitting behind a desk all day. In the last 2 years, I have gained tremendous fat weight.- 305 lbs.

I am a big guy, and even in shape would weigh over 200 lbs. I have good muscle, especially in my legs, it's just covered in fat. I can run fast, though my endurance is considerably less than it was when I was in sports. I don't know if I could finish a mile jog anymore. Here's me.

I am married and have a baby girl. So what I do, I have to do in the small amount of free time that I have, usually between 7-8pm in the evening. I hate gyms. I'm not really a people person as it is, and generally dispise being anywhere where there are large crowds of people. I struggle with eating right. I will try hard for a couple of weeks to eat only good, home cooked meals. We don't keep any junkfood at home, either. But then I will "relapse" and start eating fast food again for lunch. I LOVE meat- beef, pork, chicken or fish- and would hate removing any of these completely from my diet.

I lack will-power. I sit here and loathe my ever-growing body, but never do anything about it. My dad even had a heart attack last fall and has since lost 50+ lbs, and looks great. He encourages me not to put myself in that some position, yet I still lack will power.

I need help, and you inspire me to seek it, John. When my little girl is old enough to run, I want to run with her. When she plays ball, I want to have the ability to stay out and play with her.

If anyone here at Anandtech can help me, or even just curse me and cuss me out every once in a while for being so lazy, I'd sure appriciate that.

We can start the Dual700s Anandtech Fitness Plan.

Any other fatties wanna join?

Thanks all!

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

 

[DuallyX]

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Dual700s

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

I actually have a Private Topics thread going that's essentially a fitness and "getting my ass back in shape" forum for a bunch of like-minded persons. I and others have been using it as a training and progress log as well. I'd be happy to include you and DA if you're interested.

 

[DuallyX]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Dual700s

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

I actually have a Private Topics thread going that's essentially a fitness and "getting my ass back in shape" forum for a bunch of like-minded persons. I and others have been using it as a training and progress log as well. I'd be happy to include you and DA if you're interested.

That would be great, Fausto, thanks!

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Dual700s

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

I actually have a Private Topics thread going that's essentially a fitness and "getting my ass back in shape" forum for a bunch of like-minded persons. I and others have been using it as a training and progress log as well. I'd be happy to include you and DA if you're interested.

Can i get in on that too?

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Dual700s

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

I actually have a Private Topics thread going that's essentially a fitness and "getting my ass back in shape" forum for a bunch of like-minded persons. I and others have been using it as a training and progress log as well. I'd be happy to include you and DA if you're interested.

Can i get in on that too?

Sure.

 

[err]

I totally believe in this. I don't think this is a hoax or bluff.

I went down from 190lbs to 170 lbs in 4 months without doing any rigorous exercise. In fact I only watch what I ate and I jog 2-3 times a week. 20 lbs of weight loss is not a problem at all.

After starting to go to gym and do some weight training, I went down to 155 lbs in 3 months. I still watch what I ate but not as detailed as this guy.

Now I am at 162 lbs and I would like to target 170 lbs without gaining too much fat.

All in all, I think this guy is inspirational.

eRr

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Dual700s

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

I actually have a Private Topics thread going that's essentially a fitness and "getting my ass back in shape" forum for a bunch of like-minded persons. I and others have been using it as a training and progress log as well. I'd be happy to include you and DA if you're interested.

Can i get in on that too?

Sure.

I also want a peice of that~!

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Dual700s

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
dual700s -

I'm in When do we start?

Great! Right away, I suppose. My question would be more of HOW do we start?

I actually have a Private Topics thread going that's essentially a fitness and "getting my ass back in shape" forum for a bunch of like-minded persons. I and others have been using it as a training and progress log as well. I'd be happy to include you and DA if you're interested.

Hey Fausto1 can I get in on that? I'm trying to get an exercise plan together that will work with my schedule. I'm also trying to plan out a menu that still incorporates the foods I love.