Huge transformations?

[kodiakfly]

How many here have been successful completing a huge body transformation? I don't mean the 5-15 lbs guys talk about, "during hunting season, I like to drop 6-8 lbs so I can run during my entire hunt instead of just jogging..." I mean how many of you have lost, say 50, 70, 90 lbs and are a different person?

I'm fat. I broke my leg and during my down time I gained like 60 lbs, and I was big when I broke my leg. I topped out at almost 290. I'm down to 250 now, and want to get down to 225 by June, and then maybe polish off another 10 before fall.

So how much did you lose and how long did it take you? How'd you do it?

I'm getting burned out, doing gym at lunch, then hiking 2-3 hrs a night with a weighted pack, diet is all diet food-tuna, chicken breast, two gallons of water a day. I'm doing it "right" and I'm losing weight, but it's slowing down and my motivation is waning as I'm not losing as fast as I'd like and I'm curious who else has been down this road.

I'm 6'/250 right now. I'm not all lard..imagine a powerlifter; I do carry muscle mass. But I'm softer than I need/want to be and have a belly to get smaller.

If you got any before/after pics, lay em on me.

 

[SoDakBear]

I wish I could. I have been up and down for the past 3 years. I started at 250 got down to 210, then got up to 265 then back down to 205, now I am up to 274 as of this morning and I am hoping to get down to 215 by July as I am getting married then. Its is going to be a heck of a challenge but I think I can do it. I am still young so I have a pretty good metabolism once I start doing stuff again. I am kind of sick of gaining and losing all the time, but I hate trying to eat right.

That being said I am going to post a before and after picture here in two and a half months.

 

[fillthefreezer]

i wasnt huge but at one point was up to 230. spent a few years at 220. then i got down to about 185 in 4-5 months. by the end of that september i was down to 177. that winter i was back up to 200. spring and summer down to 185-190 but in better shape than the previous year. nowadays winter around 190-195. summer and fall 185.

 

[wapitibob]

I lost 50# in 10 weeks a number of years ago (Adkins). Just about the easiest thing I ever did besides getting fat. Lost 20# last August for hunting season (Medifast), gained it back eating really well this winter, and am in the process of losing 40 in the next 2 1/2 to 3 months if I can get past the 210-215 leg cramp barrier. The 40 will get me to 200 which is where I should be at 6'3. Losing seems to be easy, keeping it off is the hard part.

 

[littlebuf]

have you ever looked into HCG? its extreme and its not for everyone. but it works, my wife is a bit of an expert on it, ironic since shes the last person who would need it. but shes so involved and knowledgeable about diet and hormones that shes helped a few gals she knows though this type of program and the results are borderline shocking. if you dont mind needles and can stick to the worse diet you've ever imagined for like 45 days you can lose a whole person off you and then get about a regular routine of healthy weight and living. im not the guy to talk to but if youd like my wife could email you.

 

[7mag.]

I'm going through it right now. I used to run about 210-215, then two years ago I was diagnosed with a lung, heart and kidney disease. I was put on heavy doses of prednisone, which causes pretty severe weight gain. I shot up to over 265 (I stopped weighing myself at 265) in four months. My doctor told me losing weight while on prednisone is nearly impossible. I took it as a challenge, and got down to 235. After two years of prednisone, I got switched to a type of chemo, and as of last week, I'm off prednisone. Now it's game on. I'm planning on being down to 200 by September, but hopefully sooner. My motivation is my love of back country hunting, and the need to be in shape to do it. Good luck, you can do it. If you are interested, pm me and maybe we can keep each other motivated.

 

[Travis1984]

I was at 240 in 2010, and got down to 192 in 4 months. Eating very strict paleo and doing lots and lots of cardio. Usually slip back up to around 215 or so and like to be towards 195-200 for season. I'm in significantly better shape now at 206 then I was at 192.

I hate to say this but most people I know who try gimmicky stuff can't keep it off. It's in your head and how much you want it.

It's a sad thing but Americans in particular are addicted to sugar and processed food. It's amazing how strong the cravings can get, and when you overcome them how much you realize you didn't need that bag of chips.

Good luck man and send me a message if you have more questions or need more motivation.

Btw, best thing for my workout health that ever happened was getting a motivated workout/hunting partner. You hold each other accountable and keep the pace going.

 

[avodude]

I'm built similar to the OP at 6', 260, power-lifter. I topped out around 285 October of 2012.

I have 14 years of weight data in excel from the VA that show how my body mass has changed due to life circumstances. Two divorces, changes in medication, etc.

My brother has lost 40 lbs since December of 2013 and is on track to lose 50 by mid May. He has turned me on to a free community calorie and exercise tracker called "Lose It". I started the program a little over two weeks ago and have since lost 6 lbs while on prednisone for a deviated septum. I was at an upper 260's wall before starting and was frustrated.

I'm shooting for what I weighed when I left the Marine Corps (203 lbs) and with the way this program has been working, (not gimmicky btw) I am confident that that will happen. It was an eye opener to see how many calories I was taking in before I started accounting for them. I needed to get re-calibrated calorie wise. Exercise alone wasn't doing it for me.

 

[kodiakfly]

have you ever looked into HCG?

What's HCG? Hormone-something? Look, if anabolic steroids were legal, I'd consume every last one! But my employer (USCG aviation) frowns heavily on hormone therapy of any kind. If I wasn't on flight orders, it'd open up some options. ....that's if we're even talking about hormones. If not, never mind and just tell me what HCG is. LOL

I'm going through it right now. I used to run about 210-215, then two years ago I was diagnosed with a lung, heart and kidney disease. I was put on heavy doses of prednisone, which causes pretty severe weight gain. I shot up to over 265 (I stopped weighing myself at 265) in four months. My doctor told me losing weight while on prednisone is nearly impossible. I took it as a challenge, and got down to 235. After two years of prednisone, I got switched to a type of chemo, and as of last week, I'm off prednisone. Now it's game on. I'm planning on being down to 200 by September, but hopefully sooner. My motivation is my love of back country hunting, and the need to be in shape to do it. Good luck, you can do it. If you are interested, pm me and maybe we can keep each other motivated.

Sounds rough man. I say we open up this thread to any and all huge transformation before/after pics. I want to post mine here in a few months!

I was at 240 in 2010, and got down to 192 in 4 months. Eating very strict paleo and doing lots and lots of cardio. Usually slip back up to around 215 or so and like to be towards 195-200 for season. I'm in significantly better shape now at 206 then I was at 192.

I hate to say this but most people I know who try gimmicky stuff can't keep it off. It's in your head and how much you want it.

It's a sad thing but Americans in particular are addicted to sugar and processed food. It's amazing how strong the cravings can get, and when you overcome them how much you realize you didn't need that bag of chips.

Good luck man and send me a message if you have more questions or need more motivation.

Btw, best thing for my workout health that ever happened was getting a motivated workout/hunting partner. You hold each other accountable and keep the pace going.

Agree. I've never done gimmick diets, not even Adkins which is pretty mainstream nowadays. I just eat proper macro nutrients and exercise my ass off. I've trained as bodybuilder and powerlifter for over 20 yeears and that's fine...until you get fat and then neither of those diets or lifestyles does you very well for cutting fat, unless you're in show prep for bodybuilding and I've never done a show. I've had to retrain myself as far as "I don't need four chicken breasts every day, and I don't need to squat 400 lbs, let alone eat to squat 400 lbs...." Now I prioritize cardio over strength, and I've adjusted my weight training from mass gains to endurance and *cough* core training...ugh. And like I mentioned, I hike up a 1200' "mountain"(it's labeled a mountain on the topo) every night after work. I'm getting there and like was mentioned, I've also been up and down and now I'm just sick of it and I'm getting it off and I'll be damned if it ever comes back. This is too much work to ever want to do it again.

Keep it coming guys....motivation is great and hearing about what some of you are dealing with...let's motivate each other.

 

[afteamroper]

I am active Air Force and have struggled with my weight every day of my 11 year career until last year when I deployed. I left last January at 233# with a list of goals of:
1 Get below 200# (haven't been there since I joined)
2 Run 11:59 or less for PT test
3 Run a 10k
Well I fount traintohunt.com in February of last year and started following the WODs on there and cleaned up my diet. My diet consisted of nothing processed, so not necessarily paleo. In addition to the WODs from Traintohunt.com I would do at least 30min of cardio a day either running or elliptical. When I returned from the desert I had blown my goals out of the water
1 weighed 176#
2 Ran a 9:58 1.5 mile
3 completed a half marathon in the desert in 2 hours
Since I have been back have stuck to the traintohunt. WODs but my cardio has suffered from lack of time in a day and my diet hasn't stayed as clean as I would like either. I have put about 10-15# back on but most have that has been lean muscle, I know this because my arm and thigh measurements have gone up and my waist has stayed with in an 1" of where I was when I returned. The biggest thing I can say about your training is vary it up as much as possible and DO INTERVIALS whenever possible with your cardio IE sprint for 30 sec run/jog for 1min or sprint a telephone pole jog/walk two or has hard as you can go on the elliptical for 1min and fast pace for 2 min. That is where I saw the biggest results in weight loss and endurance. If you have any questions or want help with anything fitness I can try and help just PM me.

 

[a3dhunter]

I was up to 35 lbs at one point, at 6'1" something had to change.
I started exercising more, and worked up to 5 days a week. Just going to the gym and doing 45 minutes of cardio, then 30 minutes weight lifting moderate weight for 10-12 reps.
Changed my eating habits. Started using myfitnesspal app to make me aware of what I was eating and found often times a small change on a meal could save me 300-500 calories. Started eating a lot more chicken. Limited my carbs greatly. Stopped eating fast food.
I have lost weight quickly before, but never kept it off so this time I wanted to lose slowly and keep it off.
I started a couple years ago with a goal of 35 lbs per year.
The first two years I achieved my goal. The next year I wanted to hold steady and not gain it back.
My weight loss dropped me to 265-270 lbs and most of the next year I floated 270-275. The difference is I was able to hunt the backcountry, I was able to mountain bike, and I took my first bull elk with a bow.
This year I have set another goal to drop another 30 lbs, and so far I am doing horrible. I have not committed myself like I previously had, and just haven't done the hard work I need to. Did good during February but got busy and slacked off in March.

Losing 60-65 lbs allowed me to do the things I want to do, and to me that was a life changer.

 

[avodude]

I've had to retrain myself as far as "I don't need four chicken breasts every day, and I don't need to squat 400 lbs, let alone eat to squat 400 lbs...." Now I prioritize cardio over strength, and I've adjusted my weight training from mass gains to endurance and *cough* core training...ugh.

For me, there is no core exercise equivalent to squatting 5 reps of 400 lbs. I am a defender of heavy squats because I believe that a person at 200 lbs can do 5x500 just fine and would definitely benefit from that strength in the backcountry while still training cardio (4 miles a day). I know that strength and cardio don't really come at the expense of each other until you get to the extremes (100 mile ultra marathoner vs. the biggest of strong men). It is the "heavy gainer" strong man type eating that has to go.

The truth is, when I was 200 and in the marine corps, a heavy squat routine improved my 3 mile run time significantly. It seems counterintuitive but that was the result.

I didn't want to detract from the thread but I wanted to say something about squats as they unnecessarily get a bad rap because a lot of people suck at them because of poor leg strength (we all sit way too much and our hamstrings are shortened because of that) and because they aren't easy (due to a limit in range of motion and/or form/technique).

Flame me if you want but I know a few sub 200 lbs guys that can squat 400 multiple times easily.

 

[Becca]

Lots of good info and encouragement in this thread...keep up the great work guys! I have maintained a weight loss of roughly 20-25lbs since I lost it initially about 7 years ago, and while I am not sure that qualifies as a "huge transformation" the lifestyle changes that went with it certainly do. Exercising and eating right has to be a continual choice...not a "diet" or "short term to get in shape for hunting season" type thing...otherwise when you lose X amount of weight or your trip is over you go right back to old habits and undo all the work you did. I have found that maintaining my level of fitness is a lot easier than constantly having to work to get back in shape. Never wanting to be as out of shape as I once was helps keep me motivated, as well as knowing that when the time comes to race up the mountain it won't suck as much

A word of caution on the HCG diet...I have cared for several patients who ended up hospitalized with life threatening illnesses after using this method. I am unclear on whether these medical issues resulted from massive weight loss in a short period of time, or from the hormones themselves, but regardless use with caution and keep a conversation going with your doctor especially if you have any other underlying health conditions.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't mean the 5-15 lbs guys talk about, "during hunting season, I like to drop 6-8 lbs so I can run during my entire hunt instead of just jogging..."

I'm out. The biggest transformation my body has ever gone through was the 5" I grew over the summer between 8th and 9th grade. I can gain or lose 35-40 pounds and nobody even notices.

 

[Travis1984]

That's the "I'm pregnant" diet right?

Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but what happened to eating healthy (diet change) and exercise. There's a reason most people bed up overweight (myself once included in this category).

It's because you can't put the spoon down.

If you don't change your diet and exercise none of these magical programs will sustain...

And yes it sucks sometimes. But at the end of the day obesity isn't a disease it's a choice.

 

[ffparamedic]

I lost 40 lbs in 2 months, I had a wake up call when I got left by a rookie in the back of a fully involved house and I realized that I wasn't physically fit enough to rescue a teammate should someone really need me. I would finish a structure and be smoked as well as sucking my tank down to fast to be effective enough so I made a life change. I did the couch to 5k program and began running every day, I cut out sugar drinks and candy and ate healthy foods....My friends thought I had gotten cancer I was dropping weight so fast. That was about a year and half ago and now I am more liberal in my eating and drinking because I gained control of myself.

HCG: I did this because my mom wanted to try it and I am pretty skeptical, so I did it as a test before I wanted them to do it.....I am not fond of it at all and don't think it's healthy. The gist is a pregnant female secretes HCG during her pregnancy and so it is "safe" for you to take. You do lose weight but you also only eat about 500 calories soooo.....My mom is too lazy to actually do any effective exercise and so she has done it several times, she also began having palpitations and now has other health problems she is seeing a Dr for (may not be related at all, but she never had any problems before) Me personally I say stay away from it to YMMV.

Good luck and keep it up!

 

[Ray]

I was up to 265 back in 2005 then dropped to 245 to 250 in 2006. My body weight flucuated 5 pounds a day so my real weight is unknown. Since I am 5'8" my BMI is right at morbid obesity. Back in 1987 I was fit enough to run a 40 minute 10K and I weighed 153. When I spent a year in the gym with a trainer in the late 1990's I was a mountain cruising 158 to 156. However, 2 hours a day in the gym six days a weak took its toll on me. Chicks digged it though.

By 2012 I was still at 245 and starting to get really sick due to insulin resistance and was becoming pre diabetic. I jumped onto the paleo lifestyle to see how that worked based on several recommendations from people that had turned their diabetes off. Changed everything and I dropped down to 185 in 14 months. If my lumbar disks had not become swollen during my sheep hunt preventing me from heavy lifting over the winter I would be even lighter now. Sitting at 195 now and getting through the mild back issues. Based on my recent physical I am perfectly healthy according to the lab data. I think I will be getting down to 165 in the next two years and will be really comfortable in my middle age there. Paleo will keep things in check health wise as long as I keep moving.

 

[Ray]

Link to webmd about HCG diet

How about a big no freaking way on that. As soon as you stop dosing on the HCG or eating 500 calories you are screwed.

 

[littlebuf]

HCG- human growth compound. And yes you should consult your doctor before any type of major dietary change/ therapy

 

[wapitibob]

Travis, there's a little more too it than just putting down the spoon. As someone who is real close to cpl that are fat, it's a head thing for some. You and I may have our thoughts consumed by hunting, or outdoors, or whatever, these people can't get food out of their heads. They can't turn the switch off.