• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Weight Loss Before/After Thread! (with pics)

SeanR1221

Member
Oh my God, it's the same old bullshit in this thread and the fitness thread. Unless you're not eating carbs and doing barbell squats, you're not making gains.

The funny thing is that his transformation is literally more impressive than any of the dominant voices in these threads, but he'll be dismissed because he doesn't follow the exact program that they support.

Ok? He's got a very low BF%, and had an awesome transformation, I don't think anyone is dismissing that. But many people (myself included) hit those noob gains. If he's happy where he's at, more power to him, but there's a reason a lot of guys on cuts aren't hitting PRs every week.
 

LaneDS

Member
I guess we have different definitions of strength gains. You made progress, but it seems like you went from nothing to something.

You can stop there if you're happy, but now that you have an awesome beginner frame to work with I recommend going to the fitness thread.

Once again, incredible progress were just on different pages with what were saying. For example, I want to cut fat. I also want to boost my deadlift to 315. Both ain't happening at the same time if I'm serious about one or the other.

That's not really a fair thing to say, about going from nothing to something, and how there is somehow a different definition of strength gains. That's a huge strength gain for someone to make in three months, even if it might not seem like a lot to someone that lifts often. The fitness thread is so lifting focus that it turns a lot of people off to it (myself included) who are more interested in less-lifting focus fitness. I'm not going to sit here and say P90X or anything else is better than a strict lifting program, but I'd argue that people have different fitness goals and that I'd guess plenty of people would be ecstatic with looking like Tenacious does now and being able to do that many chinups, pullsups, and pushups back to back like that.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Heh, had a bad day yesterday. Binged on carbs, sugar, pizza...but in the end it was probably good for me. Why? Because I was losing motivation in eating healthy. Last night I felt absolutely terrible after eating all that, and suddenly this morning I am re-motivated to start eating properly again.

Ok? He's got a very low BF%, and had an awesome transformation, I don't think anyone is dismissing that. But many people (myself included) hit those noob gains. If he's happy where he's at, more power to him, but there's a reason a lot of guys on cuts aren't hitting PRs every week.

He lost a lot fat and gained a good amount of strength in a short period of time, resulting in a complete transformation. Stop trying to downplay his achievements.

All you're doing by calling these "noob gains" is demoralizing the rest of us that only wish we could his those goals.
 
Uh, no.

IF works for losing fat and getting stronger in the same time. There's ton of evidence online of people having success with it and science backs up the method.

To be fair the "science" shows that it doesn't matter when you eat. Its calories. IF is a good tool to help reduce your total caloric intake if you fail on other plans. Its not some magic drug though.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
To be fair the "science" shows that it doesn't matter when you eat. Its calories. IF is a good tool to help reduce your total caloric intake if you fail on other plans. Its not some magic drug though.

I thought IF worked by concentrating the majority of your caloric intake post-workout so that carbs and protein can be used more efficiently for muscle repair.
 

Zoe

Member
I thought IF worked by concentrating the majority of your caloric intake post-workout so that carbs and protein can be used more efficiently for muscle repair.

I thought IF was just limiting yourself to eating within an eight hour period in one day.

Which never seemed like anything special to me. If you habitually don't eat breakfast, then you're probably doing IF.
 

harSon

Banned
I thought IF was just limiting yourself to eating within an eight hour period in one day.

Which never seemed like anything special to me. If you habitually don't eat breakfast, then you're probably doing IF.

Isn't working out in a fasted state integral to the diet?
 
I thought IF worked by concentrating the majority of your caloric intake post-workout so that carbs and protein can be used more efficiently for muscle repair.


Isn't working out in a fasted state integral to the diet?

There is no conclusive evidence showing that exercising during a fasted state is beneficial compared to working out at any other time. The success of IF has always been based on successfully limiting calories in an effective and easy to maintain way. The rest is mostly broscience.
 

Ixian

Member
There are different varieties of Intermittent Fasting. For example, Eat Stop Eat is literally just don't eat two days a week to create a calorie deficit. Leangains is (roughly):

- Fasting for 16 hours, eating for 8
- Doing heavy resistance training three days of the week
- Eating a lot of carbs and not a lot of fat on those days
- Eating a lot of fats and very little carbs on rest days
 
No clue what I am going to do this fall. Aug 24th I go back to school and I am currently going to live in the dorms. However, they require you to buy an expensive ass meal plan that gives you 7 meals a week and like 400$ to spend at the crappy on campus fast food joints. Costs 2,400.....robbery.

Anyways. I have no clue how I am going to maintain my diet with no Kitchen. I can probably use my meal plan just for breakfasts because one would assume they have things like sausage, bacon, and eggs. No clue what else they have available. (its a new deal) Thing is I really HAVE to eat large meals at the cafeteria because at the price they are charging I won't be able to afford a whole lot of other food for myself.

Bleh. May have to drop the Keto diet and just go as low carb/calorie as possible during school -.-
 

Tashi

343i Lead Esports Producer
looooooooooolz just played basketball for like 1.5 hours and lost almost 3lbs of water weight. Didn't realize I had that much in me. 240lbs now.
 
No clue what I am going to do this fall. Aug 24th I go back to school and I am currently going to live in the dorms. However, they require you to buy an expensive ass meal plan that gives you 7 meals a week and like 400$ to spend at the crappy on campus fast food joints. Costs 2,400.....robbery.

Anyways. I have no clue how I am going to maintain my diet with no Kitchen. I can probably use my meal plan just for breakfasts because one would assume they have things like sausage, bacon, and eggs. No clue what else they have available. (its a new deal) Thing is I really HAVE to eat large meals at the cafeteria because at the price they are charging I won't be able to afford a whole lot of other food for myself.

Bleh. May have to drop the Keto diet and just go as low carb/calorie as possible during school -.-
I would certainly hope they would have a salad bar somewhere on campus.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
No clue what I am going to do this fall. Aug 24th I go back to school and I am currently going to live in the dorms. However, they require you to buy an expensive ass meal plan that gives you 7 meals a week and like 400$ to spend at the crappy on campus fast food joints. Costs 2,400.....robbery.

Anyways. I have no clue how I am going to maintain my diet with no Kitchen. I can probably use my meal plan just for breakfasts because one would assume they have things like sausage, bacon, and eggs. No clue what else they have available. (its a new deal) Thing is I really HAVE to eat large meals at the cafeteria because at the price they are charging I won't be able to afford a whole lot of other food for myself.

Bleh. May have to drop the Keto diet and just go as low carb/calorie as possible during school -.-

If it's anything like how my university was, they'll have a big ass salad bar.
 

painey

Member
My school wants me to pay $1,000 a semester for 160 meals. I'm thinking of fucking it off, especially as I have 8am class every day and do not like their breakfast food.. but the problem is I am a floor leader this year, and they want me to eat with the residents.. I'll eat better, and healthier if I don't.. but it will be more work..
 
The salad bar will probably suck. Also, unless you're going on a salad-only diet, it won't help you much.

My advice is to try to get as many meat-only meals as possible (hamburger, chicken, BBQ) and join something like a running or weightlifting club. And yes, college diners are pretty much counterintuitive to proper health and digestion. If you're forced on to a meal plan, try to make the best of it.
 
The salad bar will probably suck. Also, unless you're going on a salad-only diet, it won't help you much.

My advice is to try to get as many meat-only meals as possible (hamburger, chicken, BBQ) and join something like a running or weightlifting club. And yes, college diners are pretty much counterintuitive to proper health and digestion. If you're forced on to a meal plan, try to make the best of it.

Yeh we will see.

I know most of the meats will probably be smothered in BBQ sauce and the chicken all breaded. We will see though. I definitely plan on upping my exercise though.
 
No clue what I am going to do this fall. Aug 24th I go back to school and I am currently going to live in the dorms. However, they require you to buy an expensive ass meal plan that gives you 7 meals a week and like 400$ to spend at the crappy on campus fast food joints. Costs 2,400.....robbery.

Anyways. I have no clue how I am going to maintain my diet with no Kitchen. I can probably use my meal plan just for breakfasts because one would assume they have things like sausage, bacon, and eggs. No clue what else they have available. (its a new deal) Thing is I really HAVE to eat large meals at the cafeteria because at the price they are charging I won't be able to afford a whole lot of other food for myself.

Bleh. May have to drop the Keto diet and just go as low carb/calorie as possible during school -.-

If they have meats you should be fine, as that is the main staple of a low-carb diet.
Just gotta steer away from the sauce smothered and breaded stuff as you've already brought up.
 

low-G

Member
6'4" and 208-ish lbs and oh my god it's a struggle now. Every pound is hard fought, and I took a semi-cheat day where I ate about 3500 calories and I gained 2-3 lbs...
 
6'4" and 208-ish lbs and oh my god it's a struggle now. Every pound is hard fought, and I took a semi-cheat day where I ate about 3500 calories and I gained 2-3 lbs...

I am really fearful of this. I have lost 50 lbs this summer so far and am now about 280 lbs. Right now the fat is flying off. Not sure how I will stay motivated when it stops from being a sprint and turns into a crawl. Every time I weight myself and see 1-5 lbs lost a week it rededicates me. Not sure how I will handle a pound or two a month.....
 

low-G

Member
I am really fearful of this. I have lost 50 lbs this summer so far and am now about 280 lbs. Right now the fat is flying off. Not sure how I will stay motivated when it stops from being a sprint and turns into a crawl. Every time I weight myself and see 1-5 lbs lost a week it rededicates me. Not sure how I will handle a pound or two a month.....

Well, I feel like I'm in the home stretch. I must say I look real good, at least with a shirt on, now. I'm relatively satisfied. I still feel dedicated to keeping this good lookinness, and maintaining the weight isn't as hard as still losing.

What I'm really wondering is if it's worth to lose all gut-buldge (as subtle as it is) considering that a few bad meals will probably take me to close to where I am now.

Congrats on the loss. I started at over 350 lbs.
 

despire

Member
6'4" and 208-ish lbs and oh my god it's a struggle now. Every pound is hard fought, and I took a semi-cheat day where I ate about 3500 calories and I gained 2-3 lbs...

That's just water weight. Your body absorbs around 3-4g of water for every 1g of carbs you eat. So when you stuff your face with carbs of course your weight goes up. But it's just water and comes off in a few days. Don't worry about it :)
 
Hey guys, I've given a couple of updates in thsi thread before, and forgot to post my most recent transformation pic. I think I didn't because I consider it more of a bodybuilding goal I made rather than a fat loss goal. I post mostly in the fitness thread these days. I'm no longer looking to lose weight, all bodybuilding goals for here.

Again, it's nice seeing the turnarounds people are marking in this thread. Really phenomenal stuff. Keep at it guys and let me know if you want any information about my own personal experience.

Anyway this is me from about 2 months ago, towards the end of my summer cut:

542941_10151687114650082_1808217058_n.jpg


From 270ish (240ish in that before) to 176. Now I'm planning to do my first bodybuilding competition within the next year. :)
 
Man, I'm at 170 (I am 5'10")and am the fattest I've ever been in my life. It's barely noticeable that I have gained any weight, since have one of those body types where it's pretty tough to notice weight has been gained, but it feels terrible. I never worked out in my life on my own, but I used to play tons of sports (baseball, basketball and swimming), so I was always fit. Then I hit college, and didn't want to do sports, and the dark and cold winters here made me completely unmotivated to stay fit.

But holy shit, gaining weight really makes you feel terrible. I feel lazy frequently, I have had tons of troubles with migraines the last couple of years (that did not start until I started gaining weight), troubles sleeping, etc. And with my family's history with diabetes, I'm not feeling too confident.

My friend has that P90x workout stuff, and since I have been working weird hours, I can't frequent the gym nearly as often as I would like. Since I'm used to tough routines due to sports, it shouldn't be difficult once I get going. But I'm guessing I'll feel REALLY shitty the first few days. It will also be a nice surprise to my fiance if I can lose a bit of weight by the time she returns from her summer job.
 
Well, I feel like I'm in the home stretch. I must say I look real good, at least with a shirt on, now. I'm relatively satisfied. I still feel dedicated to keeping this good lookinness, and maintaining the weight isn't as hard as still losing.

What I'm really wondering is if it's worth to lose all gut-buldge (as subtle as it is) considering that a few bad meals will probably take me to close to where I am now.

Congrats on the loss. I started at over 350 lbs.

Yeah. I am actually a bit frustrated right now actually because the numbers keep dropping and my belly and moobs seem unchanged -.- I know they will be the last to go away but some progress would be nice lol.

Sad thing is that I feel fatter now then ever because I am more aware of it.

Oh well. lol.
 

Ixian

Member
Yeah. I am actually a bit frustrated right now actually because the numbers keep dropping and my belly and moobs seem unchanged -.- I know they will be the last to go away but some progress would be nice lol.

Sad thing is that I feel fatter now then ever because I am more aware of it.

Oh well. lol.
I am nearing the end of my weight loss process and still have both of those. While it's super frustrating to not see improvements in those areas yet, I am going to feel super accomplished once they're gone. Meanwhile you have people like that LaneDS jerk who weighs more than me but has a much better looking body! Grrr.
 
I am nearing the end of my weight loss process and still have both of those. While it's super frustrating to not see improvements in those areas yet, I am going to feel super accomplished once they're gone. Meanwhile you have people like that LaneDS jerk who weighs more than me but has a much better looking body! Grrr.

Yeah my goal isn't even to look good naked/shirtless. Just to look "normal" in cloths. Hopefully by the end of the year....we will see.
 
Man, I'm at 170 (I am 5'10")and am the fattest I've ever been in my life. It's barely noticeable that I have gained any weight, since have one of those body types where it's pretty tough to notice weight has been gained, but it feels terrible.
Regardless, don't feel bad. You're still well within the "normal weight" range for your height.
 

LaneDS

Member
Darth, that's incredible! How tall are you? I always like that reference point. Did you set out to lose weight initially and then decide bodybuilding was something you really liked, or was that always kind of a goal? Great work all the same.

I am nearing the end of my weight loss process and still have both of those. While it's super frustrating to not see improvements in those areas yet, I am going to feel super accomplished once they're gone. Meanwhile you have people like that LaneDS jerk who weighs more than me but has a much better looking body! Grrr.

Haha I didn't see who was posting at first and felt bad :(

...I still feel bad; I'll punch my genetics in the face for you nekura.
 

low-G

Member
Yeah my goal isn't even to look good naked/shirtless. Just to look "normal" in cloths. Hopefully by the end of the year....we will see.

Same here, although I'll go as far as fitness with take me, and I'd even consider cosmetic surgery to get rid of excess skin at some point, but the main goal is to look good in clothes and that much will be very much rectified for you if you keep at it. But you probably won't look 'good' in clothes until you get pretty close to your ideal weight (10-30 lbs).

More than willing to really seriously build muscle too, which of course I'll do before any skin surgery (considering they make you wait 3 years after losing the fat anyways...)
 
Darth, that's incredible! How tall are you? I always like that reference point. Did you set out to lose weight initially and then decide bodybuilding was something you really liked, or was that always kind of a goal? Great work all the same.
Thanks mate, and that's exactly how things went down for me. I just wanted to get healthy and lose weight starting out and I just sort of got addicted to it along the way and decided to move toward bodybuilding. It helped that a couple of people I came across said I should think about doing it.
 

SteeloDMZ

Banned
I don't meant for my comment to come off like I'm being a dick, and your progress is tremendous, but how are you measuring these strength gains?

Any numbers to back things up?

For example, if you told me you went from squatting just a bar in the first picture to squatting 225 in the last one, it would be extremely impressive.

It might be hard to believe for you, but some people don't give two damns about how much you are bench pressing or squatting or other petty stuff like that.

Under the P90X training, Tenacious can probably do things that other "bodybuilders" can only dream of.

Running faster, jumping higher, having incredible amounts of flexibility--- and better than anything, being a healthier person all around.
 
It might be hard to believe for you, but some people don't give two damns about how much you are bench pressing or squatting or other petty stuff like that.

Under the P90X training, Tenacious can probably do things that other "bodybuilders" can only dream of.

Running faster, jumping higher, having incredible amounts of flexibility--- and better than anything, being a healthier person all around.

He wasn't trying to be disrespectful, he was just trying to get a gauge of how he is measuring strength gains. With weights, there was a number he can base it off of. This was a little bit harder but in the end, the questions were answered.

It isn't 'petty' at all.
 
Its all off topic though. This thread is about weight loss. If you want to discuss strength gains this really isn't the thread for it -.- Its just a distraction from the actual relevant topic of this thread.
 

LaneDS

Member
I don't think it's off-topic, as fitness and weight loss often go hand-in-hand. Just as much as this isn't an exercise thread, it isn't necessarily a diet thread either, as weight loss can be achieved by either (or oftentimes both).

So long as people are being helpful (and this can come through constructive criticism too) I don't see the problem with other types of discussion. The vast majority of the posts in here aren't before/after results with pictures, after all.
 
]I don't think it's off-topic, as fitness and weight loss often go hand-in-hand. Just as much as this isn't an exercise thread, it isn't necessarily a diet thread either, as weight loss can be achieved by either (or oftentimes both).

So long as people are being helpful (and this can come through constructive criticism too) I don't see the problem with other types of discussion. The vast majority of the posts in here aren't before/after results with pictures, after all.

Not always. In certain contexts they are very very different things. How much actual strength you have gained in the context of how much you can lift is completely and totally irrelevant to weight loss.

...and I am pretty sure its fairly clear that this is a weight loss thread :p
 
Weight loss is definitely an aspect of fitness, and strength training/focus is not all there is to fitness.

No you do not need to track strength while losing weight or even be concerned about it, if that is not your goal. You can lose weight without lifting.

I however suggest that people do allow some kind of strength training while losing weight. Number of reason. Helps burn more calories, helps maintain muscle mass while losing weight. It also provides something to keep you motivated when the scale doesn't budge. You can sometimes go weeks without dropping a pound, but still see an increase in strength, inches lost, etc.

I'm not saying go out and do what I did and become a bodybuilder or anything. I'm just saying it's a bit more extra work for another rewarding experience.

Lastly I saw someone mention something about p90xers vs bodybuilders. This is an apples to oranges comparison. Bodybuilders aim for size and aesthetics foremost, strength and functionality are similarily important but the routines are often less geared towards it.

There are also bodybuilders who do maintain a focus on things like flexability and power. Hell, I even try to keep a focus on this as well.

You train for what you want to do. In my eyes, a runner is no more or less fit than a bodybuilder, powerlifter, speed reader, etc. You train your body for different things. There really isn't a wrong path.
 

Domino Theory

Crystal Dynamics
Weight loss is definitely an aspect of fitness, and strength training/focus is not all there is to fitness.

No you do not need to track strength while losing weight or even be concerned about it, if that is not your goal. You can lose weight without lifting.

I however suggest that people do allow some kind of strength training while losing weight. Number of reason. Helps burn more calories, helps maintain muscle mass while losing weight. It also provides something to keep you motivated when the scale doesn't budge. You can sometimes go weeks without dropping a pound, but still see an increase in strength, inches lost, etc.

I'm not saying go out and do what I did and become a bodybuilder or anything. I'm just saying it's a bit more extra work for another rewarding experience.

Lastly I saw someone mention something about p90xers vs bodybuilders. This is an apples to oranges comparison. Bodybuilders aim for size and aesthetics foremost, strength and functionality are similarily important but the routines are often less geared towards it.

There are also bodybuilders who do maintain a focus on things like flexability and power. Hell, I even try to keep a focus on this as well.

You train for what you want to do. In my eyes, a runner is no more or less fit than a bodybuilder, powerlifter, speed reader, etc. You train your body for different things. There really isn't a wrong path.

What site/calculator/method did you use to calculate your maintenance calories? It's so frustrating seeing so many different ranges for my maintenance.
 

Haxxor

Member
Weight loss is definitely an aspect of fitness, and strength training/focus is not all there is to fitness.

No you do not need to track strength while losing weight or even be concerned about it, if that is not your goal. You can lose weight without lifting.

I however suggest that people do allow some kind of strength training while losing weight. Number of reason. Helps burn more calories, helps maintain muscle mass while losing weight. It also provides something to keep you motivated when the scale doesn't budge. You can sometimes go weeks without dropping a pound, but still see an increase in strength, inches lost, etc.

I'm not saying go out and do what I did and become a bodybuilder or anything. I'm just saying it's a bit more extra work for another rewarding experience.

Lastly I saw someone mention something about p90xers vs bodybuilders. This is an apples to oranges comparison. Bodybuilders aim for size and aesthetics foremost, strength and functionality are similarily important but the routines are often less geared towards it.

There are also bodybuilders who do maintain a focus on things like flexability and power. Hell, I even try to keep a focus on this as well.

You train for what you want to do. In my eyes, a runner is no more or less fit than a bodybuilder, powerlifter, speed reader, etc. You train your body for different things. There really isn't a wrong path.

Wow, really well written Darth, you are a real inspiration on so many levels. You should be like the official spokesman for fit gaf!
 
Top Bottom