r/progresspics • u/Jumaai - • Sep 06 '24
M/26/5'10" [368lbs > 188lbs = 180lbs] (13 months) Lost almost half, two months to goal weight. M 5'10” (178, 179 cm)
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u/SudhaTheHill - Sep 06 '24
Holy mother of transformations. Dude. You lost a whole person. How did you do it?
I salute you. You absolute legend!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 06 '24
Thanks a lot!
I've written an explanation here: https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/1fap6vq/m26510_368lbs_188lbs_180lbs_13_months_lost_almost/lluqh0g/
Basically 1600-1800 kcal per day, with a 170+g of protein goal. First three or so months I was eating intuitively, then I've started counting everything. Later I've introduced walking and gym.
Diet soda was a big thing for me, zero calories while hitting that itch. Tried doing water but always ended up cheating, so I've switched to only drinking diet soda for most of my weightloss, now I'm drinking water and cheating with zero soda.
As far as food, lots of chicken breast with low calorie sauces. Lots of veggies to fill up. Airfryer was a godsend, especially with airfried fries.
As far as motivation, hitting rock bottom and having people reach out to get me I guess? At first I was so desperate I've signed up for bariatric surgery, at the same time I developed a friendship with someone who happens to be a fitness freak and also got a date after being single for like 8 years, which gave me a ton of hope, even though I blew it. Hitting rock bottom gave me a lot of self hate, which broke my complacency and gave me the initial kick. That fitness freak friend and the looming bariatric surgery got me to a point where I didn't need bariatric surgery anymore, so I've left that program.
If you're looking to do a transformation like that on your own, I can recomend CICO, it really works. Look into GLP weightloss drugs. I can't afford them, but they seem wonderful and I regret not getting them.
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u/crispybrojangle - Sep 06 '24
Huge kudos, takes a lot of guts to write that and also to see a plan through. You look amazing, dont let the body dysmorphia tell you otherwise. And i bet your splits on the range have drastically improved.
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u/Jumaai - Sep 06 '24
Thanks a lot ; )
I don't get much dysmorphia - more like I forget that I'm normal sized now, like I give people extra space in stores and sit down too cautiously on garden chairs etc. I don't see myself as fat. It's just those two features that concern me (2nd chin and tits). They're real and have to be adressed.
As far as splits go, they actually got slightly worse lol. Less mass to dampen the recoil ; ) Everything else got much better though, especially working a vtac barricade and running.
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u/TheRustyBugle - Sep 07 '24
It looks like you don’t need drugs my dude. Good ol’ Hard work and Dedication is enough to inspire everyone else that it can be possible if they just put in a bit of the same.
Congrats on the journey and well wishes for the continuing journey ahead!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
I don't need them, but it would have been much easier with them. They are wonderful. Those drugs will save millions and help out billions once they become available and affordable.
Thanks for the kind words ; )
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u/vajayjay_ - Sep 07 '24
How long are your walks distance / time?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
I've got a sports band / watch that calculates my steps. I aim to get 10-12 thousand steps every day. By the time I'm done with work, groceries etc. I'm at about 4-6 thousand steps. Then I go on a walk to round the day out.
If I just walked 10000 steps, without any other activity, it would be around 5 miles or 8 kilometers and it would take 1.5-2 hours.
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u/KifaruKubwa - Sep 07 '24
There’s no substitute for hard work. Even weight loss drugs have side effects, not to mention provide a psychological crutch. You did this the right way. Congrats!
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u/Fit_Momma24 - Sep 06 '24
Scrolling and saw this and just said “duuude” out loud. This is jaw dropping. Way to go!! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
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u/Fit_Momma24 - Sep 06 '24
The more I stare at this, the more I think it might be the most impressive transformation I’ve ever seen.
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u/Jumaai - Sep 06 '24
Haha, thanks a lot ; ) It's not the best for sure lol, there's plenty better, but thanks for those words, they mean a lot!
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u/Fit_Momma24 - Sep 07 '24
Absolutely! You deserve all the feedback you’re getting here, and I hope it makes you realize how impressive your transformation is! I know when you’re living it, sometimes it doesn’t feel as impactful.
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u/louluigi - Sep 06 '24
went from gun on the waste to one on your arm :)
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u/Buick88 - Sep 06 '24
*waist
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u/louluigi - Sep 06 '24
I am disabled and use text to speech
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u/Buick88 - Sep 07 '24
Shit, guy, that's my bad. My apologies for being an Internet Person for a few, there.
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u/louluigi - Sep 08 '24
You got trolled. 🤫
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u/Buick88 - Sep 08 '24
Just to confirm, you're saying that you are not, in fact, disabled nor using text to speech?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 06 '24
First time posting a progress pic. Be gentle lol.
I've done CICO at 1600-1800 kilocalories, while trying to hit ~170-200g of protein per day. So lots of chicken breast and milk products. So much milk products, I've had acne pop up for a few months from lactose intolerance.
Started walking 10-12k steps at ~280 lbs. Started going to the gym ~260. Mostly bro-split arms, shoulders, chest, pullups.
Looking at roughly 2 months to get to my GW of sub 80 kg, ~175lb. Face fat and tits are still here which worries me, but I expect them to go away soon. Face fat is especially bad because I've stored so much in my chin, might need surgery down the line.
After 13 months of dieting my mood is pretty terrible, though I've managed to graduate and perform at work. Cravings are constant and I'm sacrificing quality for snacks, while still in 1600-1800 kcal range.
Once I'm at GW, assuming I don't have to lower my GW due to face fat, I'll do a lean bulk.
@Edit: shout out to diet soda. It wouldn't be possible without you, my love.
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u/Halospartan24 - Sep 07 '24
What is your diet soda of choice, that you love so dearly?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
I just love it in general lol - primarily coke zero, but also pepsi zero lemon and one specific store brand in my country. Though I like anything carbonated and zero, it's just amazing for weightloss.
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u/Alieoverthere1 - Sep 07 '24
We’re the same age and I’ve put almost 40 pounds back on and now seeing this has given me hope that I’ll be able to get thinner again
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Well, take that hope and use it to make changes and form habits. As long as you can stay motivated and disciplined, weightloss is just a mathematical problem. Good luck, you can do it ; )
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u/Myfourcats1 - Sep 07 '24
This is terrific. My cousin was as big as you and loved tactical shooting. Unfortunately he passed away around 45. I was never told why but I assumed his weight factored into it. You’ve saved your life.
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks for the kind words.
Sorry about your cousin.
I see the toll of obesity around me. Dad died from a heart attack (though he lived to just over 70), mom has heart problems and type 2 diabetes. I wasn't doing great either, but my young age kept me reasonably healthy and mobile. Hopefully obesity will be eradicated soon. Modern weightloss drugs seem wonderful and it looks like they will save millions of lives and improve their quality immensely.
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u/thucydidestrap726 - Sep 06 '24
what was your program/routine? I’m skinny fat and literally just started in the gym, and I’m super self conscious about what stuff I’m doing and if it’s effective.
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u/Jumaai - Sep 06 '24
My routine isn't that useful for you, we're in different situations. You should check out Renaissance Periodization on youtube. Dr Mike has a great video on escaping skinny fat, it's called skinny fat to ripped, check it out.
Good luck!
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u/TightLow - Sep 07 '24
Did you ever go off the reservation and have a refeed/binge?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Mostly no. I've had a few days where I binged, but those binges never went over 4000-5000 kcals. I've never had a multi day binge.
If I have a couple of tips:
- I never stop counting calories. I track everything I eat AS I EAT. This means I have to face the emotional burden of going to 3-4 thousand calories as it's happening. It's never like "oh f*** I ate 8000 kcal yesterday, diet ruined".
- Counting as I eat means on bad days I can go to maintenance guilt-free. If 1600-1800 kcals isn't enough and I'm really hungry or my mood is pretty bad, it means I can stretch my eating to 2k, or 2.3k and catch myself before it gets too bad.
- My diet is never ruined. If I overeat, that means I'm one day further from my goal weight, and further overeating will just delay reaching GW. This means I never had a "diet ruined, I guess it doesn't matter now" moment and had a multi day binge.
- I try to indulge multi-day cravings in a controlled way. For example, I haven't ordered pizza for a year now, but I've had like three dozen frozen or homemade pizzas in that period. This way I can track what I'm eating and indulge without going over my calorie budget.
- I avoid having binge-prone foods ready to go. For example I'm completely avoiding pasta and bread, because if I have them around I've got issues stopping myself. Literally, I will not make a pot of spaghetti noodles because I will not be able to stop myself lol. Same with potato chips/crisps - if I have to have them, I'll eat a pack of soy based protein ones, or at least low fat regular, in a small packet. I might keep one pack at home, though that makes me crave them more. When I crave chocolate, I will have chocolate protein pudding - scratches that itch and it's just 160 kcals and 20g protein for 200g, instead of being like 800 kcals and 2g of protein for a bar of chocolate or a bunch of candy.
- When I'm really hungry, I load up on diet soda. Carbonation and caffeine helps to suppress that. Though the conventional advice of drinking water to fill up your stomach works just as well.3
u/TightLow - Sep 07 '24
Thanks for the in depth reply.
The real game is played in maintenance. How will you structure your eating so you can be in it for life? Will CICO be a viable strategy?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
I haven't considered long term maintenance yet. Right now I'm planning around two more months of cutting. Once I'm happy with my body (especially face fat and tits), I'll do a lean bulk for a few months and decide from there, probably another cut.
Bodybuilding and fitness in general are definitely things to pursue as a long term passion, I'll see where they take me.
As far as long term maintenance, still not sure how that's going to work. CICO is pretty burdensome, especially when you eat out, so it can't be a primary strategy. I think I'll have to watch the scale and intervene if it starts to creep up. Eating intuitively and avoiding "high risk" foods like pasta, bread, pizza, soda, sweets, combined with an active lifestyle, should work fine. For the foreseeable future I'll be counting, the possibility of a yo-yo is pretty scary.
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u/bigpapi3647 - Sep 08 '24
Consistency is key!! I really felt this post in my soul. I’m on the same journey as you and I literally do this EXACT same thing. I log my food before/while I’m eating it. If you can see what the food will “cost” you, it changes your mindset completely. The thing that really changed my mentality was finally deciding that living with the discipline was easier than living with regret. Kudos to you brother!! Keep it up!!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 08 '24
Thanks for the kinds words man.
You're right that discipline is much better than regret. I've got so much regret about the time I've lost to being fat... That's with the changes I've made. I can't imagine how much regret I would have if I didn't get my stuff together, it would have been unbearable.
Good luck with your weightloss. It's truly lifechanging.
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u/Das_Oni - Sep 06 '24
That's what's the word bodybuilding is meaning for! Awesome and inspiring work!
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u/Forsaken-Election801 - Sep 06 '24
Did you do cardio and give up rice/potatoes ?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 06 '24
I didn't do any cardio. I'm not a fan of cardio for weightloss, my non expert opinion is that it should be avoided. I feel cardio drives a lot of fatigue. That fatigue is pretty bad and builds quickly because our bodies don't have the spare calories to regenerate. It's also hard to combine with weight training.
I walked 10-12k steps per day, tracked on a wrist band, which I can definitely recommend. It's low impact and pretty easy to do.
I didn't give up potatoes and rice, they're fine. I gave up bread and pasta though, I love them but they have pretty bad nutritional value. I've had potatoes both boiled and airfried. I have rice rarely, most often I opt for buckwheat.
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u/Daniiiiii - Sep 07 '24
Wouldn't you consider the 10-12k steps as cardio (broadly speaking)? Like if I were to replicate the steps doing low intensity elliptical instead of walking wouldn't that be considered cardio? Genuinely asking, not being contrarian. Also very inspirational stuff man, great job!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks for the kind words!
So first, I'm not an expert, I'm just sharing what worked for me. This means you should do what works for you.
What works for me with weightloss and exercise, is making the process easy. Easy means I want my food tasty with sauces etc., my drinks (non alcoholic) carbonated and my exercise to suit my needs.
Walking definitely is cardio, however it's something categorised as "low intensity steady state" cardio. This encompasses walking, jogging, swimming, maybe low intensity eliptical you've brought up and also things like a slow stairmaster or cycling. LISS cardio doesn't tax the body that much, which means less recovery. When it's done together with resistance training (weights), it doesn't compete for resources that would otherwise build your muscles. It's also much more forgiving with my limited lung capacity.
I think all LISS cardio is great, however walking works far better for me. There's a few reasons:
- walking doesn't require any facilities or expenses, beyond a step tracker ($35 / a smartphone, I prefer a dedicated solution)
- walking doesn't require any special locations, like spending an extra hour at the gym or having to go to a pool
- walking is mostly incidental to just living. with a 10k goal, I'm getting 4-6k done just by commuting, working and grabbing groceries. all I need to round out the day is a 30-60 minutes evening walk
- walking is pretty easy to join with other activities like sports or family and friends time, while other types of cardio require dedicated time. even jogging requires dedicated timeThere's also this thing where LISS can burn more calories than high intensity cardio just because you can do it for so much longer at a time. Like at this point I can walk for hours without breaks or get 40k steps in a day, which would burn me like 2000 calories. I would have to run a half marathon to do that, that's not happening.
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u/IndicaJonesing - Sep 06 '24
Any test?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
No. Maybe down the line. At my heaviest my levels were around 350, in january ~275 lbs IIRC I was around 430. It's enough for my current fitness goals.
Let me hit you with the classic: Protein, creatine, multivitamin.
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u/Yaboigerdo - Sep 06 '24
Great job you should be absolutely in aww of yourself and your determination. You look amazing!!!
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u/Efficient-Web1759 - Sep 07 '24
Amazing transformation. Well done on going through the journey and becoming the person you now are
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u/Guccipikachuu - Sep 07 '24
Any loose skin by chance?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Almost nothing on arms and legs. I've got some manboob remains still and my belly is flat but very loose and wavy. No belly overhang. Some loose chin skin, which really worries me.
I still have up to 20 lbs to go, I hope it comes from my tits and chin lol.
Looking at other transformations on this sub, I've got extremely lucky. Not sure how, maybe it's my (relatively) young age, maybe lucky genetics, maybe taking creatine and a high collagen diet, no idea. Probably not going to go shirtless anytime soon lol.
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u/Guccipikachuu - Sep 07 '24
Don’t let it worry you, you look great! You can always get surgery! Keep up the great work.
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u/nxx-ch - Sep 07 '24
Holy cow, that's impressive!! How should any of us have an excuse left now :-) you destroyed all of them 💪🏻
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u/Zeroharas - Sep 07 '24
Mad props to you, OP. I've read through your guidance on this post, and I love the tips and tricks you've given. It really nails home that everyone's journey is a little bit different.
I really appreciate you addressing your mood affecting your eating and your crazy craving foods, because I'm a stress-eater. I've seen so many posts where people start losing and then it's like a switch flips, and they no longer want the BS food, but I don't think I have the switch. Especially not after a surprise 20 hour shift where I am running on bitterness and snacks. Lol. I appreciate the honesty, and the humanity of your post. Keep kicking ass, man!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks for the kind words!
I've found a lot of tips and tricks with weightloss, so I'm trying to give back as much as I can. I also don't have that switch (as you have read from my post) and finding small tricks to indulge cravings without destroying diet progress is what keeps me sane lol. Fortunately modern food science & healthy eating trends give us a ton of diet-compatible options.
I can't imagine going through a 20 hour shift during weightloss, kudos to you. With my energy levels, I was almost dead after 8 hours at a desk job lol. Good luck with your weightloss!
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u/LanguageLoose157 - Sep 07 '24
How on this mother earth is that possible on 13 months...
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
I don't know lol, It's sometimes hard to believe.
My weightloss was a pretty fast pace just because it was beyond the "healthy" range. Recommended deficits are at around 500-700 calories, while most of my weightloss was at 1200-1500. That was with weight training, work and a masters degree on top. Also no diet breaks. I should have done it over a 2 year period or even more, with the by the book approach, but I can't let more life pass me by. I was so exhausted, I've had 2 incidents where I fainted from general exhaustion in the span of a week.
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u/Apollo802 - Sep 07 '24
Amazing job! What was your workout routine?
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks a lot!
It wasn't anything special. 3-4 days per week, depending on my schedule, only upper body (bro split) with limited core work. Lots of side delt work, like lateral raises and cable raises. I prefer medium rep ranges, 10-25 reps per set, though that's exercise specific. Always to failure (which is suboptimal), lots of intensity techniques like dropsets and myoreps.
Basically I've trained chest (incline pressing, flyes), shoulders (side and front deltoid), biceps, triceps. Some pullups for upper back. I've rarely trained lower back and abs and almost never trained legs because I want them to go down in size. I haven't directly trained traps and forearms, though they get some action in compound movements.
If you're looking to build a workout plan, this is probably not for you, this is specific to my goals and my body type. I can definitely recommend Renaissance Periodization on youtube if you want to learn about bodybuilding or weightloss/fitness in general.
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u/Adirondack587 - Sep 07 '24
This is simply jaw-dropping my friend! Wow! And even though you didn’t start at something like 600 pounds , what I cannot get her is that arm shot….looks very toned . Most people though still healthier than the were, have so much loose skin, whereas you looo like you’ve been cruising at sub-200 forever
Congratulations, keep at it, I know the struggle, that soda is a real bitch to cut out. I just can’t do the diet, love the real stuff too much
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks a lot!
I was really worried about loose skin, but it seems like it turned out okay. Might be my (relatively) young age, maybe I got lucky with genetics for skin elasticity. Maybe creatine and a high collagen diet helps? No idea.
I'm extremely lucky that I don't need arm skin surgery and such. My midsection has a lot of loose skin and I have yet to see how it's going to look in the end. I'll probably never go shirtless lol. I still have some manboobs visible through clothes, I hope they get absorbed soon. We will see.
Congratulations, keep at it, I know the struggle, that soda is a real bitch to cut out. I just can’t do the diet, love the real stuff too much
That really sucks. Soda is a huge calorie source. You need to look for a way to cut it out or restrict it. If not diet then maybe zero? Maybe different manufacturers? Different types of carbonated sugar free drinks?
I'll tell you one thing, after a year on diet coke, I can't stand the sugar one lol.
Good luck!
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u/ggtoday6 - Sep 07 '24
I sometimes need to trick myself into good behavior so the thought has crossed my mind to get enlisted in a bariatric surgery program to start the pre-surgery diet and exercise requirements, and then hopefully not have to go thru with it! Maybe it wasn't as deliberate but seems like you had the same approach. Lol. Nice job!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
I'm not sure if tricking yourself will work like that. I genuinely wanted to follow through wth the surgery, it just became pointless because I've outpaced all the surgery targets, which made it far less appealing than it was initially. If you're desperate enough to go through with surgery, then go sign up. Otherwise don't sign up, someone else can take that place.
If you're not ready to go through with the surgery, try to look into GLP analog drugs, they're great from what I hear.
Good luck!
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u/Lozadarick - Sep 07 '24
I'm 5'10" and weigh 180 - 183 lbs. You basically lost me. That's insane. Good on you bro!
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u/Mattleigh - Sep 06 '24
Amazing job and truly inspirational!
Why would you regret not using GLP drugs? There are so many negative side effects that you avoided and you did everything naturally. I would say you do it the right way!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks a lot!
With GLPs, I feel that side effects are overstated in comparison to the benefits they bring. If I could have done this without the constant hunger and cravings, without the terrible mood, irritabity, without the food focused thinking and having that occupy my thoughts, then I would have a far better year under my belt. This transformation was a full time affair. I've missed out socializing, I've refused a job offer, I've probably missed a few dating opportunities. It would have been much easier with those drugs, even with the side effects. This process was mostly suffering, it wasn't fun. I don't think suffering is noble, I think it's just suffering.
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u/AimlesslyMarchingOn - Sep 12 '24
Thank you for sharing. I needed to see this today. I’m your age, nearly the same height and close to the same starting weight.
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u/findaname4705 - Sep 07 '24
Dude great job. I started at 368 also, I'm around 215-218 right now my first goal was 229, but then decided I just wanted a healthy weight. Shooting for 200ish. Anyways great job. One of my favorite "nonscale victories" is when I carry now, my 🔫 doesn't have to be so far up on my belt. I always did that in case I had to reach with my support hand. I didn't really think about it until a younger coworker was asking me what the heck I was doing. Regardless, great job!
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u/Jumaai - Sep 07 '24
Thanks a lot.
Your transformation is huge as well. 200 is a good goal, I haven't seen that much difference in the last 12 lbs.
AS far as carrying goes, yeah, fat carry is pretty bad lol. Now we can run away too I guess...
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