I have lost 180 Lbs Over the course of 2+ years.(390lbs - 210lbs) I am now a Certified Personal Trainer at the YMCA. AMA.

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Thanks so much! I really appreciate that! :D

Here, take an upvote, this is truly inspiring.

As someone who was always the fat kid in school/life, I can feel your burden. Good to see that it all worked out for you. I can't claim I was ever that overweight (I mean no offense by that statement), but I'm definitely not where I want to be.

Any advice on someone who is just a little outside of their comfort zone (60-100lbs to lose, I currently weigh about 300lbs) and how to do so on a tight budget? I work full time overnights supporting my fiance and myself.

Thank you! That really means a lot! And I definitely do!

Well something I always tell my clients whether they want to lose 10 or 100 pounds, is that the key to any weight loss goal is prioritizing, make going to the gym and eating right very high priority. And on top of EVERYTHING, be your own personal trainer. Do the research as if it was your job to do so. Get your fiance involved, make it a fun thing for you guys to do together when you guys have some free time in the day. And as for cheap and healthy eats, look for recipes online and find out when the ingredients (Whether it be chicken or lean beef) is on sale at your local market.

Best of luck to you man!

Thanks for the advice, it definitely makes a lot of sense.

In regards to the exercise/working out, do you find that you really have to dedicate massive amounts of time per week for it to make a noticeable difference? Or is it as true as they say in those commercials for exercise machines/diets, where 30 mins a day can make the world of a difference?

EDIT: Also, given my height/weight (~300lbs, ~6ft tall), I wonder how I would look in dropping a certain amount of weight. I am in no way trying to get myself to be "twig" skinny. I'm trying to aim for a body that compliments my build, any idea where an ideal weight for me would be? I would be completely happy with my weight if I looked "fit" at this weight, if that makes sense.

Good question, well it definitely is possible to get a pretty good workout in 30 -45 minutes.. But those have to be very high intensity, and very high energy. I'd say your best bet is going for 45 - 60 minutes of work.

If you're planning on working out regularly, try to get up and move about 4 - 5 times Minimum!

Was excess skin a problem for you? Physically and/or emotionally. How have you dealt with it, if so?

It still is sometimes... My only option is to tighten up EVERYTHING at this point. Swimming and taking my shirt off is sometimes uncomfortable because I'm still sort of dealing with insecurities, particularly with the skin. But I'm starting to accept who I am and realize the only way to go is up from here.

if you look at the pics in reverse order it looks like Benjamin Button moved in next to a Cheesecake Factory.

I.. Cant.. Stop.. Lauging uncontrollably at this.

Honestly awesome job!

More honestly..and don't take this negatively... Get a nice haircut..it will be worth it!

Hahaha! Thank you! And yes I was getting tired of my long hair, I got a nice buzz cut. Unfortunately, my buddy keeps calling me Shane from The Walking Dead.

Congratulations. The change is amazing. An inspiration.

I've been trying to lose weight and have cut out all fizzy drinks (my poison is coke) and eating only home cooked (and controlling portion sizes).

I've been able to pull my belt in one space, my reflux seems to have stopped after 2 years, I'm not as bloated and I've got more energy.

A question: Do you have any trouble with excess skin?

Great job ninja!! Keep up the great work!

Yes, unfortunately I still do struggle with skin, but all you can do, is keep working out and tightening it up!

Heh. Cheers.

A couple of years ago I went from from 240 to 180 lbs over 9 months, so I know it not impossible, and I only have to lose around 20-30 lbs this time so it shouldn't be that hard. In case you were wondering I went to Europe for nearly a year and then got a bit slack on my return. Not to mention all the fantastic food that's over there...

By tightening up, does the skin slowly reduce, or do you mean just keep doing what your are currently doing?

If the skin is around your belly area, just keep hitting core twice as hard, and hit it EVERYDAY you can. Same goes for any other body part, the key here is to continue with your diet and workout, and slowly but surely youll see the skin start to vanish. This generally works best (it did for me and a client of mine) if you don't have a large excess of skin..

More skin = Harder to lose.

Did not know that, I though surgical removal was the only option (maybe that's for morbidly obese cases).

Surgery is a very likely option when goes from morbid obesity

No question, just congratulations and awe. What an inspiration.

I have lived (basically) the exact same life and wish I had the determination, drive, conviction, and willpower that you do. I just turned 30 (9/16) and am currently 340lbs at just over 6'1. 40lbs of that was gained in just over 6 months due to being put on steroids for a health issue, but the other 300 is all me.

I lied, I do have a question.

What sort of financial commitment(s) did you have to make? I have no income and a major contributing factor is the physical limitations brought on my my weight and my other health issues (some of which are weight related).

EDIT* I made an oops.

Thank you so much!!

Well, eating healthy certainly is not cheap, but it definitely isn't expensive. It's a matter of setting limits for yourself, and buying things in bulk (This is a BIG help) Buying packs of chicken breasts, lean beef (Which is surprisingly cheap) Buying broccoli, romaine lettuce, and as I said before, looking up recipes and ingredients telling you what you can do with all of these ingredients so you never get bored with your meals. There's no real "Commitment" rather, a change in what you spend your money on. Only have 20 bucks to eat for the next 2 weeks? Perfect. Buy a pack or two of chicken breast, and some of your favorite vegetables see what you can cook up.

Oops! just saw your edit after I posted my reply, do you have someone that can help you out financially?

YYYYYYYY MMMMM C AAAAAA

:D

Since losing the weight, how have the ladies been treating you?

Well, friend zone is no longer in my vocabulary. :)

How much of that cake did you eat?

No cake for me, I'm more of a Pie Guy but man I was a huge eater. On average I ate:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, ham and toast, maybe a waffle and vitamin D Milk

Mid Meal: A Double Decker Bologna Sand-which with Cheese and extra mayo. ( I loved these)

Lunch After School lunch I would head down to my Uncles local restaurant Nico's Taco shop and eat Carne asada fries or something.

Mid meal 2: I would come home and eat... Everything.

Dinner: When I lived with my mom she usually made something like spaghetti and I'd eat with the family and sneak spaghetti at midnight (Again)

ha... That reminds me of just last week. I am about 140lb and fairly well built. My wife is around 200 and working really hard to lose weight after our last baby. She's done a great job of cutting calories and working out consistently, but she seems to have plateaued and she's frustrated.

Thursday I counted up my calorie intake for the day (which was pretty close to a typical day) and compared it to hers.

Hers: about 1300

Mine: about 3100

I'm not overly active, and have a desk job. I have no clue how I maintain my weight, but I do. At most I might fluctuate by 5 lbs through the week.

EDIT: Question for you. How can I help her get past the plateau?

Well first ask yourself, what causes a plateau? When your body has become accustomed to what is being done, there is only one option and one option only...

ANTE UP! :D Decrease your caloric intake, keep better track of the fats, and carbs you intake in a day and carefully track the foods you eat. In addition to this.. Up the ante with your workouts. Make them harder, and more strenuous, don't be afraid to sweat! They don't call it working out for nothing right? :D

Would you rather have land sharks or giant spiders exist? You must pick one.

Fuck.

Land sharks. Spiders are just... Nope.

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Just staring to workout?

Number 1 tip: There are NO quick fixes. Hard work is definitely your best friend!

Start out by figuring out what it is you want to do with your body. I'll give you a minute... Got it in your head? THAT'S your long term goal.

Now think of a short term goal, maybe you want to lose 20 pounds in a month or two. Sounds reasonable right? Good now you have your goals.

Now, how can you get there? Do your research, I know what it's like to feel lost too. But that shouldn't stop you, go to the library, pick up some books on the subject of weight loss, download apps like Myfitnesspal to help you keep track of your meals! Be your own personal trainer! But before you set foot in the gym, get a game plan set up. Check out Bodybuilding.com or Livestrong.com

I'd be a little weary of bodybuilding.com. A lot of the site content is "bro-science" backed by a selling incentive bias (it is an online store). It is somewhat of a good place to start but the Forums can be very dangerous in terms of mis-information. If you really want to get educated, take a look at Lyle McDonald's site: Bodyrecomposition.com. His articles are very well constructed, thoughtout, and backed by his years of experience, degrees, and research studies which he cites. Good Luck!

Thanks for the site!

How did those people who joked about your weight, react when you show them your awesome ^{and sexy} body?

Haha I go back to San Diego every year to visit my family and old friends.. Ive seen a few people who used to bully me including a girl who I asked out and rejected me..

Those experiences.. Were pretty satisfying.

What types of exercise did you find to work for you personally and what do you do currently to stay in shape? Huge props!

Well I couldn't tell you what specific things I do because I'm always changing up my exercises. You have to stay diverse in your exercises! Don't do the same thing for too long! Cardio is very important too, vital I should say. Do it as often as you can!

My regimen now is:

• 1 mile of interval training on the Treadmill

• 5 - 10 minutes of high intensity weight lifting. (I do a different muscle group everyday)

• 60-90 Seconds of High intensity Cardio

• 5 - 10 minutes of high intensity weight lifting.

• 60 - 90 Seconds of High intensity Cardio REPEAT.

30 Minutes of Non Specific core.

Hey man, congrats on the weight loss. Can I ask 1: how tall you are and 2: is there any way you can post a pic of this loose skin? I'm trying to lose a lot of weight and I want to know what to expect :/

Hey Im 5'11 and sure ill post in the morning! Im on my mobile :)

Damn, I lost like 22 pounds over the past month and a half and I thought that was pretty awesome until I read OP and everyone else's stories -_-

22 pounds is astounding! Keep going dont stop! :D

YAY, good for you !! I am proud of anyone who makes them selves better(:

Thank you so much! Its so great to hear all this positive feedback!

That is awesome. Thank you for doing this ama :) -how did you deal with cravings during your weightloss? I find when i do supplement more healthy options like fruit and veggies (not eating enough), and cut back on breads (I already eat too much) I have huge cravings and end up giving in. -I'm not a very overweight person. At the most I could drop 30 pounds. I lack confidence to go workout in front of people. How did you overcome this? -How did you keep yourself motivated throughout weightloss? I find I will drop some weight and I relax and old habits will sneak back into my routine.

Thank you for the kind reply!

Well, everyones different.. We all have cravings but we all deal with them differently. Personally what kept me motivated was keeping my eyes on the prize.. Picturing myself in great shape and being happy with who I was, was my drive. I just wanted to look in the mirror and smile at who I was. As far as cravings go, that was what stopped me from cheating. Mentally programming myself to just say "you dont need this.. Be responsible"

But some of us need the occasional cheat.. Find alternatives that can help you through cravings. Eg. Ice cream.. Fat free sugar free frozen yogurt

What was your diet initially when you were trying to lose weight and what is it now?

When I first started out, my diet was pretty boring.. I would have chicken breast and romaine lettuce for the most part, and in the morning I would have oatmeal, raisin bran or special K.

Right now, I'm on a low carb (about 60 a day) with high protein, and a TON of fruit.

Any chance you could expand on your diet? I've lost a decent amount, and am gearing up to lose another 20 or so pounds. I don't have anything but dumbbells, but I've been applying the experience I picked up from 3.5 years of kung fu to get decent results out of resistance training.

I think the diet is a pretty crucial part of it all, and although I'm getting better, there's still times I have to bite the bullet and get a kid's meal from McD because I have ten seconds to shove it in my face. There's no way I can go nine hours without decent food, and I want to make these protein bars last (especially considering they're soy protein).

Any tips?

Great job on the losses thus far! Diet is definitely a vital part of your fitness success, if you are short on time (and who isnt these days) it helps to prepare your meals ahead of time, store them in ziploc containers and take them with you the next day, saves time and effort. Doing this will definitely help with more losses. If you feel like your workouts are getting too easy, up the ante! And keep challenging yourself :D

Freaking great job!

I'm on my way there I hope, just keeping to a regular timetable of exercise.

Gotta watch my diet better though. =(

Thank you :D great to hear you're on your way! Dont let small glitches in your diet get you down as long as you're doing the best YOU can do. Thats simply all it takes.

Excellent job, my friend. It's always great to hear when people change their lives for the better, especially in cases like this. What kind of compliments do you get from those who you haven't seen since the weight loss, and how do you feel when people bring up the old you?

Congratulations once again.

I get mixed compliments, sometimes people are really happy and proud of me! Others just look at me and say "thats cool" as for my family..

I actually made a point to not see them until I was ready, then.. I showed up on christmas, and it took everyone about a minute to figure out who the hell this guy is in their house.

Thank you so much for your kind post :D

This lady is inspired by you. You were handsome before but now...oh...my...god. Well done!

Well thank you :) Very much appreciated

This is all very interesting, but how much do you squat? Let's quantify the progress in absolute terms we all understand, like pounds on a bar through full ROM.

Hmm. Havent squated in about a month (knee issues) but will get back to you on that!