There is a lot of discussion about what works for fat loss and what doesn't. Most people have an opinion on this, and most can back up their opinions with research. However, we all know the research doesn't always translate to good results in the real world. So putting all the reserach and opinions aside, I'd like to hear from people who have successfully lost a large amount of fat weight (preferably people who lowered their body fat by 10% or more, though all responses are welcome).

1) Diet: What was your diet like (did you cycle calories, how far below maintenance did you go, macronutrient composition, how hard was it to follow, etc)?
2) Supplements: What supplements did you use and do you think they had much of an impact?
3) Exercise: What exercise were you getting (lifting, cardio, both, neither, other?)?
4) Fat loss vs. lean mass loss: How much fat and how much lean mass did you lose in the process?
5) Maintaining loss: How hard has it been to keep the weight off and what steps have you had to take to keep it off?
6) What did you learn from the experience, i .e. what would you do or are you doing differently now?

Congratulations to anyone who has lost a lot of fat. This is your chance to brag, and to share your wisdom with those who wish to do the same.

Thanks

I'm afraid that your reasoning may be flawed. I've seen this many times. Star-struck fans ask the player how to win the big game and not the coach. The player is young and not even certain himself of how he won the game, much less able to explain to others how they can follow in his foot steps. But really, if everyone who lost a lot of weight was an expert at how to lose weight than many people would be out of a job. I have heard some of the worst ideas from those who have had good results, since many obtain them in spite of bad strategies and don't even realize it. Other than subjective issues such as appetite and psychological issues such as adherence, success stories are usually not very reliable.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with your reasoning (to a point). But I'm not really looking to find out 'how' in an instructional sense. I doubt there is a person on this board who doesn't already know the basics (and probably a great deal more) about the theory of weight loss. I know 'how' to lose weight, but I'm still interested in other people's experience. I also realize that ten different people will have ten different stories to tell. But I disagree with the idea that the player is not even sure how he won the game. In some cases that is no doubt true. But in other case, the player knows what occured far better than the coach. Sometimes the student surpasses the master. Sometimes research must bow to real world results. I appreciate research as much as the next person (I have a Master's degree in Neuroscience and I'm working on my PhD in Computer Science), but scientific papers don't always provide the answers. In the end, no one cares what made a mouse lose fat or put on muscle if they can't duplicate the effect in themselves. What ultimately matters are real world results, and although it would be foolish to accept anecdotal evidence as gospel, it would be just as bad to ignore it altogether.

I couldn't agree more.

Just curious -- why the switch from neuroscience to comp sci? My friend is planning on starting a graduate program in neurosci -- anything I should tell him?

My undergrad degrees were in physics and psychology. Can you tell I like school? I took a lot of classes because I could never figure out what I wanted to do, and I've always liked learning. When I was nearing graduation I didn't want to pursue either of these fields, but I wanted to stay in science. Around the same time, I had taken a biophysics class with the professor in charge of the neuroscience department and he invited me to join the graduate program. I had no other plans so I did. It was actually a PhD program, but I hated it. Too much departmental politics and the promise of a long, low paying post-doc position when I graduated. So after I passed my comps I left with a masters. Went back school, got an associates in Comp Sci, worked for 2 years, company went under, now I'm back in school again.

If your friend loves neuroscience then tell him to go for it. If he doesn't, he better think long and hard about it. 4-5 years for the PhD on average, then another several (yes, several) years as a poorly paid post-doc unless he is the absolute best in his area and that area happens to be hot at the moment, or he happens to have some unique talent or training. Thats the way it works in neuroscience, probably most of the biological sciences but I'm not sure. Comp Sci doesn't have the same post-doc issues. Tell your friend I wish him the best of luck.

For the sake of a story, I will tell mine. My whole life, I was always the fat kid. Not just a little chubby. Fat. Indeed my first diet was weight watchers in seventh grade when I dropped 35 pounds to get to goal. That didn't last long, and I yo-yo'ed until the beginning of college.

Then I "found" lifting, and loved it. I got strong as hell (relatively speaking, benching over 300 pounds after 4 months of training), but remained fat. Obviously, a classic endo/meso. I soon realized that all my efforts were for naught, unless I learned how to eat.

Over the next three years, I'd lift for a short time and diet, to then go back "off." Each summer during college though, I'd end up a tad more muscular and a tad leaner (trimming up for the summer, as it were).

Finally, at the end of my sophmore year I reached global proportions, at a weight of 250 and a stomach of 48" and no muscle, save what was required to carry my fat ass around.

That's when things changed.

Since then ('92) I have been relatively "on" but taken several 1 year breaks in training. I have never reached above 25% BF (still fat I know, but not as I was), and I usually hover around 15% with a fair amount of muscle.

Twice I have dieted down for contests (and sub 5% BF) at a weight of around 180, and can relativley easily diet down to a 10% BF for the summer months (until the BBQs kick in).

I have now been "on" training and diet-wise for about 16 mos and see another competition in the 6-12 month horizon.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

BTW, in terms of how -- I have employed nearly every training style and diet out there. Of course, I now have my favorites, but I still believe in cycling training as well as diet and experimenting, so as to keep things fresh and interesting.

Twin Peak:

BUMP on that big time...keep the body guessing always....I see too many people stuck week after week in the gym and attempting to lose weight. The body is very smart and will adjust very quickly.

Well, that actually is not what I meant. I think the notion of "keeping the body guessing" is overplayed, and not as important as one might think, on a physiological level. I was referring to it on a psycological level, as well as experimenting to find out what works best for you.

On the other hand, if someone found an "ideal" workout, and actually stayed motivated doing it in perpetuity then he might consider not making any changes.

That is with respect to training, as to diet (as in cutting), yeah, adjustments certainly do need to be made.