I don’t have a decent before pic to show, just the shirt-on one. That’s all me under there though, not just a puffy shirt. I started out at 250 flabby pounds and as you could see the camera was not my friend (see the BIG-fleshy head shot).

The last pic is about 6 months later and after a good amount of diet, a smallish amount of weight training and about a half-million meters worth of indoor rowing.

I’m sitting at around 208 lbs and like 15-17% bf. I would LOVE to get under 10%, but man I really like to eat, so it will be a serious chore. I also moved from Tampa to Columbus, so any tan will have to come out of a bottle. :(

wow thats awesome progress! how about a flexed front bi shot? during your weight loss, did you lose, gain, or maintain your lean body mass?

Well, my picture-taking options are few… I just traded up to a way-cool new digital cam that does everything except make my dinner AND mount to a tripod. Folks aren’t exactly lined up to shoot me semi-naked, so the best I can do is set it on the dresser, press go, and hope for the best.

As for my process, I did it all the wrong way. John would scold me….

I am lucky enough to have a pretty well stocked gym at my workplace for a whopping 10 bucks a month. I did a small amount of free weights, but primarily I crash dieted and did buckets of cardio (at least an hour at a clip as hard as I could go: row, run, stair, bike – same day). My weight dropped like a stone (sorry john – bad pun), but I am sure I lost lots of muscle at the same time. I bottomed at 200 (from 250), but I was way weak, so I’ve let myself get back up to 208 or so and intend on paying attention to diet and do things properly from now on. Fortunately, I found this site and am reading voraciously. Thanks John and everyone else. You’re all highly motivating!

Ben

Your face has really thinned out! Thats awesome that you've lost over 42 pounds!! Looksl like you are about in the same spot as me. Same height, current weight, and same target weight. You have good arms, but your pecs (like mine) are your weakness. Perhaps we'll hit our goal around the same time! You can do it!

Well, my picture-taking options are few… I just traded up to a way-cool new digital cam that does everything except make my dinner AND mount to a tripod. Folks aren’t exactly lined up to shoot me semi-naked, so the best I can do is set it on the dresser, press go, and hope for the best.

You could always stand in front of a tall mirror.

Your face has really thinned out! Thats awesome that you've lost over 42 pounds!! Looksl like you are about in the same spot as me. Same height, current weight, and same target weight. You have good arms, but your pecs (like mine) are your weakness. Perhaps we'll hit our goal around the same time! You can do it!

esher,
Looks like i have about a decade on you, so i would be ecstatic to reach our goal at the same time ;)

Thanks for the encouragement (and the honest appraisal) :o

Hey FastCote,

Great job on the weight loss! It looks like you were lucky enough to escape with no loose skin or stretch marks (at least none that I can see).

I made some mistakes, too, when losing weight, but you can always add muscle once you reach your fatloss goals. Looking at your picture I find it difficult to believe you are at 15% BF. You look closer to 11% or 12% to me. I don't think it will take much more fatloss before you abs are showing. After that, you can increase your calories and hit the weights hard.

Keep it up, and welcome to the forum. :)

Well, my picture-taking options are few… I just traded up to a way-cool new digital cam that does everything except make my dinner AND mount to a tripod. Folks aren’t exactly lined up to shoot me semi-naked, so the best I can do is set it on the dresser, press go, and hope for the best.

As for my process, I did it all the wrong way. John would scold me….

I am lucky enough to have a pretty well stocked gym at my workplace for a whopping 10 bucks a month. I did a small amount of free weights, but primarily I crash dieted and did buckets of cardio (at least an hour at a clip as hard as I could go: row, run, stair, bike – same day). My weight dropped like a stone (sorry john – bad pun), but I am sure I lost lots of muscle at the same time. I bottomed at 200 (from 250), but I was way weak, so I’ve let myself get back up to 208 or so and intend on paying attention to diet and do things properly from now on. Fortunately, I found this site and am reading voraciously. Thanks John and everyone else. You’re all highly motivating!

Ben
I've found an ironing board works well. :) Strategicaly placed in a doorway so that you have room to stand behind it and look at the digital display before climbing underneath and hitting the button.