150'ish looking to get to a very buff 120'ish in next 4 months. Anyone else?

Surfingbodi

I am new to MVP and looking to create a group of us with similar goals who want to check I. Regularly and keep each other accountable. I have found some great forums on MFP and am using a few of the and making real progress with my goals to both lose weight AND gain strength and stamina. Please friend me if you want to do similar and need the support like I do.

So far in 2-3 weeks I've dropped about 6 lbs (due I am sure I. Part to water as it is much slower this past week) and increased strength and endurance. Lost one inch from waist gained one inch on calves (and yes they were sore as hell as well as my hamstrings which have always been notoriously weak)!

Here is what I am currently using:
Strong lifts 3 x week
5:2 fasting/eating plan
HIIT 3 x week
Mellow cardio just to burn fat as I can
Take two days off from rigorous exercise each week on fast days

What is working for you!?!

segacs

Welcome to MFP! Sounds like you're getting off to a running great start. I also started about 3 weeks ago (well, for the third time, but you get the idea), and am looking to go from mid-150s to 115 or thereabouts. I've also dropped about 7 pounds so far in the first three weeks, though the first 5 were in the first week and due to water weight also. It can be motivating at first when you lose so much so quickly, but it sounds like you're quite realistic about the fact that it's unlikely to continue at that pace.

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A couple of thoughts about your goal: 30 pounds in 4 months is a pace of about 2 pounds per week, which is a net calorie deficit of 1000 calories/day. Unless your maintenance calories are up at a crazy level like 5000 calories/day, this is probably not sustainable or healthy in the long run!

Instead, aim for about a 20% net reduction in your maintenance calories, at most. So, if you maintain at, say, 2500 calories/day including exercise, then you'd be looking at a 20% deficit of 500/day or 1lb/week. If you maintain at 2000 calories/day, aim for a 400 calorie/day or 0.8lb/week loss. Etcetera. For instance, my target of 20% deficit is equivalent to about a 0.6lb/week pace, which, given the fact that I'm a short woman with relatively low calorie needs, makes sense for me.

As you get closer and closer to your goal weight, you'll want to drop that number to 15%, 10%, maybe even 5%, and ease into maintenance. Remember that this is about the long haul.

Add to this that your weightlifting plan to get "buff" means you'll be building lean muscle. Good for you. But lean muscle weighs more than fat, so you may find that the actual numbers on the scale don't drop as quickly as you may expect, even though your body is getting smaller and more toned. Measuring inches, not just pounds, will give you a much better idea of progress.

I'd suggest checking out http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ to get a good estimate of what to target at first, then log actual results for a while and adjust as necessary.

Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like some company! I also have a 60-day challenge group going here: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100166-60-day-challenge -- we're about 20 days in, but feel free to join anyway and work on getting to that first interim goal by Christmas.

Surfingbodi

Ty segacs and will I would love to join your challenge group! I appreciate you bringing the 4 months closer to my attention as it sounded like plenty of time but no way am i shooting for 2 lb per week. I think about 1/2 lb average would be great!

segacs

That's the spirit! Welcome to the party.