Weight Loss Rate and BF advice

ChrisM8971

I am hoping for a little but of advice on weight loss rates and on how to concentrate on reducing body fat % For nearly 4 months I have been going along nicely with my deficit set to 1.5 lbs and have achieved a loss of 39 lbs so far (in fact I just broke the 200 lb mark today) and have another 25 lbs to go.

The first question is, having read something early on about weight loss rates which I can't seem to find again, when should I be looking to step down from 1.5 lbs per week to 1 lb per week and then 0.5 lbs per week?

The next question is that having used the measurement method of calculating BF% (I know these are only a guide) I am coming out between 29 & 30% (it was nearer 35% when I started) so is there anything I can do to specifically target BF%

I am 5' 10", 46 years old and currently weigh 199 lbs, I have also opened my diary up for you to check if need be

Thanks in advance

p4ulmiller

Congratulations on your weight loss so far. Some people do indeed say to drop your weight loss goal to 0.5 pounds per week for the last stone or so to make it easier to transition into maintenance.

As for BF, I found mine plummeted when I started a strong lifts 5x5 routine about 6 weeks ago. Think about something like this rather than cardio and you won't go too far wrong.

b0nnyd0g

Just a general opinion from me !! You have done really well up to now, it took me 6 months to lost 30lbs so you are way ahead there already so I dont think it would do you any harm to up your calories a bit to slow your losses down and ease yourself towards maintenance. I think you are on quite a low level of calories for a guy so try to get that up if you can so your target is sustainable.

Not really sure on the science of BF but found that a higher protein/lower carb ratio worked for me and I also do 3 exercise classes a week - which are tough but not killers

Good luck with your final 25lbs xxx

SpecialSundae

Hey Chris,

Hope in advance that this is helpful! You're so supportive to all the rest of us.

At the moment, you can probably reduce to a 1lb a week target loss but it's worth adding in strength training to try and maintain as much lean body mass as possible.

You don't need to head straight to the gym or hit the barbells, try You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning and just squeeze in some training whenever you get a chance (as I know you are on the road a lot of the day). As long as you're challenging your muscles more each time, you'll be fine.

That's not to say that I wouldn't recommend hitting the barbells as soon as you can... but I'm a little biased! Like P4ulMiller, my body fat percentage has plummeted on StrongLifts. I'm down from 42% to 27% according to my scales (23-24% according to some eyeball estimations).

Skrib69

I think it has all been said here - drop your loss to 1lb/week and start in the gym. I too am out a lot in the car with work so I struggle with the latter so I take the dog for walks in the evening and do Aikido twice a week. My %BF has steadily dropped, but I know it would be much faster if I were to start lifting. According to my scales I am down to 17% or there abouts, but I think it is nearer to 19/20% personally. Surprisingly the biggest change to that number came when I put a new battery in the scales! Sounds like you have been doing well!

SpecialSundae

As for when to drop to 0.5lb a week... I'm sort of trying to do that at the moment with about 5-6kg to go (11-13lb).

ChrisM8971

Thanks for the replies, I think that a move to 1 lb per week as of today and I will start moving a bit more.

Resistance training on muscles will be a goal now as well I think and when I can stop being too tight to pay the £36.00 per month for the gym I will start on some proper weights and hopefully will start to bring down that BF % now.

Edited to add - and will drop to 0.5 lbs per week when I am trying to move the last 14 lbs

p4ulmiller

Thanks for the replies, I think that a move to 1 lb per week as of today and I will start moving a bit more.

Resistance training on muscles will be a goal now as well I think and when I can stop being too tight to pay the £36.00 per month for the gym I will start on some proper weights and hopefully will start to bring down that BF % now.

Edited to add - and will drop to 0.5 lbs per week when I am trying to move the last 14 lbs

Make sure you do barbells and free weights rather than resistance machines. Big compound lifts are the way forward - machines isolate muscles too much.

ChrisM8971

As a complete newbie to the idea of lifting I will have to google "compound lifting" but thanks for the advice