Losing fat and the last few lbs?

amykr93

So I've just booked a holiday for 105 days from now, and I'm about 24lbs or so from my goal (depending on how my body looks).

I'm trying to focus on losing this last bit of weight, but also know how important it is to tone up.

I was doing insanity, but I get bored of it really quickly as I'm not a big, constant, cardio fan.


Instead I have thought of doing the following:
- 4 days per week lifting for one hour (I only do so in my home, but I am constantly trying to push myself). I will do 3 days full body workouts (3 legs and 3 arms) of 5x10 for each. On the last day I will mix it up: kettlebells etc.
- 60 minutes of HIIT spread over 3-5 days. I don't care if it's 3x20mins, 4x15, 1x20, 2x15 and 1x10 as long as it gets done.
- 1 day for just cardio. Just now that is a spin class, but I will also do an hour of swimming, or a long walk etc if I cannot get to spin (maybe even one of the insanity workouts, if I cannot get out the house).


In total this would be about 2 hours of cardio and 4 hours of lifting per week. Would this help me achieve my goals?

SingingSingleTracker

So I've just booked a holiday for 105 days from now, and I'm about 24lbs or so from my goal (depending on how my body looks).

I'm trying to focus on losing this last bit of weight, but also know how important it is to tone up.

I was doing insanity, but I get bored of it really quickly as I'm not a big, constant, cardio fan.


Instead I have thought of doing the following:
- 4 days per week lifting for one hour (I only do so in my home, but I am constantly trying to push myself). I will do 3 days full body workouts (3 legs and 3 arms) of 5x10 for each. On the last day I will mix it up: kettlebells etc.
- 60 minutes of HIIT spread over 3-5 days. I don't care if it's 3x20mins, 4x15, 1x20, 2x15 and 1x10 as long as it gets done.
- 1 day for just cardio. Just now that is a spin class, but I will also do an hour of swimming, or a long walk etc if I cannot get to spin (maybe even one of the insanity workouts, if I cannot get out the house).


In total this would be about 2 hours of cardio and 4 hours of lifting per week. Would this help me achieve my goals?

Well, it will certainly increase your caloric burn which should help.

To lose 24 pounds in 105 days (15 weeks) equates to losing 1.6 pounds per week which is within close proximity of the relatively safe goal of losing 1 to 1.5 pounds per week while working out. However, it is a bit above that window.

In addition to your exercise, it will require running a caloric deficit to reach that goal in such a short time. If it were me, it might be more realistic to shoot for one pound per week as 1.6 per week, week after week, for 15 weeks if this is your last 24 pounds could leave you rather exhausted. I work out more than your suggested hours per week (bike training, weight training) and run a caloric deficit and have been working on my "final" 17-20 pounds. I have averaged just under a pound a week the past 15 weeks with many weeks of 10-12 hours of workouts and calorie deficits. Part of that is due to me not wanting my training performance to suffer, and I ate enough to fuel quality workouts. I suppose more could have been lost weekly if I wasn't focused on quality training due to upcoming races. But the workouts and deficit as it was, left me hungry.

Best of luck. Monitor the calories in vs. calories out rather closely and adjust as needed to keep on track with your goal (which could also adjust based on your progress). Whether you lose 1 or 1.6 pounds per week, it requires discipline, good planning, close monitoring, and patience.

rybo

Other than burning calories it's hard to say how well it will work because we have no idea what your weight lifting program is, so it is likely not a very good one, based on your vague description.

As is your HIIT desctription of an hour spread over 3-5 days. That doesn't make much sense to me.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I agree that 24lbs in 105 seems like an unrealistic expectation.

amykr93

So I've just booked a holiday for 105 days from now, and I'm about 24lbs or so from my goal (depending on how my body looks).

I'm trying to focus on losing this last bit of weight, but also know how important it is to tone up.

I was doing insanity, but I get bored of it really quickly as I'm not a big, constant, cardio fan.


Instead I have thought of doing the following:
- 4 days per week lifting for one hour (I only do so in my home, but I am constantly trying to push myself). I will do 3 days full body workouts (3 legs and 3 arms) of 5x10 for each. On the last day I will mix it up: kettlebells etc.
- 60 minutes of HIIT spread over 3-5 days. I don't care if it's 3x20mins, 4x15, 1x20, 2x15 and 1x10 as long as it gets done.
- 1 day for just cardio. Just now that is a spin class, but I will also do an hour of swimming, or a long walk etc if I cannot get to spin (maybe even one of the insanity workouts, if I cannot get out the house).


In total this would be about 2 hours of cardio and 4 hours of lifting per week. Would this help me achieve my goals?

Well, it will certainly increase your caloric burn which should help.

To lose 24 pounds in 105 days (15 weeks) equates to losing 1.6 pounds per week which is within close proximity of the relatively safe goal of losing 1 to 1.5 pounds per week while working out. However, it is a bit above that window.

In addition to your exercise, it will require running a caloric deficit to reach that goal in such a short time. If it were me, it might be more realistic to shoot for one pound per week as 1.6 per week, week after week, for 15 weeks if this is your last 24 pounds could leave you rather exhausted. I work out more than your suggested hours per week (bike training, weight training) and run a caloric deficit and have been working on my "final" 17-20 pounds. I have averaged just under a pound a week the past 15 weeks with many weeks of 10-12 hours of workouts and calorie deficits. Part of that is due to me not wanting my training performance to suffer, and I ate enough to fuel quality workouts. I suppose more could have been lost weekly if I wasn't focused on quality training due to upcoming races. But the workouts and deficit as it was, left me hungry.

Best of luck. Monitor the calories in vs. calories out rather closely and adjust as needed to keep on track with your goal (which could also adjust based on your progress). Whether you lose 1 or 1.6 pounds per week, it requires discipline, good planning, close monitoring, and patience.

I am not going to lose the 24lbs in 105 days - I've set my calorie goal to 1lbs per week - I'm just hoping to chip away at that number quite considerably haha.

amykr93

Other than burning calories it's hard to say how well it will work because we have no idea what your weight lifting program is, so it is likely not a very good one, based on your vague description.

As is your HIIT desctription of an hour spread over 3-5 days. That doesn't make much sense to me.

I didn't say I was following any particular 'programme' what so ever. For 3 days a week I am doing full body workouts, doing 3 moves which focus more on my upper body, and 3 which have more focus on lower body. Each move is down for 5 sets of 10.

I do one lower body set, one upper, one lower, one upper, one lower and finally one upper. I also do a warm-up and cool down.
I don't get too much time to work out, and I don't have access to a gym, and so I like to focus on my entire body as I can only really manage 3 sessions, maybe 4.

For lower body things I focus on are:
- squats, both a traditional squat and some variations: sumo, front.
- lunges, standing still, walking and split.
- deadlifts
- glute raises
- calf raises

For upper body I tend to stick to:
- over head press
- upright row
- front raises
- delt raises
- chest press
- tbar row
- bent over row

I also do tricep dips and bicep curls on occasion.

Once I am finding it easier, and not as much of a challenge, to finish the sets and reps I up my weights ever so slightly. I can do up to about 70kg in the house on my barbell, but I am far from that just now.
The only thing I need to invest in is a squat rack, for when my partner isn't there to help, and a better bench.


As for the HIIT being spread I'm not sure what doesn't make sense. Over the course of 5 days, I want to average an hour or HIIT work for some cardio.
I'm not setting in stone that I will do 3 20minute sessions every week to equate to this hour. It might suit my schedule to do 2 20minute sessions and 2 10minute sessions that week.
I don't care if the HIIT session is 10/15/20 or whatever in between, as long as it is HIIT done to my maximum capability.

SingingSingleTracker

I am not going to lose the 24lbs in 105 days - I've set my calorie goal to 1lbs per week - I'm just hoping to chip away at that number quite considerably haha.

IMO, that's a much more realistic and doable rate of weight loss.

All the best and enjoy the process. It can, believe it or not, be a fun process. I've learend a lot from the message boards and realize my opinions and outlook needed adjusting to get me out of the boat I was floating in on the river DeNial...

amykr93

I am not going to lose the 24lbs in 105 days - I've set my calorie goal to 1lbs per week - I'm just hoping to chip away at that number quite considerably haha.

IMO, that's a much more realistic and doable rate of weight loss.

All the best and enjoy the process. It can, believe it or not, be a fun process. I've learend a lot from the message boards and realize my opinions and outlook needed adjusting to get me out of the boat I was floating in on the river DeNial...

Oh yeah, I've already lost over 40lbs, however I was a cardio bunny then and ended up so focused on what I had done that I lost sight of what I needed to do.

becs3578

I think you can make great progress in 105 days. BUT I know (because I am dealing with it myself right now). The last 15-20 come off slower. I am trying to lose the last 4 to 7 (my goal keep changing because i am a little crazy) and During a 100 day challenge I created myself I lost 10.2lbs.

Just work hard, make sure you get a rest day, listen to your body, and you will be in a great place in 105 days. Can't say you will be 24 lbs lighter.. but you will definitely be lighter! the 24 will come.