Net calories, body fat % and weight loss Q?

OK I understand that eating back exercise calories is really important - I don't want a slow metabolism, I don't want t starve my body and plus it's lame feeling hungry all the time. I remind everyone else of this also. Thing is let's say I meet my 1200 goal every day with 5 workouts a week (eating back the cals). Does this mean I'll ONLY lose 2lbs a week?

Is that 2lbs of fat a week? Would, in actual fact, I be losing more body fat % than I assume? Because I have a holiday soon (only just learnt on my bday today about it) and would ideally want to be between 24%-28% (I am at 34% atm). I have tried looking to find a way to calculate what body fat % I would lose a week on this regime (if that makes sense) but I don't know how to translate "I want to be a size 12 uk" into body fat %.

If anyone with more information on this has any advice would be much appreciated!! :)

Replies

  • LottieLou13
    LottieLou13 Posts: 574 Member
    Question....Did you ONLY gain 2lbs a week?

    Here is a good site for seeing/comparing weights/body shapes

    http://www.mybodygallery.com/

    So far as body fat % relating to clothes size, surely everyone carries their weight differently and someone with the same % as you won't necessarily be wearing the same clothes size.

    Hopefully someone will have an answer to the how high a % of bf you can lose in a week (just out of my own curiosity)
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    How quickly you can lose body fat without eating under your BMR is entirely dependent on how big the gap between TDEE and BMR is. If you are exercising enough that you burn 1,000 calories a day over you BMR (which may be above 1200; you should consult a calculator), then you can lose 2 lbs. per week safely. If it's less than that, you should aim to lose less.

    IMHO, it would be very unlikely that you could lose more than 2 lbs. a week safely. More than that is only safe for people who are already obese.
  • Kalraii
    Kalraii Posts: 89
    I agree I want it to be safe. But what does 2lbs translate into body fat %? Lots of people out there are at their goal weight and can control their body fat % without fiddling with their weight per say. I was thinking that maybe if I was losing weight safely but working out more, ensuring I eat properly and don't over do it, if I'd actually slim down faster? Weird thinking I guess but I have tried to work it out alone to no avail ty for advice :)

    p.s. just panic holiday mode >< They bought me a bikini /cringe!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    The 2 lbs/week is mainly fat - about 75% or 1.5 lbs/week. It's an assumption, probably an optimistic one.

    At 176lb and 34% body fat your goal weight for 26% body fat with no change in fat free mass would be 153 lbs.

    That's 23 lbs to lose so you're looking at 3 - 6 months realistically to lose it.
  • Kalraii
    Kalraii Posts: 89
    Eurgh... dreading bikini day.