First off, welcome!!

As for your goals, yes, you can lose fat on this program. I'm just about where you are right now with the goal to get down to 25-ish% BF. I am also 5'2". I am closer to 140 and about 29-31% BF so my goal with just fat loss puts me closer to 128-130lbs. I had dropped closer to 20% last year around this time, but I am horrible with maintaining and got far off track while traveling for work. Anywho, I have been back on a 500 or so deficit since mid-January and have seen the BF% reading steadily going down as well as the measurement on my waist.

Just for the sake of comment, most BF% measurements are not very accurate. Depending on the reading type, you could be +-5%. I use the BF% reading on my scale and do my best to use it in the most consistent way I can. I know the reading is not the "truth" in terms of my actual BF%, but I use it for following a trend. So many factors can come into play with the reading that the only real value is in watching for a trend. That all being said, if you did a bioimpedance test (the one that you either hold in your hands or stand on with bare feet), you will need to do the follow-up testing as close to the original circumstances as possible. This will provide you with a more consistent reading for you. Not necessarily more accurate, but it is about a series of data points, not a single point in time.

As for diet, I think my macros are going anywhere from 33/33/33 to 40/30/30 c/f/p. I do a little bit of a flexible macros thing where I aim to hit 120 g protein a day and let the rest fall where it falls. I aim for 1600 calories a day and usually come within +- 50 of that target. I do SL only twice a week right now. I started taking a boxing class in January that is 3 nights a week. The class gives me some cardio because of the drills, but we also do some conditioning work that involves strength training. I had a BMF armband last year, but stopped wearing it once I got used to what my TDEE was averaging.

At this point, my starting reading from the scale was 31% BF and as of this past Monday was 29.5%. I had a good increase in water weight 2 weeks ago after a carb and sodium binge so I anticipate my readings to level back out a bit.

Here is the chart that I keep the data in:

Date: Weight(lb) BF% BF(lbs) LBM(lbs)
1/27/2014 141.8 31.00% 43.958 97.842
2/4/2014 140.4 30.90% 43.3836 97.0164
2/10/2014 139.6 30.50% 42.578 97.022
2/17/2014 143 29.70% 42.471 100.529 - high sodium week = increase in water weight
2/24/2014 141.8 29.50% 41.831 99.969

My reasoning for this breakdown is to give me a clearer idea of what the BF% reading means in relation to the weight. What I can see is a few things even with just this limited number of readings. 1) My weight gain that one week was directly related to an increase in LBM, which includes water weight. 2) I am seeing a steady decrease in the BF-lbs number while I'm mostly retaining LBM (minus the balancing out of water weight). 3) The readings support the loss of about in inch in my waist measurements.

So can you lose fat while maintaining LBM doing strong lifts? Yes. I was extremely successful last year when I switched from a cardio dominant regime to a strength training program (iso lifts at first, then SL). I would say that my current regime is more strength training dominant even with the added cardio from boxing class.

I have a set of progress photos in my profile from last year that has me at my lowest. Even at ~140 right now, I look better than I did the last time I looked 140. Feel free to creep my photos and send a FR if you would like.

And sorry if that bounced around a bit....I'm a little tired tonight:laugh:

Happy lifting :drinker: