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How far can I get in two months?

tomatoey
tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm ok with where I'm at (5'7 now 136 lbs). I've been eating at maintenance, working out 3-4 days a week, with a mix of bodyweight and other resistance, and cardio, mostly on the bike, have been doing this more or less consistently since the fall.

I'm somewhere in the range of 25-30% bf (probably on the higher end). I look all right. I can feel with my hands that my quads and hamstrings are firmer than they were, under the fat, and my thighs look shapelier than they did when I started. I've got a bit of padding around the lower belly and upper thighs. (And yup I know you can't spot reduce, fat comes off overall, etc)

I didn't bother taking measurements this time around, because I'm working around injuries and have been taking a kind of relaxed approach, based on how I feel. I've been just doing what I can do to stay healthy. But I can tell there's been some kind of result. So I think I have a reasonable enough base to start from. (Sorry, don't feel comfortable posting pics :/)

But let's say I wanted to look great. To me, "looking great" = a beach volleyball player type figure. Example:

26-2012-summer-olympics-beach-volleyball-laura-ludwig-germany.jpg

How far to "great" could I get in two months? And what should be my approach? Fat loss, or whatever recomp I can get done in that time (I know it's slow)?

What I definitely want to avoid is losing any muscle mass.

Replies

  • geotrice
    geotrice Posts: 274 Member
    2 month = ~8weeks =

    ~16lbs or less at 2lbs per week loss.
    ~8lbs or less at 1lbs per week
    ~4lbs or less at 0.5lbs per week
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    Id say your best bet is to eat at or slightly below maintenance and start a progressive, heavy lifting program work on body recomp. You don't need to lose a ton of weight, you just need to lose FAT.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    kshadows wrote: »
    Id say your best bet is to eat at or slightly below maintenance and start a progressive, heavy lifting program work on body recomp. You don't need to lose a ton of weight, you just need to lose FAT.

    Yup, this makes sense to me. What kind of results could I expect in 2 months, do you think?
  • RBrigzy
    RBrigzy Posts: 152 Member
    Do women lose their bosoms when they train? (ref to Pic above)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    RBrigzy wrote: »
    Do women lose their bosoms when they train? (ref to Pic above)

    That can happen, yeah... I think she looks great as she is, though.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    The quickest way to reduce BF% is a calorie deficit. But as you have the great goal of maintaining muscle mass that has to be a very small deficit. Personally I wouldn't go for any more than 1lb a week but would say 0.5lbs would be better.

    As a recomper myself 8 weeks isn't much of a timescale to expect a significant change especially as a female.

    The good news though is that there is far more visible change for the last few pounds of fat compared to the first few, especially for muscle definition.

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    The quickest way to reduce BF% is a calorie deficit. But as you have the great goal of maintaining muscle mass that has to be a very small deficit. Personally I wouldn't go for any more than 1lb a week but would say 0.5lbs would be better.

    As a recomper myself 8 weeks isn't much of a timescale to expect a significant change especially as a female.

    The good news though is that there is far more visible change for the last few pounds of fat compared to the first few, especially for muscle definition.

    Totally makes sense, and the bolded is encouraging! Thank you :)
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Recomp won't get your far in two months. I'd just go with a modest calorie deficit and a lifting program, if you can do it with your injuries.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I would just eat at maintenance and get on a full body 3x/wk weightlifting program. At your height and weight I don't see a need to eat at a deficit.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    Recomp won't get your far in two months. I'd just go with a modest calorie deficit and a lifting program, if you can do it with your injuries.

    Got it. Glad everyone agrees! Makes things much clearer :)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I would just eat at maintenance and get on a full body 3x/wk weightlifting program. At your height and weight I don't see a need to eat at a deficit.

    Uh oh, a dissenter :) Hmm. Ok. I'll think about that. Thanks :)
This discussion has been closed.

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