12 week transformation... is it possible?

Squatsandbench
Squatsandbench Posts: 24 Member
What if I threw all doubts out the window and really went for it... is it possible to get lean and strong in 12 weeks?

I am about 30lb overweight and I want to aim to get quite lean and strong. If I ate the correct amount of calories, upped my protein intake and followed Starting strength do you think it would be possible?

Is there anything else I need to think about?
«1

Replies

  • Squatsandbench
    Squatsandbench Posts: 24 Member
    I like and respect your level of ambition on achieving your fitness goals, but can you lose 30 pounds in 12weeks?? Absolutely...however chances are you'd be sacrificing some of your hard earned muscle/lean mass. As kimmy72 mentioned losing anywhere from half a pound to a pound a week is realistic and sustainable by the way. Losing 2 pounds a week is considered very aggressive even in the bodybuilding world.I bet you any amount of money that if you lost 10-15 pounds of fat you'd look incredible. Sometimes people underestimate what losing 5 pounds of fat can look like. I know this because I did it back in 2014 lost about 10 pounds of mostly fat while dieting for a show with my strength coach and let me tell you I went from 25.6% bdfat to 19.2% and I looked completely different I actually looked bigger more muscular. I was losing about one pound a week. If you push your body too hard to lose the fat, it could backfire and do more damage than good. hope this helps, good luck.

    No, maybe not 30! Perhaps I could lower it to a lb a week and focus on hitting a protein target and progressing on the lifts. Thank you.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    You can get leaner and stronger in 12 weeks. Not as much as some infomercial promises. Long term consistency is the key.

    Best of luck
  • Squatsandbench
    Squatsandbench Posts: 24 Member
    brdnw wrote: »
    I lost 65lbs in just under 7 months. In the first 3 months I went from 265 to 229, so i lost 36lbs in 12 weeks. This was the difference in my body in those 3 months: pr7bnyclmqrk.png

    And this is the end of the 7 months, having lost 65lbs
    n1lkfez8sfv4.png

    Oh brilliant results. Thanks for posting.

    I have worked out a calorie amount and a protein amount. In terms of food I think consistency is key.. eat the same meals everyday etc etc
  • CleanCall
    CleanCall Posts: 1 Member
    If you go all out with HIIT, maintain a proper diet, have an on-point training schedule you follow religiously etc. etc... you would still have difficulty losing 30lbs in 12 weeks. You can still do it, don't get me wrong, but as the other guy said, you'd have to be very very aggressive with weight cutting which is not necessarily healthy. It is possible though.
    But, getting lean on the other hand... yeah, if you're not dosing up on dem roids real good getting in 12 weeks that's kinda impossible. You will grow stronger and leaner no doubt, but for people to actually look at you and say: "Oh, look. That guy's so lean!" you'd have to put in a lot of effort. Even if you lift super-heavy ( I'm talking power lifter style, where you can't do more than 2 reps or your arms are gonna fall off) getting "strong" and "lean" in 12 weeks is impossible.
  • markleeming
    markleeming Posts: 65 Member
    brdnw wrote: »
    I lost 65lbs in just under 7 months. In the first 3 months I went from 265 to 229, so i lost 36lbs in 12 weeks. This was the difference in my body in those 3 months: pr7bnyclmqrk.png

    And this is the end of the 7 months, having lost 65lbs
    n1lkfez8sfv4.png

    Nice work I think I'm at about your mid point now. Getting below 20% bf is proving very difficult. Did you have to be really strict with your macros? I think that's my downfall
    ..
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    Don't make too steep of a deficit. The goal here is to lose the weight while holding on to as much muscle as possible. To do that you need to lift heavy, and if you slash calories too drastically you'll have no energy for it.

    Pick a sensible calorie goal...get all your protein in....and stick to your training program. You can make a ton of progress over three months time.
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
    Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.

    I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
    It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.

    For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.

    If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    cs2thecox wrote: »
    If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
    Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.

    I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
    It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.

    For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.

    If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.

    That's if you can afford his eating plan. His team are very good at what they do but it will cost a lot of money in food to stick to it.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    dalerst wrote: »
    cs2thecox wrote: »
    If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
    Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.

    I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
    It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.

    For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.

    If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.

    That's if you can afford his eating plan. His team are very good at what they do but it will cost a lot of money in food to stick to it.

    They are good at marketing an elaborate plan to create a calorie deficit and not much else.
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    dalerst wrote: »
    cs2thecox wrote: »
    If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%.
    Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan.

    I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body.
    It's also well planned, provides a lot of information, and gives you support all the way through.

    For me, I ended up too skinny (HIIT is not my friend!), and since then I've spent a couple of years working out what macros and training programme work to get me the size and look I want, but it gave me a massive kick up the butt about diet, training, weights and lots of other things.

    If you're really serious about a big change in 12 weeks, it's worth a look.

    That's if you can afford his eating plan. His team are very good at what they do but it will cost a lot of money in food to stick to it.

    They are good at marketing an elaborate plan to create a calorie deficit and not much else.

    Money side... I didn't find the food all that expensive. It's a lot of lean protein and veg, which isn't that different from a normal healthy diet anyway. They do recommend whey protein, but that was about it. There are a number of other recommended supplements, but they're all totally optional.
    I now work with a trainer, and it's costing me more than the plan! :#

    And yes, it's a fairly elaborate plan but isn't just about calorie deficit.
    Some people (me) just find it easier to outsource the planning, particularly if you want noticeable results in a fairly limited timeframe and don't have the patience to try out numerous approaches.

    Just pointing out that it's an option that could fit with the OP's desired timeframe, and has a record of getting results, including my own personal experience.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I've found tremendous progress on 12 week programs like Body For Life. I say go for it OP, just realize you may need to keep going past 12 weeks to see optimal results if you have 30lbs to drop.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I did in that time frame, but it's safe to say it's not advisable for most people.
  • hacktothefuture
    hacktothefuture Posts: 3 Member
    It is very possible. Its just very hard and takes immense discipline. I've done 30lbs in 4 months with cheat days once a week, I would imagine skipping cheat days would bring you very close to 30lbs in 3 months. I agree with haroldrios1692, often times we underestimate how much weight we need to lose in order to like what we see in the mirror.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.

    Op mentioned nothing about health issues so my comment was based off a healthy person. Sure it could take 2yrs for a healthy individual...if they choose an extremely minor deficit OR they continually derail themselves. Other than that I still stand by my reply.



  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.

    Op mentioned nothing about health issues so my comment was based off a healthy person. Sure it could take 2yrs for a healthy individual...if they choose an extremely minor deficit OR they continually derail themselves. Other than that I still stand by my reply.



    thats not always the case even for a healthy individual it can take 2 yrs. doesnt mean they are derailing themselves or a very small deficit.will it in most people take that long? probably not. but it can also depend on a lot of outliers the person may have.
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.

    Op mentioned nothing about health issues so my comment was based off a healthy person. Sure it could take 2yrs for a healthy individual...if they choose an extremely minor deficit OR they continually derail themselves. Other than that I still stand by my reply.



    thats not always the case even for a healthy individual it can take 2 yrs. doesnt mean they are derailing themselves or a very small deficit.will it in most people take that long? probably not. but it can also depend on a lot of outliers the person may have.

    What would take someone who was following a good healthy weight loss diet with no health issues more than 30 weeks to lose 30 pounds? A year? That's a little ridiculous.
  • amysteri
    amysteri Posts: 197 Member
    I think it's possible. Do it safely - don't starve or anything like that.
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.

    Op mentioned nothing about health issues so my comment was based off a healthy person. Sure it could take 2yrs for a healthy individual...if they choose an extremely minor deficit OR they continually derail themselves. Other than that I still stand by my reply.



    thats not always the case even for a healthy individual it can take 2 yrs. doesnt mean they are derailing themselves or a very small deficit.will it in most people take that long? probably not. but it can also depend on a lot of outliers the person may have.

    What would take someone who was following a good healthy weight loss diet with no health issues more than 30 weeks to lose 30 pounds? A year? That's a little ridiculous.

    I've lost 38lb in 6 months but also lost some muscle mass to go with it, so if I had to do it again I would take longer and also start lifting from the beginning to keep as much muscle mass as possible
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    dalerst wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.

    Op mentioned nothing about health issues so my comment was based off a healthy person. Sure it could take 2yrs for a healthy individual...if they choose an extremely minor deficit OR they continually derail themselves. Other than that I still stand by my reply.



    thats not always the case even for a healthy individual it can take 2 yrs. doesnt mean they are derailing themselves or a very small deficit.will it in most people take that long? probably not. but it can also depend on a lot of outliers the person may have.

    What would take someone who was following a good healthy weight loss diet with no health issues more than 30 weeks to lose 30 pounds? A year? That's a little ridiculous.

    I've lost 38lb in 6 months but also lost some muscle mass to go with it, so if I had to do it again I would take longer and also start lifting from the beginning to keep as much muscle mass as possible

    Yeah, it sucks cutting - I wish you could just end a bulk, stop eating and remove all that fat in 3 months without paying a penalty in muscle loss. But for most of us, it's a much longer process. I've seen too many people try to get that ripped look too quickly and lose all the progress they made during their bulk. This is especially true of folks running extremely short bulk/cut cycles. Lot of wheel spinning going on.

    These "success" stories I'm seeing pop up a lot in MFP are either guys who have a LOT of muscle and can afford to lose a chunk of it on a drastic quick cut and still look pretty good or guys leaking over from the Meso-RX steroid forums trolling, having used Tren or the current rage - DNP.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    In short no - 3 years is much more realistic. Year 1 lose the blubber. Year 2 get down to a healthy weight. Year 3 sculpt a body you'll be proud to show off naked. All that may sound harsh but did you put on the extra pounds in 12 weeks? I'm guessing not, so the reversal is also true. Good luck with your efforts but think long term and you'll stand a good chance of being successful. That's my 2 cents and personal experience. #GodIWish12weeksWasPossible B)B)B)

    First off....blubber?????
    Second....it isn't going to take two years to drop 30lbs.
    Third....it will only take one year to sculpt a perfect body??? #Goditwouldbeniceifitwerethatsimple

    it can take two years to lose 30 lbs. It took me more than that to lose 45 lbs. and havent lost much more since, in the last 2 years. it all depends on the person. I have health issues and that may be part of the reason why. it takes me months to even see a lb weight loss no matter what I do aside from starving myself. but the person you quoted was saying take a year to lose the "blubber" and then they are saying the second year get to a healthy weight and so on.

    Op mentioned nothing about health issues so my comment was based off a healthy person. Sure it could take 2yrs for a healthy individual...if they choose an extremely minor deficit OR they continually derail themselves. Other than that I still stand by my reply.



    thats not always the case even for a healthy individual it can take 2 yrs. doesnt mean they are derailing themselves or a very small deficit.will it in most people take that long? probably not. but it can also depend on a lot of outliers the person may have.

    What would take someone who was following a good healthy weight loss diet with no health issues more than 30 weeks to lose 30 pounds? A year? That's a little ridiculous.

    it may be ridiculous but it can happen for some. stress and not enough sleep can cause a person to not lose weight.while weight loss is all about CICO there could be many reasons that can cause the weight to come off super slowly.some people lose weight quickly or at a decent pace, others it takes awhile or a very slow pace.

    while yes mine is a health issue,I have a metabolic disorder, but I should still be losing weight(because CICO) I weigh everything, even the times I lowered the calories lower than what my BMR supposedly is, still took months to lose 1 lb. I even at times net less than 1000 calories and still the scale doesnt move. I dont have a thyroid issue either. when I first lost weight I was eating more now than I did and was less active. now Im more active and eating less than I was and its been several months since I lost anything. I even cut down on a lot of refined/added sugars and nothing. even with my health issues its stated that CICO should still work and I should be losing .05lb a week. Im not even losing 0.1 a week.


    I added up my calories and net calories and exercise and from what I gather I should be on average losing more than 0.5lb per week because with exercise my deficit is larger than 250 calories per day. sometimes its double or triple that. all my health markers came back normal too cholesterol is fine,hormones are fine, thyroid is fine, no diabetes or prediabetes,no insulin resistance no high blood pressure,etc.

    so even for those with health issues CICO is whats supposed to matter,thats not always the case so it could be the same with those without health issues. anything can happen.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited July 2017
    To be fair, the time required to lose 30 lbs will also depend on which 30 lbs it is. If someone is obese and just wants to lose 30 lbs to get to a close to healthy weight, sure they should be able to keep up a pace of around 1 lb per week. But if someone is just a little overweight and wants to lose 30 lbs to get to the lean end of the healthy weight range, it would be very difficult to keep up a 1 lb per week pace, especially for the last 10-15 lbs where they are really losing vanity weight. That person could easily take 45-50 weeks to lose the whole 30 lbs. Many folks who aren't tall find that they don't have room to carry a deficit of more than 250 cals as they approach a lean goal weight.

    As OP specifically said he wants to lose 30 pounds to get "quite lean and strong" I think it's fair to say it may take him a year (or more). He can get skinny in 30 weeks for sure, but quite lean and strong may take longer.
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    To be fair, the time required to lose 30 lbs will also depend on which 30 lbs it is. If someone is obese and just wants to lose 30 lbs to get to a close to healthy weight, sure they should be able to keep up a pace of around 1 lb per week. But if someone is just a little overweight and wants to lose 30 lbs to get to the lean end of the healthy weight range, it would be very difficult to keep up a 1 lb per week pace, especially for the last 10-15 lbs where they are really losing vanity weight. That person could easily take 45-50 weeks to lose the whole 30 lbs. Many folks who aren't tall find that they don't have room to carry a deficit of more than 250 cals as they approach a lean goal weight.

    As OP specifically said he wants to lose 30 pounds to get "quite lean and strong" I think it's fair to say it may take him a year (or more). He can get skinny in 30 weeks for sure, but quite lean and strong may take longer.

    He also said he was 30lbs overweight, which to me seems to imply he is 30 pounds over the high end of his ideal weight. Which he would very easily be able to lose 1lb per week with a consistent deficit.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    To be fair, the time required to lose 30 lbs will also depend on which 30 lbs it is. If someone is obese and just wants to lose 30 lbs to get to a close to healthy weight, sure they should be able to keep up a pace of around 1 lb per week. But if someone is just a little overweight and wants to lose 30 lbs to get to the lean end of the healthy weight range, it would be very difficult to keep up a 1 lb per week pace, especially for the last 10-15 lbs where they are really losing vanity weight. That person could easily take 45-50 weeks to lose the whole 30 lbs. Many folks who aren't tall find that they don't have room to carry a deficit of more than 250 cals as they approach a lean goal weight.

    As OP specifically said he wants to lose 30 pounds to get "quite lean and strong" I think it's fair to say it may take him a year (or more). He can get skinny in 30 weeks for sure, but quite lean and strong may take longer.

    He also said he was 30lbs overweight, which to me seems to imply he is 30 pounds over the high end of his ideal weight. Which he would very easily be able to lose 1lb per week with a consistent deficit.

    That's true! But if we are going to take what he said literally, he is incorrect about either his starting point or his goal.

    If he is 30 lbs over the high end of his ideal weight, losing the 30 lbs is not going to make him "quite lean". So either he said 30 lbs overweight as "30 lbs over the weight I want to be" or he doesn't really mean "quite lean".

    When I got up to 145, which is the top of the healthy weight range for my height, I would say that I was 15 lbs overweight because I was 15 lbs over the weight I felt was ideal for me, but I was technically not overweight at all.

    But regardless he's not going to lose 30 lbs in the 12 weeks he originally wanted, so the rest is just nitpicking anyway :)
This discussion has been closed.