I want to lose more than 1.5lbs per week what is safe to go per week?

[TobyUK]

I have done a Layne Norton diet at 1lb loss per week and I was planning to lose quicker this time, not focussing fully on muscle saving as the highest priority.

I actually wouldn't mind losing a lot of fat quickly with some muscle as I now want to be more 'fitness physique' looking rather than to muscley!

What is safe but higher than 1.5lbs per week to lose?

Thanks

[demonwareltd]

I have done a Layne Norton diet at 1lb loss per week and I was planning to lose quicker this time, not focussing fully on muscle saving as the highest priority.

I actually wouldn't mind losing a lot of fat quickly with some muscle as I now want to be more 'fitness physique' looking rather than to muscley!

What is safe but higher than 1.5lbs per week to lose?

Thanks

Honestly, if you want to be "SAFE", you don't want to lose more than 1 lb a week in my opinion. However, I think you can have short periods of 2 lb /week weight loss without cannibalizing too much muscle tissue. The key is to keep your protein levels high and your calories also as high as possible and just have a higher level of cardio activity. This will work in the short term, but in order to sustain 2 lb /week losses, you are going to have to cut calories a good bit and that is where the muscle wasting tends to happen...

[TroJon]

You don't have enough muscle to risk losing more...

Sorry OP, would stay safe on muscle sparing because if/when you lose that much fat, you will just look like a scrawny kid and not look like anything, let alone a fitness model/too muscular.

[demonwareltd]

You don't have enough muscle to risk losing more...

Sorry OP, would stay safe on muscle sparing because if/when you lose that much fat, you will just look like a scrawny kid and not look like anything, let alone a fitness model/too muscular.

I wouldn't let his comments deter you from whatever your goals are. Serious.

[TroJon]

I wouldn't let his comments deter you from whatever your goals are. Serious.

If you give him false hope that he can just ridiculously cut and lose a ton of weight, then he ends up scrawny with no muscle - that is not going to spur him on to put on muscle again properly, and may end up "bulking" to being fat again.

He wants to have a fitness look about him - maybe incorrectly, but I assumed fitness model (as this is a bb'ing forum) - and if he wants to look like a fitness as in marathon runner - then fine, my wrong assumptions.

[TobyUK]

I am taking the low end of Laynes diet, but I feel its way to much for me to eat compared to when I was eating my usual healthy food and occasional fast food. I am able to keep up the carbs but I'm not really getting the full protein per meal and not hitting the fat content with some meals. I hope that is allright to lose a bit more weight quicker

[demonwareltd]

If you give him false hope that he can just ridiculously cut and lose a ton of weight, then he ends up scrawny with no muscle - that is not going to spur him on to put on muscle again properly, and may end up "bulking" to being fat again.

He wants to have a fitness look about him - maybe incorrectly, but I assumed fitness model (as this is a bb'ing forum) - and if he wants to look like a fitness as in marathon runner - then fine, my wrong assumptions.

What I mean is just because you have a small amount of muscle now, if he diets down to low bodyfat and does it properly he will still have the same amount of muscle and be really lean. Will he look skinny? Quite possibly since he's not a huge guy. Of course I was only 178 lbs when I did my first show and at 6'1" that is damn skinny. So what. The key that I was trying to help him with was to diet correctly so as to preserve muscle. It's best to provide the means and let the individual decide the path.

[Frankdaddy]

I think the science behind losing muscle after 1-1.5lb per week consistently is about as reliable as cutting water makes you dry out for a show. What in fact I do believe is that it preserves strength gains, given proper periodization with your training. Most people tend to lose strength, focus, and energy. Most tend to slack in the intense training sessions, and in turn lose muscle mass while also losing bodyweight/bodyfat. Like I said, I have yet to see reliable studies show losing under 2lbs per week preserves more muscle than losing 2 or more a week, but its obvious other negative effects do occur when doing so that result in muscule mass loss. I have see a ton of guys diet for 8-10 weeks, mass amounts of cardio, and go keto, come in quite shredded, and own me at shows when I dieted for 24 weeks slowly, kept 95% of my strength and energy in the gym and didnt come in even close to their conditioning. Fact is it's about what you follow somewhat science, and the other half what you can handle mentally to succeed.