I recently lost my job. So I figured this is a good time as any to get my fat arse in shape. I need to lose about 33lbs.
I'm female 5'3" 147lbs and 31% bodyfat.
I got a trainer for 6 weeks. I was asking him about losing fat vs muscle and he said it's actually very hard to lose muscle. So when I said "Really, awesome let's shoot for 3lbs a week then" He gave me the old 2lbs a week is the healthy way to lose. I was like "but you just said it's hard to lose muscle"
Needless to say, I'm a bit confused. My goal is to workout 2x a day HARD , 6-7 days a week, eat 1200 calories/day, and walk the dogs 2miles a day. of the 2x a day, only 3-4 workouts of the total 12-14 workouts will be weight lifting exercise, the other 8-11 workouts will be pure cardio. Each lasting about 1 hour long.
Before you answer, I am aware that I may burn out and may not be able to keep it up. I also know that I could injure myself. So with all of this said I plan on being careful and listening to my body and resting when I need to.
HOWEVER, let's just say for our purposes I'm able to keep up the rigerous schedule, eat and workout according to my plan without injuring myself or burning out over 6 weeks and I'm able to lose 3lbs a week.
Can I lose the 3lbs with minimum to no muscle loss. I dont want to lose the weight if It's going to be mostly muscle. That's just pointless. That's why I'm asking this question. I want to try to lose fat as much as possible and maximize weight loss.
PS my trainer wants me on a C/P/F ratio of 60/20/20
I always thought for fat loss you wanted something more like 50/40/10 to 40/40/20.
TIA
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07-08-2010, 06:03 PM #1
Can I healthfully lose 3lbs a week for 6 weeks?
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07-08-2010, 06:09 PM #2
At your height and weight 3lbs per week is unreasonable.
Also your trainer is wrong. It's very easy to lose muscle if you don't train properly and eat properly. If you don't manage your weight loss properly, you'll lose (roughly) equal amounts of fat and muscle. If you eat healthily and exercise properly, you can skew that proportion to more fat, and less muscle.
1200 cals is too low. 14 workouts per week is insane. 7 days of working out is going to wear you out. It's recovery that leads to muscle growth and weight loss. If you don't give your body time to recover, then you're going to regret it. Overexercising (overtraining) while under eating can not only stall your weight loss, it can make you go backwards as you simply build damage upon damage.
At a healthy rate, you should aim for about 1% of your bodyweight per week. More than that, you're going to be losing muscle in large amount.
Finally, ratios are meaningless really if you're eating the wrong calorie level. Aim for 1g of protein per pound of body weight. Then get about .3g of healthy fat per pound of bodyweight. Then make up the rest of your calories in carbs - whole grains, fruits and veg, etc. However that falls into the percentages is what it is.
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07-08-2010, 06:11 PM #3
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07-08-2010, 06:14 PM #4
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07-08-2010, 08:48 PM #5
What she said.
You're current stats are very similiar to my starting stats (5'3", 146 lbs, 29% bf) when I first started lifting. . . in 6 weeks you won't be able to perform miracles, but you will be able to make large strides in your fitness level and changing your body's composition. For me, the actual number number on the scale has been moving slowly, but the way my clothing fits and my overall measurements have changed drastically. At our height 10 lbs can be an entire pant size or two, so sticking to the 2lb a week rule (providing your diet is on point the whole time) would be 12 lbs that can make a world of difference.
And why are your calories so low? You need a sufficient amount of calories to fuel your body for your workouts and to help your body maintain what muscle you do have. Doing tons and tons of cardio will burn you out and ravage your muscle.
Losing weight is simple:
Lift heavy+eat the proper amount of calories+stick to your diet= weight loss.
I suggest you go and read the stickies."Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?" - Lance Armstrong
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07-09-2010, 02:45 AM #6
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3lbs a week is not going to happen. Losing over 2lbs a week and you're tapping into muscle. Most women are lucky if they can lose a steady 1-1.5 lbs a week...and to do this your calories better be spot on. 1200 calories is too low and won't work for you. As you continue losing you'll need to lower calories and you're going to end up with no where to go.
You need to focus on heavy weight training while eating in a deficit, it's how we preserve our muscle. You need to seriously cut back on some of the cardio. All that cardio while eating in a deficit and you'll end up losing more muscle then anything else. Also training 6-7 days a week...when do you plan to recover? Rest and recovery is crucial for growth and this happens outside the gym. You need to learn to train smart and training smart is about the quality of a workout...not the quantity.
I hope you didn't pay your trainer, because this is the perfect program for losing muscle...Last edited by kimm4; 07-09-2010 at 02:54 AM.
National Level Competitor (Female BB)
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07-09-2010, 09:48 PM #7
- Join Date: Jun 2003
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Good advice above
Also "healthfully" is not a word. I think you mean "healthily"September 2006 - 9km Sydney Harbour Bridge Run - 45:25
August 2007 - 14km City to Surf - 77:00
September 2007 - Sydney Running Festival Half Marathon - Withdrawn due to stress fractures :(
September 2008 - Sydney Running Festival Half Marathon - 1:59.22
May 2009 - Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon - 1:53:22
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07-13-2010, 07:41 AM #8
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There is lots of great advice posted here already, so I will spare you the rehash. I agree, fire your trainer. I dont like the diet he put you on, you can lose muscle quickly, and didnt low weights/high reps leave the gym with high top reeboks?
Since you a looking to really push yourself and are looking for ongoing high intensity to lose fat and build muscle AND you can afford a trainer, I suggest that you fire his a** and find a local Crossfit. You have to check it out and see if it is for you, but it sounds like it is. I am an addict. Changed my life. Plus you will get the motivation, competition, and support you need to keep your program up. Some will help you with your diet, but be critical. These people have no training in that really.
PM me if you have Crossfit questions. Check out the main site, www.crossfit.com. There is a workout posted every day, but most crossfit gyms (called boxes) usually make up their own to suit the members.
No matter what, good luck! GET IT DONE!Always demand more from yourself than anyone can ever expect of you.
www.KillerCircuits.com
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07-23-2010, 01:48 PM #9
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07-23-2010, 02:43 PM #10
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07-23-2010, 02:46 PM #11
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07-23-2010, 07:11 PM #12
according to this web site -> http://www.freedieting.com/tools/cal...alculator.htm#
your BMR is 1817 cals a day and you should aim for 1453 cals a day to lose about 1lb a week. If you try to loose 3lbs a week then that means your eating 10,500 cal less a week then you would normally eat. It also says that starting to eat 1k below your BMR right off the bat is bad."If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics" - Richard Feynman
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07-23-2010, 07:20 PM #13
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07-24-2010, 10:07 AM #14
She is absolutely correct! Most women think excessive amounts of cardio and restricted calories is the way to go...WRONG. Restrict your calories too much, and your body begins to think its starving and stores what little calories it's receiving as fat. The more muscle, the higher metabolism and fat burning capabilities. Can you lose 3 lbs/week on the program you have stated...you bet, but as soon as you start to increase your calories you will put it back on and then some, not to mention your energy levels will be so low. Have you been lifting weights and know that you have the muscle mass beneath the fat you want to lose? I'm a big advocate of heavy lifting over excessive amounts of cardio to burn the fat...just my opinion =)
"For attractive lips- speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes- seek out the good in people. For a slim figure- share your food with the hungry. For poise- walk with the knowledge that you will never walk alone."
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07-25-2010, 12:21 AM #15
3lbs a week =O asking for severe muscle loss. you didn't gain all that weight in 6 so you can't take it off in 6 weeks either. Jeez I worry about muscle loss when losing 1lb per week, 1.5 is the highest I would ever go (unless just starting keto or something where you lose alot of water at first). If you were obese maybe you could swing 2, but not at sub 150
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05-08-2015, 10:36 AM #16
- Join Date: Nov 2014
- Location: Cumbria, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
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I'm 5 4" 132lbs and 20.9 body fat now.
during 33lbs of wieght loss through diet I lost little muscle 101lbs to 98lbs drop of 15 percent bodyfat this took me 8months i was 36percent body fat.
started 27th feb 15 duing wieghts 3 x week for 30 min for 10 weeks I started at 98 lbs muscle and 126 lbs now I'm 104lbs muscle and 132lbs and lost 3.5 percent since 27th Feb.
last week i completed 4 workouts total lifted 10,000 lbs only lost 1lb!
This week I've completed 11 alf hour workouts 2 hours cardio i walk 45 min everyday and lifted total 30,000 using an 8kg kettlebell at home my calorie intake is 1200 my net calorie intake is under by 900 my macros are 52 c 43p 15 f will continue until see fat loss xxxx
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05-08-2015, 11:55 AM #17
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05-08-2015, 02:34 PM #18
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