Question on weight loss and time.

[blackbelt]

I have a question. I've set a goal of losing 20 lbs/2 mid-section inches by my birthday of March 5.

And, I'm looking for input/opinions as to whether that goal seems unrealistic, unhealthy, or impractical.

If nothing else I’d be curious as to why.

[kelbiz]

Rob;

2 inches at the waist is definitely attainable by the first week of March. As for the 20 pounds, it all depends on total body fat. If you're carrying a bit too much of the bad stuff, you may be able to drop it in two months.
I prefer to measure the body fat % and see how much is lost. A person can lose a considerable amount of body fat and at the same time increase muscle mass and look terrific. Yet the overall body weight may not change all that much. Imagine losing 10 pounds of fat while putting on 10 pounds of muscle. That person would really present a visually drastic change...but the scale would stay the same.

Jack

[gruntbrain]

Resolve to ramp up your workouts & clean up your diet; let the inches/punds fall where they may.

[aks801]

Resolve to ramp up your workouts & clean up your diet; let the inches/punds fall where they may.

Now that really sums it all up! As in, the results will be there.

[gruntbrain]

Risk taking, impatient types can follow the Keith Richards' Cocaine Diet

[omad0n]

Happy New Year BlackBelt, your thread brings up a very interesting point. Specifically workout time. In the not too distant past we had a rather involved discussion regarding working out twice a day for shorter times vs. once a day for a longer period. Mr. Peterson and a couple others stated that working out for the twice a day method was most beneficial. In all honesty it sounded pretty good, and I know at least one of our forum members has had excellent results. I would link to the article, but i don't know how. It's the one asking about testosterone and estrogen though, so a search will pull it up.

Anyhoo, I'm more of the other method of once a day. I've had my own success, and as I've chronicled, have lost about an average of 1 pound a week. I'm also going to be switching to the other method as of tomorrow. I figure I'll give it a try and see if I can't get the weight down a bit faster. Or rather, get the muscle built up sooner. I won't say which method is better, I think it's like most things here, you have to try.

Personally, I would advocate for you doing a big pushup blitz for the next couple months, as that's what I've done. Check out my workout log to see some of what I've been doing. I also think it's reasonable to lose the weight you describe, or as another member stated, the fat you wish to drop. For me, that means eating less, but still eating what you want. Portion control has been a huge change in my diet. The only thing is, make sure you're getting enough into you. If you're increasing your workout loads, you're most likely going to need more rest or food to help refuel. Restricting your caloric intake to the point you can't heal right will ultimately defeat you.

Another note of caution, yes you have a goal, yes it's attainable, but don't kill yourself trying to get there. Continue to listen to your body, as I know you do, because the increased load will make your healing different. Overtraining can creep up on you if you're too obsessed with your goal.

Finally, as if I haven't said enough, I would recommend making smaller goals. While it's great to have a primary goal, the smaller ones will help keep you motivated along your way to 20lbs in 2 months.

Oh, and I almost forgot, good luck. I believe you have the ability to achieve your goal, and the support of the community here, or at the very least me lol.

Steve

[tom]

Definitely doable.

Check out:
nosdiet
low carb as in paleo - lose your fear of eating fat
intermittent fasting

Careful with exercise. It can ramp up your hunger and appetite higher than the calories you expend in the exercise itself, or which the muscles that you develop will use. Careful. It's an extremely delicate and dangerous balance.

Good luck,
Tom

[gruntbrain]

2 thumbs way up for Mudrunner's approach to converting mere walks into interesting resistance challenges - a strength endurance combo.

The weightloss thingy can be misleading esp. if ramped exercise creates some added muscle. If your strength increases while your BW decreases then you should be happy as a clam