what is a good loss rate?

[mico]

I am 6,1", 207 lbs. I am have lost aprox 15 pounds in the past 6 weeks, burning about 500 calories daily. I am down to between 1200-1800 calories a day. I want to lose fat, not muscle (or as little as possible).

I thought by now, after 6 weeks, that I would have lost much more fat. I have lost some muscle, not much. I eat protein 2 or 3 x a day, usually between 35-60 grams per meal. I work out at the gym twice a week, one for upper body, the other session for lower body.

Any insights as to what should be a reasonable expectation of monthly weight loss for someone like me? Other suggestions?

Ideally I would like to add muscle while losing fat, don't know if that is possible.

Thanks

 

[tucker01]

No offense but your caloric intake seems ridiculously low. If things are beginning to stall, which I wouldn't be suprised, You might want to go back to maintenance cals for a week.

1-1.5/lbs a week is typical weightloss.

 

[mico]

Thanks for the input. What does someone of my weight burn off a day, exclusive of exercise?

What is the caloric input that you recommend? Just to be clear, do I understand that 1/1.5 lb weight loss a week is aprox. the max I should expect to lose if I want to lose fat without losing muscle mass?

 

[Biggly]

Your actual burn-off rate (resting metabolic rate) depends on your body composition, ie fat percentage. Also you need to account for your activity level.

Even if you're not exercising, does your job involve a lot of standing and walking around, heaving anything heavy, lots of stairs -or just sitting at a desk?

I've recently been experimenting with the anabolic burst, which is basically starve yourself for 12 days, then stuff yourself for 12 days, the theory is you lose more fat and gain more muscle, as a net balance at the end.

As you can see from my signature line I do bodybuilding and nutrition software, and so monitored myself closely. At day 10 of my low calories (I'm 178lbs, went down to 1600 cals) my fat loss suddenly stopped as my weight continued down - showing I had hit starvation mode and my body was then looking to my muscles. At that point I stopped starving and went the stuffing route. That's the best advice I can give - monitor.

You say you've lost some muscle - that's the point you refeed, either high cals to build or at least back to normal for awhile so your body can recover. Even if it's just one day at high cals, let your body come back out of starvation, or the harder you push it the harder it will fight to cling onto its fat reserves.

It's trying to keep you alive with some reserves despite the current "famine".

Even on the balls-to-the-wall crazy anabolic burst you should never exceed 14 days of very low calories, for me I hit that point at 10 day (day 9 should have been my last low calorie day and will be next time!)

Refeed your system for a couple of days.

If you haven't already got some, get yourself some calipers and a tape measure. Take numerous measurements and KNOW your current measurements, write them down. Don't worry so much about weight, weigh yourself but it's a minor issue, just a factor in your calculations.

Go low calorie again, monitor closely, the moment you see more lean tissue than fat loss, refeed, make a note and next time refeed a day early. There is absolutely no point in losing muscle if you don't have to.

Hope that helps. I'd suggest for you 1800-1900 calories would be better, 1200 is way too low. You'll hit starvation mode in 48 hours like that at your weight.

I'd also suggest you eat some lean protein, if only via a shake or something, a bit more often than 2 or 3 times a day, make it at least 4, preferably 6. No need for more than 6.


B.

 

[mico]

Thanks Biggly, I am new at this and fortunately this forum has people who really seem to know their stuff.

I have been reading the stickies as others suggest; eating more at times (ie Leptin/refeeds) to lose more fat is counterintuitive, yet you guys swear by it and I am going to try it.

I tried the caliphers a couple of years ago and got different readings in succesive measurements, and figured it was a waste; yet you suggest doing it, so I assume that I simply wasn't doing it consistently.

Your advise to minimize my emphasis on weight loss was striking. Most people, including me, that is mostly what we look at. Yet what you said makes sense in light of the rest of your info.

 

[Biggly]

You're welcome

Calipers are accurate enough because all you need is indeed consistency. If you can't hit the exact right spot, find a spot you can For example find a freckle, an old scar, exactly 2 thumb-lengths from your bellybutton or whatever. Knowing your exact percentage is not as important as knowing if it is changing and in which direction.

I really don't care if my abs are visible at 9% according to the caliper or 10.593% according to some other method - but I DO care if my bodyfat level is going up or down.

My wife has a very simple system for using calipers consistently; she gets me to do it!

You say your previous measurements jumped around a lot. That's both common and actually good news!

Firstly, it's common as it takes awhile to get consistent, you need more practise is all.

Secondly I've noticed, and mention this in my book where I "blogged" my experience with the anabolic burst I mentioned last time, I've noticed before that when you're losing fat the measurement does indeed jump around a bit.

When gaining it I notice the measurement smoothly goes up, but time after time I've seen that while my fat is dropping the calipers get erratic for a day or two. Putting it in simple terms I suspect the fat simply breaks down a little irregularly and gets "lumpy", or something like that! I can't say for certain but I do know that with me that's a good sign. When it hops around and I end up taking about 6 measurements to get an average it's usually a bit lower the next day.

That's why I disagree with people saying you should only measure once a week, I'll measure every morning if I'm on a cut. Again I graph stuff and can clearly see the graph doesn't go down in a smooth line but jerks and hops in a generally downward direction. As you approach the cut-off point where you need to refeed you'll find every measurement is lower than before (the graph goes near vertical) then it suddenly reverses. That's the point you need to watch for, and you'll only spot it if monitoring daily.

So yes, go back to the calipers, take at least 3 measurements each morning, and average them. I mean average, if for example you get 10mm, 10mm and 8mm that's not 10mm, that's 9.3mm.

Don't go too far the other way though, if the results are vaguely consistent then just stick to 3 attempts, don't go chasing the number you want to see, just record the number that you saw. That is to say don't do what my wife does!

Impression of wife:

"Mmm. Again.

Again..

Again!

Yay!"




B.