Let’s presuppose diet and exercise are spot on, and I diet to a caloric deficit.
How far below that is it safe to go?
How much fat loss is an unreasonable goal for a 3 week period? Again, supposing workouts and diet are spot on.
Thanks
How hungry are you willing to be?
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Straight up I can take hunger when there’s a goal, like winning a war living on MRE’s & stuff, though those do have plenty caliries…one per day sometimes did it.
So yep, I’m willing to live on the equivalent of water + 1-2 slices of bread daily, though I’m pretty sure that’s be unhealthy overkill behavior. But, if it got me to a goal…
See what I’m sayin? It’s a need for a plan TO execute rather than the execution of a plan. Fact is, if I honestly decide I want something, no pain will stop me short of death.
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I think if you’re pretty fat now, you’ll be pretty fat in 3 weeks. If you’re pretty lean now and need to fine tune, you’ll have a better shot at noticeable results. Whenever I lost fat/weight because I put on 10 lbs or so, it always takes a couple of weeks to get the scale moving down.
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cool, I wish I had that kind of conviction. Now how much weight do you WANT to lose?
There can be no definitive answer to how much. I want to lose what is needed to show the six pack. But, my estimate is 20lbs. That’d be 6.3lbs/week roughly. 2/week I know is doable as hell, but is 6,3 even possible while being safe?
As for the conviction, thank the US Military for it 
I did see your log. So you’re about 225 lbs, but estimate your 1RM at bench is 135. This is fine and not meant to be demeaning, as everyone needs to start somewhere. But, you are not 3 weeks away from any meaningful aesthetic or performance goal. You will not have a 6 pack in 3 weeks, and you will look approximately like what you look now. Now, if January 2024 were your timeline, it would be a different scenario. Not trying to be a jerk, just a realist.
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A picture is worth a thousand words here. A safe bet for most is to add at least 5%BF to whatever you think you are.
6.3x3500=22,500cal deficit weekly, or 3150cal deficit daily. So you’d have to literally eat nothing, and possibly even generate activity to meet that fatloss rate. To answer your question, no - this isn’t safe. You’d likely find yourself in a state of adaptive thermogenesis within a week and end up fucking up your metabolism for the sake of impatience.
Most success stories from dieting come from a rate of 1%BW/wk weight loss or less. So at 225lbs, you’re aiming for 2.25lbs/wk which equates to 7875cal/wk or 1125cal daily deficit. This is both doable and safe… I’d recommend this approach.
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Not much. If you somehow managed to fast the entire three week period you would lose a lot of weight but it would most certainly not be all fat. One of the coaches on here who I hired in the past has recommended 1-2lbs per week. I think thats a good target. Basically shoot for 500 cals below maintenance and ride that out until progress stalls. Adjust down further as necessary. Any quicker and you will sacrifice quality tissues in the process. If you are morbidly obese you could certainly do it slightly faster but sounds like you are not.
Ok guys thank you and I took none negative.
Funny these replies came after I estimated maintenance calories with a formula located here and since lost. My maintenance should be around 2300 calories/day.
Further, after investigating more thoroughly I was able to see precisely what is said about a deficit for that goal being impossible. I’d have to consume ONLY water + exercise. Not safe, attractive or happening. When trying to cut weight I do typically range 1-3 lbs weekly, and that’s not nearly unbearable .
It seems my question is answered - I may be able to cut 8-10 lbs max by then.
And yeh I estimate a 135 bench for maybe 8 reps not a 1RM if I said that sorry, I was thinking of 136 for thee and I’m 225. Did no find that to be at all offensive. What I hadn’t shared because I’ve shared it elsewhere and don’t wanna keep repeating I am also an ambulatory totally disabled vet with a bad hand, chronic pain, DDD and spinal stenosis, so my progress is by default going to be slower and it makes me feel like I have to compensate by killing myself when I can workout. That’s NY bad tho.
Thanks to ya all for answering I very much appreciate it
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Ok I’ve decided I should be able to drop 10lbs over the next thirty days. I’ll revisit this then 
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let us know how it goes!
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WARNING: Graphic Content!
If blood or scars, stitches etc ‘trigger’ you please do not view this post.
K so I did get my wife to take a cpl pics, then I was even more clear as to how much work needs done.
I wasn’t going to post those but think I’ll post a few to illustrate the reason that in the ones she took I look so awful and I think that is the objective truth.
What I dealt with in 2019/20, as part of chronic pain treatment.
Note the 1st photo shows the connection to a wound vac. The hole in my gut held a full roll of 4” gauze, changed daily. That pump was NO fun to pack around everywhere!
This last one is my hand now.
That was after I’d done CT’s best damn and felt I was lookin good, right til an implant swap ended with an infection and a ton of other stuff. My bf% was lower and the flab between pecs and underarms was not like this. I’ll get it lined out.
Again, sorry but this is clinical and is the ugly truth.
The black & white was me while active duty 32 years ago….
K now, after all that let’s review why the graphic pics are there - this was approx. 16 months worth of not being able to do much esp lift, do cardio etc.
Not an excuse, a valid reason.
Lastly, I am honestly quite proud that I am able to do much at all, especially plan workouts for 2023. The flab WILL come off. A matter of discipline + time 
Thx again to all who replied.
God Bless!
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Good. A lot of your posts lately have resonated with me. I’ve had a major cardiac event and a few complications in the last couple of years, with all kinds of anger, depression, and feelings of uselessness afterward.
Sometimes just getting up and around a little is as good as it gets, but it is a whole lot better than it could have turned out.
Keep fighting the good fight!
I’ve read your log. I assume you’re in your upper 50s if you were in military 32 years ago; 50 years ago for me. I had trouble dropping weight for years until I started walking a mile daily before gym, and drinking gallon of water daily. This works, and I attribute most of weight loss to walking. I only counted food macros: 80 grams fat/150 protein/275 carbs. Over 7 months I went from 255 to 235 with sensible eating and occasional alcohol. Very important to keep protein intake consistent to prevent the skeleton look. I now see some semblance of abs and my waist has dropped 3 belt notches. The weight loss did not change my strength/stamina in or out of gym; I’ve been a consistent gym rat for about 45 years.
Thank you for the protein reminder - I need to line that out.
I am 53 actually, and nowadays trying to keep it as low as possible with such guesses !!
Naw, honestly I don’t think much about the number, only the magnitude of things past.
You were in 50 years ago? So you’re in your 70’s? If that is the case, good job and thank YOU for your service! When people thank me I do not feel as worthy as I would had I served more than 3 mos in theater for a war as long. We went, we bombed, we came back.
Anyway, your post is interesting.
Walking definitely impacts everything for yours truly. We are about to head to the west coast for winter vacation and I’ll be walking probably 3-7 miles per day for a month.
But wait! I forgot to post here, maybe I should do a new thread? I have made it to the gym every weekday last week and yesterday, Saturday as well.
As for what I did:
Treadmill, leg extensions, ham curls, bench press, flyes, rows, pullups, dips, squat no weight just bar, arms and shoulder work. All very light weight higher rep range (12-20), from one exercise to the next, maybe 30s between sets.
I also did my first ever yoga class and dang i did NOT expect it to be that challenging. I should’ve known though. I believe that if I keep at that it would be very helpful for the scar tissue I have built up in my cervical spine area…and it sure as hell won’t hurt to be more limber cause I am NOT at all nowadays. It is really almost embarrasing how tight my body is TBH. It almost feels like a defect or something. Maybe just in my mind.
I have steadily tightened the nutrition for about 18 months now. Things are the best they are going to be as long as I have executive function. Over that period a significant number of pounds off. Pleasing to me.
Now it is January 8, 2023, and I have 11 months and what, 23 days to peel off the rest? Game on, I’m in. IMO, as long as I keep the food lined out well and take my old ass to the gym at least 3-4 days weekly, I should see abs before we go back to the coast in '24. That would effin make me happy!
k then, ya all take care & God Bless,
Look around you. You’re in a minority that nonserving, responsible guys start wishing someday they were part of. Guys over 60 have told me that looking back they wish they had been in the military. Vietnam era, no less. At least your service wasn’t impacted by McNamara (secretary of defense during Vietnam) writing years later that Vietnam was a mistake. I consider that a personal affront.
Keep the protein intake high, complex carbs higher for lifting energy, daily walk/gallon of water, and you’ll lose as much weight as you want over time which won’t reappear unless you get lazy. Really lazy. I still appreciate your service, your effort kept my family safe.
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MRE circa Desert Storm were meant for one a day, in the field and extreme activity. Each kit contained 3000 calories. Troops sitting around in tent city were scrafing down 3 a day and went back overweight.
Inform us here of your progress!
I’ve exercised at the gym (I can’t call this lifting) the last five of seven days
I can feel it in my muscles and it feels GOOD! That tightness and just a little soreness is a sweet reminder of youthful days past 
I’ll take it!
As for exercises they are:
Treadmill X 5-10 at 2.2
Leg extensions ~70 x 10
Ham curls 40x10
Bench 95x8
Squat 65x10 (given spinal problems this is a feat!)
DB hammer and regular curls 25x12-30
V-Bar tri press i start at 40, do 6, rest king enough to move the pin down one and do six more…end up being near 6x6
Dbell fed raises with a pullback at top- 15x12
With these I’ll mix in assisted pull-ups abd dips. For pull-ups I use enough weight that the movement is more of a good stretch. Sure there’s a like weight but when you bounce the stack at the top…
I also found that standing in the sauna for 5-10 before doing anything really does warm the muscles, literally…Had a great workout after that!
What I’m seeing as areas for improvement are the treadmill - I hate treadmills love waking in the woods go figure. Too bad I’m in a Midwest winter.
Now it’s confession time 
I just had TWO big old iced cookies from a local shop…… used one to put RSO on for nightly pain treatment else I don’t sleep at all. Hell I only usually sleep 2.5-4 hrs any damn way. I’ll wake up with so help me God the energy of a three year old and feel full throttle until I go back to sleep that night maybe the next morning. Its weird cause sometimes I’ll sleep 7:30p-1a, sometimes more like 10p-2A, or later 12p-330a. I have no clue why and don’t really care because I ain’t tired at SK during the day and an not lacking mental or physical energy for a damn thing :)))
Water. I need to drink more water because hydration has always been a challenge for some reason.
And RIGHT THERE IS A KEY TO WEIGHT LOSS - Pay attention to what you drink!!! While missing a total of 165 lbs done years back all I drank for like 18 months was water out black coffee. I treated all else as poison. But I gotta get some Street Cred for shedding 165 without medical intervention, that’s to say I f gutted it out 
and yes I’m proud of it!
Military…. Men in my family served America at least back through that late unpleasantness in 1760-67 or so, the world wars, Korea, Nsm and now Desert Storm. It’s what men in my family are expected to do if we don’t go to college after high school. I actually did both for a while but then….
It means a lot to me when my bellies citizens who haven’t served are so kind. I get it and I’m like C that with law enforcement while never having been a cop. I figure they risk themselves for us they deserve some gratitude. I suppose it is nearly the same thing . It means even more when my countrymen speak boldly at the polls regardless of who they support. Participate! That’s the idea :)))
Then string July 4 when everyone puts out flags and stuff that vreeeeeally warms my heart.
In think most likely the main disconnect is that most civilians never voluntarily see other countries and their conditions like a soldier must.
Still, no longer than my 5 year total enlistment, I sometimes feel like dudes who deployed much longer deserve the praise and thanks rather than me. But I simply smile and say, “You were worth it,” cause that’s how I truly feel. If it’s worth having its worth fighting for IMO, and the freedom my fellow citizens and I enjoy is definitely worth having I’ll fight for it like I’m the third monkey on Noah’s Ark and brother it’s starting to rain!! (Meme with a smiling chimp holding a 44 magnum revolver here)
To you here I say thank you, you were worth it, and please support VA oversight!
K I’ll post updates here and there but I’m about to be out of town 35 nights s soon can’t wait it’s a walkable city we’re going to with a nice climate and plenty of good recreational herb
There’s something I have to research - the effects of cannabis on exercise. Far as I know it only affects reflexes not muscle growth loss or anything else but I’ll look….hey, it’s what I found on my own after they couldn’t do the job for thirty one years. Regardless I’d side effects I’ll continue it to aid in maintaining my Frickin sanity
Ya all take c care.
See you in the c funny papers!
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