Back Under 240! New Goal!

DAY 25/178
Phase 1, Week 4
Weight Loss Stats:
Weight 239 lbs - Loss 62.6 - %Loss 20.7%

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Finally! Back under 240! I couldn't believe the scale this morning...very close to my all-time low of 238.8 lbs. I've tried moving away from an emphasis on weight and towards a more "holistic" approach that focuses on fat loss and lean mass gain. But it's so much easier to rest your hopes on moving digits on a bathroom scale than having to deal with all the guesswork that goes with bodyfat percentages, water retention, and the like. I need to develop weekly goals that take bodyfat and lean mass into consideration. But how do I go about doing that?

I've read that it's reasonable to expect reductions in bodyfat of 1/2% per week. But how to you accurately gauge if you were indeed successful? I can measure my waist every week. But how much can you really drop in a week? Again, how accurate or predictable would the results be? See? That's the challenge of doing things "the right way."


Maybe I can stipulate that I will strive to lose 2 lbs per week or, barring any change in weight, I could consider a measurable, positive change in bodyfat% or waist size as evidence of a successful week. It seems a little "fuzzy," but that may ultimately be the only way to go: If I'm not getting stronger, leaner, or lighter, then it's time to change things up.

Yet I'm still very, very heavy. My bodyfat % is approximately 26%. I can still stand to lose - healthily - another 40+ lbs. So, maybe it's still O.K. to continue to expect a steady loss of bodyweight. That is, so long as I continue to bust my butt in the gym and get plenty of protein...got to prevent muscle loss at all cost!!!

So, I've decided I will make it a goal to hit 230 before the end of August. At almost 2 lbs per week, it seems like a reasonable goal.