Rate of fat loss

[lukewillis]

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 340lbs
Age: 29
Estimated BF%: Really Fat
Activity level: Average 10-15k steps a day with occasional days as low as 7k and as high as 20k.
Maintenance calories: ~4000kc, I've been weighing and tracking on MFP for the past couple of weeks, and weight has been pretty stagnant. I eat 3500-4500kc per day.

1RMs (within the last month, before starting the program)
Deadlift: 435lbs
Bench: 235lbs
Press: 165lbs

LP work weights as of today, everything's still pretty easy.
Squat: 245lbs
Deadlift: 295lbs
Bench: 155lbs
Press: 115lbs
Power Clean: 145lbs

I've run the LP once about 5 years ago. It lasted a few months, and I got my squat up to 315lbs and my bench up to around 205lbs, both for working sets. I was dieting hard when I ran it because I weighed 250-260lbs and wanted to get leaner, so things stopped there. I didn't have the blue or grey books at the time, so I didn't know how to transition into late novice or intermediate training. Spent the last 5 years in and out of the gym exercising on and off. Now that life has calmed down enough for me to train again, I've gotten and read both books and I'm a couple weeks into running the LP.

I wouldn't consider myself trained, but I also wouldn't consider myself wholly untrained either, just detrained. I'd like to make gains in strength and I would say that the strength gains are my priority in the short term. Having said that, I do still want to lose fat to get to a weight that I feel better at. Honestly, getting back down to 250-260lbs would be great if I could also deadlift 500+ lbs and bench 300+ lbs. I'm fine with fat loss taking a long time, like maybe 1-2 years. Would it be a good idea to aim to lose about 1lb of fat a week for 1-2 years while pushing the LP hard and then transitioning into something like 4 day Texas Method or 3 day HLM?

The reason I ask is that most posts about fat loss here seem to come in 3 flavors: skinny guy with body dysmorphia that needs to gain weight, pudgy guy that actually just needs to maintain bodyweight and do the program, seriously obese and untrained guy who needs to lose fat before running the LP. I'm definitely obese, but I feel that I'm semi-trained and can actually do the program well, so I'm unsure of how to move forward nutritionally.

[Robert Santana]

With numbers like that you should be able to lose fat and build muscle. If not you'll have to adjust your programming so that you aren't constantly running into a wall. You could try an intermediate program if the NLP no longer works but I can't see why you can't push higher for a while before you have to do that. I've worked with guys in your weight range and have run successful NLPs just fine then went to a 4 day split and continued pushing the fat loss. May as well take advantage of the size for as long as you can to get stronger before the leverage changes and you have to reset and re-learn how to lift in a smaller body.

[lukewillis]

Thanks, Robert! That gives me some hope! Last two questions, promise.

Any recommendations on how quickly to lose weight while doing the NLP? When I’ve lost fat fast I tend to get super weak, but when I try to lose fat slowly, I end up not losing weight at all.

Then, for people who tend to be fatter who have struggled with their weight a long time how do you normally recommend them to move forward? I have experience doing lots of diets and also with tracking calories/macros. Never been able to get anything to stick.

Sorry if this sounds like a personal consult, and I appreciate any advice!

[Robert Santana]

That is a personal consult and I advise you reach out when you get to that point. I will leave you with this: "Losing weight quickly on NLP" is NDTP.

[lukewillis]

Thanks, Robert!

[Robert Santana]

You are welcome