Some of you are going to hate me for asking this, however I'll ask it anyway. I started working out 5 days a week about 3 months ago now. The first month I saw very little progress in the fat loss department, I got stronger and I could lift more, but I stayed the same size / weight.

I then read Gravityhomer's guide to fat loss and the nutrition guide he links to, and started using fitday.com . After I started doing that I immediately started dropping weight, and it has been at an incredible level too. Which is why I am asking that question. It seems that I lose like a half pound a day or more... Here is a link to my fitday

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=glock22ownr

To sum that up, I take in anywhere from 1800 to 2200 calories daily, although I try to keep it around 2000. I eat very lean and as clean as I can( pay no attention to the missed/messed up week, I got married and was on my honeymoon... and yes I gained 2 pounds :( ).

Anyway, I do roughly 30 minutes of LISS cardio every day immmediately followed by weight training for one hour. I have not lost any strength, as a matter of fact I was still upping the weight until recently when I kind of hit a strength plateau but I attribute that to the cutting.

Anywho, long story short... is this healthy? I don't want to bitch about something good here but I am losing over 2lbs / week. I am at 15% BF right now, I assume cutting will get harder soon...

Any input is appreciated, thanks in advance !

I think you're ok for now. You should probably do your weight training first, and then do your LISS afterwards. That way you will have more energy to lift harder and more weight. Cardio is important, but secondary.

What does your lifting routine look like? I'm worried that some of your weight is probably lean mass. Since you don't have much of that in the first place, we need to work on keeping what you have.

Ok, here is a pretty detailed list of what I do, I dont have my sheets in front of me since I am at work. However, this is really close. If I am not losing strengh can I still lose lean mass?

Monday, Wednesday and Friday ( MWF ) , Upper Body:

Cardio:

- Run 10 minutes @ 6mph ( Heart Rate 150 - 175 )
- Bike 15 minutes ( Heart Rate 145 - 170 )
* start at lvl 7 go for 5 minutes, ( 60 to 70 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 3 minutes,
level 6 for 5 minutes, ( 70 to 80 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 1 minute,
level 10 to 12 for 1 minute ( 90 to 100 percent effort )

Weight Training

- Seated Benchpress ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Row ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Incline Press ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Pulldown ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Shoulder Press ( W ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Fly ( W ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Lateral Shoulder Raise ( W ) - 3 dropsets
- Standing Tricep Pulldown ( W ) - 3 Dropsets
- AB Crunch Machine ( MWF ) - 2 dropsets
- Suspended Leg Lifts ( MWF ) - 6 sets @ 10 reps
- Standing Bicep Curl ( MWF ) - 1 or 2 dropsets

I also do a few other freeweight exercises depending on how frisky I’m feeling that day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays my workout changes to lower body.

Tuesday, Thursday ( TTh ), Lower Body:

Cardio:

- Run 15 minutes @ 6mph ( Heart Rate 150 - 175 )
- Bike 15 minutes ( Heart Rate 145 - 170 )
* start at lvl 7 go for 5 minutes, ( 60 to 70 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 3 minutes,
level 6 for 5 minutes, ( 70 to 80 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 1 minute,
level 10 to 12 for 1 minute ( 90 to 100 percent effort )

Weight Training:

- Seated Leg Extension ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets
- Laying Leg Curl ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets
- Leg Press ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets
- Standing Calf Raise ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets ( I’ve backed off on this exercise due to shin splints and major calf pain. Some say pain is weakness leaving the body, well there must be a lot of weakness in that area cause DAMN! )
- AB Crunch Machine ( TTh ) - 2 dropsets
- Floor Whipers ( TTh ) - 3 sets @ 10 reps

Once I am done with this cut I am probably going to drop the cardio down and move it post lifting like you suggested.

One thing I did not list was supplements:

*Fish Oils Omega Complex
*Glucosamine Chondroitin ( joints )
*Anti Joint Inflamatory ( running stresses my knees out but theyve gotten tons better )
*Oat Supplement
*CLA
*Amino Fuel ( B12 complex and protein, preworkout only )
*Multivitamin
*Green Tea Extract

Do you measure yourself?

Monday, Wednesday and Friday ( MWF ) , Upper Body:

Cardio:

- Run 10 minutes @ 6mph ( Heart Rate 150 - 175 )
- Bike 15 minutes ( Heart Rate 145 - 170 )
* start at lvl 7 go for 5 minutes, ( 60 to 70 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 3 minutes,
level 6 for 5 minutes, ( 70 to 80 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 1 minute,
level 10 to 12 for 1 minute ( 90 to 100 percent effort )

Weight Training

- Seated Benchpress ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Row ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Incline Press ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Pulldown ( M & F ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Shoulder Press ( W ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Fly ( W ) - 3 dropsets
- Seated Lateral Shoulder Raise ( W ) - 3 dropsets
- Standing Tricep Pulldown ( W ) - 3 Dropsets
- AB Crunch Machine ( MWF ) - 2 dropsets
- Suspended Leg Lifts ( MWF ) - 6 sets @ 10 reps
- Standing Bicep Curl ( MWF ) - 1 or 2 dropsets


Dropsets?? That looks like a lot of work, and probably not a lot of progress in the long run. Try picking one back, chest, and shoulder exercise for each upper body day. Pick one or two supplemental exercise each day. Choose a weight that allows you to come close to failure ont he last rep of the last set. Do this twice a week. For example:

Monday, 3x12

BB Bench
BB Row
DB overhead press
Skull crusher
Abs

Thursday, 4x6

Dips
Pullup
DB upright row
E-Z BB Curl
Abs


Tuesday, Thursday ( TTh ), Lower Body:

Cardio:

- Run 15 minutes @ 6mph ( Heart Rate 150 - 175 )
- Bike 15 minutes ( Heart Rate 145 - 170 )
* start at lvl 7 go for 5 minutes, ( 60 to 70 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 3 minutes,
level 6 for 5 minutes, ( 70 to 80 percent effort )
level 1 or 2 for 1 minute,
level 10 to 12 for 1 minute ( 90 to 100 percent effort )

Weight Training:

- Seated Leg Extension ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets
- Laying Leg Curl ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets
- Leg Press ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets
- Standing Calf Raise ( TTh ) - 3 dropsets ( I’ve backed off on this exercise due to shin splints and major calf pain. Some say pain is weakness leaving the body, well there must be a lot of weakness in that area cause DAMN! )
- AB Crunch Machine ( TTh ) - 2 dropsets
- Floor Whipers ( TTh ) - 3 sets @ 10 reps


Again, lots of work, and too many isolation exercises. Try this:

Tuesday, 3x12

BB Back Squat
Step Ups
BB Romanian Deadlift
Calves

Friday, 4x6

BB Front Squat
Lunges
DB Deadlifts
Calves

Do you measure yourself?


Sure do, my arms shrunk a bit, but that was fat, looking at the starting pictures of me they weren't toned, now they are. My calves actually got bigger since I run every day, ditto on the quads/hams. I had a really weak lower body so gaining mass there was not hard. I was talking to someone at work about my weightloss cause he lifts quite a bit too and what I work out to is like 3 to 3.5lbs / week loss. That was a bit allarming since 2 is healthy, and I'm now down to 15% BF. I'm just curious to see what happens in the next month. Reading John's daily news indicates that my weight loss may slow down quickly, and soon, but I'm only shooting for like 10 to 12% body fat, not his 8%. I just want to see my lower abs once in my life damn it!!! :p