Hello, Samara and welcome to the forum.
Your level of loss over the next six months will depend upon a number of different factors, ranging from the daily calorie deficit introduced, the frequency and intensity of exercise under-taken and the quality of your dietary intake.
In terms of ascertaining a daily deficit, consult BMR and TDEE calculators, since they’re largely accurate in determining calorific needs, based upon current measurements (age/weight/height) and level of activity, while taking into consideration that the calories needed to satisfy both will reduce as weight is lost.
Having obtained your TDEE, seek to introduce a daily deficit (preferably 500Kcal), while also ensuring that any deficit introduced doesn’t take you below BMR. By consuming sufficient calories to satisfy BMR, your body will burn energy stored in existing body fat to meet daily needs.
As for exercise, in the initial interim, its frequency will prove important in allowing the body to become accustomed, while also helping to improve overall levels of fitness. As fitness improves, the intensity at which exercise is performed will also increase, thus, allowing for greater uptake of glycogen and fat throughout, particularly when incorporating interval training or HIIT into your cardio routine.
Don’t dismiss resistance training either, concentrating upon compound movements (such as squats, shoulder presses, lat pull-downs and deadlifts), since the accumulation of muscle mass will also not only improve your physique but also increase calorie how many calories the body burns. By all means, also include isolation movements (such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, calf raises and thigh extensions, but ensure they’re performed once compound movements have been executed.
Concerning diet, the reduction of simple sugars (cakes/sweets/pastries) is paramount to your level of success, largely due to its effect upon the secretion of insulin. Instead, opt for complex sources, such as quinoa, cous cous and lentils, for example, while obtaining protein from lean sources, such as chicken, turkey and whey powder and healthy fat from oils, seeds and nuts.
Aim to ensure that protein accounts for 30-40% of daily intake, to ensure that existing muscle mass isn’t lost as weight reduces. As such, it may also be worth consulting macro-nutrient calculators, to gain an idea of how many calories ought to be consumed between the respective food groups, depending upon your chosen split.
However, the most important thing you need to adopt is a sense of perspective, samara; the excess possessed wasn’t accumulated overnight, so it’s not going to be lost overnight, either.
Upon acceptance of the above, while a weekly loss of 2-3lbs may appear insignificant, over a period of weeks/months that figure will accumulate into something far more substantial, with result being wholly evident upon glancing in the mirror.
Moreover, a weekly loss of 2-3lbs is sensible, as it allows calorie intake to be adjusted accordingly, thus, ensuring that weight can be managed once your intended goal is reached.
