Lose weight: now or later?

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Greetings to all,
I’m Luigi Garofalo, a few months ago I met your site by consulting for work the uptodate page on strength training.
I am 34 years old I am 176cm tall and weigh 174lb.
In the past I have occasionally trained in body building style very intermittently.
In the last months of 2022, between working as a GP in Italy and the birth of my first daughter, I only jog a couple of times a week.
About 2 and a half months ago I started phase one of the beginner template, starting very slowly to become familiar with RPE and to work on excercise technique.
In these weeks my weight has remained stable, waist at umbilical level 89/90cm and above the iliac crests 95/96cm.
The e1RM has gone from:
Squat 180lb → 232lb
Bench 142lb → 184lb
DL 194lb → 290lb

​From a nutritional point of view, unfortunately, due to commitments I am not being able to track everything I eat, but I make sure to take 1.8-2 g kg of protein per day and I follow a Mediterranean style of diet eating few processed foods.
Unfortunately, I have been dragging a fair amount of abdominal fat since I was a child and suffered from childhood obesity.
In these months of training and running, the weight has remained substantially stable and also the waistline. I wanted to ask you if I should reduce the weight immediately or if you recommend me go on like this until the end of the beginner template.

​Thanks and greetings
Dr Luigi Garofalo

Ps. You can train your wife without getting divorced!

​PPS I give you the most sincere congratulations for the quality of the work you do

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2

Dr. Garofalo,

Thank you so much for your kind words. We really appreciate it!

Regarding your question about weight loss now vs. later, I would advise maintaining your current weight and dietary pattern. Given that your waist circumference is <37", I see little concern from a health risk standpoint. Additionally, regular training is relatively new and I would expect your waist circumference to trend down little by little as you become more and more trained. I’m assuming that you’re meeting the conditioning minimums with ~ 100-minutes or more of jogging per week as well.

If by the end of the 3rd phase of the Beginner Template your waist isn’t ~87cm or so at the same weight you’re at now, I would consider a brief period of Calorie restriction if it’s your preference to be leaner.

-Jordan