questions from 5' 1", trying to lose 35+ LB - need help, advice, inspiration!

jalsa123

Hi,

I am a short woman - 5' 1". When i started MFP about a month ago, i was 175lb and now I am 167lb. I know that my ideal weight is around 120LB but I have set my current weight goal to 140lbs. To me, 140lb seems more achievable than 120lb. I would be very happy if I reach 140lb and then set up a new goal after it.
I am mainly walking about 4 miles everyday and eating between 1200-1400 calories/day. I would love to hear what others are doing in terms of exercise and calorie control for faster weight loss. Some questions i have are,

- Do you think it is realistic to set this goal in 4 months?
- How do you deal when you have to eat out or in holidays or family gathering? This can blow out 1000 calories easily.
- Do you think 4 miles a day walking (split in 2 + 2) is enough for 2lb/week weighloss? Any other ideas?

Any ideas, suggestions would be great.
Thanks!

chalk_and_chaturangas

Hi!

Broken down, to get from 167 to 140 in 4 months (16 weeks), you'd need to lose about 1.7 lbs a week, which is a healthy and reasonable goal. Good job for being realistic! So many people do themselves a disservice by not breaking the end goal up into smaller, more achievable goals.

For holidays and gatherings, as long as they're not too frequent, going a little over your calories is ok. In fact, a high calorie day here and there can actually boost your metabolism, I've found. Try to stay towards healthier foods in these situations, nonetheless. Avoid appetizers, unless they're veggies. Appetizers rarely decrease how much ends up on the dinner plate in the end. Try going for a walk soon after a big holiday meal. It will help you digest more quickly.

For exercise, try adding in some weight lifting and HIIT/circuit training. Lifting weights will help build muscle, which will not only make you appear more toned, you will also burn more calories while resting if you have more muscle mass. Don't get discouraged if you see a slight increase in your weight when you start weight training. Muscle is more dense than fat, so you will look more lean and, as I mentioned, burn more calories, so it will even out in your favor. HIIT/circuit training will burn fat much more quickly than walking. This can be as simple as walking or jogging for one block, then walking at a normal pace until your heart rate normalizes, then jogging another block. Start where you can : )

Best of luck!

PinkyPan1

Congrats on your weight loss thus far. You are doing great. To answer your questions...


- Do you think it is realistic to set this goal in 4 months?
Yes, I think it is reasonable and doable.
- How do you deal when you have to eat out or in holidays or family gathering? This can blow out 1000 calories easily.
When eating out I go online and look for the meal with the fewest calories. I avoid the bread, salad and drinks. I usually order grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. As far as holidays are concerned I eat within reason. I do not go over board but I do indulge in a few goodies and then I get right back on track the very next day.
- Do you think 4 miles a day walking (split in 2 + 2) is enough for 2lb/week weight loss? Any other ideas?
I walk between 4-8 miles every morning. On average it is 5.5 miles. I have lost all my weight from walking. I have titanium fused to my spine and I am limited on the type of workouts I can do. I do walk at a very brisk pace to burn the calories. Make sure you are stretching before and after and stay hydrated. I make sure I drink at least 8 cups of water a day. I even drink a cup of hot lemon water first thing in the morning and it helps with water weight. I stand at my kitchen counter and walk in place instead of sitting down and logging onto my computer.
When the weather is poor I walk to Leslie Sansone Walk At Home videos. There are hundreds and you can find then on YouTube or at her website.

Set small goals and keep reaching for the stars. You got this. I am also 5'1" and my starting weight was 134.9lbs and I am maintaining at 112 lbs.

segacs

I'm also 5'1" with a starting weight of 155 and an end-goal of 115 in a year. That works out to about 0.8 lbs/week. My first stopgap goal is 145 by Christmas, which I'm on track to do with 3lbs down so far.

How are you feeling on 1200-1400 calories a day? That's my calorie goal and I find it to be even a little low. Since your starting weight is higher and you're exercising quite a bit, you may find you actually have to eat quite a bit more than that in order to lose weight. (Sounds counterproductive but it's true!) Listen to your body. If you're hungry and tired all the time, up the calories. Slower weight loss that's sustainable long term is far better than crash dieting and yo-yoing right back again.

Walking 4 miles every day? Good for you! See if you can gradually add on other activity you enjoy, but hey, it's different for everyone. You might also find that activities you don't enjoy now become more fun once you are at a healthier weight and feeling more energetic.

jalsa123

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and suggestions - really appreciate it!

@barbellsnboots - I will try to add some weight and HIIT training - thanks!

@Pinkypan1 - 4-8 miles every morning is a LOT - kudos to you! I usually have to break it out so 2 miles in the morning, 1.5ish before lunch at work and 2 in the evening at gym. Lemon water and Leslie Sansone Walk At Home videos are great tips - thanks!

@segacs - I don't feel hungry or tried with 1200-1400 calories/day. I try to eat little more on my high exercise days but haven't gone more than 1400. Maintaining this level is easy at home but when eating out, its really hard. But i hear you, of I feel tired, i will up the calorie intact.

SueInAz

jalsa123 wrote: »

- Do you think it is realistic to set this goal in 4 months?
- How do you deal when you have to eat out or in holidays or family gathering? This can blow out 1000 calories easily.
- Do you think 4 miles a day walking (split in 2 + 2) is enough for 2lb/week weighloss? Any other ideas?

Hi! I'm a little taller at 5'3" but my mom and my sister are both 5'1".

I think your goal is definitely achievable but keep in mind that you're going to lose weight more quickly at the beginning than at the end. Once you get close to goal you'll be losing around a .5 pound per week so don't think it's going to be easy when you lose at a faster rate now or get discouraged when the loss slows.

Eating out can definitely be a challenge; restaurant portions can be crazy. Try to find a chain restaurants menu before you go and plan your meal in advance. One option is to ask for a box right when you order your meal and when the food arrives, immediately put half of it in the box to take home. That way you know you won't eat too much and you'll have yummy leftovers for another day. For holiday get-togethers, limit the alcohol and sweet drinks and hover around the veggie platter instead of the dessert table. On the days of big parties I'll often eat very sparingly the day of which leaves me more calories for the evening event. Another option is to eat 100-200 less calories (or work out a little extra) each day of the week before and "bank" those calories for the event. I tend to think of calorie goals on a weekly basis, anyway. There's no clock that resets at midnight when it comes to calories.

Running will burn more calories than walking and take less time doing it. I started running for just that reason. Keep in mind, though, that weight loss is much more about what you're eating than how much you're exercising. As we say around here, "you can't outrun a bad diet." Cardio will give you more calories to eat or to increase your deficit, it'll also improve your endurance and make you more fit. If you have the means, look at adding strength training. When we lose weight, it's a combination of water, fat and muscle. When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows which makes it harder to lose weight. By adding strength training, you'll retain that lean muscle mass which means you'll look better and your metabolism will improve. I started lifting weights a few months ago and the difference it's made in how I look and feel is amazing. My weight loss has been slower but the measuring tape shows the true effects. I'm easily fitting into pants at 130 pounds now that I could barely squeeze into at 122 a few years ago.

However you go about this weight loss journey, try to do things that are sustainable and make changes gradually. Don't burn yourself out because you want these changes to stick and be something you don't mind continuing to do for years to come.

threnjen

Hi there!

I am 5'1". My high weight was 162 pounds in Oct 2013 and I lost a little here and there but did not buckle down and start in earnest with MFP until May 2014 at 156. My current weight is 132.5. My goal is 120.

My baseline is 1350 and I eat back exercise calories so for example if I were in your position, I would be eating 1350 no matter what and then eat back my 4miles on days that I walk. I have been at this for 162 days (since my official May start) and lost 23.5 pounds in 24 weeks, so I would say my calorie numbers have been spot on

I personally think that any more than 1lb per week is going to be pretty difficult without extreme diligence and starving yourself. I think that 2lb is likely impossible.

Why the time frame? Don't make it so hard that it isn't something that you can stick with. Honestly this has been easy for me to keep up because my goals have been reasonable and manageable.

These are just my opinions and feedback, so take them as you will Feel free to check out my diary, I have an unbroken 162 days of logging every single thing. Feel free to add me as a friend.

jalsa123

SueInAz wrote: »

I think your goal is definitely achievable but keep in mind that you're going to lose weight more quickly at the beginning than at the end. Once you get close to goal you'll be losing around a .5 pound per week so don't think it's going to be easy when you lose at a faster rate now or get discouraged when the loss slows.

That is exactly what I am hitting right now I have been stuck on 167 for about 2 weeks now though i am doing everything right...so waiting patiently to get the scale moving again. But this community helps a lot as i can see others go through the same thing.

melissasue79

I just added you as a friend thought we could motivate each other I have lost the weight of your first goal but I'm on the harder 136 to 120 part... I'm just started back at MFP day 8. Trying to stay motivated I'm 35 and 5'2"

jalsa123

you are already half way @melissasue79 ! Congratulations and i am sure you will get there soon!

Lalalindaloo

I started in April at 184 lbs. I went with a 1200 cal diet and really, for a couple of months, didn't exercise. As long as I made sure I was hitting my calorie max, I kept losing pretty rapidly (the 2lb per week or so). My goal at that point was 145.

Mid-summer I started walking. About the same distance as you and by that time, i was probably the same weight as you right now. I upped what I ate to eat 1/2 to 2/3 of my exercise calories (but never all). I hit 145 in September. And lowered my goal to 135.

I'm at 138 this morning and just lowered again because 130 seems infinitely more achievable now. I've worked up to running/jogging for an hour a few times a week and doing some strength training too. 1200 calories was hard for me to maintain even though eating healthier I get a lot more food, so the exercise really lets me eat more of what I want.

You can totally do this. And 24 lbs in 4 months is totally do-able! I'm 43 and 5'2" so understand the plight of the shorties!

***Also - I saw a plateau mentioned. I don't care what people say about the Whoosh. It happens for me. I'll stay the same over weeks and then drop 5 lbs overnight. It's not logical to me but that's the way it happens.

***Edited to add: holidays - I eat what I want, just in moderate amounts. Not tiny amounts, because I don't want to feel like I'm missing out on anything. I exercise to make up the difference, even if that difference is spread out over a couple of days. As for restaurants, I have a food folder on my phone and ipad where I store restaurant apps with nutrition data. I just make the best choices available to me.

knightmelanie10

All of these are great posts! Just keep moving and enjoying life. The weight loss will continue and you will meet, even exceed your goals!! Best of luck!

808Trish808

yes all these posts are very motivating for me! I'm 5'1 and at 145. I struggle from time to time but am determined to reach my goal. All of your advice is great!

irisheyes321

hi,I just wanted to say that it's great that you have set your self smaller goals.

I am 39 and 5"2 and I have done the same every 7lbs is a small victory to me.I started on here in August and so far I am 16lbs down with another 14lbs to go.I am hoping to be at goal for next June.

It's also great to see positive comments on this thread for a change :-)

The best of luck

SueInAz

Lalalindaloo wrote: »

***Also - I saw a plateau mentioned. I don't care what people say about the Whoosh. It happens for me. I'll stay the same over weeks and then drop 5 lbs overnight. It's not logical to me but that's the way it happens.

There's actually quite a logical explanation for the "whoosh". Your fat cells retain water as they empty so while you're losing fat, you aren't losing pounds during that stage. Some people report that their fat gets "squishy" feeling at the time. Then, and I don't know exactly what triggers it, the water gets released and you've suddenly lost a few pounds at once.

jalsa123

Thanks everyone - best a support group!

beckytcy

I would say that four months is doable, but I would recommend setting a longer time-frame for your sanity. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. So you don't want to deprive yourself too much or you will be likely to binge. Slow and steady wins the race. I would recommend setting your goal to fewer pounds per week, maybe even less than half a pound a week. I'm 5'2" and lost about 35 pounds over time -- from 164 to 130. That being said, I'm finding it tough to stay below 130. I guess I just have to keep trying harder. My goal is 120-125. Good luck!

aserranzana16

I think that goal is entirely doable, and I think it's smart to set a more realistic goal for yourself. I am 5'1'', started at 139.4 in March and for 3 months, was so very, very strict with my diet and exercise. I reached 109.4 in June. But because I was so strict, it was difficult for me to maintain, and I ended up gaining back 10-12 lbs (thankfully, it wasn't more than that). I've now set a more realistic weight loss goal for myself (1 lb a week) and feel like I will be more likely to maintain this way.

In terms of family gatherings and holiday parties, I like to walk into a party, look at everything there is to eat, and pick one or two less healthy things to treat myself with. Then I plug it in and see where I'm at in terms of either adjusting the rest of my calorie intake for other stuff, or making up for it the next day in working out. But the most important thing for me is limiting my alcohol consumption, because not only do those calories add up, the alcohol can lead to other bad food choices. Walking around with a full glass of water at all times is helpful. Also, it may help to eat something before you go, so that you are not making these kinds of decisions on an empty stomach.

With eating out, I like to plan ahead. The night before or morning of, I like to look up the menu of the restaurant we'll be visiting, figure out what I want, and plug it in right away. That way I can plan the rest of my calorie consumption/exercise around that meal, and it keeps me disciplined when dinner finally does roll around.

Hope this is helpful, and good luck! You can do it!