Really need advice!

sebseaman11

Hi everyone! I have been trying to lose weight for 3 years now. I never have made it past a month of good dieting and exercise. Now I am officially taking charge and making a big change. I am so self conscious and I just hate feeling like this. I am going on a trip to Cancun in May... Can I lose 30lbs in 5 months? I weigh 180 now and am 5'4. I need advice on how to do this.. How much should I exercise? What foods should I eat?

mymodernbabylon

Go to the Scooby Workshop Calculator - figure out your TDEE (if you are active in your job or have little kids, then this pushes you up a bit) and do a 15-20% deficit. Eat that. I also suggest a progressive weight training regime (Starting Strength, New Rules for Lifting or Stronglifts 5x5) to keep the muscle you have and a touch of cardio for your heart - though...you don't need to exercise to lose weight but it allows you more calories.

mymodernbabylon

And it doesn't matter what foods you eat as long as you are in a deficit - I eat and drink the way I want to for life.

paxbfl

I lost 40 pounds in 4 months, so yes - you can absolutely do it. One thing I do is the "free day" - give yourself a break once every week or two and just take a rest day and a day off from logging. Eat whatever you want with no guilt. That's what I did - I was very strict the other 6 days (or 13 days if I pulled a double) but then I just gave myself a break. That helped me keep going for the long-term. The other (maybe smarter) option is to set a reasonable weight-loss goal, like 1/2 a pound to 1 pound a week so that you don't have to sacrifice too much. If you make yourself miserable you're not going to stay with it - which I suspect is what's happening if you can't make it past 1 month.

Here's a link to my story. I lost 50 pounds total while training for a marathon but I got hurt and gained some weight back. I'm healthy again, losing again and plan to run a half-marathon in the Spring and my first full marathon next Fall.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/893942/40-pounds-in-4-months-photos#latest

I_Will_End_You

What worked for me: don't overrestrict yourself. Don't try to adhere to some ridiculous fad diet. Create a calorie deficit, track your intake on here to make sure you aren't overeating. Try to work foods you enjoy into your diet so you aren't one month and done again. I personally like lifting weight and feel like my body looks better when I do. I started with Stronglifts 5x5. But really, find exercises you enjoy and stick with them. Rely on discipline, not motivation. Motivation comes and goes.

That's what works for me, take from it what you will!

Liftng4Lis

Eat in a deficit and you'll lose. Log accurately, (weigh and measure everything).

jahuntley27

Yes, you can definitely lose 30lbs in 5 months. 1-2lbs a week is a reasonable goal. In the initial weeks it may come off at a greater rate as water weight due to dietary improvements reduce water retention.