Losing 25 Pounds in 3 months
brminor
Posts: 46 Member
Hi Everyone, my birthday is exactly 90 days from now and I want to lose 25lbs ideally, but I would settle for 20lbs. I having been logging on to MFP for a while now, starting, stopping, and losing and gaining back the same 10lbs for about a year. I am ready to be serious and get this weight off of me. I am currently 182lbs at 5'4". I am pear shaped and carry most of my fat in my stomach and thighs. My goal is not to have a six pack of abs, just be toned and healthier. My overall goal is to get to 145 (before I have another child, which we will start trying sometime next year). I haven't seen the 160s in a very long time...the lowest I have gotten to is 170...please give me some real suggestions and tips. I am willing to workout and eat right...and before someone refers me to another thread, I really just wanted to know what worked for you and how many calories I should be eating per day, and how many I should be burning through exercise. I do have a Polar HRM. Thanks!!
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Replies
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25 pounds in 12 weeks is more than 2 pounds per week, which is a very aggressive loss because you must essentially subtract 1000 calories/day from your daily maintenance calories. That is going to leave you with a very low daily goal and isn't going to be especially healthy or sustainable (even for three months) and probably below your BMR. 1 pound per week is a lot more realistic as it requires only a 500 calorie/day deficit.0
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Hey! I really don't have too mny suggestions as I am in the same boat as you. Just got my fitbit with my husband and we compete as to how many steps we get. I have come to the conclusion (as I have done this before and gained it back and had a child a year ago), that I need to eat right, and limit the junk. really cut out all junk if possible as I know that is what works for me. Water intake should be increased as well as activity.
Track accuratly (or as accurately as possible), and keep it up. Consistency is the key. I aim for at least 10,000 steps per day with a goal of making it 15,000 per day plus exercise and eating right. I babywear my son when i go on the trails with my dogs and am hoping that it pays off. In the fitbit app it tells me how many calories I am burning based on my activity so i go off that and it tells me how many I hsould be consuming but mine here on MFP is listed at 1200 calories daily.
Currently I am 163lbs with an ultimate goal of about 130lbs. However I would like to lose about 25 pounds initally to get the ball rolling by my birthday which is July 25th, approximately 90 days from now
Good luck ( don't think I was much of a help to you but know that at least you will have support) I'm going to friend you.
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I just plunked your numbers into a calculator (5'4", 180 pounds, 31 years old, female, and I said "lightly active" with 1-3 hrs of exercise per week) and it estimates your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure or how many calories you burn in a day and can eat to maintain your weight) is about 2100/day. That means to lose 2 pounds per week you'd have to eat 1100/day, which is very low and 400-500 calories below your BMR (the calories your body would burn just to keep itself alive if you were sleeping or in a coma or whatever all day.) Eating below that BMR number consistently isn't healthy, difficult to maintain, and it's usually recommended only under close medical supervision.0
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Thanks Ladies! I have just been on a roller coaster with this up and down weight, I am so tired of losing and gaining it back. So how many calories should I eat per day and how many should I burn? I am willing to work out 5 days a week, at about 30 -45 minutes per day.0
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I just plunked your numbers into a calculator (5'4", 180 pounds, 31 years old, female, and I said "lightly active" with 1-3 hrs of exercise per week) and it estimates your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure or how many calories you burn in a day and can eat to maintain your weight) is about 2100/day. That means to lose 2 pounds per week you'd have to eat 1100/day, which is very low and 400-500 calories below your BMR (the calories your body would burn just to keep itself alive if you were sleeping or in a coma or whatever all day.) Eating below that BMR number consistently isn't healthy, difficult to maintain, and it's usually recommended only under close medical supervision.
What if I cut 500 from diet and burn 500 through exercise? Would that be ok?0 -
craziedani wrote: »Hey! I really don't have too mny suggestions as I am in the same boat as you. Just got my fitbit with my husband and we compete as to how many steps we get. I have come to the conclusion (as I have done this before and gained it back and had a child a year ago), that I need to eat right, and limit the junk. really cut out all junk if possible as I know that is what works for me. Water intake should be increased as well as activity.
Track accuratly (or as accurately as possible), and keep it up. Consistency is the key. I aim for at least 10,000 steps per day with a goal of making it 15,000 per day plus exercise and eating right. I babywear my son when i go on the trails with my dogs and am hoping that it pays off. In the fitbit app it tells me how many calories I am burning based on my activity so i go off that and it tells me how many I hsould be consuming but mine here on MFP is listed at 1200 calories daily.
Currently I am 163lbs with an ultimate goal of about 130lbs. However I would like to lose about 25 pounds initally to get the ball rolling by my birthday which is July 25th, approximately 90 days from now
Good luck ( don't think I was much of a help to you but know that at least you will have support) I'm going to friend you.
Thank you for your input! We are both July babies!! MFP currently has me at about 1360 calories per day, but all this TDEE and BMR and calculations from all these different threads are confusing me. I just want someone to tell me what I need to do, eat and burn per day and I will do it, LOL0 -
I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".0
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I just plunked your numbers into a calculator (5'4", 180 pounds, 31 years old, female, and I said "lightly active" with 1-3 hrs of exercise per week) and it estimates your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure or how many calories you burn in a day and can eat to maintain your weight) is about 2100/day. That means to lose 2 pounds per week you'd have to eat 1100/day, which is very low and 400-500 calories below your BMR (the calories your body would burn just to keep itself alive if you were sleeping or in a coma or whatever all day.) Eating below that BMR number consistently isn't healthy, difficult to maintain, and it's usually recommended only under close medical supervision.
What if I cut 500 from diet and burn 500 through exercise? Would that be ok?
Your net calories would still be very low, which is going to impact your energy.
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Short of chopping off a limb I think your goal is pretty unrealistic.0
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25 pounds in 12 weeks is more than 2 pounds per week, which is a very aggressive loss because you must essentially subtract 1000 calories/day from your daily maintenance calories. That is going to leave you with a very low daily goal and isn't going to be especially healthy or sustainable (even for three months) and probably below your BMR. 1 pound per week is a lot more realistic as it requires only a 500 calorie/day deficit.
^^^ this.0 -
...I want to lose 25lbs ideally, but I would settle for 20lbs...I am currently 182lbs at 5'4".
Yes, at your size that's within the bounds of what is safely possible. Your BMR is going to be ~1250ish, and to get to 20lbs lose requires a daily caloric deficit of ~750. Eating at BMR should get you there, if you can stay moderately active.
Fair warning - it's not going to be particularly easy - but it is doable and safe, assuming you make sensible food choices inside the calorie limit. Make sure you're getting plenty of protein!
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I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?0 -
OP, what if you didn't lose 25 or 20 pounds by your birthday, but you did lost 10-12? You'd probably see a difference in your body and how your clothes fit. In 90 days, you can establish some great habits and make progress.
I would recommend being less hung up on the deadlines and focus on how great it will feel to have made significant progress towards your goal by your birthday.0 -
I just completed 60 days with MFP, working out 3 days a week. I've lost 24lbs, and I'm physically stronger (benching almost twice the weight today than I was two months ago) than I was when I started. Don't listen to the naysayers, it can be done. I've done it, and heading down further and stronger.
Be ready to make serious changes in your diet and work! I spend 3, 2-hour sessions at the gym a week.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »OP, what if you didn't lose 25 or 20 pounds by your birthday, but you did lost 10-12? You'd probably see a difference in your body and how your clothes fit. In 90 days, you can establish some great habits and make progress.
I would recommend being less hung up on the deadlines and focus on how great it will feel to have made significant progress towards your goal by your birthday.
You are right, I guess I figured if I set the bar high, it would give me more incentive to actually push towards the goal. Honestly, if I can see 160-something, that would be fine by me. And I could work on the rest later.0 -
I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?
No, that includes your exercise, so it should be a gross total regardless of your workout burn - don't "eat back" your exercise calories as that will double-count it and nearly eliminate your deficit.0 -
Oldbitcollector wrote: »I just completed 60 days with MFP, working out 3 days a week. I've lost 24lbs, and I'm physically stronger (benching almost twice the weight today than I was two months ago) than I was when I started. Don't listen to the naysayers, it can be done. I've done it, and heading down further and stronger.
Be ready to make serious changes in your diet and work! I spend 3, 2-hour sessions at the gym a week.
Wow, that is awesome, great work! I can't dedicate 2 hours to the gym per day...but over the course of a week, I can log some significant time working out. I don't have a gym membership, so I rely on walking and Fitness Blender videos.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »OP, what if you didn't lose 25 or 20 pounds by your birthday, but you did lost 10-12? You'd probably see a difference in your body and how your clothes fit. In 90 days, you can establish some great habits and make progress.
I would recommend being less hung up on the deadlines and focus on how great it will feel to have made significant progress towards your goal by your birthday.
You are right, I guess I figured if I set the bar high, it would give me more incentive to actually push towards the goal. Honestly, if I can see 160-something, that would be fine by me. And I could work on the rest later.
Just make the commitment to log all of your food, stay within your calorie goal and get that exercise in. You can't control what the scale will say, so as long as you know you've done the right thing you can feel happy and proud on your big day!0 -
I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?
No, that calculator uses a model that doesn't work well for people with high BF percentages. That number is too high - and your weight loss will be quite slow at that eating level.
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I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?
No, that includes your exercise, so it should be a gross total regardless of your workout burn - don't "eat back" your exercise calories as that will double-count it and nearly eliminate your deficit.
OK, so just so I am crystal clear, eat 1758 calories (clean eating of course!), and whatever I burn through exercise, DO NOT eat back? :-) So essentially, if I ate 1758 calories and burned 400 through exercise, that would net 1358 for that day...and I would probably lose about a pound per week? I can live with that!0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »OP, what if you didn't lose 25 or 20 pounds by your birthday, but you did lost 10-12? You'd probably see a difference in your body and how your clothes fit. In 90 days, you can establish some great habits and make progress.
I would recommend being less hung up on the deadlines and focus on how great it will feel to have made significant progress towards your goal by your birthday.
You are right, I guess I figured if I set the bar high, it would give me more incentive to actually push towards the goal. Honestly, if I can see 160-something, that would be fine by me. And I could work on the rest later.
Just make the commitment to log all of your food, stay within your calorie goal and get that exercise in. You can't control what the scale will say, so as long as you know you've done the right thing you can feel happy and proud on your big day!
Thanks! I will do my best!
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I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?
No, that calculator uses a model that doesn't work well for people with high BF percentages. That number is too high - and your weight loss will be quite slow at that eating level.
I am not even sure what my body fat % is but I would assume it is fairly high..maybe like 25-30%...IDK. What if I ate 1500-1600 calories per day and then worked out, without eating any calories back? Would that work as long as I don't net below 1200?0 -
I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?
No, that includes your exercise, so it should be a gross total regardless of your workout burn - don't "eat back" your exercise calories as that will double-count it and nearly eliminate your deficit.
OK, so just so I am crystal clear, eat 1758 calories (clean eating of course!), and whatever I burn through exercise, DO NOT eat back? :-) So essentially, if I ate 1758 calories and burned 400 through exercise, that would net 1358 for that day...and I would probably lose about a pound per week? I can live with that!
No.
1. "Clean eating" is meaningless. Calories are calories from a weight loss perspective and as long as you are fueling your body with appropriate macro and micro nutrients (important from a general health perspective but not from a purely weight loss one), it doesn't matter all all where those calories come from.
2. The calculator has already incorporated an exercise burn for you when it calculated your deficit, so subtracting it again is double-counting it.0 -
I recommend you try this calculator to come up with a goal. I'd select 15% or 20% max as your calorie reduction to give you a reasonable rate of loss. If you're going to work out 5 days a week for half an hour, you should select "1-3 hrs a week of light exercise".
So with this calculator it is telling me 1758 calories per day. Is this what I should "net" everyday?
No, that includes your exercise, so it should be a gross total regardless of your workout burn - don't "eat back" your exercise calories as that will double-count it and nearly eliminate your deficit.
OK, so just so I am crystal clear, eat 1758 calories (clean eating of course!), and whatever I burn through exercise, DO NOT eat back? :-) So essentially, if I ate 1758 calories and burned 400 through exercise, that would net 1358 for that day...and I would probably lose about a pound per week? I can live with that!
No.
1. "Clean eating" is meaningless. Calories are calories from a weight loss perspective and as long as you are fueling your body with appropriate macro and micro nutrients (important from a general health perspective but not from a purely weight loss one), it doesn't matter all all where those calories come from.
2. The calculator has already incorporated an exercise burn for you when it calculated your deficit, so subtracting it again is double-counting it.
OK, thanks!0
This discussion has been closed.
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