Wanting to lose 3.4 pounds by July 4th. Possible?

Before I get a whole gang of people saying, "Slow and steady- 2 pounds a week at most": I totally know You're looking at a girl who has taken two years to lose 38 pounds, haha. I know about slow, and ultimately that's how I am losing the bulk of my weight. BUT, I started this personal challenge in May, which is to lose 15 pounds by July 4th and I want to work hard these next coulple days and see where the chips (weight) fall. I'm not gonna freak out about it, but I want to sprint to the end with maximum effort at least.

Do any of you have tips on what I can do between now and then to maximize my loss over the next four days?

Here's what I was thinking for food:

Eating paleo & clean (limiting carbs & sugars- lots of protein, veggies, healthy fats)
Sticking within my calories and 35 WW points
Lots of water
Veggie/ Miso soups for dinner (breakfast & lunch will be my biggest meals)
Limiting salt

In terms of working out, what should I do? Doubling up? Strength? 3 sessions of shorter cardio 3 times a day? Strength training?
I have all day Monday-Thursday to devote to this, so no time constraints.
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Replies

  • Veganhclf
    Veganhclf Posts: 24 Member
    It's possible but you'd have to starve.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    Get a haircut?
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    Can you create a 2400 calorie a day deficit? I am sure it's possible, but I am also sure it would take at least 5 hours of intense working out to do it or 7 or 8 hours of lower intensity working out. So, I guess if you have a treadmill or gym membership you can walk all day long for the next 5 days.
  • Get a haircut?

    Haha... I just might, but only because it's been REALLY hot here in So Cal :P

    Maybe I should post this in the fitness area, since I mainly want to figure out what I should do in my workouts (or how frequently I should workout)....

    Thanks anyway Haircut and Starvation!
  • Freefatty
    Freefatty Posts: 9
    You can do it!!! I think drinking water, eating high fiber, and cardio are the keys. I'll be looking forward to reading about your success! :)
  • Double the amount of cardio you're already doing. . Get that heart rate up. No more strength. Stay well within your calories and don't eat after 7pm. Good luck.. after you've done these few days carry on going slow!
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    Can I be honest here? What is the rush? You look great. Your best bet, in my opinion is a nice steady loss, not a rush that's going to rebound. And 3 lbs doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the big scheme of things. It's the long road that matters. Starving now is a guaranteed rebound or binge later.

    I'd rather be able to say, I was steady then to say I met my goal unwisely.

    And keep your hair, it's lovely.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Well, you could fool yourself with a diuretic or laxative, but why? There's no realistic way to lose that much weight in that few days. But hey ... 11.6/15 is 77% ... that's a passing grade!
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
    Ok...you had a personal challenge to lose 15 pounds by July 4 but you are currently 3.4 pounds short. You do something drastic to lose the 3.4, and do it. What happens when you go back to eating 'normally' and gain it back?? Just make a new challenge and try a new one. Realistically, I don't think you will lose it and keep it off in the long run.
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    Yes. It's possible.


    You may find one of these to be the quickest method to use.







    Chainsaw.jpg
  • sc10985
    sc10985 Posts: 347 Member
    Even if you do manage to lose that much in 4 days, it's not gonna be all body fat. So chances are when you go back to what you normally do, you'll gain most of it back. Trust me. Lol.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    Our bathroom is under construction. Our carpenter lost three pound when he accidentally cut most of his hand off last week. His buddy, the plumber is finishing the job.

    Yeah. It's not really pertinent. But I thought I would share.
  • If you had been dieting properly you probably would have lost the weight you intended.

    But to answer your question....

    You wont be able to lose that much fat in 4 days
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's possible if... you get a stomach bug or gastro, or you've been dieting for a while and it just happens to be the time when you lose weight (I lose 5-6 lbs in 10 days, sometimes 7 here, then nothing for 3 weeks).
  • hiyomi
    hiyomi Posts: 906 Member
    Some people can be quite rude around here. If it helps any, I dropped 3 pounds in 6'days last week, eating 1600-1800 calories a day and just doing the 30 day shred. ^_^
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    My recommendation is to adjust your expectations and goals.
    As others have said - you may be able to lose the weight in the three or four days but it will require a herculean effort and there is no guarantee that the weight will not come straight back on once you relax your effort.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    *sigh*

    Why though? Like really ask yourself why hitting an arbitrary weight/time goal is vital to your happiness.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    If you had been dieting properly you probably would have lost the weight you intended.

    :grumble: Or instead of belittling her for being a few pounds short, maybe the problem was that her goal was a little too ambitious.

    Personally, I've become very "meh" about the concept of goal weights. I can go for a five mile run and "lose" 3 pounds because I sweat like a hog on the way to the slaughterhouse. I can "gain" 8 pounds overnight if I order the Pesto Shrimp Alfredo at this one Italian restaurant that goes a little heavy on the sodium. Since I reached my supposed "goal weight," I've gained about 15 pounds, and still wear the same clothes.

    Your weight is nothing more than effect of gravity on your body. It's largely meaningless. Switch your focus to fitness goals and body composition, and you'll be a much happier camper.
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    Seaweed wrap.

    Just be prepared for it to come back AFTER July 4th, k?
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    It's possible but it would have to be mostly water weight. You'd need to avoid salt altogether so probably skip the miso soup. If you aren't carrying extra water when you start you will definitely feel like crap, put a burden on your kidneys, and want to be really careful to avoid heat stroke if you go outside. Oh, yeah, and chug some laxatives. And weigh naked on soft carpet. That oughtta do it.

    That being said, the scale might still spoil your plan and you'll feel lousy and probably take a couple days off the end of your life. Worth it? Only you can decide but I wouldn't recommend it.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    *sigh*

    Why though? Like really ask yourself why hitting an arbitrary weight/time goal is vital to your happiness.

    This is my question, too. What is the point? What difference does it make? Just keep doing what you are doing. It's great to have goals, but sometimes you have to be flexible with them.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    If you had been dieting properly you probably would have lost the weight you intended.

    But to answer your question....

    You wont be able to lose that much fat in 4 days

    That is a pretty obnoxious comment, and it really wasn't necessary.
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
    Isn't a personal challenge just a way of focusing your motivation towards a goal rather than achieving the goal itself?

    Ok, you set a challenge for yourself. You used that challenge mentality to stick to your diet and exercise. Sooooooo.....haven't you've already won?!?

    Just because you didn't meet the PURELY arbitrary goal you set for you and you only...so what? It's not like you lost out on a new car or a $50,000 sweepstakes. Set another goal and try again next month. Learn from your near miss and adjust your plan just a fraction if you want, so you can make it next month.

    In a race against yourself, you are always the winner so long as you complete the race!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Some people can be quite rude around here. If it helps any, I dropped 3 pounds in 6'days last week, eating 1600-1800 calories a day and just doing the 30 day shred. ^_^

    There is no way that you lost 3 lbs of fat in 6 days, unless possibly you are 400+ lbs.

    Now, it is absolutely possible that your scale weight went down that much in 6 days, but it would be due to differences in water retention, not just fat loss.

    Interesting read: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    So anyway, OP, it is not beyond possibility that it'll fall off -- but you're unlikely to be able to MAKE it fall off at that rate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    just severely and dangerously dehydrate yourself and then don't eat anything...that should do the trick....

    stupid!!!
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    High protein, good fats, lower carbs (and that includes sugar), low sodium (which means be very careful with the soups, especially miso), no sodas (even diet), lots of water, at least a gallon a day.
    I would say: protein shake for breakfast and one at the end of working out, lean protein, like chicken, for lunch, nuts as a snack, and more lean protein for dinner, maybe cooked in olive oil, lots and lots of veggies (dark greens, vibrant colors) I would say to stick to veggies and not salad to avoid the dressing.
    I think this is going to be more about water loss than fat loss so for this I would say lots of cardio, high intensity interval training, lots of sweating, and lots of rehydration.
    Overall lifting can be better for long term weight loss, but if you lift a lot your muscles will swell and so you will physically weigh more and since this is really about a number on a scale then I would say for the next few days no lifting, lots of stretching, and vary your workouts so you don't overwork a certain muscle. And if possible like I said before, protein shake after working out, if you're working out multiple times a day high protein after every workout this will make your muscles heal quicker and avoid as much of the swelling as possible. Also high fiber so you poop a lot and don't carry around that weight




    ALSO: the night before the morning when you weigh yourself, make that last meal super high fiber, and drink lotssss of water, but don't eat anything for a long time before going to sleep so when you weigh yourself you'll be as empty as possible and hopefully get rid of excess water and waste right before weighing.

    I hope you're aware that none of this is going to make you actually lose "weight" you will probably lose a pound maybe pound and 1/2 but the rest will be water weight but you can take a picture of that number for proof you did it
  • elainemorris1982
    elainemorris1982 Posts: 104 Member
    Get a haircut?
    ha
  • sarahc001
    sarahc001 Posts: 477 Member
    Yeah, severe dehydration should do it. Exercise in the sauna for the next 4 days wearing a ski suit. Just make sure someone is around in case you pass out. If that happens, you may have to go to the hospital and they'll re-hydrate you, so you will be right back where you started.

    Seriously though, why the urge to lose 4 lbs in 4 days? How could anything be so important that you would do something dangerous to lose a few pounds? Whoever he is, he isn't worth it. And it's highly unlikely that he would even notice.
  • DanIsACyclingFool
    DanIsACyclingFool Posts: 417 Member
    but you can take a picture of that number for proof you did it


    Hmpf. And here I thought it was about better health, better looks and achieving some modicum of fitness. I can achieve the same goal by pushing on the towel rack when I weigh in...the only one we're cheating is ourselves...

    I think we all know better.

    Life is far too short to agnonize over 3.4lbs!
  • Trueray
    Trueray Posts: 1,189 Member
    Cut your hair, take a s*it, take a piss and take off all clothing and jewelry when stepping on the scale in the morning. Boom! 3.4 pounds gone.