Weight loss by April 30th?

flirtingwithyou

Hey everyone! So, I’m wondering if you think it’s achievable to lose 15 to 20lbs by April 30th? I do low impact exercise due to a hurt knee, cardio & aerobic. Also do what toning I can. I walk 30 minutes twice a day everyday, and eat clean. No junk or soda, count calories so I’m staying within 1,200 most days. Other days I eat a little less. I’ve been on my weight loss journey but fell off due to some things coming up but I’m back on and currently 205lbs, and stand at 5’6. I’m getting married on the 30th so I’m not only trying to look better but feel better. Do you have any suggestions to help aide in weight loss? Energy booster? Etc? Anything helps. Thank you so much!!

CharlieCharlie007

If my math is correct, and I doubt it is, to lose 20 real ponds of fat, it would take 140 days at 500 cal deficit. Now, that does not take into account, diet changes or water weight. So, depending on the last two factors.......maybe.......but, the 20 pounds will not be all fat.

moadavou99

Honestly, I think 20 lbs is a little too much. 15, is achievable. Usually, the recommendation for a healthy weight loss is 2-2.5lbs per week. The best workout is honestly weight lifting, it increases your muscle mass which in turn burns calories over a longer time period than cardio, but it doesn't hurt to do both! Of course, as you say, eat clean, no processed food or added sugar (this includes stuff as white bread and pasta), and the walking is always good

For your calories, make sure you get enough to stay energized the whole day, don't eat too little if you do you can lose muscle mass. Sure, you have lost weight on the scale, but you want to keep your muscles as the muscles burn calories all the time. I know I personally can do on 1.200 a day (and I think it's odd because I should need more for all the workout I do), but as long as you feel good and get a lot of protein (to keep the muscle mass) you're good! You can count your calorie burn if you would do nothing for a day (metabolic rate), don't forget to add all movement to that, digesting and so on also burn calories. If you eat a 500 deficit a day they estimate that you lose 2 lbs a week.

And don't take energy boosters! You should eat so you feel energized. Try to eat more small meals if you are tierd between them. Also, eat before and after a workout (ideally, I cheat on this...). Questions? There is a lot to this weigh thing! And I wish you all the luck and OMG you're getting married! Congrats!

tinkerbellang83

You could theoretically expect to lose around 1.5-2lbs per week at your current weight, HOWEVER, if you're getting married on the 30th presumably you want your dress to be fitted before then? So you don't really have until the 30th. Also, weight loss isn't linear so it's not guaranteed that your scale weight will be exactly as you want it to be.

None of this:

flirtingwithyou wrote: »

eat clean. No junk or soda

makes any difference to weight loss, it's calories that matter for fat loss. So ensure you log your calorie intake accurately. You can probably make some improvement to the appearance of your body by incorporating a good strength training routine into your week and ensuring you're getting adequate protein.

Don't be tempted to starve yourself thin for your wedding, you don't want to be lethargic and sickly looking in your wedding photos. Going into a large deficit even for a short period of time can have adverse affects including hair loss, brittle nails and sallow skin.

You should be eating more than 1200 if you're exercising, 1200 is the lowest that MFP will go for a short, sedentary woman. If you're getting in 2 x 30 min walks every day then you are at the very least Lightly Active which should put you at the very least at 1330 calories per day without exercise and then eating calories back from your other cardio workouts.

tinkerbellang83

moadavou99 wrote: »

Honestly, I think 20 lbs is a little too much. 15, is achievable. Usually, the recommendation for a healthy weight loss is 2-2.5lbs per week. The best workout is honestly weight lifting, it increases your muscle mass which in turn burns calories over a longer time period than cardio, but it doesn't hurt to do both! Of course, as you say, eat clean, no processed food or added sugar (this includes stuff as white bread and pasta), and the walking is always good

For your calories, make sure you get enough to stay energized the whole day, don't eat too little if you do you can lose muscle mass. Sure, you have lost weight on the scale, but you want to keep your muscles as the muscles burn calories all the time. I know I personally can do on 1.200 a day (and I think it's odd because I should need more for all the workout I do), but as long as you feel good and get a lot of protein (to keep the muscle mass) you're good! You can count your calorie burn if you would do nothing for a day (metabolic rate), don't forget to add all movement to that, digesting and so on also burn calories. If you eat a 500 deficit a day they estimate that you lose 2 lbs a week.

And don't take energy boosters! You should eat so you feel energized. Try to eat more small meals if you are tierd between them. Also, eat before and after a workout (ideally, I cheat on this...). Questions? There is a lot to this weigh thing! And I wish you all the luck and OMG you're getting married! Congrats!

OP will not add muscle mass when in a large deficit, strength training will help maintain muscle mass but not increase it without a calorie surplus, particularly in women, who have lower amounts of testosterone.

There is nothing wrong with eating processed foods or added sugar in moderation, nor is there anything wrong with bread or pasta and it makes little difference to fat loss.

A 500 calorie deficit will not equate to 2lb loss per week, it equates to 1lb loss per week (1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories divided by 7 days = 500 calories; to lose 2lbs per week you'd need 1000 calorie deficit).

Eating before/after workouts is a personal preference.

kimny72

flirtingwithyou wrote: »

Hey everyone! So, I’m wondering if you think it’s achievable to lose 15 to 20lbs by April 30th? I do low impact exercise due to a hurt knee, cardio & aerobic. Also do what toning I can. I walk 30 minutes twice a day everyday, and eat clean. No junk or soda, count calories so I’m staying within 1,200 most days. Other days I eat a little less. I’ve been on my weight loss journey but fell off due to some things coming up but I’m back on and currently 205lbs, and stand at 5’6. I’m getting married on the 30th so I’m not only trying to look better but feel better. Do you have any suggestions to help aide in weight loss? Energy booster? Etc? Anything helps. Thank you so much!!

The absolute most you should expect to lose is 2 lbs per week, so 12 lbs at the most. But as @tinkerbellang83 asked, when are you deciding what you are wearing? You don't want to lose much weight after you determine your outfit fits, and you don't want to get something too small, not manage to lose enough weight, and be miserable all day stuffed into something too small.

There are no diet supplements that are worth the risk. And losing faster than 2 lbs is also not worth the risk, unless you're cool with being hangry and fatigued for your wedding. Losing fast will probably not have you feeling better on April 30! And weight loss isn't linear, some times you'll have a week or two here or there where you won't lose weight, even if you're doing everything right.

If I were you, I'd set myself to 1.5lbs per week and lightly active, log accurately and consistently, eat all the calories MFP gives me (and a minimum of 1200 so I didn't end up feeling like crap), continue my walking, and look forward to a wonderful day regardless of the number on the scale. Congrats!