Need to lose 17-20 lbs in 14 weeks

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bigfoot27
bigfoot27 Posts: 8 Member
in Challenges
Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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  • joanthemom8
    joanthemom8 Posts: 375 Member
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    Hi, I'll be 54 next month. I lost 19 pounds in about the same time period that you are looking at. I've been on MFP for years, but I could never break through 152 pounds. I was always on the high end of "normal" BMI to low "overweight" BMI. What really did it for me was two things: I gave up alcohol (I've been alcohol free for 6 months) and I follow the Target 100 plan, which among other things limits your carbs to 100 grams. These two things really made the difference for me. I've been a runner for a few years, but I didn't lose weight with just that. I still run, but now that I'm lighter, running is easier for me and my endurance is up.
    Good luck! 100 grams of carbs a day is very doable!
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Are you not going to be able to go on holiday if you don't lose at least 17 pounds? What kind of holiday has a weight limit?

    That is a loss of 1.2 pounds per week which may not be advisable if that is all you have left to lose. You would need to create a 600 calorie deficit and be true to it even during the holidays which would be a deal breaker for me.

    If there is no weight limit why don't you try to lose as much as you can between now and then without adding a lot of extra stress to the situation? Extra stress and deadlines usually just makes things harder.
  • bigfoot27
    bigfoot27 Posts: 8 Member
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    thank you for your reply I will bear in mind your comments thanks
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
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    People who make really strict deadlines for weight loss lean towards failure. When they don’t meet their deadline, they give up.

    Be a success story. Start logging, stay in a reasonable calorie deficit and enjoy the experience.

    Good luck with your journey!
  • Une_Poire
    Une_Poire Posts: 55 Member
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    Perhaps just use the goal setting in the app to get your starting point? It will figure it for you and won't let you set it to an unhealthy level. I think 1200 is usually the lowest it sets for women
  • andysport1
    andysport1 Posts: 592 Member
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    bigfoot27 wrote: »
    Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    So 20lbs X 3500cals = 70,000 calories
    14 weeks X 7 days = 98 days
    98 days X 2100 (maintenance calories) 205800

    So
    205800- 70,000 (to lose) = 135800
    135800 divide by 98 days = 1386

    Eat only 1386 calories a day and you'll achieve your goal, I don't think you'll enjoy your holiday though.
  • Une_Poire
    Une_Poire Posts: 55 Member
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    andysport1 wrote: »
    bigfoot27 wrote: »
    Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    So 20lbs X 3500cals = 70,000 calories
    14 weeks X 7 days = 98 days
    98 days X 2100 (maintenance calories) 205800

    So
    205800- 70,000 (to lose) = 135800
    135800 divide by 98 days = 1386

    Eat only 1386 calories a day and you'll achieve your goal, I don't think you'll enjoy your holiday though.

    I can imagine many reasons why someone might enjoy their holiday having achieved a weight loss. Perhaps they want to go hiking and it will be more realistic at a lighter weight, etc. I don't get the need to judge the fact that OP's goal is attached to a holiday, or to make predictions about the pleasantness of said holiday :(
  • 143tobe
    143tobe Posts: 620 Member
    edited November 2019
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    bigfoot27 wrote: »
    Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    I don't see a starting weight listed, but losing 17-20 lbs in 14 weeks sounds fully reasonable for someone who is even moderately overweight. You've come to the right place! I would use the app to set your daily calorie limit. Since you are looking to lose about 1.2 lbs a week, I would set your goal to lose 1.5 pounds a week and go from there. The person above did the calculations for you if you want a more exact number. I personally do not do well eating under 1400 calories a day. It's just not enough food for me whether I'm being really active or not. Still, I think 1400 calories is a good place to start and you can adjust it from there. I'm actually one of those people who do really well on a strict deadline as I usually need something "extra" to motivate me. I think having this upcoming vacation to help motivate you is a good thing! MFP has helped me lose 87 lbs and although I'm now at a healthy weight and BMI, I'm still losing. It's taken me years to get to this point, and some ups and downs, but it was always those special motivations that would keep me going or pull me back during those times my weight crept back up. Good luck! Adding friends helps with the journey, so find some posts and some like-minded people and send out some friend requests. Please add me if you would like. :)
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
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    It could be accomplished. But I think it really depends on how much weight in total the OP is overweight by.
    If OP is overweight in total by say 25 lbs at the most. Then chances of successfully losing 17 to 20 lbs are not in her favor.

    On the other hand, if OP is overweight by say 50 lbs, it is much more likely she can succeed.

    Also the walking will help a bit, but as we know even walking 2-3 miles per day does not burn all that many calories, again depending on how much one weighs to a degree.

    Agree, that the best chance is to use a food scale, weigh everything you eat. And log all food, and be honest about it. That will show are you really at the deficit you need to stay at to have the weight come off. Remember you could have a week or two where the scale either does not move at all, or very little and a week where a few pounds come off. Just keep logging and weighing all food. Good Luck on weight loss journey, as well as your Holiday.
  • 143tobe
    143tobe Posts: 620 Member
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    joanthemom8 wrote: »
    Hi, I'll be 54 next month. I lost 19 pounds in about the same time period that you are looking at. I've been on MFP for years, but I could never break through 152 pounds. I was always on the high end of "normal" BMI to low "overweight" BMI. What really did it for me was two things: I gave up alcohol (I've been alcohol free for 6 months) and I follow the Target 100 plan, which among other things limits your carbs to 100 grams. These two things really made the difference for me. I've been a runner for a few years, but I didn't lose weight with just that. I still run, but now that I'm lighter, running is easier for me and my endurance is up.
    Good luck! 100 grams of carbs a day is very doable!

    I like this idea. I was also on MFP for years but was unable to break the 153 plateau. The past two years I went low carb, and I feel like it's really made the difference for me personally (I believe that some people do better when they find a particular way of eating that works best for them). I'm finally in my (high) 120's (but back to the 130's for a stint after Thanksgiving ;) ) I'm also a runner and my body just functions really well and I feel good when I eat at around 75 grams or less of carbs per day. (My macros are set at 15% carbs, 60% fat, 25% protein and my calories are set at 1900.) When I do reach whatever my maintenance weight is, I might also up my total carbs to 100 per day. I love eating low carb foods (seriously, I'm in love with the cheese) but I also love carbs.
  • bigfoot27
    bigfoot27 Posts: 8 Member
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    andysport1 wrote: »
    bigfoot27 wrote: »
    Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    So 20lbs X 3500cals = 70,000 calories
    14 weeks X 7 days = 98 days
    98 days X 2100 (maintenance calories) 205800

    So
    205800- 70,000 (to lose) = 135800
    135800 divide by 98 days = 1386

    Eat only 1386 calories a day and you'll achieve your goal, I don't think you'll enjoy your holiday though.

    Trust me I Will !

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