How to lose 4 pounds per week for 6 weeks?

ximenavictoriaxo

Hi guys!

First off, I'm sorry I know this is totally unhealthy but I'm already extremely overweight for my height (5'0"), starting weight 191 lbs (yesterday), currently 189 lbs. I'm starting a 6-week challenge which would require me to lose 25 pounds or 6% body fat. I wonder what has helped people lose weight in this short amount of time?

I am putting myself on a 1200 calorie diet, which I think it's fine considering I should probably get used to eating smaller portions and increase my protein intake.

I'm planning on doing 3 intense workouts (45 min kickboxing), and 2 regular workouts (30 min weights and cardio) per week. So I get 2 days of rest, I wonder if I should be working out everyday, but prob not otherwise I won't be able to workout next week.

Also, I had blindly accepted this challenge. So oops, this happened to be one of my impulse buys where I placed $500 deposit for this challenge, so if i reach this goal I'll be able to get a refund for this.

I'll be drinking 2 protein shakes a day (25g protein, 1g sugar). I only know the methods that have worked for me in the past, but I have never attempted to lose weight in such a short amount of time. I am inclined to believe that I just might be able to reach it since I have a lot of weight to lose, so it might be easier to lose the first 20 pounds. Looking for any advise~ Thank you!!

Dogmom1978

It’s not healthy and you shouldn’t do it. It’s also unrelealistic and you are just setting yourself up for disappointment when you inevitably fail miserably.

Sorry. The truth hurts sometimes.

ALZ14

Other than cutting off an arm or leg (obviously not recommending this) there is little chance you can achieve that goal with anything resembling healthy habits.

I’m 5’3 and started at 196 and it has taken me 4 months to lose 30 pounds and I’ve been pretty aggressive.

Your long term health isn’t worth trying to win that challenge. Try to get your money back.

stickyniki1

Be careful, be patient, and be nice to yourself. Seriously.

I'm an obese person, per my BMI, and it is very hard to count calories. And even harder to stay within the personalized recommendation of 1,800 calories. It takes time and discipline (retraining your habits) and PATIENCE WITH YOURSELF. Being impatient with yourself will only get you frustrated and get you off track.

Let the money go and consider it a lesson learned. Stay healthy!

AnnPT77

To lose 4 pounds a week, you have to eat 2000 calories fewer every day than you burn, on average. At your current size, with the activity/exercise level you specify (but not knowing your age), you'd probably burn somewhere around 2200-2400 calories per day.

So, you'd need to eat 200-400 calories (total) each day for the 6 weeks, while keeping up daily life and that exercise schedule (which is aggressive in itself, if you're a relative exercise novice). The protein and sugar in your 2 protein drinks (total of 50g protein, 2g sugar, accounting for both, if I'm interpreting your post correctly) will amount to at least 208 calories, assuming the protein and sugar are the only thing in the drinks. You need some fats, and micronutrients, on top of that. If you eat 1200, you'll lose around 2-2.5 pounds per week, maybe.

As I do the math, you can't lose 4 pounds a week and get even remotely adequate nutrition. You can expect to get weak and fatigued. Assuming you keep it up, a few weeks later, you'll probably lose hair, get brittle nails. You will be lucky if you don't cause a much more dangerous health crisis, with things up to heart failure and beyond being among the possibilities.

I'm not trying to be mean to you when I say this. This is just the math, and some implications. IMO, this was not a very good bet. Sacrifice your health for $500? I wouldn't.

stevehenderson776

This isn't a healthy way to lose weight.

Can you please explain how this $500 challenge works? You get a refund if you make it, but lose it if you don't? Is this a commercial "service?" A bet between friends? So best case scenario is you win $0, worst case scenario is you lose $500. I don't understand what your motivation is for doing this. It seems like a scam. Somebody explain this to me.

threewins

I don't believe you can lose 4 pounds a week. However, can you lose 6% body fat?

Let's do the maths. 6% of 191/2.2 = 5.2 kg (sorry Americans). That's a lot less. That's equal to 158,600 KJ or a deficit of 352 large apples. Or 129 hours of walking at 5.0 km/hr, or 53 hours of running at 7.5 km/hr. Or a combination of deficit and exercise.

So yes, I believe that it's possible to lose 6% of body fat. I would not have taken the bet because I am good at half-donkeying things but I admire your courage and I wish you well in your challenge.

Diatonic12

You're gambling with your health. It's close enough and the impact is close enough. Finding our pathway to health is based on persistence and not luck by pushing it to the razor's edge.

Chaos is living in a body that fights to survive with a mind that tries to defy it every step of the way.

lorrpb

This goal is not realistic. So sorry buoy got sucked in.

threewins

Am I the only one who read the 6%?

lgfrie

stevehenderson776 wrote: »

This isn't a healthy way to lose weight.

Can you please explain how this $500 challenge works? You get a refund if you make it, but lose it if you don't? Is this a commercial "service?" A bet between friends? So best case scenario is you win $0, worst case scenario is you lose $500. I don't understand what your motivation is for doing this. It seems like a scam. Somebody explain this to me.

It sounds like one of the weight loss betting sites like dietbet.com or healthywage.com . To use them, you put up money and at the end, you could make a very small profit, but 85-90 % of users lose their entire wager (i.e. the initial deposit). The biggest complaint with those sites is that people say they got trapped in aggressive, unrealistic diets they couldn't execute.

To the OP. This isn't going to work, sorry. You're not going to lose 4 lbs a week for 6 weeks. It isn't just unhealthy; it's unachievable. You would need a 2,000 calorie per day deficit to pull it off. Assuming your TDEE (i.e. your "break even" calories) are 2,000-ish, you would basically have to either eat NO food for 6 weeks, or work off EVERY SINGLE CALORIE of what you eat with exercise. Those are functionally equivalent - trying to do a net zero diet through absurd amounts of exercise is no better than just starving yourself. There's almost no point in talking about whether this is healthy because the main point is, it isn't going to happen. If you manage to do this for a few days, it'll lead straight to a binge. No way will you do this for 6 weeks, nor should you.

This is one of those times in life where it's appropriate to say to yourself "I made a mistake; it happens. I'm going to move on and not cry over spilt milk." Then get yourself on a sound plan, 1 - 2 lbs per week.

AnnPT77

threewins wrote: »

Am I the only one who read the 6%?

No, you're not, but I think that's not what it means. I think losing 6% of the body fat is probably something like dropping from 35% body fat to 29% body fat, or something like that. I don't think it's lose 6% of the body weight. We don't have the data to do the math for body fat, because she didn't tell us her current body fat %. Furthermore, commonly, weight loss is partly fat, partly lean mass (even under best conditions). It might be easier to lose the body fat, but without the data, who knows what it means, exactly.

stevehenderson776

lgfrie wrote: »

stevehenderson776 wrote: »

This isn't a healthy way to lose weight.

Can you please explain how this $500 challenge works? You get a refund if you make it, but lose it if you don't? Is this a commercial "service?" A bet between friends? So best case scenario is you win $0, worst case scenario is you lose $500. I don't understand what your motivation is for doing this. It seems like a scam. Somebody explain this to me.

It sounds like one of the weight loss betting sites like dietbet.com or healthywage.com . Unfortunately, while one is not required to enter into a "if I succeed I get nothing, and if I fail, I lose $$$" to use those sites, many people do approach it that way.

Seems rather predatory. Especially this particular case of it.

lgfrie

stevehenderson776 wrote: »

lgfrie wrote: »

stevehenderson776 wrote: »

This isn't a healthy way to lose weight.

Can you please explain how this $500 challenge works? You get a refund if you make it, but lose it if you don't? Is this a commercial "service?" A bet between friends? So best case scenario is you win $0, worst case scenario is you lose $500. I don't understand what your motivation is for doing this. It seems like a scam. Somebody explain this to me.

It sounds like one of the weight loss betting sites like dietbet.com or healthywage.com . Unfortunately, while one is not required to enter into a "if I succeed I get nothing, and if I fail, I lose $$$" to use those sites, many people do approach it that way.

Seems rather predatory. Especially this particular case of it.

I edited my post b/c my wife pointed out that there is a handful of people who do get a payoff greater than their initial investment. However, there's not many of them, the payouts are stingy given the risk, and I do agree the whole thing is predatory.

zackpeters

I would make sure your protein is 100-120g. Fat anywhere between 20-25% of calories, then fill in remaining cal with carbs. 1200cal is a bit low but with protein controlled, you should be ok. One refeed day a week should also be utilized. An extra 50g of carbs should be sufficient.

tiptoethruthetulips

lgfrie wrote: »

stevehenderson776 wrote: »

It sounds like one of the weight loss betting sites like dietbet.com or healthywage.com

It certainly isn't a dietbet game, they are fairly generic 4% in four weeks or 10% over six months, there are no prescribed diets or exercise plans, players set their own weight loss and/or exercise program. I have participated in a few, won a few and loss a few (through my own doing). Currently doing two six month games, doing good so far, four months in on one and two months in on another.

PAV8888

It's probably a scam gym membership. Fight with consumer protection and better business bureau complaints

Math says you either cheat on your before and after weigh ins using water weight manipulation, stuff a few bars of metal in your bra, or you need a TDEE in the 4k plus range and (still having to apply) an absurdly high percentage deficit!

missysippy930

It is a pretty safe bet that you can’t achieve it in this short amount of time. It’s possible with a severely obese person, under a physicians care, but you’re no in that category. Why the hurry? You didn’t gain 25 pounds in 6 weeks. Why not concentrate on just losing safely over time and avoid failure, or any unanticipated health risks.

NovusDies

To lose 4 pounds a week from your current starting weight you would need to gain about 350 pounds first.

You might still be tempted even after all the warnings you have received. If so consider any other responsibilities you may have that will be severely impacted by this plan. I do not believe it will hurt your health because I believe your body will either force you to eat or shut down so much that you are too miserable to continue.

The problem is that initially you may feel euphoric. You may think it is the greatest plan ever. The crash happens soon after. The first thing that will go is your mood. You will be in a perpetually bad mood. You will have little to no patience. You will feel bad and you will lash out at small things that you might otherwise ignore. Everyone around you will suffer too.

If you are able to sustain it that is also not good news because it might suggest you are disordered and in need of treatment.

As @AnnPT77 points out to lose the amount of weight you need to lose you will basically have to fast for the length of time you need. Abandon this completely. Lose your weight sensibly and sustainably and manage yourself properly during and for the rest of your life.

Go_Deskercise

$500 impulse buy in the middle of a pandemic - that's a bold move lol

Just for comparison as I am one of the people that use DietBet (and Stepbet) for motivation....

I am in 3 games right now. 2 of them were a $35 buy-in and 1 was $30 - so $100 invested.
The goal: Lose 4% in 4 weeks - for me that's right around 4-5 lbs
Still very difficult since I am very close to my goal weight.

I can't imagine trying to lose 25lbs in 6 weeks with $500 on the line...
Maybe you can get your money back?
Dietbet does have a refund policy if you used them but it doesn't sound like you did.

age_is_just_a_number

Welcome!!!
Congratulations for taking your first steps toward a healthier you. Unfortunately, I agree with most of what the previous responders have said.
- there is no magic pill
- At your starting weight, there is no healthy way to lose t4 pounds per week consistently for 6 weeks.
- Going from little to no exercise (sorry, I made an assumption there) to three workouts a day is a recipe for discouragement, poor form and injury
- The proven successful method for weight loss is being at a caloric deficit.
- typical weight lose is 1 to 2 pounds per week. And it varies every week with ups and downs.

You’ve found a great app and community to improve or maintain your health and fitness. Don’t think of this is a short term program or a diet, rather think of it is a lifestyle to a healthier you.

We are all here to help each other out and provide inspiration or motivation.

You may find it beneficial to start more gradually, so that small changes, over time, add up to results:
- make a small sustainable change eg., if you like to drink pop, then switch that out for water or sparkling water with lemon or lime in it.
- Once you’ve adjusted to that change then make another small sustainable change eg., if you like to eat rice, switch that out for brown rice
- Track what you eat
- Monitor your macros
- Monitor your metrics (weight and measurements)
- Then adjust as needed
- As you lose weight, your body is going to change, not only in appearance, but also in how it reacts to different foods.

You’ve made a fantastic first step by logging into MFP.

We are all here to support each other.

ninerbuff

So safe weight loss is 1% of your body weight weekly. You're planning to do double that and in 6 weeks. Not to mention you really didn't plan this out, so impulse might hold you for the first week or 2, but once you weigh in that 3rd week and only lose say 2lbs, then what? You'll eat even less and be even more aggressive? You might just have to chalk up losing $500 cause while it may be doable, it's certainly not safe or healthy for you.
Put it this way, I train hard, have a good amount of muscle, eat a decent calorie deficit and it's taken 6 months to lose 40lbs.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

nanastaci2020

The basic math of it:

If eating 1200 per day then in order to lose 4 pounds per week, you would need to burn enough to have a 2000 calorie daily deficit. Meaning you would need to burn an extra 2000 daily beyond the 1200 you are consuming.

Your BMR is probably 1600-1650, and if your daily activity (job, hobbies not counting exercise) is fairly light then your total daily burn is probably around 2000-2100. So you'd need to burn 1200 in exercise. At roughly 100 cals burned per 1 mile walked: walk 12 miles a day? But to do that, you'd need more food/fuel to have the energy so then you'd probably need to walk 15-20 miles daily so that you could earn an extra 300-800 calories to keep going. But walking the extra 3-8 miles would require MORE energy, so another few miles to earn a few hundred more calories to keep going. And repeat.

This is why it is not a reasonable goal. In order to exercise enough to burn the extra large deficit, you need to eat into your deficit. Its kind of like a cat chasing its tail. Losing 1-2 pounds weekly, up to 1% of your body weight if you're over 200-300 pounds, is reasonable and safe. You may lose a few extra pounds in the beginning (water weight) but then it will level off.

SModa61

I'm sorry for the OP's situation, but I have appreciated getting to read the responses and the "why/how" of weight loss.

janejellyroll

Accept that your $500 is gone and use it as motivation to create a safe, healthy, and sustainable weight loss routine. In a year or so, the lost money will sting less because you'll have successfully worked towards your goal without hurting yourself.

eatyogarun

You might get lucky and have an initial big loss but it won't last. I am a bit taller than you. I am on week 4 of my current weight loss effort and I have lost 16 pounds so far. Will I lose nine more over the next 2.5 weeks? I highly doubt it. I already see it slowing down. My weight steadily declined until last week when it "stalled" until I dropped 2 more pounds today and I imagine that will be my pattern from here on out. I'd chalk the $500 up as a loss (unless you have some way to get it back) but don't give up on your efforts!

ximenavictoriaxo

Oof. This challenge I’ve accepted from a kickboxing gym. So they’ll require that I attend 3 sessions per week and meet with a nutritionist/coach my 3rd and 6th week for the weigh-in. So it’s whatever comes first the 25lbs or 6% body fat, I’m focusing on building muscle instead so I hope to meet the body fat percentage. I actually forgot what my body was but I believe it was prob around 34-35%. I’m 27 and I hope I at least come close to losing 15 pounds. I was 165lbs a few months ago before quarantine, so I hope to bounce back to that weight and start weight lifting.

I didn’t think it was gonna be that bad, considering that years ago (when I was at 150 lbs), I did an all-liquid diet under the supervision of a doctor. They called it “medical weight loss”, they charge $1,500 to put you on 500 calorie plan 🤦🏻‍♀️


My 3rd day of the challenge and I’m already down 4.4 lbs. I have no pre-existing health condition so I hope to keep it that way. Of course I don’t want to keep this up in the long run. 😭 Thanks for the advise everyone.

nanastaci2020

Sounds like a good way for the gym to make easy money. Check the fine print/terms. Speak to management about the unhealthy objectives perhaps??

Go_Deskercise

All I ask is that you come back after the challenge and give us an update about how you did please!!!

Diatonic12

That 500 cal diet has been around for some time but many people were taken to the cleaners using HCG drops to go along with it. It was quackery.

This one is rigged as others have said. It's not going to happen and they know it. It's crooked.

missysippy930

Wow, your gym is promoting very unhealthy practices. $500.00 is a big incentive. What did they record your body fat as?