I'm 242 pounds and 5'7 tall, and I need to shed a lot of weight before August.

sahil_johndrake

I've been doing calorie deficit for a week and have lost 1 or 2 pounds so far, but I need to lose more by August for a very crucial personal reason. Should I increase my cardio? Please provide ideas. Thank you ahead of time!

musicfan68

You lose weight by creating a calorie deficit, the easiest way to do this is to eat less. But, you need to set up MFP, set it to lose 2 lbs a week, and eat to that calorie level it gives you. It sounds like you have more than 50 lbs to lose, so you should be able to lose 2 lbs a week safely. But you also need to change your expectations. You will not safely lose a lot of weight in 1 month.

You can increase your cardio - it is good for your strength, and stamina, but be aware that you will see some water weight gain any time you start or increase exercise, so don't be alarmed if you gain a few pounds if you do this. Increasing cardio is good, but it won't necessarily make you lose weight faster. That is done by carefully counting calories and eating at a reasonable, healthy deficit.

FunkmasterRex

1. My barber used to have a sign that said "Lose weight, get a haircut." Getting a haircut will def lose you some weight. You can take that all the way down to bald.
2. Eat fewer calories but not so much that you'll collapse between now and August.
3. Exercise more but not so much that you'll become incapacitated in August.
4. Cut off some part of your body. You'll lose more if you cut off a leg than an arm as legs tend to weigh more.
Jokes aside, be safe and take care of yourself as you lose weight for your important personal event in August. Best to you and hope it all turns out well for you in August.

kenziestabes

Second what the first two have said. To be honest, although I don't know the crucial reason why you need to lose "a lot" of weight by August, trying to lose more than 10 pounds a month might not be a great idea. With the amount you still need to lose, you might be able to lose 10 pounds in the next 4 weeks safely, but that's with the understanding that one loses a lot of water weight when they first start working out and changing their diet. Don't forget to think beyond August as well!

sarazintom

If you lose a pound a week, you'll be down to 192 by August, 2023 Safe, healthy, realistic and more apt to stay off.

sollyn23l2

sahil_johndrake wrote: »

I've been doing calorie deficit for a week and have lost 1 or 2 pounds so far, but I need to lose more by August for a very crucial personal reason. Should I increase my cardio? Please provide ideas. Thank you ahead of time!

Yeah, you might reasonably expect to lose around 10 pounds by August. I'm really sorry, but fat doesn't care how important your personal reasons are. I would start looking for other options of dealing with whatever is going on that don't involve weight loss... tying weight loss to something really important, especially on a short time scale like that is a recipe for disaster.

kshama2001

When I was in the military I used to drop weight quickly for yearly weigh-ins. I won't share any of my strategies because that contributed to decades of yoyoing. I can't think of any "crucial personal reason" worth that.

I'm your height, have been your weight, and suggest you think slower and sustainable weight loss.

sophieboase3

If you over restrict yourself to lose weight for August there is likely to be rebound eating after this time leading to you gaining more weight than you lost.