Weight loss time

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megdrey
megdrey Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What is a realistic amount of time to loose 50 lbs? I work out twice a week and eat (try to eat) 1200 cals a day.

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  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,022 Member
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    About a year.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    A year sounds about right, if you want to also have some kind of life. If you're really strict, you can cut that time down, but you have to completely change your lifestyle, and that's not for everyone. Also, don't pick 1200 calories out of a hat—find the calorie limit that is appropriate for you. At this stage of your weight loss, that calorie limit might be hard to stick to and might make you feel tired, etc. If you're going to make this investment in time and energy, do your research, and make sure your calorie deficit is appropriate for your age, gender, height, and current weight—and as your weight drops you'll have to recalculate. Also:

    1. Don't overestimate the number of calories you burn through calories.

    2. If you "eat back" exercise calories, you will easily see how overestimating your calories burned can lead to mayhem.

    3. Calorie deficit is EVERYTHING. It is the only thing you HAVE to get right. If you do nothing else, get this right.

    4. Exercise is optional. It's good for you, sure, but for weight loss it's optional. A lot of people don't want to admit it, but the sole reason they exercise is to "earn" calories that they can eat back. And that leads to overestimating calories burned, and you get the picture...

    5. Don't discount the calories from condiments, "healthy" foods, etc. Track all the calories, even the vegetables. I'm appalled that Weight Watchers apparently tells people they don't have to count vegetables. Count EVERYTHING.

    6. Don't deprive yourself any more than you have to. If you've got tons of willpower, great, go all out and change your life completely. But you don't have to become an exercise nut or a health food fiend to lose weight. You can be a couch potato who eats fast food, like me. I don't have tons of willpower to spare, so I focused on the one thing that matters, the calorie deficit. And it's working.

    7. Probably the most important thing after the calorie deficit: Don't give up. If you've got a craving for a specific food, try to work it into your calorie budget for the day. Don't put anything completely off limits, if you do, you'll go crazy thinking about it.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    A lot of people don't want to admit it, but the sole reason they exercise is to "earn" calories that they can eat back.
    This is not always true. Not everybody exercises just so they can eat more.

    Some of us exercise because it helps with muscle and joint stiffness that comes with age. If I don't exercise every day, even if it's just a walk, my body begins to ache. Losing weight has certainly helped with joint and muscle pain, but the exercise really makes me feel great. The reason I eat my exercise calories back is because i want to be healthy and not lose those last few pounds too fast. :smile:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    What is a realistic amount of time to loose 50 lbs? I work out twice a week and eat (try to eat) 1200 cals a day.

    A year is good. Follow the advice of the posters above me. :smile:
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    A lot of people don't want to admit it, but the sole reason they exercise is to "earn" calories that they can eat back.
    This is not always true. Not everybody exercises just so they can eat more.

    Some of us exercise because it helps with muscle and joint stiffness that comes with age. If I don't exercise every day, even if it's just a walk, my body begins to ache. Losing weight has certainly helped with joint and muscle pain, but the exercise really makes me feel great. The reason I eat my exercise calories back is because i want to be healthy and not lose those last few pounds too fast. :smile:

    :huh:

    Sure. Okay. :drinker:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    A lot of people don't want to admit it, but the sole reason they exercise is to "earn" calories that they can eat back.
    This is not always true. Not everybody exercises just so they can eat more.

    Some of us exercise because it helps with muscle and joint stiffness that comes with age. If I don't exercise every day, even if it's just a walk, my body begins to ache. Losing weight has certainly helped with joint and muscle pain, but the exercise really makes me feel great. The reason I eat my exercise calories back is because i want to be healthy and not lose those last few pounds too fast. :smile:

    :huh:

    Sure. Okay. :drinker:

    You know, I realize you don't like to exercise because you say that often, and not exercising is perfectly okay. I've not seen people make generalizations about people who don't exercise, but I see you making generalizations all the time about people who do exercise.

    It's true that exercise is totally unnecessary to lose weight, but since my choice is between exercising and not hurting and not exercising and hurting, I choose the former.

    How do I know exercise stops the pain? Because when I was this same weight and size, I did not move every day and I would wake up hurting. Now that I do some movement every day, I don't hurt anymore. That's enough for me. And, my doctor is very aware of all this.

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