Possible??

Deb1971
Deb1971 Posts: 41 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to lose 50lbs by Christmas. Is this at all possible or am I setting myself up to fail?:ohwell:
I have a total of 80 lbs to lose to reach my goal. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Replies

  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    16 weeks.
    72lbs to go.


    I think it's a bit too aggressive.
    @ 2lbs a week, that is only 32lbs lost in 16 weeks.
    (Double checking math, counting fingers and toes and other countable items....)


    And if you have a week here or there (Halloween, Thanksgiving) where you don't meet goal, that sets you up to have to play catch up, which would be strenuous.

    I'm not saying it can't be done, but I think it's bit aggressive. :flowerforyou:
  • Mamakatspokane
    Mamakatspokane Posts: 3,098 Member
    That's a lot of weight! I tend to set my goals at a lb a week and more is bonus. Doctors will tell you no more than 2lbs a week. My personal opinion...it's not unattainable but what you would have to do to lose that much might not make your weight loss easy to maintain....You'd have to lose over 3lbs a week to hit 50lbs by Christmas which is 16 weeks away.
    I have found that taking it off slowly usually means keeping it off longer.
    Best of luck and just make sure you're keeping yourself healthy:happy:
  • PattyTheUndefeated
    PattyTheUndefeated Posts: 302 Member
    It's totally possible, but you have to put in ALOT, and I mean ALOT of effort into your workouts, because you can't lose 50 pounds just by cutting calories by Christmas. You need include a Cardio intense workout every day, including strength training every other day (weights, situps etc.). Your diet would need to be changed to include higher protein and lower carbs.

    I think It's totally possible, but not if you starve yourself. MFP puts a cap at two pounds a week because most people go about it by dangerous ways when they want to lose more than that. Rather than working out harder and/or longer, they go on dangerous diets. So please EAT! lol

    Good Luck :)
  • 9726172000
    9726172000 Posts: 428
    You are trying to lose around 12.75 pounds a month by Christmas. :noway: If you want to starve yourself it might be done (thats a big might). :noway: I wouldn't try it. :grumble: The thing is if you lose alot of weight all of sudden then you are setting yourself up to fail. meaning as soon as you start putting normal amounts of food in to your stomach you will gain the weight you had lost and even more back. You could try for 8 pounds a month and that would be a total of 30 pounds by Christmas. Please also remember that once October is here then the holidays are with us for almost 2-1/2 months. This is when alot of us will gain a very small amount of weight back. Try and look at this whole dietting thing this way. This is a lifestyle change that should stay with you for the rest of your life. You are changing old bad habits for new and good habits. Within the lifestyle change we learn to drink alot of water and eat good food, food that will help our bodies and not hinder it. We learn that with changing our eatting habits and excercise and recognising when we are full we can make ourselve healthier in the long run. This is only my own opion.
    Good luck in which ever way you deciede to lose the weight
  • vhardwick
    vhardwick Posts: 54
    That is too much weight to lose in such a short amount of time.
    I lost 45 lbs., but it took me 6 months to do it. I don't want to discourage you, but if you will lose an average of 1-2 lbs. per week then you will be more likely to keep the weight off-at least that is what I did!
    Sure, it would be nice be be at your goal weight by Christmas, but I think you should set a half way goal at Christmas and then try to be at your goal by spring.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    IMHO it all depends on where you are right now. But in general, unless you're morbidly obese, 3 lbs a week (which is about what that works out to be) is an unrealistic goal. Lauryn is right, I would shoot for a max amount of 32 lbs, and be happy with about 24 lbs which is 1.5 lbs per week. Trying to lose 50 lbs in 4 months is monumental and probably unachievable for the vast majority of people.
  • Shanta1983
    Shanta1983 Posts: 1,228 Member
    16 weeks.
    72lbs to go.


    I think it's a bit too aggressive.
    @ 2lbs a week, that is only 32lbs lost in 16 weeks.
    (Double checking math, counting fingers and toes and other countable items....)


    And if you have a week here or there (Halloween, Thanksgiving) where you don't meet goal, that sets you up to have to play catch up, which would be strenuous.

    I'm not saying it can't be done, but I think it's bit aggressive. :flowerforyou:

    I have to agree with my buddy Lauryn
    :flowerforyou:
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    16 weeks.
    72lbs to go.


    I think it's a bit too aggressive.
    @ 2lbs a week, that is only 32lbs lost in 16 weeks.
    (Double checking math, counting fingers and toes and other countable items....)


    And if you have a week here or there (Halloween, Thanksgiving) where you don't meet goal, that sets you up to have to play catch up, which would be strenuous.

    I'm not saying it can't be done, but I think it's bit aggressive. :flowerforyou:

    I have to agree with my buddy Lauryn
    :flowerforyou:

    I feel like her original post sounded like me --- is my goal unacheiveable? If so, please tell me, or when I fail to reach it, I will get disappointed and give up. (At least, that is what I would say!)

    Slow and steady is the way to keep the weight off. I'd love to lose my last 24lbs by Nov 11 -- my ten year reunion :noway: -- but I know I won't be able to do that, so I accept it and make smaller goals.

    Me personally, I'd rather attain a smaller goal and make my happy baby steps then fail on a large goal and feel horrible about it. :flowerforyou:

    PS- Check out Shanta -- she is ROCKIN' the weight loss!!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    really, nobody can say with 100% accuracy what you will or won't lose by Christmas. The amount you're talking about is considerable, and to be "done" by Christmas is probably pretty difficult.

    That said, You'll be a good way down the path by Christmas, and the difference will be VERY noticeable, so I say get on the program, get going, and by the time Christmas comes, you will be so happy with your new self that you will have plenty of motivation to keep on going, even if it takes longer.

    Go for it!
  • Shanta1983
    Shanta1983 Posts: 1,228 Member
    PS- Check out Shanta -- she is ROCKIN' the weight loss!!
    [/quote]

    No check out Lauryn she's stunning :flowerforyou:
  • busymom74
    busymom74 Posts: 3,341 Member
    I think it's totally possible to LOOK like you've lost 50 lbs by Christmas but to actually lose that much would be unattainable. I think if you work out enough you can lose enough inches that it would look like you lost a lot more weight than you did.

    Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:
  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member
    I think it's totally possible to LOOK like you've lost 50 lbs by Christmas but to actually lose that much would be unattainable. I think if you work out enough you can lose enough inches that it would look like you lost a lot more weight than you did.

    Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:

    I agree, you can totally LOOK like you've lost 50. GL! :flowerforyou:
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