Is this possible? 3-5 pounds by Christmas?

bananabrownie

(By the way, if you'd like to buddy up with me to do the above, send me a message! I need all the support I can get )

Hello!

I'm just wondering if you think my goal of losing 3-5 pounds by Christmas/New Year's is a reasonable one. This is my first time using calories to lose weight, and by that I mean tracking them. I'm just now discovering how unhealthy my diet is and how much I eat on weekends...here are some other questions I have for you all if you don't mind answering them!

(1) Does 1630 calories a day sound like too much or too little? I'll be exercising 2-3x a week on the elliptical and burning about 300 calories according to the machines and I also plan on maybe swimming in my local gym pool some laps for maybe 1/2 an hour or so on Thursday's.

(2) How do you guys prevent weekend binges? Today alone I've already eaten about ~2600 calories and it's only 2:45 PM! And don't even get me started on yesterday's mess.

(3) How do I keep from getting so hungry? I don't really know what to eat for breakfast. I feel guilty waiting the egg yolks, and I'm against using sprays (I don't see the point, if I just use oil it saves money as well since EVOO doubles quite nice as a salad dressing) so it's hard to find something filling BUT low calorie at the same time. I only drink semi skimmed milk by the way.

(4) Do I really need to snack a lot? Dinner's for me are normally 800+ calories and I can't imagine lowering that amount...

Thanks in advance! And I haven't gotten around to checking my profile yet or creating it even so if you need some information about my history then just ask here...thanks again!

Siobhan282012

You should def be able to lose 3-4 pounds before christmas, 5 weeks 1 pound a week.
Open your diary so i can see the sort of things you are eating to advise on how to stay full.
You can still have your yummy dinners by changing some of the ingrediants and watching your potions, also make sure you are eating lots of fruit and veg.

LIswimmer51

(By the way, if you'd like to buddy up with me to do the above, send me a message! I need all the support I can get )

Hello!

I'm just wondering if you think my goal of losing 3-5 pounds by Christmas/New Year's is a reasonable one. This is my first time using calories to lose weight, and by that I mean tracking them. I'm just now discovering how unhealthy my diet is and how much I eat on weekends...here are some other questions I have for you all if you don't mind answering them!

(1) Does 1630 calories a day sound like too much or too little? I'll be exercising 2-3x a week on the elliptical and burning about 300 calories according to the machines and I also plan on maybe swimming in my local gym pool some laps for maybe 1/2 an hour or so on Thursday's.

(2) How do you guys prevent weekend binges? Today alone I've already eaten about ~2600 calories and it's only 2:45 PM! And don't even get me started on yesterday's mess.

(3) How do I keep from getting so hungry? I don't really know what to eat for breakfast. I feel guilty waiting the egg yolks, and I'm against using sprays (I don't see the point, if I just use oil it saves money as well since EVOO doubles quite nice as a salad dressing) so it's hard to find something filling BUT low calorie at the same time. I only drink semi skimmed milk by the way.

(4) Do I really need to snack a lot? Dinner's for me are normally 800+ calories and I can't imagine lowering that amount...

Thanks in advance! And I haven't gotten around to checking my profile yet or creating it even so if you need some information about my history then just ask here...thanks again!

(1) 1630 sounds reasonable, 1 pound a week.
(2) Self control, Take green tea complex with hoodia, it helps with binging
(3) eat more fruit and vegetables they're very filling. Drinking water also helps a lot curbing your appetite
(4) Do breakfast, 1 morning snack, lunch, 1 afternoon snack, dinner, 1 evening snack.

LorinaLynn

3-5 pounds by Christmas isn't unreasonable, but by your ticker, you only have five pounds to lose. The bad news is that the last few pounds comes off the slowest, but the good news is that when you're this close to your goal, the number on the scale is pretty much meaningless. I'm 6-8 pounds heavier than I was last year at this time, but smaller.

Set your goal to lose a half pound a week, make sure you're getting more protein than MFP suggests (either customize your settings in your goals, or at very least look at the protein goal as a minimum to pass instead of a maximum to stay under), get regular exercise including strength training, and eat most of your exercise calories.

Track your progress through more than just the scale. Take progress photos, go by measurements or how clothes fit, and set fitness goals. That way, even if the number on the scale doesn't do what you want it to do, you can still see progress.

If you're not satisfied on the amount of food, reexamine what you're eating. A diet higher in protein and fat will keep you satisfied longer than one high in carbs. Open your food diary if you want suggestions.

alpine1994

1.) 3-5 pounds is the total you want to lose right? Like your ultimate goal? I think 1630 might work if you don't eat back exercise cals. I'm on 1400 and I eat back exercise cals 2 days out of the week only. I lose about 1lb per week. But if you're trying to lose about .5 lb per week, I think this sounds perfect for 3 lbs. Maybe lower a tiny bit if you want to hit the 5 lb mark? Like 1550 or 1500? Some people will definitely argue but this has what has worked for me. We are all built differently.

2.) Weekends are tough. You want to be social and almost 100% of the time, that involves food and/or alcohol! I make sure to ramp up my workouts on the weekends and let myself indulge a little bit. I still log everything and I try to make the best decisions I can, like having vodka and club soda instead of a heavy beer or a salad with grilled chicken instead of creamy pasta.

3.) Protein is your friend! It can be found in a lot of stuff: lean meats, yogurt, nuts, eggs, green veggies, etc. I am still working on this, but I make sure to make protein the focus of every meal. I hardly ever eat meals that include pasta, white potatoes or rice and instead eat more meat and veggies. This has really been a huge part of my weight loss.

4.) Why do your dinners need to be so big? You're probably not eating enough throughout the day. Making sure you eat enough will prevent you from coming home and eating everything in sight. I ALWAYS have to have an afternoon snack of greek yogurt. If I don't, dinner ends up being bad because I'm starving. Take a look at my diary if you want to see how I balance it all out.

Katla49

I've lost 12 pounds since October 15, so I think your goal is doable. Here is how I'm getting results:

1. I measure my portions. I bought dishers and a scale to help with this.
2. I log every bite and use the fitness pal summary to look at the nutrition.
3. I eat snacks when my hunger gnaws at me and log them. I found out that 10 almonds is only 70 calories.
4. I use exercise to "buy" more calories.
5. I log in here regularly for support. The people are great.

AnnofB

I've lost 12 pounds since October 15, so I think your goal is doable. Here is how I'm getting results:

1. I measure my portions. I bought dishers and a scale to help with this.
2. I log every bite and use the fitness pal summary to look at the nutrition.
3. I eat snacks when my hunger gnaws at me and log them. I found out that 10 almonds is only 70 calories.
4. I use exercise to "buy" more calories.
5. I log in here regularly for support. The people are great.

Good suggestions.

Do some reading up on nutrition. Lot's of sites online like WebMD and Prevention. When hunger stikes and you know that you aren't really hungry-drink a glass of water and do physical activity to distract yourself. Hope this helps.

EnchantedEvening

You have 6.5 weeks, so it's definitely do-able. Just keep in mind the last five pounds are very stubborn. You may lose about a half-pound per week, and THAT'S OKAY. You can still hit your goal.

toofatandy

Hi,

Sounds like you are eating foods that cause you too become hungrier, this is not accidental but a smart trick by the big food industries. They don't care how fat we are just as long we are buying their unhealthy products.

Add me as a friend if you wish and we can nut this out. Don't worry I have been thru alot before.

mrclark09

Everyone has some great suggestions on here. I have to ask though, do you know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate-calories burned while resting)? Google BMR and it will bring up many different sites for you to calculate this number. It gives you a base number to work with, then you add the number of calories you burn in your workouts. That number will be the total calories burned in one day, then if you want to loose 1lb/wk, just subtract 500 calories from that total number and that is what you should consume. If cutting 500 calories seems too much divide the 500 between cals in vs cals out (example: cut 250 cals and burn 250 cals). But keep in mind, the higher the intensity, the more calories you will burn, which mean you will have to up your calorie intake so you don't deprive yourself of nutrients. And also, WATER WATER WATER! Water helps flush the body of those nasty fat toxins and stretching is very important too. I hope this helps you in your journey. Best wished to you

LorinaLynn

4.) Why do your dinners need to be so big?

I don't think 800 calories is big. That's a small dinner for me. I'm usually closer to 1000-1200.

bananabrownie

Everyone I'm so sorry I just realized how to find out if people reply to your thread :O lol

-I eat large dinners because it's the only meal I get to eat with ALL of my friends, so I always try my best to enjoy it! I personally don't think of 800 as a large amount anyways, or at least it doesn't feel that way with all the laughing that takes place as I eat it

-Losing half a pound a week sounds fine with me! I prefer to lose weight slower anyways...I find that if I lose weight too fast (even when I first started) my energy levels plummet. It takes all my willpower not to drink 3+ cups of coffee when that happens haha

-3-5 pounds isn't my ultimate goal, but it's my current one. I like to work in baby steps...if I put my ultimate goal I'd feel like I'd NEVER get there since it's so far away you know? So no 3-5 pounds isn't my ultimate goal.

Thank you for all the support and great advice everyone! Please add me if you like I've going to set my diary to public in just a sec, but keep in mind that today was a REALLY bad today for me and I actually still have to finish the rest of my dinner...so my intake is really high. I'm determined to make this next week a much better one though! I just started logging today so there's nothing in my past but from what I remember eating, it wasn't all that great either so I don't think your missing much :P

Thank you all again for the help! I appreciate it soo much!!

Yogi_Carl

4.) Why do your dinners need to be so big?

I don't think 800 calories is big. That's a small dinner for me. I'm usually closer to 1000-1200.

How much of that is because you exercise though? I am male, 5'3", 52 years and about two stone body fat overweight and I would pile it on if I ate 1000 at a sitting. My total calories for a day is under 1400.

bananabrownie

I'm not sure if that's directed at me, but even if I don't exercise my dinner will still always be at least 800 calories. Don't know if it's the same for the other person but we'll see!

LorinaLynn

4.) Why do your dinners need to be so big?

I don't think 800 calories is big. That's a small dinner for me. I'm usually closer to 1000-1200.

How much of that is because you exercise though? I am male, 5'3", 52 years and about two stone body fat overweight and I would pile it on if I ate 1000 at a sitting. My total calories for a day is under 1400.

I never ate that low... not this time around, anyway. In the past, I did low cal. It didn't work for me. I'm convinced my success this time, in both losing and maintaining, is that I never trained my body to survive on minimal calories.

I ate 1350-1600 plus exercise calories, for a total of 1700-2000+, while I was losing. I lift heavy and run 3-6 miles NOW, but in the beginning, I wasn't nearly as active.

It's a matter of math. http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ My TDEE at my activity level is about 2300. At sedentary, it would be about 1600.

At heart, I would rather play video games than lift weights or run, but the ability to eat an extra 700 calories to day.... well, as far as deadly sins go, I'm a lot more guilty of gluttony than sloth. (For the record, I don't burn 700 a day through exercise, either.)

Colleen118

hecks matey, you could lose 3 to 5 by Thanksgiving if you track calories now! Completely doable and reasonable!

bananabrownie

Video games.
Oh my god video games.
I play WoW and I just got my resto druid an achievement (PvP one, which I suck at) I've been trying to get for weeks...ahh happiness!

bananabrownie

hecks matey, you could lose 3 to 5 by Thanksgiving if you track calories now! Completely doable and reasonable!

Really?!! Do you think? Urgh that'd be great! I have a party Friday though (alcohol will soo set me back...) which I'm a bit worried about thank you for your encouragement!

ashfuse

I'd eat more if you plan on working out.

Koldnomore

You say 5 is a mini-goal - great That makes it MORE possible. Depends how much in total you have to lose - if it's 100+ then you could lose 5 lbs in a week easily just by monitoring your calories. The less weight total you have to lose the slower it comes off - assuming you aren't trying to starve yourself because then you just stall..

So, based on your diary I will say that you are just starting - great work tracking! It's important to know what a 'normal' day looks like so that when people tell you to eat more you can have a 'baseline' to say ..well if I WAS eating 3500 cal a day then 2500 is not THAT much. And if you DO eat 3500 per day you WILL lose weight eating 2500 and you don't have to start so low.

I would highly recommend you figure out your BMR and make sure you are never eating less than THAT number. If you want help with it we will need more info. Your current weight and height would be really helpful.

joeysox

you can easily lose that! ive lost 176 and still lose an average of 1.3pounds a week, just dont get too carried away and make sure you drink plenty of water too x

Colleen118

hecks matey, you could lose 3 to 5 by Thanksgiving if you track calories now! Completely doable and reasonable!

Really?!! Do you think? Urgh that'd be great! I have a party Friday though (alcohol will soo set me back...) which I'm a bit worried about thank you for your encouragement!

Totally. I did look at your diary. Some concerns for today: you've allowed yourself 2 cupcakes during lunch. Why? Not trying to be rude, just that by allowing yourself one will give you back over 200 calories. Also cutting back on some of the healthier foods as far as the carbs. Replacing the processed carbs with more veggy carbs will significantly help. Based on what you are tracking nutritionally, I assume you aren't worried about sodium and sugar, but know that sodium can be a deal breaker for some people when they don't realize how much they consume. Since you consume lunch meats, be very careful the amount and drink a lot of water to help flush your system of the sodium more quickly.

Hunger could be an issue because of the types of foods you are choosing, in the portions you are choosing to satiate yourself. Increase lean protein, reduce processed carbs, and remember to love on the fruits and veggies.

and your PM snack at over 1,000 cal alone. we have to work on some better options for you. Are you jsut watching cals or what is your thought process so maybe we can make it work best for you?

bananabrownie

No don't worry, you don't sound rude at all!

This is my first day tracking...ever. I didn't actually know cupcakes had so many calories I mean I thought they were pretty low calorie, I guestimated 75 per cupcake without icing (because if you squish a cupcake down flat I figured it might be about the same size as a slice of bread) and then another 75 for the icing. It came as a shock to me when I logged this afternoon after lunch. No I'm not worried about sodium or sugar, my family has no health problems really other than a history of strokes so I don't see why I should.

Yeah I know my afternoon snack was quite huge. I have no classes today so I was basically just lounging around in the library all day with friends gossiping and what not. I'm watching fiber and calories, since I think fiber is important for staying full but that might be protein.

dutchman24

Lot of information missing. How overweight are you?? The more total weight you have to lose the easier the first weight will come off. If you're only overweight by 10 pounds or so, it's possible, but would be harder. First off fill out your profile, then open up your diary so others can see what you'er eating and how you're exercising. Adding a few friends will help give you the support and encouragement you will need...you can also see what works for them....

mercymarque

You can lose 3-5 pounds maybe even more by Christmas. In terms of the calories if that is what mfp set for you based on height, weight and age, yes that should be enough. Know that they have you on a calorie declined and you should be able to lose even without the exercise. Try to eat protein with ever meal, drink plenty of water before and after you meals. Try to eat clean (fresh, fruits, whole grains) as much as possible. In terms of snacking.. my room of thumb is anything 100 or less is good. Swimming is an exellent exercise that works the whole body. The elliptical is a great machine, that will give your a great cardio work out. Try to get your heart rate up and bring it back down throughtout your exercise, this will give you the best benefits. If you can get some walking it that would be great too. In terms of the weekends... my be some cleaning out of anything unhealthy. Find out why you over eat on the weekends... is it boredom and try to resolve those issues. Good luck on your journey.

magerum

Should not be an issue.

mercymarque

I just took a look at your dairy and I would probably start with cutting out some of the bread. Oatmeal is a nice filler for breakfast. Saralee 45 calories is a nice bread if you must have it. For me bread is a weakness... I have been weighing myself every morning to see how certain foods effort my weight, what bloats me and what makes the scale go in the right direction. Water is very key in weight loss. Know that every liquid you put in your body has calories. I try to use my calories on food. I will have a flavored, calorie free, sodium free drink for some variety. If I'm craving chocolate, have a nice workout and need to recover my muscles, feel a little stressed, I will have a half cup of lowfat chocolate mik. Outside of that I don't take in any unecessary calories. Increase your water intake. Strive for at least 8 cups of day. These are all suggestions. Also take a look at other's journeys to get idea of what is working for them or things to try, you may like something new and healthy.

bananabrownie

Mercy- thank you for the suggestions but I live in Scotland, where we do not have 45 calorie bread. And all the food/groceries are provided to me by my university (a truck shows up once a week with a whole bunch of food) so I don't know if it's possible for me to get a different brand than I currently get I only weigh myself every 2-3 weeks. And I only drink water most of the time, unless i'm at a party then it's alcohol and some diet soda. Thanks again!

Dutchman- I'm overweight but only by 5 pounds, so I'm so close to being a healthy weight but not quite there yet.

Colleen118

No don't worry, you don't sound rude at all!

This is my first day tracking...ever. I didn't actually know cupcakes had so many calories I mean I thought they were pretty low calorie, I guestimated 75 per cupcake without icing (because if you squish a cupcake down flat I figured it might be about the same size as a slice of bread) and then another 75 for the icing. It came as a shock to me when I logged this afternoon after lunch. No I'm not worried about sodium or sugar, my family has no health problems really other than a history of strokes so I don't see why I should.

Yeah I know my afternoon snack was quite huge. I have no classes today so I was basically just lounging around in the library all day with friends gossiping and what not. I'm watching fiber and calories, since I think fiber is important for staying full but that might be protein.

Tracking is a fantastic eye opener and will make you aware of things you weren't previously. Trust that. but don't let it bring you down either. Changing your lifestyle is like riding a bike, everyone falls in the beginning.

I am TERRIBLE about traacking now but mostly because my diet doesn't vary much anymore. My dinners vary BUT I know them well enough that whatever it usually ends up being, I know I am pretty safe. My breakfast is the same 6 days a week and usually an omlett the 7th because we have a family breakfast... I am a picky eater and I am also a self proclaimed chocoholic -- it is a drug to me. When I eat regular candy I almost always have a difficult time limiting it so I try exceptionally hard to stay away from them, giving myself blue diamond dark chocolate almonds as my sweet reward and literally counting the 24 for a serving.

That's not to say I don't have regular sweets and chocolate, It is just VERY rare because I know it's an affliction for me. I also know that my not eating if I'm not hungry is a slight issue as some days I don't eat 3 meals including snacks... like I said, we all fall on our journeys.

SO I have Activia Lite every morning and add Chia Seeds. The seeds are at GNC or can be bought on-line and are FABULOUS in more ways than making 4 oz of yogurt last until lunch without cravings or hunger :drinker: They are packed with Omega 3's and fiber. The gel they form assists with reducing sugar processing so it helps to keeps glucose down. These miracle seeds have also helped keep things "moving" much better than just adding the Activia.

Once in a while I will have fruit or celery with penut butter for a morning snack, it really depends on what time I roll around eating my yogurt. I JUST set my seeds in it as I was typing this.... no morning snack today and eating lunch will be a task as I won't be hungry.

Lunch will vary from Morningstar Grillers burger patties (2 with cheese, ketchup and musturd, no bun), to BLT wraps using leaf lettuce or low carb tortillas as the wrap. (I really prefer just using the leaf as the wrap though) :happy: , to a salad of any given variety from complex to almost plain. Sometimes I will have a cup of Cottage cheese with lunch, others maybe a cup of applesauce, most days I won't have anything other than descibed above.

Afternoon snack usually comprises of a slim Jim and/or Almonds. Sometimes both, sometimes neither, usually one or the other. Original Slim Jim, not the sugar packed flavored ones... WATCH YOUR LABELS. Be careful with almonds too... I prefer Blue Diamond oven roasted in sea salt and their Dark Chocolate. Cheaper and give you more per serving. PLUS oven roasted is important becasue regular roasted are actually roasted in Oil and will yeild higher calories, more sodium, and a smaller portion for a "serving".

Dinners vary but ALWAYS consist of corn, green beans, broccoli, caulioflower, carrots, asperagus... you get my drift VEGGIES in a big way. They are a must in my house. While my hubby will make a rice, pasta, or potatoe dish as well, I stick to my veggies of the non-potatoe vareity (rarely indulging in potatoes is my choice, again another RARE option for me but for a different reason than chocolate). I don't tend to select the bread either. Rolls and muffins aren't something I choose to indulge in because Iw ant them fattened up with butter and honey and goodness that adds calories I would put somewhere else. Protein is from sources of beef, chicken, turkey, fish, or seafood - whichever the meat is for the meal. I eat it. My husband is great about not frying foods and most is grilled, baked, or broiled. When I crave italian I throw turkey balls in a small amount of pasta sauce and don't have noodles.

IT's all about finding things that you can use to substitute things you don't need but rather want. I don't want to eat regular beef patties all the time so I substitute them using vegetarian ones (morningstar farms product are really good if you give them a fair chance. I was a vegetarian in HS and that was my intro to them. Even though I'm not a vegetarian any more, I still keep them in my diet.)