Healthy, Fast Weight Loss Suggestions
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ernieb83
Posts: 8
I would like to lose 20-30 lbs by Christmas. Last Christmas, my grandfather made comments to my mom about my weight gain and she told me about it and now I'm stressing out, because I've gained 10 more since. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this quickly yet healthy? I've started trying to eat more natural foods (majority of my diet is fruits, veggies and protein) and exercise. I would def appreciate any more suggestions though! Thanks everyone!
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Replies
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you might do some research on Juicing.
But honestly, I don't think it is a sustainable lifestyle. You might want to just try to do it the more traditional "non gimmick" way and focus on the long game. If you start now, you could easily lose 10 to 15 pounds, then by next Christmas be that new self you are seeking.
eating and weight is a long term thing, so quick fixes usually don't work over that longer period. In other words, there are probably some extreme measures you could take in the next six weeks, but you will likely end up right back where you started before next Christmas rolls around.0 -
you might do some research on Juicing.
I really need to know when "Juicing" started referring to actual liquid diets rather than steroids... I keep seeing this and am like "Did they just suggest steroids?!" lol.0 -
You want to lose approx 1/2lb a day? I don't think there is a good way unless you are morbidly obese.0
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Gosh, that's an aweful thing to say, even if he didn't mean to be hurtful. I agree with bradwwood, I think Juicing can help, but I wouldn't try and live on it. I'm a big protein fan, so powdered protein in with your smoothies or milk in the breakfast will help some as well. Try to eat your meals where the high calorie carb items are the smallest portion and eaten last. Then you're full and aren't tempted to overeat. Good luck!0
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thats a whole lotta weight to lose by Christmas and the only real way to do that is to go on a starvation diet...which is unhealthy and doesnt produce lasting results...
why not set your goal a little lower and adopt healthy habits instead that will take you through the New Year on a healthy start...0 -
This is a pretty unrealistic goal. You cannot lose that much weight that quickly and do it "healthy."
Instead of focusing on the amount of weight you'd like to lose, continue to focus on eating more healthily and getting in some exercise. Buy yourself a flattering top, and project confidence in yourself......and Gpa "be damned" (and any other family members who want to make comments). Ten pounds by Christmas may be doable, but don't starve yourself trying lose 30 pounds that quickly.
Weight loss is about YOU, not about a family member.
RE juicing -- I had a cousin try it for three weeks, and she gained 6 pounds -- got in the nutrients, but none of the fiber that would have come with actually eating the fruits and veggies. I've no experience with it, but that is what she found.
Kaye0 -
losing weight fast will not be healthy. just start eating clean and exercise 5 times a week incorporating cardio with weight training. in order to lose that much weight by christmas you would have had to start a few months ago
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oh yeah, I forgot to say you shouldn't get hung up on what family says. I'm sure it is out of love, but still, you are who you are and they need to accept that.
as far as Juicing, my only personal experience is hearsay, so I'm not suggesting based on anything I've done.0 -
Set realistic goals, replace inactivity with activity and eat the right foods. I found replacing driving with Cycling helped alot and walking instead of quick trips in the car!0
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You really need to focus on losing weight for yourself to be healthy, not for Grandfather, mother, etc.... You need to lower your weight loss goal to be more realistic so you are not setting yourself up for failure or to be unhealthy by attempting to eat too little or try some fad.0
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Your ticker says you want to lose 35 pounds. Unfortunately there is no healthy way for you to lose 20-30 pounds in just over a month. 10 maybe. If you do manage to lose it you will most likely put it right back on because your method won't be sustainable.0
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I feel you're going about this all wrong...You are looking for a quick fix and the majority of people on this site are not about a "quick fix"...But another reason you are going about this all wrong is your motivation for this is a mean thing your grandpa said and it isn't coming from within yourself to change yourself...So what happens after Christmas, you go back to unhealthy ways til you need to see your grandpa again?
Yes, what he said was hurtful, but he probably said it out of care because he is worried about your health first and foremost and now you are seeking an unheatlhy way to drop a lot of weight in about 6 weeks, a month and half.
You need to find the desire to make this "lifestyle change" within yourself and first and foremost be doing it for yourself or you will fall flat on your face quickly and lose all movitation and give up...You have to want it more than anything then you've ever wanted, and that is the foundation to success.
Start with getting some daily exercise, 30-60 minutes everyday weather it's a simple walk around the block, an exercise video, or a workout in the gym...Use the food diary and log everything, be honest with yourself and stick to the calorie goal alloted to you by MFP based on your desired weight loss (which should not exceed 2 pounds a week).
I know this is not the answer you wanted to hear (if you even read this far), but you are just not taking a realistic approach to this.0 -
I did a juice fast for about 30 days and it was the HARDEST THING I have ever done. I think overall I did lose about 20 pounds and did keep it off. The likelyhood though that you are able to do it for that long is very slim, as most people cut into cravings even on the 1st day. I would suggest juicing in the morning, having nuts for a snack, smoothie for lunch, and then a salad for dinner. You still get good amount of calories in per day without putting your body in starvation mode and your body can easily digest this.
I would WORKOUT WORKOUT WORKOUT. I mean, seriously. If you are wanting to lose that much weight that fast, you will have to hit the gym everyday, for probably a couple of hours a day. I dont know what your weight is at, which also makes a HUGE difference.
Hope this helps0 -
Just practice saying -without rolling your eyes or gagging
"Grandpa I agree with you that I need to be more healthy. That's why I have been focusing on eating right, getting plenty of exercise and becoming a healthier person. I have been working hard on that goal for the last month and I know I can count on your support through the months ahead. And I do appreciate that you care and can see me for more than the number on the scale. What a great family we have." Then just focus on a healthy, long term adjustment in your life of eating healthy & getting more exercise. 0 -
I would like to lose 20-30 lbs by Christmas. Last Christmas, my grandfather made comments to my mom about my weight gain and she told me about it and now I'm stressing out, because I've gained 10 more since. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this quickly yet healthy? I've started trying to eat more natural foods (majority of my diet is fruits, veggies and protein) and exercise. I would def appreciate any more suggestions though! Thanks everyone!
You can't really make it happen faster.
Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
To say eat more is wrong.
To say eat less is wrong.
To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.
All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.
Also people play mental accounting games with calories just like with finances. Make steps to make sure you are making accurate measurements. Packaged foods can have MORE than they say but not less (they get in trouble if less so they would rather error with MORE).
If you typically intake sodium at a certain rate your body adjusts, but if you make a sudden change then you will see a spike.
Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
It really is about calories. I tell people this all the time and they say "Well if calories are all that matter why do you eat so clean???!!" Well, because it makes me feel better, sleep better, and perform better at my sports.
Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.What is the exact number of calories for you?
We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.
In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.
This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.
-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)
The good thing is you don't have to worry about the starvation mode myth if you are fat. Only skinny people have to worry about starvation mode. It does not mean you have the capability to eat at a large calorie deficit if you have emotional eating disorders or other issues going on, but at least you don't have to be afraid of it anymore.
The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.
At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].
-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)
Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.
Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.
Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.
If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.
My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.
There is nothing easy about this journey. Don't give up. Keep your eye on the prize. You do not have to be perfect to do this. You just have to have more good days than not. A bad day is not the end of the world. Tomorrow is a new day. Just pick it right up again. Be kind to yourself at all times and never beat yourself up.
Being on a calorie deficit is hard. You can't do this journey on will power alone. You must set up your environment for success. Have a team around you in your real life, not just online. Get trigger foods out of the house. It will take some sacrifice and it's not easy. You might have to say no to some social events sometimes.
For me it's all about a calorie budget. I had less of a budget available when I was losing weight, more to spend now that I'm maintaining and all the tools I used for weight loss come into play for the rest of my life maintaining.
When you have accumulated excess fat, you have accumulated a debt. It is hard to pay off the debt (you have less calories to spend). If you are sitting next to someone your same gender and height and they are not overweight and you are, they get to eat more than you (have more calories to spend) because they are debt free. You have less calories to spend because you are paying off your debt.
Wishing you the best! -Bobbie0 -
You really need to focus on losing weight for yourself to be healthy, not for Grandfather, mother, etc.... You need to lower your weight loss goal to be more realistic so you are not setting yourself up for failure or to be unhealthy by attempting to eat too little or try some fad.
^^^ This.
You asked for fast, healthy weight loss tips: no such thing with the goals that you have. Even the weight that they lose on the biggest loser is not technically healthy (and they have an army of doctors and specialists to deal with the ramifications).
Set realistic goals... like the 4th of July.0 -
If you wanted to lose 30 pounds by Christmas, you should have started last winter. I am not saying this to be mean but to point out that your goal is unrealistic. No one gets fat overnight nor do they lose weight overnight. You are either in it for the long haul or you will lose it in an unhealthy manner and get stuck in the vicious (and unhealthy) circle of the losing/gaining yo-yo.0
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Even when I was 150lbs overweight I couldnt lose that much that quick. I think you should concentrate on losing 1, maybe 2lbs a week and working out regularly. You might not be 30lbs lighter by the holidays but you will FEEL BETTER about yourself. knowing that you are on the right track will make you less depressed about what others think. Your grandfather can think what he wants and you cannot control that. But you can control yourself and that is all that matters.0
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my advice..stay away from your family over the holidays..what a sucky thing to say to a person! I personally would not even recommend trying to lose that much by then. Start doing it the right way and stay away from them or wear bigger clothes.
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Thanks everyone. I've actually already lost 3 lbs this week by changing my habits. Working out and eating habits combined. I am going to aim for 2 lbs a week. Seems more realistic. It's time I get my groove back! Hopefully by Summer I will be able to rock a cute bikini instead of a skirted tankini haha Thanks again!0
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