Is this realistic or am I just too much of a dreamer?

98by2014

Hi there, I'm a girl in her late teens who has pretty much always been overweight. I'm at the highest weight I have ever been after gaining weight after trying a fad diet (the ABC diet to be precise... I lose 40lb in a month and gained it plus 20lb back in a month, too, sigh).

I'm 5ft and 201lb currently but I kind of want to get down to about 7 stone by the time that 2014 comes around and I thought that the start of 2013 would mean the start of a new healthy lifestyle. I want to eat healthier and also want to aim to do 4 or 5 20 minute to half hour work outs a week which I can do from home (I can't afford a gym membership plus I find it embarrassing at this weight).

What I'm really wondering is, though, if it would be realistic for me to try to get down to around 120lb by the time that June comes around (so in six months from the time of posting)? Or should I set myself a more realistic goal?

Thanks!

george29223

too much too fast it will be risky to gain back slow and steady it will give you time to adjust your lifestyle for life long weightloss and being able to maintain this isnt a race

meshashesha2012

What I'm really wondering is, though, if it would be realistic for me to try to get down to around 120lb by the time that June comes around (so in six months from the time of posting)? Or should I set myself a more realistic goal?

Thanks!

you said it right here

happypopmelon

you shouldn't aim to lose more than 2lb a week as this is a healthy amount for your body to deal with and it will allow yourself to adjust to a healthier lifestyle change. if you try to lose too much too quickly you will probably gain it again as you have learnt. don't aim too high as it's easier to throw in the towel if you go off track. i think realistically and healthily you could aim to lose 52lb in 26 weeks (6 months). good luck :-) x

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

2 lbs per week is considered a safe amount. That means 8 lbs per month. Set realistic goals so you'll be more likely to stick with them.

quirkytizzy

The ABC diet is not a fad diet, it is a pro-ana diet. It's even short for "Ana Boot Camp". It takes calorie cycling ( a mostly reputable idea) to dangerous levels by making someone attempt to lose weight by restricting to 100 to 500 calories a day. I don't know if you have had disordered eating habits prior to this (it's the kind of thing that if you don't have an eating disorder going in, you will coming out), but it would most certainly set you up for unrealistic and unhealthy weight goals when eying plans in the future.

Please be careful with your body. Calorie cycling can be very useful - but only if you set it up healthy and with patient goals.

traceytwink

Losing slowly is always the best way you will find it easier to keep the weight off if your body gets used to small losses, also try buying a workout DVD, davina my three 30 minute workouts are a great starter and they really do work, try aiming for smaller goals treat yourself to something nice for every 7 lb you lose and by nice I mean buy yourself a new nail polish etc. good luck with your weight loss believe in yourself you can do it x

cwolfman13

2 Lbs a week max! You shed it slow and low and that's the best way to go (my personal recipe for good BBQ and weight loss). Do that and you'll learn proper nutrition as well as losing the weight along the way. It's good to set a goal...but I'm not one for time goals...time goals de-rail so many people. Just go slow and I promise you that you will enjoy life so much more.

teamstanish

A good mentality is that you didn't put the weight on in 6 months so you shouldn't expect to lose it in 6 months. Like everyone else has said, 2lbs a week is a safe goal. The more you focus on healthy lifestyle changes and LESS on the weight loss the more chance of success you have.

veggieluver2

Or should I set myself a more realistic goal?

^^I think you already know the answer.^^

geebusuk

2lbs a week is the 'accepted wisdom'. But it's also a vast over-simplification as with so much nutrition advice - designed as a basic 'easy' figure for an 'average' person.

From what I have seen (and in no way suggesting this is true - for a start, people are different and we don't even that well know how the 'average' works) you're more likely to be able to lose more fat at the start. However, the closer you get to a low body fat percentage, the slower you should take it.
However, be aware that you will likely be losing some muscle too - if you manage to keep the muscle which you have which carts around an extra 100lb, you'll be in pretty good shape when you lose it.

Just, say, cycling with a 25lb bag of dog food up the hill home from town was noticeably harder. Well explains why I don't sweat cycling up that hill now when I always used to.

Finally - 7 stone is pretty light. My dog weighs a little over that!

Remember - calories in vs calories out.
Walking and running can also be done 'for free'.
For me, cycling instead of driving was a good way to burn calories and I found often was actually quicker around town than driving and parking up etc!

MemphisKitten

It IS realistic, but instead of making a 6 month goal, it might be better to make a lifetime goal to stay at 120 lbs when you reach it. I think if you set smaller goals, like 10 lbs in January, then set for Feb, March, etc. and see what you are able to stick to for a plan would be a better idea. Good luck to you!

meerkat70

Realistic is always best. And yes, 7stone (98 lbs) seems very light, even for someone as petite as you.

Bear in mind too that the 2lb a week guideline is an average. For someone relatively small, it might be sensible to drop this down to a lower weekly loss goal (since weightloss should be set proportionately, not in absolute terms).;

Please steer clear of the ABC type stuff. Look after your body.

Taem2

I believe you can do it.

However, perhaps just meeting your goal is short-sighted. Maybe this time, while you are dieting, you will learn about making better food choices, and create a maintenance plan as well (as you get closer to your goal).

There are a lot of stories here where people, lose, then quit their diet and then regain. Maybe a dietary lifestyle and exercise regime will benefit you (so stop thinking short term weight loss) and think total transformation for life.

What you value is what you will be.

Find and achieve your VICTORY! (and you have to say it that way).

That said, I'm going for my 10 run in the Chicago winter. VICTORY!!

Sorova

80 pounds in six months is not realistic for someone of your starting weight, and in order to achieve it (if it were even possible) you would need to do some very unsafe things.

There are plenty of good reasons to lose weight at a more reasonable pace. Health for starters - very low calorie diets (under 1200 calories per day) can lead to health problems and malnutrition. Also, losing weight very rapidly is a good way to end up with a lot of loose, saggy skin. Do you really want a lifetime of saggy skin just to finish your weight loss six months sooner?

Set yourself a reasonable goal: lose 1-2 pounds per week through calorie reduction and an exercise you enjoy. In six months you'll be 25-50 pounds lighter and you'll be healthy, too. Focus on making lasting lifetime healthy habits so this is the last time you ever have to lose weight.

You're still young, and wrecking your body to lose weight quickly would be a very sad thing. Instead, take a full year (or more!) to lose the weight and enjoy a lifetime of health.

geebusuk

. Do you really want a lifetime of saggy skin just to finish your weight loss six months sooner?

Interested to know if you have any research etc behind this?
I thought it was more a case that saggy skin was more noticeable if you lost quickly, but would grow back at a similar rate?
At my lowest, I do have a bit - but if I manage to get the muscle on that I intend, that should firm it up a bit - not so much from abs, but from the chest etc pulling it up a bit.)

Me, I'd suggest focusing on finding what works for you to lose weight. What works for me to lose weight at 2lb a week is not the same as what works for me to stay the same weight.

lilpoindexter

Too aggressive. But you can defintely do it over the course of the whole year. Take your time, make changes for the long haul...change your habits.

MB_Positif

Definitely take things slower. You'll have more lasting changes that way and be able to maintain your weight later on!

AyaKara

Eat well at 1500-1600 cals a day (find out your specific need if possible), strength train 3 days a week, do cardio the other 3 days a week, & in addition to shedding pounds you'll also shed inches & will probably reach your goal appearance before you reach your pound goal! You can do this, just take everything one step at a time. Eat as many natural foods as you can. You'll be okay

ninerbuff

1% of your body weight a week is realistic. As you lose, you readjust. As you get closer to goal weight, you reduce it to half of a % to continue.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Deipneus

Yes, set a more realistic pace. Shoot for 11/2 pounds per week. Sounds easy but it's not. If you do better, you'll be pleasantly surprised.