Forty pounds in two and a half months?

_SpeshK_
_SpeshK_ Posts: 496 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Is it possible?
But most importantly, would it be healthy?
I am wanting to really kick off a new way of life and change myself.
Not to mention in the fall I am going to be in front of huge crowds of people now that I made my college's twirling line.
I am wanting to reach my under 200 goal by then, but would it be dangerous? I have slowly been making several changes towards a healthy lifestyle, so would taking it to an extreme level be a good idea?

What are some of your thoughts? Have any of you lost that much in that short of time?

Replies

  • mm3898
    mm3898 Posts: 138 Member
    MAYBE 20 pounds in 2 months (a little over 2 pounds a week) but NOT 40! I think you should keep looking toward the long term, because in the end it is the long term that counts, not how fast you dropped the weight. Good luck on the twirling team, I'm sure you'll look fabulous, dahling :flowerforyou:
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    Not really.....I mean, I'm sure it can be done, when someone has a LOT of weight to lose (like over 100 pounds) the initial weight can just melt off even if they aren't trying that hard since its such a change from what they normally do.

    But to do it healthy, 1-2 pounds a week would be about 8-16 pounds in two months....maaaaybe 20 pounds. Sure even if you are sticking to one pound a week there may be weeks that you lose more like 2 or 3, but its important to shoot for a healthy goal, otherwise you can actually hurt yourself, and make it that much more likely that you'll gain everything back plus some.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    They do it all the time on TV :)
  • jbogo1
    jbogo1 Posts: 28
    I think that it totally depends on the individual. I have lost 38lbs in the last 3 months and I think I have been very healthy! ( Eating smaller portions of better foods, excercising, etc.) My personal trainer said that 1-2 lbs a week is healthy, but if you are making a big change, it is not unreasonable to hope for 5lbs a week. I had never ever excersised before, so going from sitting on my couch every day after work to high intensity workouts 3-4 times a week is the reson that I lost those 38 lbs.

    I am sure that the next 45 lbs will be the hardest for me to lose..I have already noticed the weight loss slowing down a bit...

    I think that no mater what, you need to listen to YOUR body. Don't get discouraged if you only lose 0.5lbs a week, losing 0.5lb is still losing and not gaining :)
  • kwaters7
    kwaters7 Posts: 129
    Hiya

    I'm guessing it would be too dramatic and more importantly unsustainable. Two pounds a week is enough to aim for, I have no idea what your lifestyle is like but think if you mix in a decent amount of cardio and some strength, your bodyshape will improve greatly even at 'only' two pounds a week.

    Its great having a goal but i'd enjoy the journey as well, overdo it and you will either hit starvation mode and you wont lose at the expected rate or you could get injured by over-exercising. I lost quite a lot this year - and wished i'd enjoyed it more - i was so focused on the goal that i had tunnel vision and now i'm trying to maintain, wished i'd appreciated the small successes on the journey more..The first twenty will come off quicker, then you dont want to lose too quickly after that anyways as you could end up losing tone and muscle the closer you get to goal...

    Keeping things in perspective, here's what 1 pound of fat looks like... http://www.mosesong.com/blog_images/06_12_04_fat3.jpg


    Good luck

    Kenny
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
    Yes it is possible. I did it. It wasn't even that hard. I started on March 23rd @ 228 LBS and by June 12th I was 185. I just watched my calories here and exercised alot. 1-2 hours per day. You have to be able and willing to put in the work and I was a very good distance runner in the past, which helps alot. In the same period of time my 5'2 wife went from 150 to 120 and has been holding steady there by watching calories and exercising more.

    Here is a copy of my calorie log for May. If you go back through my log, you will see that I rarely ever had below 1200 calories and my protein was always high. I just kept carbs low, which is how I eat anyway (other than that I ate more bread before).

    CaloriesMay10.jpg
  • xxxlimitxxx
    xxxlimitxxx Posts: 8
    I dropped about 15lbs in a month and a half (april to June) but had a little slip up of slacking off, but got back to it and the weight does come off..everyone is different like everyone is saying, but to lose 40lbs in a little amount of time might be extreme..but do what you think is best for you..what helps me is no meats, i am a flexitarian, which i stick to one kind of meat or rarely eat meat, and i don't drink pop or sugary drinks...so maybe that might help...
  • marinucciphoto
    marinucciphoto Posts: 70 Member
    Depends on the person, but it's definitely possible. I lost 56 pounds in 100 days. I still have 40+ to go. Eat healthy. Work out every day. And, make sure you listen to your body if it is telling you to back off.
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
    possible? yeah. sustainable? i'm not sure. I know you want to make big changes and want to get under a certain weight by a certain time. But I think you have to be realistic about long term goals. I say go for big things but keep in mind what your body can handle and what level of exercise and nutritional regimen you can keep up for a sustained period of time to get to your goals. Most of all, what is going to keep you healthy in the long run?
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
    Depends on the person, but it's definitely possible. I lost 56 pounds in 100 days. I still have 40+ to go. Eat healthy. Work out every day. And, make sure you listen to your body if it is telling you to back off.

    This is the right answer. When I feel pain, I stop. Soreness is a different matter and something you will have to deal with when you are doing the work to burn 1000-1500 calories a day, but if you get any kind of muscle cramping, stop and come back later. I often do my workouts split into 2 or 3 sessions a day to avoid this.
  • _SpeshK_
    _SpeshK_ Posts: 496 Member
    Thanks everyone for your advice and your encouragements :) I will keep adapting myself to be a healthy person, but I'm definitely not gonna hurt myself on the way. I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to go crazy or anything, but REALLY the weight I'm at is my plateau, so in order to get more results, I'm gonna have to change the foods I eat, how frequently I eat them, and up my cardio time per workout and per week. I am hoping doing all this will at least get me past the plateau and on to a leaner body, and a better, even more active lifestyle!

    I appreciate you all! :)
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