How long should It take to lose 50 pounds???

Hi Rayanne,
How long it takes is totally subjective and revolves largely around what you do and how your body responds to it. What did you do after baby #1 that worked for you?

Usually the reason ppl have difficulty losing 'those last few pounds' is because they're sticking to the same routine (same foods, same workouts, etc) and their bodies have adjusted to it (meaning no more/very little weight loss progress). Variety in diet and exercise typically gets good results and can eliminate the dreaded plateau!

Are you breastfeeding? While that affects caloric needs, most docs say you only need 150-300 additional calories/day.

Probably a lot longer than you want it to take.

Try to set mini goals for yourself....10 lbs in 2 months, try to do that 5 times. I think by having smaller easier to achieve goals that big 50 lb number won't seem so distant or unattainable. Don't live by the numbers on the scale, I weigh in once a week and record my weight and measurements once a month if there is a change....and sometimes there is no change. Don't get discouraged if the numbers aren't going where you want them to. Know that even if your weight doesn't change you are making healthier choices, and that is really important. Don't be afraid to adjust your goals as you start to learn more about your body and how it adapts to a new lifestyle. Don't stress, be consistent, don't lose your patience.

It took me about a year to lose the first 50 pounds. Lost about 30 the 2nd year and have been yo-yoing a lot for the last year. It is definitely harder to get the last of it off but that's just the facts. Those with more to lose have more changes to make and have more body fat to lose so it comes off easier. The closer you get to goal, the more you have to deal with fluctuations and finding the right balance so you maintain muscle mass and lose body fat.

I think the biggest thing you have to realize is that it's going to take time (maybe a year, maybe two) and you will have to deal with stalls and plateaus but try not to get discouraged. Instead of beating yourself up for making mistakes, learn from them and figure out how to do better when faced with challenges. Also, don't compare yourself to others, including your former self. What worked for you last time might work again but it might not - be open to trying new methods and learning about new approaches.

6 months and counting...

It takes as long as it takes. Your body doesn't run like clockwork.

If you manage to follow the 1 pound a week schedule you'll take 50 weeks, or about a year. What will most likely happen is you'll start off with a nice whoosh of 3-6 pounds and plateau for a couple weeks. Many people will cry and give up here. Don't be those people. Keep going and if you don't begin to steadily lose weight get some help to change your eating habits and exercise routine. If you've got a system that's working then stick to it. If it's not working after a month or so CHANGE IT!

As you get closer to your goal weight you'll most likely slow down in your weight loss. Once you're within 5-10 pounds of goal you'll probably get pretty frustrated that the weight isn't coming off. At this point take a good hard look at the exercise you're doing and your current body shape. If you're 5-10 pounds off and you still look/feel fat then you probably need to hit the gym a bit more and be a bit stricter on your diet. You'd be surprised how good you can look by being a few pounds over what you would think is a good weight, but filling that weight gap with muscle. A good amount of muscle can take someone who looks alright and fit to looking DAAAAYYYUUUUMMMM!!! For examples, take a look at some of the heavy lifting girls the frequent the forums.

Probably longer than you think and longer than you want it to. It's different for everyone and weight loss isn't a linear event...there are natural set backs, self imposed set backs, etc. It's best to take a long view of things knowing that a lifetime of good livin' is ultimately going to get you where you want to be.

It took me about 6 months to lose 35 Lbs. I maintained for a few months at my initial BF% goal and am now trying (but not terribly hard) to knock off a few more BF% points. When I say I'm not trying very hard at the moment, what I really mean is that I tend to eat to maintenance rather than my deficit number because I'm training like a mofo right now for a couple of races and other events and hungry as hell at deficit.