I want to lose 6 lbs by 10/15

briteyes
briteyes Posts: 435 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
is it possible to lose 6 lbs in that short amount of time? I know it's not at all realistic, and I'm sure it can be done, but most of it would probably be water weight, if I'm correct...

For me, so what if it's water weight, the main concern I have is 1) is it even possible to lose 6 lbs (including water weight) in 1 week and 2) will it stay off if I continue on my diet of losing 1 -2 lbs a week after that? I don't want to lose those 6 lbs and see them return a couple days later....

basically before I make the extra effort for the next week to lose the 6 lbs, i want to make sure it's even worthwhile. i hate worthless sacrifice.

and you may be wondering why i want to lose 6 lbs in one week... that is because 10/15 is my bday and i wanted to be 120 by my bday, but i didn't get serious enough about my diet until a couple weeks ago, and i'm very happy with the 4 lbs I've already lost, but thought it would be great if I could still get to 120 anyways...

Replies

  • jmmtaylor
    jmmtaylor Posts: 225
    If it's all water weight that you lose you will gain it back. Just shoot for the 2 pounds for the week and keep working hard. Use the fact that you were 4 pounds off by your date as motivation to lose the extra...
  • Fiona711
    Fiona711 Posts: 17
    Unless you're coming up on your period (which is when I typically gain 4 lbs or so of water weight) it's probably not realistic to lose that much in a week...besides, there's birthday cake probably going to be available and you wouldn't want to miss out on that! :-)

    With exercise and diet, Halloween might be a better bet for your goal, or at least 5 out of 6 lbs...
  • CFAITH_WARD
    CFAITH_WARD Posts: 281 Member
    At 126 you don't have that much to loose....so the closer you get to your goal the harder it is to loose....6 ibls in a week for you is dangerous....6ibls for 250ibl man would be doable...2 ibls is the max you should shoot for in a week.....be happy at 124...that is awesome for your birthday.....weight isn't puton in a day or a week.....so it doesn't come off in a week either...you will get to 120 just at your birthday more then most likely.
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
    Well Probably not. If so good for you. If will be water not fat and it will come back. Also if you are smaller and weigh less that will make it alot harder. I have been trying to loose the last 5lbs for months and months. Vanitey weight is the hardest to loose. PS happy birthday early,.Mine is the Oct 14th.
  • bsexton3
    bsexton3 Posts: 472 Member
    When I have lost more than 2 pounds a week, it was muscle. And I am 6'0", 215. If I lose more than 2 pounds, I cannot lift as much on the weights, so I know it is muscle. Even with 2 pounds a week for the past 7 weeks, I have lost some muscle. I am lifting what I lifted about 12 weeks ago. Had to take some weights off simply because my arms are smaller.

    Losing more than 2 pounds is muscle, water and not fat. So, you will not be able to keep it off. Better to exercise, keep the muscle and lose 1- 1 1/2 a week between now and Thanksgiving. Look good for those family pics on the holidays.
  • carbonboy
    carbonboy Posts: 729
    Well, you could do what boxers and jockies do and sweat it off to make your weight, but that's very unhealthy and IS just water weight. You will rehydrate like a sponge once you start drinking again.

    Mathematically, assuming you're a normal person, you need about 1800 calories a day just to live. If you ate NOTHING for the next eight days, that would equate to losing roughly 4 pounds of actual body mass. To lose the additional two pounds you would then still need to burn almost another 1000 calories per day through working out. So if you want to eat nothing, workout intensely for about 3 hours a day (and probably die in the process), that's your choice.

    But I would recommend a healthy weightloss goal, and forget the arbitrary timeframe that you've set for yourself.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    I've lost almost 6 pounds this week - and the week's not over yet.

    HOWEVER - I'm also 5'1" and I have a super duper slow metabolism. So, I can afford to keep my cals at 1200 adn work off 400 and not be starving myself. In a couple of weeks, once my muscle mass has increased marginally, I'll be upping my intake to ensure I'm getting enough. It's not uncommon to lose the first 10 pounds quickly and easily - but if you're in the middle of the process, I wouldn't try it. I think under any other circumstances, you'd gain it back in a few days. I do expect my losses to slow down in the next few days and if they don't, I'll be increasing my caloric intake and/or reducing my calorie burn.

    So - is it possible? Yes. CAN it be kept off? Yes. Is it HEALTHY? Depends on where you're at in the game, I think and I would suspect that it would not be for you. Nor would it be for me with my 2nd 10 lbs. If I'm still losing at this rate after the first 10, I'm doing something wrong and not gettign enough to eat.
  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
    thanks everyone, that's what I needed to hear. i am not about doing something that is just going to come back - that's almost more depressing than not making my goal dates...

    I'm 126 now, and the first 4 lbs came off quite easily, but slow and steady wins the race, so I can be happy if I'm a few lbs more than my goal, knowing that by the holidays I'll be looking a whole lot better than i did a few weeks ago.
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