3 month challenge - 18kg by Christmas Eve... Who's with me?

I'm in!

In

18kg is about 40lbs. In order to lose that much in 3 months, you'd have to lose 3lbs a week consistently, i.e. be deficient of 10500 calories a week/ 1500 calories a day. So if your TDEE is 2200, you'd have to NET only 700 calories a day for 3 months.

You're setting yourself up for failure. This is not going to happen.

18kg is about 40lbs. In order to lose that much in 3 months, you'd have to lose 3lbs a week consistently, i.e. be deficient of 10500 calories a week/ 1500 calories a day. So if your TDEE is 2200, you'd have to NET only 700 calories a day for 3 months.

You're setting yourself up for failure. This is not going to happen.

Quoting for emphasis. This!

Really sorry to put a downer on this, really I am. Unfortunately, 18kg by Christmas is a heck of a lot. That's like 6kg or 13 lbs a month, 3 lbs a week. Only with an insane amount of exercise, coupled with a low calorie diet can you achieve this. Plus you are more likely to crash and put the weight straight back on.

iam in

Dear Cogs,

I am most certainly not unsupportive of you but as others before me have stated, 18kg is a lot or weight to lose before Christmas.

I read your profile and absolutely resonate with the things that you have said. Last year I was over 90kg and desperately wanted to lose a heap of weight, and fast. But to be honest with you, it is so much better to take the slow and steady approach and actually get to goal, even though it might take a little longer.

This time last year, I was 92kg. I wanted to drop 6kg in the first month and then 5kg every month after that. I joined MFP and started logging calories, DRASTICALLY cut my calories to between 700-100 per day. And so began the yo-yo starve binge cycle yet again. I couldn't sustain it, and I deactivated from MFP, because it was hopeless and gave up. By December 2012 I'd lost 2kg and felt like a complete failure.

For one reason or another I came back to MFP and this time, had a new approach. This time, I calculated my TDEE and ate between 1600-1800 per day (initially). I spent a lot of time researching nutrition, and came up with a good food plan, I started lifting weights again and started to lose FAT.

My weight has consistently dropped about 3kg per month, slowing now as I am almost at goal. Yes, it has taken a YEAR to get here, but let me tell you it's been a fantastic year and I am reaping the rewards. I have lost almost 20% body fat.

I know we all want to look gorgeous in a party dress for Christmas, but lets face it - you are already gorgeous. By all means, make a start and make a plan for a healthier you, but in that plan, try to include a realistic goal and smart plan for getting you there in a timeframe that isn't going to drive you insane or make you feel like a failure at the first little speed hump.

By all means - aim high!! But not too high that you will be let down when you don't get there in a short time frame.

Best of luck to you

Wow! What a great support network! Pfft! So even if I only lose half that amount, it's still 9kg less than what I currently am... Honestly, I don't know anyone who would be disappointed with that (as opposed to nothing)! Geez!

But you weren't talking about losing half that amount, you stated you wanted to lose 18kg. If you had said you wanted to lose 9kg, there'd be no problems, 1.5lbs a week is sustainable and a healthy amount. Heck, i'd be signing on with you.
But you won't find anyone on here supportive of super low calorie/crash dieting.
Telling someone that their goals are unhealthy and unreasonable IS being supportive.
Aim for 18kg by 24th March.

Wow! What a great support network! Pfft! So even if I only lose half that amount, it's still 9kg less than what I currently am... Honestly, I don't know anyone who would be disappointed with that (as opposed to nothing)! Geez!

People are supportive of realistic, sustainable and healthy goals, but crash-dieting is none of those things.