Realistic goal? 15 lbs down in 30 days

If your goal is to weigh 140 on July 1-you can probably endure an absolutely miserable month and lose the weight. If your goal is to actually weigh 140 for any length of time after July 1-you will likely be disappointed. The only way for someone at your current weight to drop 15 lbs in a month is to do some sort of "extreme" diet plan (eg eating nothing but celery & grapefruit and exercising like a mad woman). The problem is such diets aren't sustainable-so when you start eating like a normal human, you'll gain the weight back. If you want to weigh 140 on July 1-go for it. If you want to actually weigh 140 for a long, long time-make changes in your diet & exercise that you can maintain for the long term (like forever). The weight will come off more slowly, but you will keep it off.

Lets see 15 pounds in 30 days that's a pound every two days. That is like 3.5 pounds or more a week. I would think you could do it but it would be challenging.

Can it be done? Yes. The how it should be done is also another issue, but we shall opt for the "healthy" method for doing so and not a crash or fad diet that may put health at risk and means that your weight may go up once you stop the "diet".

It is said that a safe and healthy weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week. In order to achieve said goal it means changing you eating and exercise ways keeping in mind that you are doing so to lose the weight, but that you will continue these new habits after your weight loss goal has been reached. So that it becomes a maintainable weight loss as well.

That being said, it is possible to eat and exercise with the goal in mind of losing 1-2 pounds per week (eating enough, exercising regularly, etc.) and lose more than 1-2 pounds per week. We can't control when, where or how much weight our bodies lose in a certain period of time. So one week you could lose 3 pounds and 1 pound the next and the week after that nothing.

You may also want to look into losing inches instead of just weight as it's possible to weigh 150 pounds and be a size 12 and be 150 pounds and be a size 8. I'd rather be the same weight, but a smaller size.

A lot of people combine strength and cardio for a combination of weight loss and inch loss. One notorious workout for inch loss & weight loss (you will see many posts about it) is Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. (You can even preview the first round on youtube.) There have been many great results with it. Something to check out for free to see if it might interest you.

That all said, there is a ton of help available on these boards.

You're talking about cutting almost 2300 calories a day. I don't burn that much on my highest burning days, and I'm about your weight. So for me, if I didn't eat at all for the rest of June, I don't think I could lose 15 lbs.

15 lbs. times 3500 calories/pound divided by 23 days equals 2282 calories a day you need to eliminate.

with the amount you have to lose the healthy limit is around 1lb a week MAX. If you aim for more than this, you will more than likely just screw up your metabolism and end up putting all the weight back on.
as mcarter99 said, thats a 2282 per day deficit, so unless you eat absolutely nothing for a month (which i am NOT recommending buy the way!!!), its not going to happen.

Set a sensible goal on MFP of 1lb / week, eat well including eating your exercise cals, and don't worry so much about a time limit!

You can do it, but I'd say 8-10 lbs is more realistic.

Unrealistic and dangerous to attempt. If you were morbidly obese, then you could probably do this. But you aren't, so don't try to lose that quickly. You will screw up your metabolism and then gain it right back. Slow and steady is proven to work, and has a much higher success rate when it comes to keeping the weight off.

I agree! I am 162lbs and my eventual goal is 140 and there is no way I could lose 15lbs in a month. I aim for 2-4lbs per month. Slow and steady wins the race in the end!
Someone else has mentioned the 30 Day Shred - I would recommend it and have lost a few inches already just from doing it a couple of days a week (combined with running and kettlebell workouts). If you search for it on the forums you will see photos of results. You could probably drop a dress size in a month if you do it everyday with a small loss on the scales as well.

Can it be done? Yes. The how it should be done is also another issue, but we shall opt for the "healthy" method for doing so and not a crash or fad diet that may put health at risk and means that your weight may go up once you stop the "diet".

... One notorious workout for inch loss & weight loss (you will see many posts about it) is Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. (You can even preview the first round on youtube.) There have been many great results with it. Something to check out for free to see if it might interest you.

30 Day Shred dvd box says "Lose 20 pounds in 30 days" -- but what it doesn't tell you is that the days aren't supposed to be consecutive. You are supposed to take recovery days. So the 30 days of working out is streched out over 40 calendar days.

That said, you can do it every day for 30 days. You might not lose the 15 lbs, but you will be better toned (and look like you've lost 15 lbs). I've lost 15 lbs so far (4 days left to go), but I've been taking rest days, so it's been 2 months.

Good luck!

hmm i think i'll just set my mind to losing 8 lbs this month but will give it my best in the hope to lose more. haha i guess thats all i can do.. and yeah you guys are right if i go crazy this month i might end up gaining some, if not all, back next month. so yeah its better if i take things slow and steady
thank you guys x

Smart lady

what's the rush?

I am scared to weigh myself!! Before my wedding I was 148-150lbs, I am 5'3-5'4, ever since i've been eating wayyy too much, I admitt, and i'm sure i've gone up atleast 10lbs :[ I want to aim to get down to 140lbs at first and eventually drop to 130lbs... is 10lbs in 30 days realistic?

To lose one pound you must burn 3500 more calories than you are taking in. A REASONABLE goal, according to any legitimate resource, is 2 lbs loss per week. Assuming:

1) You have established a healthy eating plan that includes at least a 500 daily calorie deficit ( translation = you eat less than you burn)
2) You are burning at least 500 additional calories each day through exercise

You will achieve your 2 lb loss each week. Do the math and you MAY be able to reach your 10 lb goal in 30 days. Work hard, and you will more likely make it closer to 8.

Good luck!

No offense, but all the posts suggesting that it is impossible or unhealthy are from people who have no idea what they are talking about. Yes, it is realistic. Yes it can be healthy (depending on how you do it). And yes, you can maintain that weight as long as you like.

I graduated college weighing 192 lbs, and I lost 34 lbs in two months, and another 15 lbs over the next two months (during which I had my knee scoped). I did this by eating healthy and exercising. Running, swimming and weight training, combined with healthy eating habits will cause quick weight loss. I did not cheat on my eating or exercise habits....I even began running a slow two miles one week after my knee surgery to accomplish my goal. That was 15 years ago, and the weight has stayed off.

No offense, but all the posts suggesting that it is impossible or unhealthy are from people who have no idea what they are talking about. Yes, it is realistic. Yes it can be healthy (depending on how you do it). And yes, you can maintain that weight as long as you like.

I graduated college weighing 192 lbs, and I lost 34 lbs in two months, and another 15 lbs over the next two months (during which I had my knee scoped). I did this by eating healthy and exercising. Running, swimming and weight training, combined with healthy eating habits will cause quick weight loss. I did not cheat on my eating or exercise habits....I even began running a slow two miles one week after my knee surgery to accomplish my goal. That was 15 years ago, and the weight has stayed off.

Errr....no.

OP: I am confused. You say you want to lose 15lb before July but are asking if 15lb is realistic in 30 days. There are 86 days before July.

Confused me until I read the date