Fast Weight Loss
SnackHips
Posts: 90 Member
I know, I know. The key is to lose it slowly with real lifestyle changes yadda yadda.
My husband is deployed for the next few months and I want to be at my goal weight when he returns....at that time I would love to be 1.) In shape enough to do the activities we have put off. Such as hiking and scuba diving. An active lifestyle that will keep me fit, but has been hindered by current lifestyle. 2.) I would love to have hit up the habit of cooking and eating healthy meals so much that it is part of my daily routine even when he comes back.
I really feel like losing all of the weight quickly will give me the confidence boost, energy, muscle to fat ratio, etc. that I need to keep it off AND surprise my husband.
So I know that 1-2 lbs is the max recommended, but 3-4 will put me where I need to be. Has anyone had success and what did you do?
My husband is deployed for the next few months and I want to be at my goal weight when he returns....at that time I would love to be 1.) In shape enough to do the activities we have put off. Such as hiking and scuba diving. An active lifestyle that will keep me fit, but has been hindered by current lifestyle. 2.) I would love to have hit up the habit of cooking and eating healthy meals so much that it is part of my daily routine even when he comes back.
I really feel like losing all of the weight quickly will give me the confidence boost, energy, muscle to fat ratio, etc. that I need to keep it off AND surprise my husband.
So I know that 1-2 lbs is the max recommended, but 3-4 will put me where I need to be. Has anyone had success and what did you do?
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Replies
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I started my dieting/exercising over starting Nov 1st and here's what I've done and lost: I've lost 9lbs in 3 weeks by doing cardio right after waking up, eating a sweet potato hours later (first food) and then chowing on grape or campari tomatoes throughout the day. I jump rope 2 min on 1 min rest for 25-30 min of actual jumping. After that I cooldown by walking 3.5mph for 1 min and running 6.7mph the next 3 min, then go back to 3.5mph and gradually decline to 2mph by 10-11 min total. I only drink water and sugarless tea. If you can do the cardio every day, great, if not, try at least 5x/week. The weight will shred very quickly.
I limit myself to 800-1200 cal/day, also. I always aim low if I feel good about it. The sweet potato is large and very filling.0 -
Do you eat anything else? I like the idea of heavy breakfast then smaller meals through out the day. I need variety though. Still, very encouraging. Did you have to work-up to your cardio level or have you been doing the same thing the whole time?0
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As the first poster said, he is starting OVER. When you lose weight quickly, you do not develop the life long habits that you will need to be successful. Plus, eating 800 - 1200 calories a day makes it very difficult to meet your nutritional needs.
You're both adults and can certainly do what you want, but if you want to be healthy - that takes some time. If you just want to be skinny - go for it.0 -
Well, getting the habits along the way is part of it for me. The grounds for keeping up with the lifestyle are in place. I just want to get to the part where I have to maintain more quickly than normal. I am not looking to starve myself for it. I also don't want to over train my body. Just here to see if others have had success balancing everything at an accelerated rate.0
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Let me rephrase: I resumed dieting and exercising Nov 1st.
After my workouts I have a protein shake with creatine (130 cal). After work, which is actually morning, I will have whatever food left that I allotted myself. For example, today I had a protein shake after working out, then sweet potato. At work I had another protein shake and a baked chicken breast. I brought tomatoes and a banana to work with me but I didn't eat them there. I planned on having a baked salmon filet after work. Right now I'm "allotted" a banana, some tomatoes and a salmon filet. This would be a 700 calorie day if I choose to eat this all, which I don't feel hungry for anything right now.
I have "fat days" too. I gave myself 4 fat days this month. I had to use one on day 3 (eat anything I've been craving), which was BWW and I went all out (big jack daddy burger, fries, and 20 boneless with ranch). The second fat day I had Famous Dave's (about 6 days after the first one). My third fat day I didn't really even feel like having, but I treated myself to asian take-out. I've been going on 8 days without a fat day now and my last one is tomorrow, which I still don't feel the need for.
It takes filling foods and a lot of will power to say no to temptation. I've done similar dieting before, typically 1200-1500 cal (lots of chili, bean recipes and, of course, sweet potatoes). I have more energy than before and I feel like I can really push the cardio more than I thought I could. Other foods that I switch it up with are broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, oranges, pineapple, kiwi, cottage cheese, chili, tuna fish sandwiches and carrots.
This post was in reply to losing weight fast and this is how I do it and it works for me. I have kept off almost all of the weight lost from doing this type of dieting before despite what others might think. Hope this helps!0 -
Yes it is very helpful. Thank you!0
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Let me rephrase: I resumed dieting and exercising Nov 1st.
After my workouts I have a protein shake with creatine (130 cal). After work, which is actually morning, I will have whatever food left that I allotted myself. For example, today I had a protein shake after working out, then sweet potato. At work I had another protein shake and a baked chicken breast. I brought tomatoes and a banana to work with me but I didn't eat them there. I planned on having a baked salmon filet after work. Right now I'm "allotted" a banana, some tomatoes and a salmon filet. This would be a 700 calorie day if I choose to eat this all, which I don't feel hungry for anything right now.
I have "fat days" too. I gave myself 4 fat days this month. I had to use one on day 3 (eat anything I've been craving), which was BWW and I went all out (big jack daddy burger, fries, and 20 boneless with ranch). The second fat day I had Famous Dave's (about 6 days after the first one). My third fat day I didn't really even feel like having, but I treated myself to asian take-out. I've been going on 8 days without a fat day now and my last one is tomorrow, which I still don't feel the need for.
It takes filling foods and a lot of will power to say no to temptation. I've done similar dieting before, typically 1200-1500 cal (lots of chili, bean recipes and, of course, sweet potatoes). I have more energy than before and I feel like I can really push the cardio more than I thought I could. Other foods that I switch it up with are broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, oranges, pineapple, kiwi, cottage cheese, chili, tuna fish sandwiches and carrots.
This post was in reply to losing weight fast and this is how I do it and it works for me. I have kept off almost all of the weight lost from doing this type of dieting before despite what others might think. Hope this helps!
I would be curious to know what you do for work outs. 700 calories day for a 30 year old male with only about 25 pounds to lose seems awfully low. What would you guess your weekly averages to be, with the "fat days"?0 -
No. There is no way to safely lose 3-4 pounds a week and keep that sustained weight loss up week after week. Sure, people can have accelerated weight loss especially at the beginning but keeping that rate of loss up? No, especially for someone like you who isn't morbidly obese.
If people could lose 3-4 pounds a week and have that loss be fat and not water and lean muscle tissue, don't you think everyone would jump at that approach?0 -
Your body can only metabolize so much fat at a time. If you are going over 1-3 lbs a week depending on the amount you have to lose, you are losing more than just fat but muscle as well. This is a problem because as you lose muscle your metabolism drops drastically, makin your deficit harder to maintain and you just become a smaller version of your current squishy self.0
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NO!!! Not with out damaging your health!!! I recommend slow and steady, 1 to 2 pounds a week.0
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Your husband is going to be so happy to see you when he gets back and so proud of the progress you've made even if you're not yet at your goal weight when he gets back. Adjusting your calories and exercise so that you can lose two pounds a week will mean you'll make a lot of progress toward your goal in the next few months and will (hopefully) be making lifestyle changes that are healthy and that you can realistically sustain. Use his return date as motivation, but don't put pressure on yourself than to lose more weight than is safe and healthy in the time that he's gone.0
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Thank you for the replies. It is true that even at 2 pounds I could make some real change, especially if I exchange fat for muscle. I guess I just needed a little sense talked into me. lol I will still push hard, don't get me wrong. I just won't beat myself up about slow progress.0
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Starting on a weight loss journey, even if you're only losing two pounds per week, will definitely give you the chance to develop healthy habits by the time he returns. Also, if you focus on fitness rather than becoming skinny, it's more likely that you will be in good enough shape to do all those physical activities together!0
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I want to be "athletic" more than I want to be skinny. I live on a tropical island...the outdoor adventure beckons me! haha0
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I really feel like losing all of the weight quickly will give me the ..., muscle to fat ratio, etc. that I need to keep it off
sorry. that's not how it works. Lose too fast, and you will lose muscle, and still not like how you look.0 -
Definitely go for fitness goals, then, and start that right away! You have good time to get that kind of 'fit' compared to now You also have good time to lose a very noticeable amount of weight (imho), but you'll want to make sure to fuel those workouts. Don't try to lose too quickly or your physical performance (and muscle mass) won't be what it could be by then.0
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As the first poster said, he is starting OVER. When you lose weight quickly, you do not develop the life long habits that you will need to be successful. Plus, eating 800 - 1200 calories a day makes it very difficult to meet your nutritional needs.
You're both adults and can certainly do what you want, but if you want to be healthy - that takes some time. If you just want to be skinny - go for it.
QFT0 -
A grown man shouldn't eat "just 800/1200" calories! You're going to gain it all back. Don't throw away your"fat"clothes! You're goingto need them!
Eat at a deficit, like, 20 percent below your tdee and lose fat, not numbers! It's not hard! And I'm sure your husband would prefer a healthy wife, with healthy habits, not a bag if bones who had her hair fall out, nails brittle, dark circles under her eyes and saggy skin.
Do your self a favor and do it right.0 -
I already said I am going to slow the goal, jeeze. lol I was just getting overly excited about the chance to get back in shape and surprise him. It is just a very tempting prospect. I am good at choosing nutrient dense food. My weight problem was mostly caused by alcoholism, sugar addiction, random binging....but I have overcome the first two and am fighting the third one like never before. Thanks again for the input though. It is nice to have advice and caution.0
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RE: I would be curious to know what you do for work outs. 700 calories day for a 30 year old male with only about 25 pounds to lose seems awfully low. What would you guess your weekly averages to be, with the "fat days"?
So far this month, my daily average with "fat days" is 1466 calories/day. I've jumped rope for 500 minutes and ran at 6.7mph for 20 min = 9546 calories burned. I do not calculate any other exercises that I do (weights, pull-ups, chin-ups, cooling down etc...). Looking at my calorie log, it's averaging down as the month goes on. I'm also working out more as the month goes on. My "allotted" calorie intake is 1560/day in effort to lose 2lbs/week, per MFP.0 -
RE: I would be curious to know what you do for work outs. 700 calories day for a 30 year old male with only about 25 pounds to lose seems awfully low. What would you guess your weekly averages to be, with the "fat days"?
So far this month, my daily average with "fat days" is 1466 calories/day. I've jumped rope for 500 minutes and ran at 6.7mph for 20 min = 9546 calories burned. I do not calculate any other exercises that I do (weights, pull-ups, chin-ups, cooling down etc...). Looking at my calorie log, it's averaging down as the month goes on. I'm also working out more as the month goes on. My "allotted" calorie intake is 1560/day in effort to lose 2lbs/week, per MFP.
You jumped rope for 8 hours straight if you did it for 500 minutes.
Further more, if you are really only eating about 700 calories per day, you would have to have eaten about 5000, yes FIVE THOUSAND calories on each of those 4 cheat days to average out to 1466. That sounds like an eating disorder to me.
How is that a sustainable way to keep weight off if you ever plan to have a full time job or have a social life? If you don't develop habits to stay healthy that incorporate real life, you are either going to die alone and unhappy but skinny, or gain it all back again. Please don't take this as being a hater, but that is really unhealthy. I've had a friend with anorexia/bulimia, and it is an ugly disease. If you only focus on being skinny, you will never be happy. You have to find other reasons to make you happy, like completing a 5k or a mud run or hiking a mountain or something like that. I really think you should contact a counselor and a nutritionist to work through these problems. MFP is great, but in person guidance from trained people is much better in your situation.
Rachel0 -
I know, I know. The key is to lose it slowly with real lifestyle changes yadda yadda.
My husband is deployed for the next few months and I want to be at my goal weight when he returns....at that time I would love to be 1.) In shape enough to do the activities we have put off. Such as hiking and scuba diving. An active lifestyle that will keep me fit, but has been hindered by current lifestyle. 2.) I would love to have hit up the habit of cooking and eating healthy meals so much that it is part of my daily routine even when he comes back.
I really feel like losing all of the weight quickly will give me the confidence boost, energy, muscle to fat ratio, etc. that I need to keep it off AND surprise my husband.
So I know that 1-2 lbs is the max recommended, but 3-4 will put me where I need to be. Has anyone had success and what did you do?
I'm glad you decided to take the more manageable steady route!!!
You can do it. I also want to let you know, you don't have to wait until you are completely in shape and bikini ready to do scuba diving or hiking. I've done both, even when I weighed nearly 190 pounds. I'm only 5'3", and just weighed in at 182.6 today. I have a long way to go, but I have never let my weight stop me from doing things I enjoy. By doing those physical activities, it motivates you to get more in shape as you go. My big kick in the butt this time was spending 2 weeks learning to surf in Morocco. I had a blast, but my fitness level kept me back from doing as well as I wanted to. I've started working out and swearing I'll change my ways every time I get back from work (I do contract work, 3 months at a time), but it always falls off when I go back to work. That kickstart has led me to not only start to change my eating and exercise habits, but I'm also planning a career change to facilitate a healthier lifestyle. With military and tropical island, I'm guessing you are in Hawaii. There are tons of opportunities for outdoor physical activity on all the islands. I spent a week on the Big Island a couple years ago diving with a friend, and had a blast. If you find an activity you enjoy, you will stick with it, even when your motivation to workout dwindles!
Best of luck!!
Rachel0 -
Thanks Rachel. I try to not let my weight hold me back, but then I get out there and just feel bad about being out of shape and go home. I know, it is something I am working on. The weight came on after some depression and too much drinking/desserts....otherwise I spent most of my life skinny without trying. I can't do that anymore. I have to bust my butt. haha Plus I don't want to just be skinny like I was. I want to be strong and active.
No, we live in Okinawa.0 -
Looking at my calorie log, it's averaging down as the month goes on. I'm also working out more as the month goes on. My "allotted" calorie intake is 1560/day in effort to lose 2lbs/week, per MFP.
Calories averaging DOWN, working out MORE - Good luck with that plan. Like I said in my first post, you're an adult. Being an adult does not mean that we always do the right things. Maybe you do not care about what happens to your body and that's fine. But to encourage others to do something that most would consider unhealthy - is irresponsible.0 -
Yes--- and no. I had a lot of success the first couple of months. Then the weight loss tapered off to the 2lb a week loss that is recommended.
It has been suggested that most of that was excess water because of how much Sodium I had in my diet.
They say not to go for more than 2lb a week for a reason because too much too fast can make you sick.
I would recommend working on just walking and eventually getting up to hiking as your main goal and not just the number on the scale.0 -
I need to work on my sodium as well. I have been working on running for a few months now. The hiking is more about feeling like I have an athletic body and can go out there and adventure. It is more complex than that, but I can't explain. This last spring and summer I lifted weights 3 times a week and lost several inches...even fit into a bathing suit that I had stubbornly bought a size too small early that spring. My schedule got so busy that I stopped. I never gained or lost a pound lifting weights and running has only caused me to get fatter because it would make me so hungry that I end up losing control......
So I have an all new approach for myself (to include MFP). I really am not obsessed about numbers on a scale considering I have been about the same number for years now despite having worked out more than I had in my life. I understand there are more important things like health and muscle vs fat. I just came on this thread being impatient and tired of never getting anywhere despite effort. I hope this food log makes all of the difference.0 -
So I have an all new approach for myself (to include MFP). I really am not obsessed about numbers on a scale considering I have been about the same number for years now despite having worked out more than I had in my life. I understand there are more important things like health and muscle vs fat. I just came on this thread being impatient and tired of never getting anywhere despite effort. I hope this food log makes all of the difference.
The key to losing weight is in maintaining a calorie deficit. It's also important to weigh/measure every bite you eat and then log it. I think it's great that you are already exercising because it does make it easier to participate in the adventures of life for sure. Use MFP to log and keep account of exactly what you're eating. Once you are on a healthy calorie deficit, then work on meeting your macros (fat/protein/carbs). Then, after you have that under your belt - move on to things like sodium, iron, etc. One step at a time is how you will build a healthy diet that will allow you to lose pounds.
On yes, last thing. Consistency and patience are the key ingredients to weight loss. Best of luck!!0 -
With only 3-4 lbs to go you will NOT be losing 1-2 lbs/ week unless you are planning to starve yourself. 4 lbs would take you roughly 2 months to lose safely and sustainably with about a 250 cal deficit for each week below your TDEE. Set your MFP to .5 /wk. You don't have the weight available to be losing any faster.
People need to understand that how fast you can safely lose depends entirely on how much you have to lose in the first place. If you have 100 lbs to lose you can easily lose 5+ lbs your first few weeks, You can also support a pretty aggressive deficit for a little while for a good kick start. When you are down to your last few lbs you can NOT support that kind of deficit, you simply don't have the mass.
To the OP: you would be better off doing some weight lifting, that may allow you to re-shape a little bit and possibly look a bit smaller in a month but you won't be losing 4 lbs in any kind of safe way. You need to re-set your expectations which I see that you have started doing already but I don't think you have the full understanding just yet.0 -
I want to be "athletic" more than I want to be skinny. I live on a tropical island...the outdoor adventure beckons me! haha
Then you may want to start here. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
If you truely want to set a fitness goal and not just a weight goal then this is magic, and you'll be far from starving. You'll also see fairly significant and noticeable differences in the time frame you have in mind, if you start now with weights and fuel yourself properly.0 -
Can you hike and swim now to up your endurance while he's gone? That way when he comes back you can do it no matter what the scale says? I'm sure he'd just like to see you and be with you and would probably care less about the weight.0
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