Advice NEEDED! 44 pounds to GOAL!

The_New_Christina
The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I need advice! My boss offered me $300 if I meet or exceed my personal weight loss goal for the year. If I meet it early, I have to maintain it. So, I decided to make my goal 140lbs! Which is my ultimate goal weight anyway. It gives me 8 months to lose 44 lbs! Do-able? Yes! However, I hear that people often struggle on the last 10 or so pounds? Your thoughts?

Need advice from anyone who reached their goal. Did you struggle toward the end?
Need advice from people who are maintaining. Do you struggle?

FR me if you'd like

Replies

  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    bump...anyone?
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
    So, I need advice! My boss offered me $300 if I meet or exceed my personal weight loss goal for the year. If I meet it early, I have to maintain it. So, I decided to make my goal 140lbs! Which is my ultimate goal weight anyway. It gives me 8 months to lose 44 lbs! Do-able? Yes! However, I hear that people often struggle on the last 10 or so pounds? Your thoughts?

    Need advice from anyone who reached their goal. Did you struggle toward the end?
    Need advice from people who are maintaining. Do you struggle?

    FR me if you'd like

    How about we get there first, then you can make this thread.

    You have a long journey ahead of you, but a very worthwhile one..
  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    So, I need advice! My boss offered me $300 if I meet or exceed my personal weight loss goal for the year. If I meet it early, I have to maintain it. So, I decided to make my goal 140lbs! Which is my ultimate goal weight anyway. It gives me 8 months to lose 44 lbs! Do-able? Yes! However, I hear that people often struggle on the last 10 or so pounds? Your thoughts?

    Need advice from anyone who reached their goal. Did you struggle toward the end?
    Need advice from people who are maintaining. Do you struggle?

    FR me if you'd like

    How about we get there first, then you can make this thread.

    You have a long journey ahead of you, but a very worthwhile one..

    Well, that wouldn't make sense. I'm trying to plan ahead to get myself ready for the last 10 lbs. I've already lost a lot of weight so I'm not a newbie at this.
  • Pirate_chick
    Pirate_chick Posts: 1,216 Member
    Humm, good question. I say try to get there as fast as you can, then maintain. You can do this!!
  • ZombieEarhart
    ZombieEarhart Posts: 320 Member
    That's not wildly un-reachable, but it is a tight goal, and it might lead to some bad decisions- like putting "fast" above "sustainable" or "healthy."

    I would suggest going for 30-35 pounds, or choosing a clothing size rather than a scale number.

    ETA: I see that you're looking for feedback from people who have met their goals, but I'm going to leave my 2 cents here anyway :)
  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    Humm, good question. I say try to get there as fast as you can, then maintain. You can do this!!

    well, that's kind of where my head was going...of course it's going to be a healthy "fast" but I definitely agree with trying to get the first 30 off relatively in a good amount of time and then spend the majority of the months on the last 10 and the maintaining
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Typically weight loss slows down as you get closer to goal. I won't say that your goal is impossible, but it will likely be difficult.

    8 months is 32 weeks, which would require a 1.375 pound per week loss. Initially that is realistic, but when you get down to the last 10-15 pounds, it will be difficult and probably unhealthy to sustain that level of loss.

    I would put this in the "crash diet" category. To do this, you will need an aggressive calorie deficit, and this will drop not just fat, but also Lean Body Mass (muscle). When you get to your goal weight, you will still have a proportionally large body fat %, and will not be happy with how you look. Also, it is difficult to move into maintenance from "crash diet", you are likely to gain back weight when you eat more again.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    How tall are you? Any idea what %BF you'll be if you weighed 140? Depending on those, the last 10 might not be too bad.

    The main thing to focus on, though, is doing whatever it takes to maintain your lean body mass (aka not lose muscle) if you want to be able to lose it quickly and make the last 10 easier.
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
    Typically weight loss slows down as you get closer to goal. I won't say that your goal is impossible, but it will likely be difficult.

    8 months is 32 weeks, which would require a 1.375 pound per week loss. Initially that is realistic, but when you get down to the last 10-15 pounds, it will be difficult and probably unhealthy to sustain that level of loss.

    I would put this in the "crash diet" category. To do this, you will need an aggressive calorie deficit, and this will drop not just fat, but also Lean Body Mass (muscle). When you get to your goal weight, you will still have a proportionally large body fat %, and will not be happy with how you look. Also, it is difficult to move into maintenance from "crash diet", you are likely to gain back weight when you eat more again.

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  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    DO NOT get to your goal as fast you can and then try to maintain! That does not work. You will end yup gaining it back. Slow and steady wins the prize. My numbers prove what I speaking of!
  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    How tall are you? Any idea what %BF you'll be if you weighed 140? Depending on those, the last 10 might not be too bad.

    The main thing to focus on, though, is doing whatever it takes to maintain your lean body mass (aka not lose muscle) if you want to be able to lose it quickly and make the last 10 easier.

    I'm 5'3"
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Humm, good question. I say try to get there as fast as you can, then maintain. You can do this!!

    well, that's kind of where my head was going...of course it's going to be a healthy "fast" but I definitely agree with trying to get the first 30 off relatively in a good amount of time and then spend the majority of the months on the last 10 and the maintaining

    My weight started coming off the week of Thanksgiving, and as of this week I'm down 25 lbs. My total goal loss is 45 lbs. That means in 4 months, I've just barely broken the halfway point. I'm telling you this to give you sense of how weight comes off the closer you are to goal. You've lost a commendable amount of weight so far, but that rate of loss isn't going to continue the entire time. It could realistically take you a full eight months or more to lose the last 40 lbs if you are serious when you say you are going to do it in a healthy manner.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    How tall are you? Any idea what %BF you'll be if you weighed 140? Depending on those, the last 10 might not be too bad.

    The main thing to focus on, though, is doing whatever it takes to maintain your lean body mass (aka not lose muscle) if you want to be able to lose it quickly and make the last 10 easier.

    I'm 5'3"

    So I'm guessing that at 140 if you can maintain your LBM you'd be in the neighborhood of 28-29%BF? If so, the last 10 pounds shouldn't be all that bad. I mean, it isn't like you are aiming for 15% BF. That is in the high end of average range for females.

    Don't get me wrong, the goal you set is fairly ambitious, but I think its doable if you are smart about it.
  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    How tall are you? Any idea what %BF you'll be if you weighed 140? Depending on those, the last 10 might not be too bad.

    The main thing to focus on, though, is doing whatever it takes to maintain your lean body mass (aka not lose muscle) if you want to be able to lose it quickly and make the last 10 easier.

    I'm 5'3"

    So I'm guessing that at 140 if you can maintain your LBM you'd be in the neighborhood of 28-29%BF? If so, the last 10 pounds shouldn't be all that bad. I mean, it isn't like you are aiming for 15% BF. That is in the high end of average range for females.

    Don't get me wrong, the goal you set is fairly ambitious, but I think its doable if you are smart about it.

    Exactly why I think it's very do-able. I'm aiming for the high end of my BMI :)

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