Is this realistic?

Geminieve24
Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey MFP,

With a focused exercise regimen and following a healthy diet; I'm curious to know if you all think it is realistic to lose 25 pounds in eight weeks? That's around 3.125 pounds per week. I have around 55 pounds to lose to begin with.

Has anyone here with an overall about 50-60 pounds to lose able to accomplish this without diet pills and a crazy fad diet (like Atkins or Paleo)?

Love some tips and suggestions. I struggle with eating large quantities at night after work and the weekends kill my diet.

Thanks!

Replies

  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Best to lose at a slower rate so it will stay off
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    no it's not. Plain and simple.

    You are setting yourself up for failure, frustration, lethargy, poor nutrition and basically 8 weeks of hell for what??? loss of muscle mass along with fat, anger because you aren't meeting goals and eventually giving up when the frustration hits all time high.

    I have personally lost almost 50lbs since January of last year. No diet pills, no fad diets just eating less but still fueling my body (on average about 1700 calories a day) and moving more.

    My diary is open and you can see I eat whatever I want within reasonable portions, I still eat fast food maybe once a week sometimes more, I still drink on the weekends and holidays, I eat chocolate every night and butter, cheese and a tonne of food.
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
    I won't say this is totally unrealistic, but what I will say is that you are probably setting yourself up for failure, and it won't be the most healthy way to lose weight. This is a very aggressive weight loss goal. If you don't make it, will you give up?
    I lost 70 pounds by simply watching what I eat and walking. No gimmicks, no pills, to crazy fad diets. It took roughly 18 months. I think this is a lifestyle change, and it is something I'll do forever. That being said, I have gained some weight back, and I am now trying to lose for a second time. I am finding it much more difficult.
    If you struggle after work, plan your meals for the entire day ahead of time, and then stick to that. Don't worry about the time of day that you eat. Watch portion sizes. Try to get some form of exercise, even if it is "only walking" every day.
    Kaye
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Not really. With that amount of weight to lose, a goal of 1 to 1.5 pounds per week would be more realistic.

    Stay within your daily calorie goal, log as honestly and accurately as you can (weigh, measure, check against labels, etc) and as consistently as you can and eat back half of earned exercise calories. As far as weekends go - don't let yourself get out of control. Think of it the same way you do Mon-Fri. Plan meals, prepare things, keep busy so you're not eating out of boredom. And if you know you want to be social and go out to eat, check the nutritional info for the restaurants you go to if possible and make the best choices you can.

    Instead of being in such a rush to get to a certain size/weight, concentrate on your health and fitness.

    Good luck!
  • DivineChoices
    DivineChoices Posts: 193 Member
    The fastest I lost was 30 lbs in 3-4 months - that's between 1.5-2.5 lbs a week. And that was on WW.

    I think aiming for 1-2 lbs a week is the safest way to go.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    It certainly can be done, but not with a "healthy diet" -- a deficit of 11,000 calories a week (1600 calories a day) requires either a starvation diet or a crapload of exercise.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Doable? sure. Healthy? most likely not.

    With the amount you have to lose a good goal would be 1.5lbsweek at most
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Realistic - no.
    Possible - yes.

    Even if it is possible, it would be very difficult. Plus dropping that much weight that quickly makes it really hard to transition into maintainance and would have a negative effect on your metabolism. I've been there and done that, learned my lesson (not quite the same numbers but still very drastic).
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Hey MFP,

    With a focused exercise regimen and following a healthy diet; I'm curious to know if you all think it is realistic to lose 25 pounds in eight weeks? That's around 3.125 pounds per week. I have around 55 pounds to lose to begin with.

    Has anyone here with an overall about 50-60 pounds to lose able to accomplish this without diet pills and a crazy fad diet (like Atkins or Paleo)?

    Love some tips and suggestions. I struggle with eating large quantities at night after work and the weekends kill my diet.

    Thanks!

    No. Don't try going fast. Even if you managed to lose the scale #, you'd end up losing a lot of muscle. This means you won't lose very much size wise.

    For tips and info, here are some great links:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1214490-the-wisdom-of-trogalicious?page=1#posts-19000763

    http://body-improvements.com/2013/05/24/undiet-your-diet/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 674 Member
    I am onboard with everyone here. You could do it, but why? What is the rush? Just maintain a reasonable deficit and be happy with where you are at that point. If you need to keep going after that, keep going. This should be a marathon, not a sprint.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    not realistic, and not a wise idea
  • michelle_816
    michelle_816 Posts: 621 Member
    Why do you want to lose 25# in 8 weeks? Any specific reason? And did you hope to maintain that loss?

    I have been on MFP for 6 weeks, and in the past 5 weeks (I gained my first week), I have lost 11 lbs. I have done this with minimal exercise (IMO) and eating within my calories 75% of the time. I have had my bad days along the way. Would I be down more had I consistently eaten well, exercised more? Possibly, probably. But would I have been miserable? Again, possibly, probably, because it would have been too drastic of a change that I could not maintain long term.

    I have MFP set to lose 1.5 a week, and I have been losing closer to 2 a week on average.

    Again, just wondering, why such a huge chunk in a short amount of time?
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    That's not realistic. Try for 2 lbs/week, maximum. If you try to do any more than that, you'll probably give up/burn out.
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    Thanks for the tips gang.

    Not looking for a quick fix, as I enjoy the healthy lifestyle I have adopted over the past couple years. I just hit a slump in my weight loss and lately my dietary habits have been absolute crap. I haven't been able to workout the past two weeks due to a big tattoo healing and getting sick.

    I turn 33 soon and overall just not where I want to be. I'm having a freak-out moment!
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    Why do you want to lose 25# in 8 weeks? Any specific reason? And did you hope to maintain that loss?

    I have been on MFP for 6 weeks, and in the past 5 weeks (I gained my first week), I have lost 11 lbs. I have done this with minimal exercise (IMO) and eating within my calories 75% of the time. I have had my bad days along the way. Would I be down more had I consistently eaten well, exercised more? Possibly, probably. But would I have been miserable? Again, possibly, probably, because it would have been too drastic of a change that I could not maintain long term.

    I have MFP set to lose 1.5 a week, and I have been losing closer to 2 a week on average.

    Again, just wondering, why such a huge chunk in a short amount of time?


    I am going to the beach mid-June for my birthday. I understand 100% its not a race; but I do need to get more focused on my diet.
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    Hey MFP,

    With a focused exercise regimen and following a healthy diet; I'm curious to know if you all think it is realistic to lose 25 pounds in eight weeks? That's around 3.125 pounds per week. I have around 55 pounds to lose to begin with.

    Has anyone here with an overall about 50-60 pounds to lose able to accomplish this without diet pills and a crazy fad diet (like Atkins or Paleo)?

    Love some tips and suggestions. I struggle with eating large quantities at night after work and the weekends kill my diet.

    Thanks!

    No. Don't try going fast. Even if you managed to lose the scale #, you'd end up losing a lot of muscle. This means you won't lose very much size wise.

    For tips and info, here are some great links:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1214490-the-wisdom-of-trogalicious?page=1#posts-19000763

    http://body-improvements.com/2013/05/24/undiet-your-diet/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    Thanks for the links!! :)
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
    I won't speak to what is realistic/possible/etc. in terms of weight loss. it seems, however, you have indicated the times you are most vulnerable. nights and weekends. very common pitfalls for many people. it could be you aren't eating substantially enough during they day and falling victim to overeating at night as a result. if your diet during the day isn't lacking, i would try to restructure your evenings to prevent over-indulging. some possible suggestions: have pre-made, portioned-out meals on hand; have a list of things you can do instead of munch; go to bed earlier; have lots of teas and flavored waters on hand; keep sugarless mints and gum on hand (even though i am currently trying to break my gum habit--so maybe i should give that advice).
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Double the timeframe and you will be at least in a semi-realistic place. That's still more than 1.5lbs/week which is quite aggressive. Shoot for about 6 months and now you're talking something reasonable. Expect the ~50-60lb loss to take 1-2 years (probably closer to the two year mark).
  • michelle_816
    michelle_816 Posts: 621 Member
    I am going to the beach mid-June for my birthday. I understand 100% its not a race; but I do need to get more focused on my diet.

    Can I come with? LOL! A beach, heck, warm weather, sounds wonderful right now :)

    If you are looking at mid-June, 8 weeks out, and you lose closer to 2 lbs a week, I bet you will be amazed with how good you look and feel. Especially if you add exercise into the mix. Your body will change and you will have lost noticeable inches!

    Have you measured yourself in the past? Maybe start that today, work on logging/exercising, and see how much you've lost in 2 weeks, a month, etc...

    Good luck to you! You can do this :)
  • Bounce4
    Bounce4 Posts: 288 Member
    I struggle after work too. Some things that i have discovered that help me.

    Have a pre-made snack plate of raw veggies ready that I can swipe from when I'm in the kitchen. Or a banana and water.

    Plan my calories so that I have room for a small before bed snack (most often a greek yogurt for me).

    Keep trigger foods out of the house or at least out of my reach - especially if I'm hungry or stressed. Do not even start in on them!

    Hot tea. Hot tea brings some of the same 'comfort' or 'stress relief' as the hot comfort foods I gravitate too.

    Protein snack (bar or eggs) in the late afternoon help me not be so crazy hungry while I'm fixing supper. I'm as bad as the kids, lmao, who sometimes literally climb into the fridge or cabinets. I make them a veggie tray too ;)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Unlikely.
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    I am going to the beach mid-June for my birthday. I understand 100% its not a race; but I do need to get more focused on my diet.

    Can I come with? LOL! A beach, heck, warm weather, sounds wonderful right now :)

    If you are looking at mid-June, 8 weeks out, and you lose closer to 2 lbs a week, I bet you will be amazed with how good you look and feel. Especially if you add exercise into the mix. Your body will change and you will have lost noticeable inches!

    Have you measured yourself in the past? Maybe start that today, work on logging/exercising, and see how much you've lost in 2 weeks, a month, etc...

    Good luck to you! You can do this :)

    Thank you :) And I can't wait for the beach!

    Yes, I keep measurements and check them every month. :) I haven't lost any weight these past two months, but I have lost some inches. I attend bootcamp five days a week. It's pretty intense. But because of my diet, I can't seem to make the scale budge. At all. I burn around 500-600 calories easily with the bootcamp.
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    I struggle after work too. Some things that i have discovered that help me.

    Have a pre-made snack plate of raw veggies ready that I can swipe from when I'm in the kitchen. Or a banana and water.

    Plan my calories so that I have room for a small before bed snack (most often a greek yogurt for me).

    Keep trigger foods out of the house or at least out of my reach - especially if I'm hungry or stressed. Do not even start in on them!

    Hot tea. Hot tea brings some of the same 'comfort' or 'stress relief' as the hot comfort foods I gravitate too.

    Protein snack (bar or eggs) in the late afternoon help me not be so crazy hungry while I'm fixing supper. I'm as bad as the kids, lmao, who sometimes literally climb into the fridge or cabinets. I make them a veggie tray too ;)

    Thank you for the tips. I actually spend my Sundays meal prepping. I do keep junk out of my house too. I will go out to pick up food. Or my prepared meals seem boring.

    I think I need to overcome my emotional issues with eating. I can plan and prepare, it's the stress reliever at the end of the day and then turn to food. I do enjoy tea. And my wine :)

    Thanks for the tips :)
  • jonilynn70
    jonilynn70 Posts: 145 Member
    I have lost 3 different times in my adult life - all on Atkins. And the reason it has been 3 different times is because it always comes back going this route. Now, this time in my life, I am doing it the slow route - 1 lb. a week and I am thrilled to death! Sometimes it's not even 1 a week. Sometimes it's 1 over 2 weeks. But I feel great and like I can do this for life. I don't have a huge amount to go. I am 17 lbs. from my goal. But this is the way to do it and have it last. Lifelong habits are created this way. I don't care how good you are - you cannot live on the Atkins diet life-long. Nor should you.
  • aarnwine2013
    aarnwine2013 Posts: 317 Member
    I felt the same way when I started... I wanted to just lose weight fast. Now I realize how silly my goal was. I'm more focused on being healthy and fit and finding good food that fuels my body.

    I do eat low carb but that's because I feel so much better for some reason... Also it helps me make better food choices and I will eat like this for the rest of my life. It's not a fad thing.

    I like the weight loss and I am constantly reminding myself to be patient. It's hard and I get upset when the scale doesn't move like I think it should but I'm learning to deal with it better.

    Good luck with your journey!
  • Geminieve24
    Geminieve24 Posts: 364 Member
    I felt the same way when I started... I wanted to just lose weight fast. Now I realize how silly my goal was. I'm more focused on being healthy and fit and finding good food that fuels my body.

    I do eat low carb but that's because I feel so much better for some reason... Also it helps me make better food choices and I will eat like this for the rest of my life. It's not a fad thing.

    I like the weight loss and I am constantly reminding myself to be patient. It's hard and I get upset when the scale doesn't move like I think it should but I'm learning to deal with it better.

    Good luck with your journey!

    Thank you and good luck to you as well! The problem is that I haven't started. I have been trying to lose even just these 25 pounds for the past 6 months. I lost about 30 last year and kept it off, but I lost that in about two and a half months and that was last August or so.

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