Is it possible to lose 20 pounds in 5 months?

I am going on Vacation in about 5 months.. is it possible to lose 20lbs in that amount of time.. Dieting/Exercising 5 days a week..?
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Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    yes. eat at a 500 cal daily deficit and you will see that weight come off. 20 lbs in 5 months is very doable
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Depends what you do on the other 2 days of the week.
  • Mykaelous
    Mykaelous Posts: 231 Member
    Depends what you do on the other 2 days of the week.

    Very much this^^^^
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Maybe.

    In general - yes it is possible to lose 20 pounds in 5 months, as that is roughly 1 pound per week, assuming you need to lose that much.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    What's your height and weight. Someone 5'4 200 lbs could do this with ease. Someone 5'7 135 lbs will have a much harder time.
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    5'4 - 150lb .. errr
  • cmendoza13
    cmendoza13 Posts: 23
    I'm 5'6" and was at 150. I started February 17th and am down 20 lbs, so yes, it is very doable as long as you commit to eating right and exercising diligently. Good luck!
  • oxers
    oxers Posts: 259 Member
    Yeah, it really depends on your starting stats. I dropped 20ish pounds in a little under four months, but I was 214 and 5'7 to start, so I had a ways to go, and that was taking it really slowly for me. At 60 pounds lighter and only three inches shorter, that'll be a lot harder for you.

    Good news: If you blend a good amount of cardio with a reasonable deficit and resistance training, don't go ape**** on your rest days and keep at it consistently, regardless of the numbers, in five months you'll look great. Don't worry so much about what the scale says. Five months is plenty of time to get in shape and look damn good.
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    Thanks for the encouragement!!!!
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
    5'4 - 150lb .. errr

    At this height/weight it would be difficult, but possible, to lose so much. Also, I hope you were referring to the exercising when you mention 5 days a week. If you don't watch what you eat 2 days every week, you can undo everything you gained in the other 5 days.

    I also see you already lost 24 pounds. Based on that experience you should know how fast you lose weight.
  • Yes that is very possible, do you have a formal plan (diet) that you are going to follow or simply the MyFitnessPal theory of "eat less, exercise more, lose weight"?

    I've seen similar height/weight people do that in 3 months on more formal plans.
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    The 24lbs is what i gained back in the past year and a half. :(
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    At 150 pounds, 20 pounds is 13% of your total body weight. Yes, it is possible to lose that much in 5 months but it will get progressively more difficult as you pass losing the first ten pounds. If you weighed almost 280 pounds like me, 20 pounds is only 7% of your body weight and is easier to lose in that period of time.

    So, certainly, you can aim for it but don't beat yourself up if you don't make it.

    (Yes, guys, I know. It's calories in calories out but it does get harder to lose weight as you get closer to goal and she's close to goal already by some standards.)
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    I plan on eating less (not starving myself) exercising... yup!
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
    It's doable depending on your start weight. A friend in my weight loss group lost 20 pounds in 3 months. She is your height but weighs quite a bit more. She logged her food (kept under her daily MFP goals) and did cardio 3 days per week. She allowed herself one cheat day but didn't go crazy on that day.
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    have a fitbit & i have a heart rate monitor also.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    5mo = ~20 weeks....

    ~1lb/week loss is perfectly doable and healthy.
    it will not be easy since you dont have much to lose, but if you put your mind (and body) to it you will succeed.

    where are you going on vacation?
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Absolutely doable. Go for it!
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    Taking my son to Disney world ... not losing weight "for vacation" per say.. Just something to help motivate me..
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    yes. eat at a 500 cal daily deficit and you will see that weight come off. 20 lbs in 5 months is very doable

    qft
  • nygrl4evr
    nygrl4evr Posts: 196 Member
    I am 5 6 1/2 inches and just finished a 12 week weight loss challenge at work. I lost 20 lbs in that 12 weeks and when I started out I was at 153.8 so I was at the top of my normal bmi range. It takes a lot more dedication when you hit this range but in 5 months it can be done. Just make sure you follow your calories and get in your cardio. I think you should be able to do it as long as you follow and don't binge on the other 2 days or you will undo all of your hard work and not make it. Good luck!
  • oXGetFitBabeXo
    oXGetFitBabeXo Posts: 341 Member
    My hardest struggle is binge though i think if i keep logging on MFP & keep talking on the boards ill beo k!
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    Doing it 7 days a week will make is more possible.

    20 pounds/5 month is less than 1 pound a month. This needs a 500 calories deficit, and this means that you can eat the calories burned while exercising. That's a lot of calories, if you are not really small, you can eat 1600-1700 calories a day + whatever you exercise, and still lose. So it isn't that hard to keep it 7 days a week. Or you can eat 1500 calories per weekday and what you exercise and eat more in the weekends.
  • JeffInJax
    JeffInJax Posts: 232 Member
    To be honest, I am just happy seeing someone put up a reasonable goal. 20 pounds in a month, 30 pounds in 2 ect seem to be the norm a lot of times with posts. Im sure you will succeed and like others have said if you do it seven days a week you're much better off. I am guilty of trying to have "free" weekends and all it did was stall my losses greatly.
  • Barbellarella_
    Barbellarella_ Posts: 454 Member
    I am going on Vacation in about 5 months.. is it possible to lose 20lbs in that amount of time.. Dieting/Exercising 5 days a week..?

    Taking off 2 days a week from exercising is ok. Not tracking your food 2 days a week might keep you at the same weight you are now, however. Make sure you log carefully everyday.
  • kberkley78
    kberkley78 Posts: 8 Member
    Just forget I said it.
  • kberkley78
    kberkley78 Posts: 8 Member
    Forget it.
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Binge eating is ok if the binge is in moderation and is with HEALTHY snacks, like veggies. But, like they always say, too much of a good thing is not good. If you eat the right type of calories (i.e., low carb, moderate protein and fat) you will feel more satisfied and be less likely to binge.

    That makes no sense, how is it a binge if you can control it?
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Binge eating is ok if the binge is in moderation and is with HEALTHY snacks, like veggies. But, like they always say, too much of a good thing is not good. If you eat the right type of calories (i.e., low carb, moderate protein and fat) you will feel more satisfied and be less likely to binge.

    Whut? This doesn't compute.
  • SaintGiff
    SaintGiff Posts: 3,679 Member
    I lost 25 in three months the first time I did P90X