Gained 20 pounds in a month. How fast to lose it?

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fashiongal88
fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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I'm 5'10" and I currently weigh 160+ pounds. For the past month I have been going through a very a stressful time and turned to excessive overeating for relief. I have been consuming very high-calorie items until my stomach feels very uncomfortable. I love food but this behavior is unnatural for me and I am devastated with my massive weight gain. I've lost my self confidence and the only way to regain it is if I return to my natural weight.

If I gained 20 pounds so quickly in a month. How fast can I lose that weight? Starting today I am going to stop excessive eating and will return to the gym.
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  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    If it's real weight and not water, count on taking at least double the time it took to gain it. The reason is, for people like you (and me!) who can really gain fast, we can't lose it as fast without starving ourselves every day or running two marathons a day or both. Sad but true, sorry to bring bad news!
  • fashiongal88
    fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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    I'm going to attempt to eat only 1200 calories a day and workout more often. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get back to my normal weight. I still can't believe I gained 20 pounds in a month. This is the largest weight I have ever been.

    I just need encouragement I suppose.
  • TheSheepFollower
    TheSheepFollower Posts: 64 Member
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    I gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks by not logging and eating whatever I wanted last July! Now I am starting over and gonna lose these 15 pounds! Oh and I'd do what fashionalgal says!
  • paruls86
    paruls86 Posts: 188 Member
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    First off get your blood works done and clean up salt in your diet few days will get your water retention sorted. Only then worry about how less you should be eating
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    When I was your age, if weight came on fast, I could lose it fairly quickly as well, as long as I hit it before it got too comfy. You can probably lose 15 of it pretty quick, and may have to work a bit for the last 5. You can do it, tho.:flowerforyou:
  • radmack
    radmack Posts: 272 Member
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    Chances are some of it is water weight. BUT if you suddenly started extreme over eating, you might want to consider not being so extreme in your weight loss plan. In the long run, this might help keep you from a reoccurrence.
  • loruddy
    loruddy Posts: 46 Member
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    from your stats 160 lbs and 5 10 your BMI is 23 healthy weight for you. if you eat too little your body will go into starvation mode and slow down your metabolism , I don't know how true this is,(confirmation please ) but when you gain weight the body creates new fat cells, when you lose weight those cells will empty but not go away making is easer to regain lost weight.
  • embracethepainfitness
    embracethepainfitness Posts: 25
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    Just messaged you.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    No, starvation mode has been proven to be a myth :)
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    That's an unhealthy way to do it, but you will lose probably half of that weight in the first week, because of water weight, so there really is much that is going to stop you from eating that low, and burning a ton of calories with results like that.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    So this is kind of what you want to follow to do it in a healthy way for your body. This if from http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/ with your stats.

    Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.




    Activity Level Daily Calories

    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1798
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2060
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2322
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2584
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2846
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
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    Unfortunately its so easy to gain weight but so hard to lose it.Just take it day by day and you sonn see the results you want.good lucj
  • rjordison
    rjordison Posts: 10
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    Going onto 1200 is good for say 2 weeks, keeping fat low (around 5%) and drinking lots of water. They say its not good to remain on that low calories for extended periods of time, otherwise our body apparently ends up going into 'starvation mode', 1200 is a great booster for the start of weight loss, then 1400-1500 per day is still really good for weight loss too. And it is easier to maintain at that level too, it doesnt feel as restricted. Remember don't forget your calcium, 3/4 pint of milk is approx 200 calories so you could still EAT 1200 then drink milk to bring to 1400, it will keep you feeling fuller and maintain good calcium levels.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    With just 20 pounds to lose, I'd do a small deficit. Yeah, it will take longer, but you're less likely to crash and burn.
  • fashiongal88
    fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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    I gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks by not logging and eating whatever I wanted last July! Now I am starting over and gonna lose these 15 pounds! Oh and I'd do what fashionalgal says!

    5 pounds in 2 weeks isn't so bad. I could easily gain that in a day due to water weight and a stomach full of food. How are you doing with keeping 1200 calories a day? It's difficult for me considering I could eat that much in a sitting. Having cravings doesn't help. :/
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
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    6-8 weeks
  • fashiongal88
    fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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    First off get your blood works done and clean up salt in your diet few days will get your water retention sorted. Only then worry about how less you should be eating

    Today after eating only raw vegetables, fruits, steamed fish, and drinking tons of fluids... I've already dropped 3-4 pounds. I look less bloated in my face. I think most of the water retention is gone.
  • fashiongal88
    fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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    When I was your age, if weight came on fast, I could lose it fairly quickly as well, as long as I hit it before it got too comfy. You can probably lose 15 of it pretty quick, and may have to work a bit for the last 5. You can do it, tho.:flowerforyou:

    Thank you! You've given me hope! I just need to get out of this funk and be happy again. I tend to overeat when I'm stressed.
  • fashiongal88
    fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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    Chances are some of it is water weight. BUT if you suddenly started extreme over eating, you might want to consider not being so extreme in your weight loss plan. In the long run, this might help keep you from a reoccurrence.

    Already lost some water weight from today! I was 163 this morning and now after eating dinner I'm under 160! :)
  • fashiongal88
    fashiongal88 Posts: 14
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    from your stats 160 lbs and 5 10 your BMI is 23 healthy weight for you. if you eat too little your body will go into starvation mode and slow down your metabolism , I don't know how true this is,(confirmation please ) but when you gain weight the body creates new fat cells, when you lose weight those cells will empty but not go away making is easer to regain lost weight.


    23 BMI may be healthy for most people but it's not natural for me. I just know how my body feels and at this weight I feel very heavy and out of shape.

    Im not sure but I think starvation mode is called ketosis where the body uses the stored fat as a means of food. I've heard this too about the fat cells. If I maintain a healthy lifestyle then hopefully I won't regain the fat. What I've been doing for the past month was simply unhealthy and very unlike me. I'm glad that I realized what's been happening. I think I just needed to get back to reality.

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