My trainer wants me to lose 79lbs in a year

You can do it! I have lost 54lbs 5 months! I have done it with exercise and changing my lifestyle to a low carb life!

He must be crazy. Ugh I know it's possible but honestly I haven't been even under 200lbs since middle school. I'm terrified that I won't make it, and worse that I'll make it and still hate the way I look.
So far I'm keeping my goal at 30 lbs by Christmas. Cardio 6 days a week and lifting 3 days a week. Also, low carb high protein focused.

Boy I don't want to fail... :frown:

I don't understand your logic. You think that 79 pounds in a year is too much, but 30 pounds till Christmas is ok. If you would continue with your Christmas goal for a year you would lose 120 pounds. How is that better ?
Btw: I lost 55 pounds in 8 month by maintaining my calories deficit ( eating a normal, but healthy diet ) and walking 30-45 minutes each day.

It can be done if you are willing to put in the work. Log every bite, every day! Keep to your workout schedule. Tell yourself you can do it (nothing hampers progress more than thinking you can't do something). With that said...

If you feel better with small goals, okay. Some do. 30 pounds in 4 months will still get you probably around the 79 pounds in a year (since progress will slow down the more you lose).

I do better looking at the end with a soft monthly goal. And a little reward every 15 pounds. But, if I write down that my Goal is only 30 pounds, then I will be more like to take a break when I hit it! I want to keep myself going and motivated.

Finally, are you afraid of finding a new you? You need to deal with that, too.

Good luck!

Whether you can or can't... you are right! I think you are underestimating yourself. 79 lbs in a year ( 52 weeks) is only 1.5 lbs a week! That is very realistic!

You can do this! Once you see results I bet you will want it even more. I am not going to even tell you good luck, I am going to tell you to go do it!

Hi there,
You can definitely lose 30 pounds by Christmas, and 79 pounds in a year! It's all about your mindset; if you want to change your lifestyle to be happy and healthy for yourself and your son, you just need to decide that's what you want and go after it
And you have tons of support!!

Keep it simple. Aim to lose 1.5 pounds a week. That'll get you there.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement!

One bit of advice I will give you, though, is to not focus so much on the weight. You only have so much control over how much weight your body is willing to let go of at a time.

Focus on the process. Focus on healthy eating and set exercise goals. Maybe give yourself little rewards for following your plan for a certain amount of time. I set a goal to exercise 30 minutes every day and stay in my calorie goal every day for a month and I got a massage at the end.

Also, don't be afraid to eat what you enjoy. Eat healthy, nutritious foods most of the time, but work in dinners out, drinks, a piece of cake -- whatever makes you happy -- every once in a while. Don't look at this as punishment, but rather a change that will lead to feeling better and maybe enjoy shopping for clothes more. :-)

Good advice. Look for ways to do this in a way that really fits for you and you can do long term. Enjoy all the small goals and achievements along the way.

Tou cna do it if you are focused and sustain it.

If it cares you that much then talk to your trainer and agree with him a reasonable level and set some short term targets. Gaining short term victories will increase your confidence. Its more about sustaining at the right level than dramatic losses, so go from a few weeks to a month to six weeks to 2 months etc. Focus on the short term and the long term objective will get closer.

I believe in you! Should you check with your trainer about rest days? Sounds like you might only have one rest day in there.
Good luck! I think one you get used to it, you'll find it will seem possible to lose that weight. For now, I like your 30 lb by December mini goal - it's more manageable. And you know what? If you get it off by then, you're pretty much half way there!

Others have said it, and I want to stress it - don't focus on the number - focus on health. Yes, you can exercise and eat better!

But if your trainer is making it all about numbers and not about doing it safely - you may need to hit him over the backside of the head.

It's your body. You need rest days to allow for your muscles to respond. Make sure that whatever the plan is that you choose TOGETHER, that it is sustainable for the long-term. A year of 6 times a week cardio, and more hours in weight-training may be too much, too fast. (especially, if this is your first time exercising).

And diet/fitness is a life-time commitment - not something that your rush to attain, and then suddenly ask - "what now"?

if you decide to take the low-carb route, research that too. I am a low-carber - and, I will tell you that it's fantastic, but there's no cheating without consequences. If you give up gluten and grains, it's really hard to eat them without getting sick. I look at a bag of cheetos now, and know if I have it - my weightloss results will be stalled, I'll gain immediate weight, and I'll probably be sick processing the carbs and what it breaks down into.

This isn't about the trainer deciding what you should do - this is about you taking ownership for your body and what you are capable of giving to yourself to make you the best you can be, with his help. Whatever you do though, it's not about him, it's about you.

Good luck!

If it helps, I have noticed from the posts that very obese people seem to lose weight unusually quickly at first. Then it settles into the 1-2 lbs per week.

You can do this.

And there is no fail. It is not building habits for a year, but for a lifetime.

I don't know that I would say don't focus on the number - you shouldn't let the number defeat you, but you should focus on your weight when you have a sizable amount to lose. Honestly I'm always flabbergasted by people that say they've been working out and exercising for the last year or three, they've lost 15 pounds and they're still obese. If you're going to put in the effort and sacrifice, at least get some results out of it. At the end of the day, focusing on your health means getting your weight in a healthy range.

I was 292, and now I'm at 200 about a year + couple months later.

It can be done! But you lose at a higher rate the bigger you are. I was able to drop 8-9 lbs a month easy in the beginning, but it's slower going now.

Well Said