questions from 5' 1", trying to lose 35+ LB - need help, advice, inspiration!

Hi!

Broken down, to get from 167 to 140 in 4 months (16 weeks), you'd need to lose about 1.7 lbs a week, which is a healthy and reasonable goal. Good job for being realistic! So many people do themselves a disservice by not breaking the end goal up into smaller, more achievable goals.

For holidays and gatherings, as long as they're not too frequent, going a little over your calories is ok. In fact, a high calorie day here and there can actually boost your metabolism, I've found. Try to stay towards healthier foods in these situations, nonetheless. Avoid appetizers, unless they're veggies. Appetizers rarely decrease how much ends up on the dinner plate in the end. Try going for a walk soon after a big holiday meal. It will help you digest more quickly.

For exercise, try adding in some weight lifting and HIIT/circuit training. Lifting weights will help build muscle, which will not only make you appear more toned, you will also burn more calories while resting if you have more muscle mass. Don't get discouraged if you see a slight increase in your weight when you start weight training. Muscle is more dense than fat, so you will look more lean and, as I mentioned, burn more calories, so it will even out in your favor. HIIT/circuit training will burn fat much more quickly than walking. This can be as simple as walking or jogging for one block, then walking at a normal pace until your heart rate normalizes, then jogging another block. Start where you can : )

Best of luck!

I'm also 5'1" with a starting weight of 155 and an end-goal of 115 in a year. That works out to about 0.8 lbs/week. My first stopgap goal is 145 by Christmas, which I'm on track to do with 3lbs down so far.

How are you feeling on 1200-1400 calories a day? That's my calorie goal and I find it to be even a little low. Since your starting weight is higher and you're exercising quite a bit, you may find you actually have to eat quite a bit more than that in order to lose weight. (Sounds counterproductive but it's true!) Listen to your body. If you're hungry and tired all the time, up the calories. Slower weight loss that's sustainable long term is far better than crash dieting and yo-yoing right back again.

Walking 4 miles every day? Good for you! See if you can gradually add on other activity you enjoy, but hey, it's different for everyone. You might also find that activities you don't enjoy now become more fun once you are at a healthier weight and feeling more energetic.

jalsa123 wrote: »

- Do you think it is realistic to set this goal in 4 months?
- How do you deal when you have to eat out or in holidays or family gathering? This can blow out 1000 calories easily.
- Do you think 4 miles a day walking (split in 2 + 2) is enough for 2lb/week weighloss? Any other ideas?

Hi! I'm a little taller at 5'3" but my mom and my sister are both 5'1".

I think your goal is definitely achievable but keep in mind that you're going to lose weight more quickly at the beginning than at the end. Once you get close to goal you'll be losing around a .5 pound per week so don't think it's going to be easy when you lose at a faster rate now or get discouraged when the loss slows.

Eating out can definitely be a challenge; restaurant portions can be crazy. Try to find a chain restaurants menu before you go and plan your meal in advance. One option is to ask for a box right when you order your meal and when the food arrives, immediately put half of it in the box to take home. That way you know you won't eat too much and you'll have yummy leftovers for another day. For holiday get-togethers, limit the alcohol and sweet drinks and hover around the veggie platter instead of the dessert table. On the days of big parties I'll often eat very sparingly the day of which leaves me more calories for the evening event. Another option is to eat 100-200 less calories (or work out a little extra) each day of the week before and "bank" those calories for the event. I tend to think of calorie goals on a weekly basis, anyway. There's no clock that resets at midnight when it comes to calories.

Running will burn more calories than walking and take less time doing it. I started running for just that reason. Keep in mind, though, that weight loss is much more about what you're eating than how much you're exercising. As we say around here, "you can't outrun a bad diet." Cardio will give you more calories to eat or to increase your deficit, it'll also improve your endurance and make you more fit. If you have the means, look at adding strength training. When we lose weight, it's a combination of water, fat and muscle. When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows which makes it harder to lose weight. By adding strength training, you'll retain that lean muscle mass which means you'll look better and your metabolism will improve. I started lifting weights a few months ago and the difference it's made in how I look and feel is amazing. My weight loss has been slower but the measuring tape shows the true effects. I'm easily fitting into pants at 130 pounds now that I could barely squeeze into at 122 a few years ago.

However you go about this weight loss journey, try to do things that are sustainable and make changes gradually. Don't burn yourself out because you want these changes to stick and be something you don't mind continuing to do for years to come.

All of these are great posts! Just keep moving and enjoying life. The weight loss will continue and you will meet, even exceed your goals!! Best of luck!

hi,I just wanted to say that it's great that you have set your self smaller goals.

I am 39 and 5"2 and I have done the same every 7lbs is a small victory to me.I started on here in August and so far I am 16lbs down with another 14lbs to go.I am hoping to be at goal for next June.

It's also great to see positive comments on this thread for a change :-)

The best of luck

I think that goal is entirely doable, and I think it's smart to set a more realistic goal for yourself. I am 5'1'', started at 139.4 in March and for 3 months, was so very, very strict with my diet and exercise. I reached 109.4 in June. But because I was so strict, it was difficult for me to maintain, and I ended up gaining back 10-12 lbs (thankfully, it wasn't more than that). I've now set a more realistic weight loss goal for myself (1 lb a week) and feel like I will be more likely to maintain this way.

In terms of family gatherings and holiday parties, I like to walk into a party, look at everything there is to eat, and pick one or two less healthy things to treat myself with. Then I plug it in and see where I'm at in terms of either adjusting the rest of my calorie intake for other stuff, or making up for it the next day in working out. But the most important thing for me is limiting my alcohol consumption, because not only do those calories add up, the alcohol can lead to other bad food choices. Walking around with a full glass of water at all times is helpful. Also, it may help to eat something before you go, so that you are not making these kinds of decisions on an empty stomach.

With eating out, I like to plan ahead. The night before or morning of, I like to look up the menu of the restaurant we'll be visiting, figure out what I want, and plug it in right away. That way I can plan the rest of my calorie consumption/exercise around that meal, and it keeps me disciplined when dinner finally does roll around.

Hope this is helpful, and good luck! You can do it!