What can I do in 3 weeks?

Uhh, there's no quick way to lose weight unless you decide to be extremely unhealthy. Just eat at a deficit and cut back on sodium to reduce the water retention. Log everything, weigh and measure everything and tell your husband this is important to you and that you would love his support in this journey. Get a food scale and drink lots of water.

I'm hoping that she doesn't want to lose 28 pounds in 3 weeks, just a good 3 week running start for morale's sake. Even so, I hope she avoids any "quick start," "jump start" or "starting cleanse" type gimmicks, because as so many know, that's just a recipe for failure.

I'd say, OP, weigh yourself tonight after dinner. Log that as your starting weight. Then, over the next few weeks, reduce your sodium intake and keep logging your food. Use a calculator to determine your TDEE and eat at 80% of that. (So, take your calculator and input your TDEE and multiply by .8) Maintain that calorie deficit, don't actively try to lowball it...it's moderate and long-term sustainable. Be 100% honest in your logging. If you have a day that goes over, log it, learn from it, move forward. There are no cheats and no life-ruining mistakes. It's just what you eat. Logging will help you keep yourself accountable, and may also help you to notice that some days you feel more energetic than others....some days you feel less hungry than others, etc. It will help you learn which foods your body likes for its fuel.

Continue walking your dog, but also do some simple weight work at home, use dumbbells if you have them, if you don't, you can use jugs of milk or anything heavy. Look at nerdfitness.com for a good bodyweight workout. (But, be gentle and careful if you are still healing from injuries!)

After your 3 weeks are up, weigh yourself very first thing in the morning after a visit to the bathroom. You may have lost a bit of fat, but you will have likely lost lots of retained water, which will give you a big mental boost in those numbers you see on the scale. Slow and steady wins it, OP. There is no finish line, just daily improvements in your life, for the rest of your life. Good luck!

Many people who have been eating unhealthily for quite while are usually carrying extra water weight. At least, that's what my nutritionist told me after I logged in a 5 lb weight loss in my first week. She said that she sees that often the first week. After, though, it's one to two pounds a week.

If that is the case, you could, best case scenario, safely lose 9 lbs in the next three weeks. That could possibly take you down one size or, at the very least, make your clothes fit better.

Weigh everything you eat down to the gram.
Log what you eat every time food goes into your mouth.
Walk the dog longer.
You should be able to lose at least 6 lbs safely in three weeks.

Then keep it up and lose the rest.

Coming here several times a day helps me a lot. Not just logging my food and activity, but interacting with people and reading the threads. There is some really great information on here.

When your saboteurs order fried chicken, take one piece and plate the rest with mostly vegetables.



When they bring pizza home, have one slice and a big salad to go with it.

Chinese food? Order the Won Ton.

I suggest building some internal reasons for wanting to lose weight over the next few weeks, get used to logging your food, and make small sustainable changes. Go out and buy a great outfit in your current size. Then rock it at your event; stand tall. You have so much more going for you than your size. If people ask too personal questions, give a glib reply and then ask about their lives. Nearly all people are impossibly self-absorbed and really want to talk about themselves anyways.

I kept quiet about my weight loss until the changes were inescapable. This time this weight loss enterprise was mine alone. Except I let hubby in on it, because he is on my support team.

By the way, now that for the first time I weigh less than my hubby, he has caught on to my "tricks". I've gotten in to the habit of giving him food off my plate that I can't finish. He's refusing to take that now, and declaring he doesn't need "seconds". He's watching his portions now, baby! LOL.

floridachristmas wrote: »

If I didn't make it clear, I was asking for something to give me a kick start to help boost my morale again. For those that have given helpful suggestions, thank you very much. For anyone else, I'm not making excuses, I'm not looking at half measures and I'm quite clearly not aiming to lose 28 lbs in 3 weeks. I also said that I intend to have a lifestyle change and healthy eat. When someone asks for advice, maybe you could wonder if you are helping them or just being a bit unkind or self righteous?

You'd be surprised at how often the "I NEED TO LOSE 30 POUNDS THIS MONTH" posts come up here -- I'm glad you aren't thinking along those lines. PP's who jumped at that are just used to seeing it and were not being mean, but trying to keep you sane and safe.

Like I said before, the best kick-start will be the natural boost of water weight that you lose in the beginning weeks. You may also feel a better sense of control over your health by logging...and that's a good kick-start too.

floridachristmas wrote: »

Thanks EWJLang (and everyone else with the helpful posts). I just don't understand why people feel the need to be judgmental or unpleasant. Why even reply? And if someone needs something clarifying, I'm happy to do that. I think some people are just happy to be negative but I'd really rather they kept it to themselves. x

I think it's more that people tend to come on here with crazy expectations and then they try extreme fad/quack cures (detox cleanses, juice fasts, expensive supplements) and then claim they can't lose an ounce. That's if they're lucky...others "stick to it" and end up losing their hair, stopping their cycles, and feeling weak and ill.

It's good that you aren't thinking along those lines. but, believe me...the people who aren't thinking as wisely as you are would really benefit by listing to those "Meanies."

floridachristmas wrote: »

Hi everyone. I want to lose about 28lbs but to be honest, I'm struggling with morale. My husband and son eat whatever, fetch take out etc etc and it's hard work without any support so I've fallen well off the wagon! I found out something is happening in 3 weeks and if I could lose a chunk by then it will go a long way to helping my self confidence. I can't get to a gym and due to a couple of injuries, my exercise tends to be dog walking.
Could anyone suggest any ways to have a 3 week push please? After that I want to be healthy eating with a lifestyle change but I guess for 3 weeks it can be a bit radical?
Any advice or support is very gratefully received.
Thanks. x

I'm not going to recommend you lose more than 1 pound a week.
Choose foods you enjoy and fit them in your calorie goal every day. Don't go on any super restrictive or intense eating/workout plans. Plan and pre-log your food the night before or in the morning for the whole day. Measure your portion out and keep your eyes on your own plate. Pass on unplanned food. Ask your family to limit take out to once a week. Drink mostly water.
Exercise a bit more- walking is fine. There are lots of workouts of You Tube that you can do at home if you'd like to try something else.
Get some MFP friends with similar goals.