Lots to lose in little time - help!
bubblefreakkerry
Posts: 11 Member
I have 5 months before my sisters graduation. I want to lose about 4 stone or more before then. I weigh close to 19stone and my ultimate goal is 10stone. so this would be about halfway. it would be the lightest i've been in many years. I have been trying to lose weight for the last year but have only been successful in gaining or maintaining. I've managed to lose cms but not weight and I've even stopped doing that much. Running out of ideas and struggling with day to day motivation - help please I am getting desperate!
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56 pounds in five months is aiming pretty high and most likely won't happen. That's the realism of your situation. The best you can do is log your food on MFP, eat at a deficit, and possibly get some physical activity. If you follow that, you will lose weight, but how much you lose depends on you. At your current weight, a rate of two pounds per week to start is acceptable.0
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The question for you is did you gain 5 stones in 5 months? So why bother to try to lose it in 5 months? I understand like celebrations come up, but you have to be realistic. Synacious advice sounds spot on.0
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Setting such a drastic goal is immediately setting yourself up for frustration, stress, anxiety, and ultimately failure. You're going to stress yourself silly trying to attain it, probably not do it, get to the event and get past it, and then what, gain it back? Forget it. If you really want to lose weight, understand that the most important things are PATIENCE and DETERMINATION. It does NOT happen fast. It takes daily re-dedication to your efforts. Some days you'll do great and others not so great. You have to accept that and keep on keeping on. So now it's up to you...try to lose a bunch of weight quick while adding tons of stress and anxiety to your life, or accept how things are right now and make a concerted effort to change things over the course of the next few years. Yes, YEARS. That's how permanent weight loss happens.0
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So you're currently around 266lb? You say you've been trying to lose weight but you ended up maintaining or gaining? Can I ask what you tried that didn't work?0
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bubblefreakkerry wrote: »I have 5 months before my sisters graduation. I want to lose about 4 stone or more before then. I weigh close to 19stone and my ultimate goal is 10stone. so this would be about halfway. it would be the lightest i've been in many years. I have been trying to lose weight for the last year but have only been successful in gaining or maintaining. I've managed to lose cms but not weight and I've even stopped doing that much. Running out of ideas and struggling with day to day motivation - help please I am getting desperate!
56 lbs in 5 months? You're currently 266 lbs. Losing 1% of body weight per week for 20 weeks would put you at 217.5, a 48.5 lb loss. That's an optimistic goal. I do not believe you can safely lose 56 lbs in 5 months.
My advice is not to tie your health goals to an arbitrary date like your sister's graduation. Focus on learning and practicing long term good habits and you'll go much farther in the long run.0 -
56 pounds in five months is aiming pretty high and most likely won't happen. That's the realism of your situation. The best you can do is log your food on MFP, eat at a deficit, and possibly get some physical activity. If you follow that, you will lose weight, but how much you lose depends on you. At your current weight, a rate of two pounds per week to start is acceptable.
I'm not aiming for 56 lb in 5 months that would be ridiculous! I want about 24-30 lb which i think is around 2lb a week loss - thats healthy right?0 -
Figure out your caloric needs to lose 2 lbs per week. Stick to that number. You will lose weight. It may not be the amount you hope to lose before your sis's graduation, but I guarantee you will feel better physically and your confidence will be miles above where it is right now. Don't talk yourself out of trying just because you might not get there fast enough.0
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I'm sorry I must have hit the wrong number when I did the conversion!I'm genuinely not looking for rapid weightloss! i'm perfectly happy to get any loss at this point!0
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bubblefreakkerry wrote: »56 pounds in five months is aiming pretty high and most likely won't happen. That's the realism of your situation. The best you can do is log your food on MFP, eat at a deficit, and possibly get some physical activity. If you follow that, you will lose weight, but how much you lose depends on you. At your current weight, a rate of two pounds per week to start is acceptable.
I'm not aiming for 56 lb in 5 months that would be ridiculous! I want about 24-30 lb which i think is around 2lb a week loss - thats healthy right?
"I have 5 months before my sisters graduation. I want to lose about 4 stone or more before then."
Google tells me 1 stone=14 pounds. 14x4=56 pounds. So unless I misinterpreted the sentences above, you initially stated you wanted to lose 56 pounds before the graduation. In any case, 24 to 30 pounds in five months is a better goal to set for yourself.0 -
I am not sure whether the original poster is male or female-which matters as far as weight loss speed is concerned. With my exercise program, and consuming about 1800 calories a day, I tend to average around 15 pounds per/month without shorting my nutrition requirements.0
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Hun you said you have 5 months before graduation and want to lose "4 stone or more", so with there being 14lb in a stone, people came to 56lb.... 2lb a week is perfectly feasible at your weight, but I come back to my question of what did you try before that didn't work? Did you honestly weight and log your food? Did you exercise?0
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bubblefreakkerry wrote: »56 pounds in five months is aiming pretty high and most likely won't happen. That's the realism of your situation. The best you can do is log your food on MFP, eat at a deficit, and possibly get some physical activity. If you follow that, you will lose weight, but how much you lose depends on you. At your current weight, a rate of two pounds per week to start is acceptable.
I'm not aiming for 56 lb in 5 months that would be ridiculous! I want about 24-30 lb which i think is around 2lb a week loss - thats healthy right?
Your OP says you want to lose 4 stone or more by the time of your sister's graduation in 5 months. As far as I know, 4x14 is 56 across the pond the same as it is here in the U.S. Perhaps your weight loss problems are mathematical in nature.0 -
So you're currently around 266lb? You say you've been trying to lose weight but you ended up maintaining or gaining? Can I ask what you tried that didn't work?
First year of uni I was super fit and active (and ate to maintain this) then i picked up a rugby injury but didn't stop eating (weight had never been an issue and I didn't think!). i gained about 4 or 5 stone in a year. so the first thing I did was try to get back into my fitness regime but i kept pushing too hard and re-injured myself. i then went through vlc diets liquid diets etc but i love eating too much and they made me feel like crap. since then i have been weaning myself off junk foods, making healthier choices, cutting portions down. i have continued gaining weight (more slowly than initially) despite this and a fairly active job.
a few years ago i went to a nutritionist in kuwait, his diet plan max calories were around 500 per day but i stuck to it, introduced steady exercise and successfully lost 20kg which i kept off until a couple of years ago, i came to japan and everything came with rice, my eating scheduled was messed up because of my work times and i regained everything. i tried repeating his plan unsuccessfully.
Around september i tried out chris powells diet where i ate more and did slightly different exercise i lost inches quickly but due to muscle gain i didn't lose weight - which i was fine with until i plateaud! however this plan is soo expensive in japan no matter how hard i tried to make it cheaper and really doesn't fit with my current lifestyle. it was also to physically difficult as i now have near permanent knee and back pain ironically compounded by my weight!
Now i log everything to the best of my ability, i do a 20" yoga session once if not twice per day, swim 3 times per week, do classes at the gym and eat toast and poached egg for breakfast, chicken salad for lunch, a cup of soup and steamed veg for dinner (very late time) and have 4 or more pieces of fruit or raw veg as snacks (for example last week i ate a banana , a carrot, 2 satsumas and an apple).
I'm sorry that turned out really long but i can't see where i am going wrong!
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Weigh solid food with a digital scale. Measure liquids with a measuring cup. Log accurately using usda or food label info. Eat below your maintenance calories. Do that and you'll lose weight.0
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Again apologies for the mathematical error. i must have made a mistake when i was converting from stone to kg so i would know what to aim for on my scale! its sounds reasonable (25kg) until you remember that kilos are bigger than pounds! such an idiot!0
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if it comes up this was brunch this morning. in thr mug is matcha green tea. this is pretty standard but i don't always have the cranberry juice!0 -
bubblefreakkerry wrote: »
Yes, scale is better. Cups have a larger margin of error (heaping scoop, flat scoop, mounded scoop, etc.).0 -
I use a digital scale and find it helpful.
5 stone in a year is a stack of weight to gain. I'm assuming you were in a rugby team when you were at Uni and trained regularly, so until then you never had to think about food?
Are you still injured or can you train again? I mean beyond swimming & yoga?0 -
Make sure you don't "drink" your calories too, water is great and tea...esp. green tea in Japan! I agree with healthy eating but I don't think there is anything wrong with setting a goal to look good...just don't go on a crazy diet...walk, try to fill up with fruits, veggies and lean meats. I love rice but it loves my hips. And measure! You can do it. One thing I found, and this is crazy but really long walks, hikes or slow running...esp. if you can find hills helps me with break plateaus. Especially if I am eating right. No need to starve. You can easily lose at least 20 lbs... and you will look and feel much better about yourself.YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Go Bubblefreak!0 -
bubblefreakkerry wrote: »
Yes, a digital food scale is more accurate. I'm sure someone will be a long with the video showing how you can overestimate quite a bit when you are using cups.0 -
I use a digital scale and find it helpful.
5 stone in a year is a stack of weight to gain. I'm assuming you were in a rugby team when you were at Uni and trained regularly, so until then you never had to think about food?
Are you still injured or can you train again? I mean beyond swimming & yoga?
Yes i played forward positions usually flanker but second row in 10s and loosehead prop in 7s. i was also an army cadet so started everyday with a mile run and basic body resistance workout. i went to the gym 3or4 times a week sometimes weight training sometimes cardio training. i was also on the trampolining team. i had always been active and had never weighed myself (apart from start of uni health check when i was 10.5stone). i never had access to enough food to get fat and it took a ehile for me not to consume all my groceries in one sitting because i could - sad as that sounds! Intellectually I knew that if you ate too much you got fat but i was so accustomed to huge portions i didn't think i was eating too much, plus i drank alot of my calories!
i'm building up i just did a body combat class which i've managed to adapt to being low impact and that is a serious case of doms but otherwise ok! too much impact can have me on pain meds for weeks!0 -
Unreasonable expectations make it easier to give up because it's "too hard". A far more reasonable expectation of losing between 1 and 1.5 pounds a week puts the pressure squarely on you. Your eating habits. Your desire to make a commitment to your health and well-being. A 27 year old female at your current weight (and guessing 5'5" inches tall) can be sedentary and lose 1 to 1.5 pounds a week eating around 1500-1750 calories a day. Plenty of room to have a 100-200 calorie treat...every...single...day...and still get your adequate nutrition. If you have an active job and/or do a bit of exercise, you might be closer to 1750-2000 and still lose.
Put your numbers into MFP, choose 1.5 pound a week loss, stick with it, and see where you are in 5 months. No crazy amounts of exercising are necessary, nor are any crazy food restrictions. If you were to lose 25-30 pounds in a healthy way--small, consistent changes-- you should be thrilled. Plus, you'll have a foundation of habits in place to keep chugging along for the rest of your loss. Indeed, as you get closer to your goal weight your calorie intake will have to get lower unless you balance it out with increased activity.
The way I see things, some people are looking at changing at least 2 habits: 1. Eating fewer calories on a consistent basis. 2. Changing what they eat to be more filling and nutritionally dense to make up for the reduced calorie intake. (A third habit of increasing daily activity is encouraged, but not necessary or sufficient for basic weight loss, particular when starting out highly overweight.)
People facing both changes (or all 3) and try to make them all at once are likely going to struggle to stay consistent. Rare, but not impossible. On the other hand, active people who already eat a good mix of foods---but simply too much of them---only need to reduce their portion sizes. It might be a bit easier for them to stay consistent.
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Make sure you don't "drink" your calories too, water is great and tea...esp. green tea in Japan! I agree with healthy eating but I don't think there is anything wrong with setting a goal to look good...just don't go on a crazy diet...walk, try to fill up with fruits, veggies and lean meats. I love rice but it loves my hips. And measure! You can do it. One thing I found, and this is crazy but really long walks, hikes or slow running...esp. if you can find hills helps me with break plateaus. Especially if I am eating right. No need to starve. You can easily lose at least 20 lbs... and you will look and feel much better about yourself.YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Go Bubblefreak!
Lol thankyou Bisky for the encouragement! slow running might be a stretch right now but it is the perfect season to go for walks!0 -
I feel for you. I injured when I was Ironman triathlon training, and I carried on eating but didn't carry on with 15+ hours of training a week! It soon piles on.
The best you can do is be patient, be really vigilant about weighing and keeping within your calorie limit, and be as active as possible within your current limits. Yoga and swimming is all good. Body Combat will shift some calories for sure. If you're looking for non impact, you could also try spin classes, as they are based on interval training principles and pretty effective at shifting some calories. Then there are just little changes in life that all add up, like not taking the car if it's somewhere you could walk to, or taking a parking space far away from the supermarket entry etc.
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I can't run anymore but walking and hiking are good for you mentally and physically. I love listening to music and can walk further with music. I made myself several walking playlists including one for rain that gets me going!
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I feel for you. I injured when I was Ironman triathlon training, and I carried on eating but didn't carry on with 15+ hours of training a week! It soon piles on.
The best you can do is be patient, be really vigilant about weighing and keeping within your calorie limit, and be as active as possible within your current limits. Yoga and swimming is all good. Body Combat will shift some calories for sure. If you're looking for non impact, you could also try spin classes, as they are based on interval training principles and pretty effective at shifting some calories. Then there are just little changes in life that all add up, like not taking the car if it's somewhere you could walk to, or taking a parking space far away from the supermarket entry etc.
it did shock me how much i piled on, but i still never really accepted i was fat until christmas. measuring my bum to see if i could fit in the airline seat was a real low point for me!
i will definitely look for a spin class, i never thought of that since i hate cycling! but then i used to say that about swimming!0 -
If you hate either, at least you get more bang for your buck in a spin class. ;-)0
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bubblefreakkerry wrote: »First year of uni I was super fit and active (and ate to maintain this) then i picked up a rugby injury but didn't stop eating (weight had never been an issue and I didn't think!). i gained about 4 or 5 stone in a year.
I feel your pain. I stopped running but didn't stop eating like I was running and put on about 40 lbs in less than a year. I just kept making excuses for the next two years and am only now just getting back into running. If I had to do all over again I'd make sure that break off didn't last that long the first time. If it had only been a couple weeks I might not have put on all that weight.0 -
bubblefreakkerry wrote: »I have 5 months before my sisters graduation. I want to lose about 4 stone or more before then. I weigh close to 19stone and my ultimate goal is 10stone. so this would be about halfway. it would be the lightest i've been in many years. I have been trying to lose weight for the last year but have only been successful in gaining or maintaining. I've managed to lose cms but not weight and I've even stopped doing that much. Running out of ideas and struggling with day to day motivation - help please I am getting desperate!
I would set a goal of 1 or 1.5 lbs a week and not worry about losing a particular number of lbs by a certain date. Just get started, stick to your calorie goal and be patient.
Work on logging everything you consume as accurately as you can and sticking to your calorie goal. Use a food scale. Choose accurate entries. Don't forget things like cooking oil and condiments.
Eat food you like and would normally want to eat. It will be easier to stick to long term than an extremely restrictive, bland diet.
Get enough protein, fats, and fiber to feel satisfied. Increase your vegetables and fruits. Eat smaller portions of higher calorie foods and fill the rest of your plate with more lower calorie foods like vegetables.
I found pre-logging my whole day to be very helpful. I also drink mostly water or unsweetened tea and save calories for food.0
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