Need to drop 20 pounds

nastaciapage
nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I had a child last May and I lost 43 pounds so far just from watching what I eat and Breastfeeding no exercise. I'm getting married in July and I purposely brought my dress a size too small for the motivation to lose weight but these last 20 pounds are so hard! Is there anyway I could lose this weight by July? Any tips? I appreciate it!

Replies

  • jakkrk
    jakkrk Posts: 54 Member
    3 months to lose 20# is totally doable. Depends when in July you are talking though. Watch your food, drink water and no alcohol or sugary drinks. Stay away from processed foods as much as possible.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Are you currently logging your food?
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am

    So when you say the last 20 pounds are hard, what do you mean? Do you mean it is coming off slowly or that it's hard to consistently meet your calorie goal?
  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
    edited April 2016
    We need your stats. Age, current weight, height.
    I personally think 20 lbs is too ambitious (10lbs in 2 months is already serious, depending on your weight).

    Basically, you calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This is how much you eat to MAINTAIN weight. To lose 1 lb a week, eat -500 calories daily from that amount. This is harder the lighter you are (i.e. a 200lbs guy vs a 100lbs girl, 500 calories becomes more significant). To lose 2lbs a week, you have to be in a deficit of -1000 calories per day, which is not realistic for you unless you are a very heavy person. And you will feel flat and bad if you do go on such a large deficit, which is what we DON'T want on your wedding.

    What you decide to do is up to you. Perhaps going at a deficit of 500 calories + working out 2-3 days a week will get you where you want to be.

    Edit: If you are drinking your calories, I suggest you switch to only water and only diet sodas. 0 calories pop are a godsend when you crave something sweet. They are fine for you.
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am

    So when you say the last 20 pounds are hard, what do you mean? Do you mean it is coming off slowly or that it's hard to consistently meet your calorie goal?

    It's coming off very slow I'm stuck at 167. I'm also having a hard time meeting my calorie goal of 1,200 daily due to drinking most of my calories
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am

    So when you say the last 20 pounds are hard, what do you mean? Do you mean it is coming off slowly or that it's hard to consistently meet your calorie goal?

    It's coming off very slow I'm stuck at 167. I'm also having a hard time meeting my calorie goal of 1,200 daily due to drinking most of my calories

    Are you using a food scale for all your solid foods? I can't see your journal, but often when people lose slower than they expect to it is due to a logging issue (that is, they're eating more than they think they are). When these issues are addressed, sometimes it gets easier.
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    HamsterManV2 wrote: »
    We need your stats. Age, current weight, height.
    I personally think 20 lbs is too ambitious (10lbs in 2 months is already serious, depending on your weight).

    Basically, you calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This is how much you eat to MAINTAIN weight. To lose 1 lb a week, eat -500 calories daily from that amount. This is harder the lighter you are (i.e. a 200lbs guy vs a 100lbs girl, 500 calories becomes more significant). To lose 2lbs a week, you have to be in a deficit of -1000 calories per day, which is not realistic for you unless you are a very heavy person. And you will feel flat and bad if you do go on such a large deficit, which is what we DON'T want on your wedding.

    What you decide to do is up to you. Perhaps going at a deficit of 500 calories + working out 2-3 days a week will get you where you want to be.

    I'm 5'4" and weigh 167 pounds as of today. I was thinking of doing a juice diet to drop extra weight but I'm not sure how safe that is and I don't want to pass out on my wedding day. Right now I try to only eat 1,200 calories a day.
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    jakkrk wrote: »
    3 months to lose 20# is totally doable. Depends when in July you are talking though. Watch your food, drink water and no alcohol or sugary drinks. Stay away from processed foods as much as possible.

    Thanks for the tips!
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am

    So when you say the last 20 pounds are hard, what do you mean? Do you mean it is coming off slowly or that it's hard to consistently meet your calorie goal?

    It's coming off very slow I'm stuck at 167. I'm also having a hard time meeting my calorie goal of 1,200 daily due to drinking most of my calories

    Are you using a food scale for all your solid foods? I can't see your journal, but often when people lose slower than they expect to it is due to a logging issue (that is, they're eating more than they think they are). When these issues are addressed, sometimes it gets easier.

    No I don't have a food scale I'm just logging food here and hoping it is correct. Where can I purchase one?
  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
    It doesn't matter what kind of method you are getting your calories, the only thing that matters is eating less calories than your TDEE. I.e. Juice diet, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, atkins, no carb, etc. All these fall under calories in <<< calories out.

    Of course you are stalling with your weight loss - you don't actually know how much you are taking in. You need to log and weight EVERYTHING you are putting in your mouth. You can go to any kitchen store and buy a scale (cheap ones are like $5, but I recommend a digital one for ~$20 to $30).

    Also on juices, I highly doubt you are eating 1200 calories... liquid calories can stack up frighteningly fast. Orange juice isn't healthy (similar sugar to a soft drink) and smoothies are tasty and filled with calories and more sugar. You are 23/female/5'4" (I assume you have a desk job and don't go to the gym): your TDEE to maintain is 1725 calories per day, so 1200 calories will lose you 1lb per week.
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    HamsterManV2 wrote: »
    It doesn't matter what kind of method you are getting your calories, the only thing that matters is eating less calories than your TDEE. I.e. Juice diet, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, atkins, no carb, etc. All these fall under calories in <<< calories out.

    Of course you are stalling with your weight loss - you don't actually know how much you are taking in. You need to log and weight EVERYTHING you are putting in your mouth. You can go to any kitchen store and buy a scale (cheap ones are like $5, but I recommend a digital one for ~$20 to $30).

    Also on juices, I highly doubt you are eating 1200 calories... liquid calories can stack up frighteningly fast. Orange juice isn't healthy (similar sugar to a soft drink) and smoothies are tasty and filled with calories and more sugar. You are 23/female/5'4" (I assume you have a desk job and don't go to the gym): your TDEE to maintain is 1725 calories per day, so 1200 calories will lose you 1lb per week.

    Ok thanks!
  • ErryDayImHustlin
    ErryDayImHustlin Posts: 23 Member
    People have covered things well - you need to count calories and keep them controlled to lose weight. BUT, be careful if you are still breast feeding. Reduce calories slowly and listen to your body. Reducing too much, too quickly, can slow or even stop your milk supply. Fennugreek and Brewers Yeast (tastes horrible!) work well to supplement.
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    ErryDayImHustlin wrote: »
    People have covered things well - you need to count calories and keep them controlled to lose weight. BUT, be careful if you are still breast feeding. Reduce calories slowly and listen to your body. Reducing too much, too quickly, can slow or even stop your milk supply. Fennugreek and Brewers Yeast (tastes horrible!) work well to supplement.

    Wow I had no idea! Thanks for the warning!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am

    So when you say the last 20 pounds are hard, what do you mean? Do you mean it is coming off slowly or that it's hard to consistently meet your calorie goal?

    It's coming off very slow I'm stuck at 167. I'm also having a hard time meeting my calorie goal of 1,200 daily due to drinking most of my calories

    Are you using a food scale for all your solid foods? I can't see your journal, but often when people lose slower than they expect to it is due to a logging issue (that is, they're eating more than they think they are). When these issues are addressed, sometimes it gets easier.

    No I don't have a food scale I'm just logging food here and hoping it is correct. Where can I purchase one?

    You can get a food scale online or in the kitchen department of most discount/department stores. It helps you be more accurate with your calorie intake (cups are not an accurate way to measure solid food and if you enter things like "1 banana" or "1 slice bread," your banana or bread may weigh more than the example used to create the database entry). When I began weighing food, I found that I had been eating more than I thought I had.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited April 2016
    I only see two days logged in your diary and they are full of foods which would not keep me full, and thus make it impossible for me to stay in a calorie deficit. See http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

    Unless you made the "French Toast - W/syrup, 2 slice" entry yourself, I doubt it's accurate. How much syrup? What kind of bread > how many calories in the bread? Is this French toast made from scratch with an egg? When I have two slices of French toast it clocks in at way more than 200 calories.
  • nastaciapage
    nastaciapage Posts: 15 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    nastaciapage wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you currently logging your food?

    Yes I am

    So when you say the last 20 pounds are hard, what do you mean? Do you mean it is coming off slowly or that it's hard to consistently meet your calorie goal?

    It's coming off very slow I'm stuck at 167. I'm also having a hard time meeting my calorie goal of 1,200 daily due to drinking most of my calories

    Are you using a food scale for all your solid foods? I can't see your journal, but often when people lose slower than they expect to it is due to a logging issue (that is, they're eating more than they think they are). When these issues are addressed, sometimes it gets easier.

    No I don't have a food scale I'm just logging food here and hoping it is correct. Where can I purchase one?

    You can get a food scale online or in the kitchen department of most discount/department stores. It helps you be more accurate with your calorie intake (cups are not an accurate way to measure solid food and if you enter things like "1 banana" or "1 slice bread," your banana or bread may weigh more than the example used to create the database entry). When I began weighing food, I found that I had been eating more than I thought I had.

    Thank you
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