I need your help!

juliehighland
juliehighland Posts: 10 Member
edited December 2 in Motivation and Support
Hey guys, my husband booked a cruise for January. I'm over 100lbs over weight, but realistically can't lose that in 6 months.

If I were to have a goal of 15lbs a month to lose, how many calories should I take in a day and how many should I burn?

I don't need any negative feedback please, or any doubting. I just need a "you CAN do this" and "this is how".

Thank you so much!
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Replies

  • lilligraz22
    lilligraz22 Posts: 183 Member
    Hi Julie. ..well it all depends on your age, height and level of activity. You can add all those in to the app and it should tell you how many calories you should be eating a day. My advice is WATER. Drink lots of water every day. Helps things go faster.
  • juliehighland
    juliehighland Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you for your positive response, Linda. I will definitely make sure to drink plenty of water. Thank you.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    Prune juice only for your first week

    and then just eat regularly at your calorie allotment

    On a more serious note-re-examine your head. What is the big deal about a cruise? A better goal would to be healthier and able to walk a good distance for all the port excusions.
  • juliehighland
    juliehighland Posts: 10 Member
    Two negative comments so far. Wow. Some people.
  • celticmedic
    celticmedic Posts: 66 Member
    I have lost 150lbs in 1 1/2yrs so it CAN be done. I say use this app to find a good start in daily intake. Most importantly you need cardio and lifting weights increases more calorie burn and continues for hours after you have stopped exercising.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    You can do it!!
  • juliehighland
    juliehighland Posts: 10 Member
    For an obese person, 15 lbs a month is not unhealthy. It's unhealthy where I am right now.

  • juliehighland
    juliehighland Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you Celticmedic. I tried to add you, but MFP on my side is having technical difficulties.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    You're trying the cart before the horse. After you start on your weight loss plan you can see how fast it is going, rather than trying to decide how fast it's going to go before you start.

    Get started with a plan that you can handle. You won't ever reach your goal if you quit because it's unsustainable.

    Any weight you lose before your cruise is good. Don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen as quickly as you'd like. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • celticmedic
    celticmedic Posts: 66 Member
    Yea it won't let me add you either. And my pleasure. Haters gonna hate. The problem with the fitness industry is that it's "defined" and directed by thinner / fitter people.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    celticmedic wrote: »
    Yea it won't let me add you either. And my pleasure. Haters gonna hate. The problem with the fitness industry is that it's "defined" and directed by thinner / fitter people.

    What?
  • GreakGoddess
    GreakGoddess Posts: 13 Member
    You got it as long as you was want it girl. Set a realistic health plan, do your best, and be proud of yourself no matter what the outcome. Reward your body with lots of water and plenty of healthy nutrition/vitamins.
  • AngeloInTexas
    AngeloInTexas Posts: 52 Member
    edited July 2016
    When you are that overweight you will lose faster than 2 pounds a week simply because you are likely consuming excessive calories to maintain that weight. You need to log everything you eat, get a food scale, and accurately track your consumption. Give up alcohol, sodas, junk food (with occasional indulgence) and eat low fat low carb high protein. If you eat 1200 calories I suspect you will lose 4 pounds a week...so you can definitely make some major improvements before your trip...good luck
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    celticmedic wrote: »
    Yea it won't let me add you either. And my pleasure. Haters gonna hate. The problem with the fitness industry is that it's "defined" and directed by thinner / fitter people.

    You started at 500lbs so I can easily see why you think that it's an appropriate goal. Good job on the loss so far.
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Let's be logical about this rather than throwing out accusations of negativity, disagreement =/= negativity.

    To lose 15lb/month, that is a 1750 calorie per day deficit. You would need to burn 1750 calories per day more than you consume. Since I don't know your numbers, I will use my own to highlight how that won't work.

    I am 43, 5'2", in the 180s, and lose 2lb/week eating 1700 calories/day IF I, work 5 days/week (which has me on my feet for 7 hours straight), plus swimming 60-90 minutes 5x/week, kickboxing for 1hr 2x/week, 1hr PT/week, plus weightlifting 2x/week. To make that 3.5 lbs/week, I would need to maintain all that activity while dropping my calorie intake to 950/day. Do you think that I would be able to function with that activity level and that low calorie intake for any extended period of time?

    Even at a higher starting weight, taller height, and younger age, the number of calories you would need to take in along with the amount of activity you would need to do in order to maintain the losses you are looking for until January, you would likely start suffering serious malnutrition. Brittle hair and nails, brain fog, skin changes, sleep disturbances, etc.

    Set some realistic goals. That's all anyone is saying.
    celticmedic wrote: »
    Yea it won't let me add you either. And my pleasure. Haters gonna hate. The problem with the fitness industry is that it's "defined" and directed by thinner / fitter people.

    Are you suggesting that only overweight people are able to help those who are trying to lose weight? Or how about people who have been there, done that, and have the experience and understanding of what it takes? I applaud your experiences. I think what you've accomplished is amazing and is deserving of kudos, but assuming that others here are hating on the OP for having unrealistic goals is ridiculous. No one here knows the OP, there is no reason to hate on her. People are trying to be helpful and realistic.

    This is an all kinds of awesome response

    OP I wish you luck ...and think in 6 months you can be in a far far better place and more able to enjoy your vacation

    Just don't be so goal oriented that you don't appreciate that what you are doing is slowly slowly changing your habits and lifestyle so that you can be forever a healthy and fit individual ...this is not something you're doing up to your cruise, this is something you are now doing until you die. You may well have more calories to eat once you hit your desired weight range but the habits you form now should help create the new you. The type of you who is never going back to this unhealthy state again
  • streakcheer7
    streakcheer7 Posts: 6 Member
    I am just popping in to say Good Luck!

    Personally, I would focus on logging your calories and doing some kind of exercise 5-6 times a week (you need a day of rest- I usually do yoga on my rest days- nothing too intense). Don't put your focus on the scale because you will become obsessed.

    Do the best you can, and I can guarantee that you will feel awesome by 6 months regardless of how much weight you lose!
  • TaraLinnet
    TaraLinnet Posts: 7 Member
    Hi there! I lost 75 pounds in 8 months! And it was NOT in an unhealthy way!!! My Dr was with me every step of the way! I truly believe what happened for me is that my body burned it's most calories between 7am-3pm.... So I ate my breakfast at 7:45, lots of water, a snack at 9:45/10... Lots of water, lol and lunch by 1pm... After 3pm, I kept to very low carbs and real foods like fresh veggies or a piece of fruit... Since I knew that after 4:30-5pm I wasn't as active as I am during the day, I truly just limited my body to what it 'needed'... The first 3 months, i dropped weight quickly and the next 5 were not quick, but not slow... I also checked in with my Dr once a month to keep myself accountable and I really didn't restrict any foods per say... It's the basic principle of looking at how much food I am putting in my body to how active I am... Also eating light in the afternoon and low/no carbs and eating very minimal or some nights nothing three hours before bed was huge for me!!! You CAN do this!!!
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  • davidmartinez66
    davidmartinez66 Posts: 92 Member
    Julie,

    Looking back on my own weight loss, here are my totals for the first four months:

    Sept 2014: -13.8
    Oct 2014: -8.2
    Nov 2014: -4.8
    Dec 2014: -4.6

    Thats 31.4 pounds lost in the first four months, including holidays. 100% lost in the kitchen btw. I only joined a
    gym 7 months ago.

    Initially the weight should come off easily, if you change what you eat, I threw all kinds of stuff away that I was
    eating that is bad for any human AND stayed discipline with the food. While losing 100 pounds in six months might be a little much, starting is a VERY big decision for you, do it in a healthy way and keep going beyond the cruise, you will love how you feel.

    David
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    Losing 3 pounds a week is not necessarily unhealthy, especially if you are 100+ pounds overweight. Many of us are pleasantly surprised when this happens, but it never happens every week. What is unhealthy is planning to, and expecting to - lose 3 pounds every week. That is a recipe for failure. Hope my comment wasn't too negative.

    That depends on start and goal though. If she's 220 and aiming for 115 it's different than if she's 295 aiming for 190. That's why I said it's not likely. When I first started I dropped 20 the first month, but it slowed significantly after that.
  • abtsdiet
    abtsdiet Posts: 39 Member
    Sweetie...it might be a good idea to see a nutritionist. He or she can give you good, factual information.

    All the best.

    BYW...you are lovely!
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    Losing 3 pounds a week is not necessarily unhealthy, especially if you are 100+ pounds overweight.

    We know she wants to lose 100 pounds. We don't know if she's 100 pounds overweight. Those can be two different things.

    It was really good to point out the weight loss won't be consistent each week!
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  • Bearbo27
    Bearbo27 Posts: 339 Member
    edited July 2016
    Not sure what your stats are but I assume I am similar. I am 5'3" and my starting weight was 258.9 back in May (around 120 lbs to be in healthy weight range). I only recently started back up with my weighing and logging and am already down to 250.3. With that being said... Back in 2013 I logged religiously on mfp and got into a regular exercise routine. I worked my but off and consumed only around 1300-1400 calories (I started off around 220lbs). I lost 30 pounds in just over 4 months. That is more realistic to what you will be seeing in results if you work hard. I would recommend not setting goals that are too strict or you may get discouraged when you don't see those results.
  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
    Just input your goals and it will tell you the calories. stick with it, workout and do the best you can. I wouldnt set any expectations on how much to lose each months but at the end of six months I guarantee you will be happy with however good you have done :)
  • MBethVolk
    MBethVolk Posts: 1 Member
    I don't usually check message boards but was looking for motivation. I do know I am successful if I PLAN my food and log every meal. MFP will tell you if you are on target or not. Drink plenty of water and try to move, whatever that means for you ... walk, swim, taking the stairs, park your car a little further away, etc. Whatever you can do, it's a start. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
  • happygalah
    happygalah Posts: 343 Member
    You can certainly lose a lot of weight in 6 months. If you have the willpower to measure and weigh all your food and drinks and log you'll have success. You can try 1200 calories a day and get some Leslie Sansone exercise DVD to start. Then add full body weight training 3x per week. Hasfit fitness blender on YouTube are great good luck
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