Dropping a lot of weight in a healthy amount of time
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DennysWifeMrsMattox
Posts: 66 Member
I am down 4 pounds (I'm counting from this moment, but I'll check on Monday) at the moment, but I am trying to drop 50 total by December 17th, 2016. I have about 105 days to get this done. I feel like I am losing water weight, and maybe not actual fat just yet.
Anyone have an amount of weight they lost and knew it was all water?
Anyone have an amount of weight they lost and knew it was all water?
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Why do you think it is just water? Most of the time, assuming you're at a reasonable deficit, you're losing a combination of water, fat, and muscle.1
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I dropped about 10 lbs in water weight last time I lost a significant amount of weight (total of 55lbs).
You might be able to get down 50 lbs by December, but you will be very hard pressed to do so. By the math, you will need to burn 175,000 calories. Divide that by the number of days until Dec 17 (98 days), you'd need to run a 1785 calorie deficit every day. Maybe you don't work and can run on the treadmill that much... but I know I couldn't. I went from 185 lbs to 133 lbs over the course of a year and a half... YMMV.4 -
4 pounds since what date? Has it just been a 1 , 2, or three 3 days or is this after a whole week plus?
Depending on when you started, you can reasonably assume that if you have been 100% in a calorie deficit, it could possibly be both or and if the deficit is a little more than 2 pounds it could be a wee bit of muscle too. The larger the deficit it will be all three at some point in your weight loss unless you are doing all that you can do for muscle sparing during weight loss.
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You lose the water weight in the first few days to one week then things will slow down significantly. Give yourself more time.1
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You want to lose a half pound a day every day for 100 days? Not a healthy goal. Shoot for losing a pound a week for the first 30 pounds and then drop it to a half pound per week.
What happens on Dec 17?9 -
0-2 pounds a week is a normal healthy average. That would put tops around 8-ish pounds a month. 8x4=36-ish.
I've lost anywhere from 8 pounds a month to 12 pounds a month - 12 pounds/month would be about 48.
I'm not going to say it can't be done - but you'd have to be very diligent on keeping an accurate food journal and perhaps even working in some P90X workouts most days. It will take a lot of work and your head will definitely have to be in the game. Not let any stumbles psych you out. (If you're human, you will stumble from time to time.)
Good luck!!0 -
You're aiming to lose 3.5 pounds/week. That's only reasonable if you weigh 350+ pounds. Generally, you should aim to lose no more than 1% of your weight per week - and more like 0.5% of your weight once you get within 25ish pounds of your goal weight. If you try to lose faster than that, you'll lose a lot of muscle (not jut fat) - which is bad for your overall health *and* makes it harder to lose the rest of the fat.
Edited to note that significant changes to the types of foods you eat can cause you to drop several pounds of water weight in the first week or two. That weight "lost" doesn't need to be worried about. The 1% of body weight applies to fat+muscle loss.2 -
Katiebear_81 wrote: »I dropped about 10 lbs in water weight last time I lost a significant amount of weight (total of 55lbs).
You might be able to get down 50 lbs by December, but you will be very hard pressed to do so. By the math, you will need to burn 175,000 calories. Divide that by the number of days until Dec 17 (98 days), you'd need to run a 1785 calorie deficit every day. Maybe you don't work and can run on the treadmill that much... but I know I couldn't. I went from 185 lbs to 133 lbs over the course of a year and a half... YMMV.
Maybe! HEHE. I work from home, and I work out 6 days a week, sometimes 2 times a day (I use to, and plan to when I drop 10-20 pounds and can run again). I only eat about 800 - 1200 calories a day and I'm satisfied. I don't feel run down, and I feel good going to bed and waking up. I am doing my best to just lose it as fast as I can. I am doing the 30 day shred work out from Jillian Michaels. It's 30 minutes and I work out real hard and I lift 10 pounds instead of the smaller weights. I do lunges and squats every 2-3 days, and I walk/jog around my neighborhood 4 times (1 mile per 4 times) when I have time. Am I in la la land with this?0 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »You're aiming to lose 3.5 pounds/week. That's only reasonable if you weigh 350+ pounds. Generally, you should aim to lose no more than 1% of your weight per week - and more like 0.5% of your weight once you get within 25ish pounds of your goal weight. If you try to lose faster than that, you'll lose a lot of muscle (not jut fat) - which is bad for your overall health *and* makes it harder to lose the rest of the fat.
Edited to note that significant changes to the types of foods you eat can cause you to drop several pounds of water weight in the first week or two. That weight "lost" doesn't need to be worried about. The 1% of body weight applies to fat+muscle loss.
Yes, I agree and can understand that. However, if I am lifting weights and building muscle and not just doing cardio, wouldn't I keep some muscle? Doesn't lifting weights and building muscle burn fat as well? I had a trainer back in the day and I drop a lot of weight quickly by lifting weights and focusing on lower body workouts the most.0 -
0-2 pounds a week is a normal healthy average. That would put tops around 8-ish pounds a month. 8x4=36-ish.
I've lost anywhere from 8 pounds a month to 12 pounds a month - 12 pounds/month would be about 48.
I'm not going to say it can't be done - but you'd have to be very diligent on keeping an accurate food journal and perhaps even working in some P90X workouts most days. It will take a lot of work and your head will definitely have to be in the game. Not let any stumbles psych you out. (If you're human, you will stumble from time to time.)
Good luck!!
Thank you!!! I tried P90X and I about died... I don't think I am in shape enough just yet to keep up. I am lifting weights and doing my best. I eat about 800-1200 calories a day and still work out. I also chase kids, do housework, and I get a good amount of sleep.0 -
50 pounds in 3.5 months is not considered healthy. You should be aiming for 1-1.5 pounds per week. And no, you aren't building muscle on 800-1200 calories.6
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Why did you title this "Dropping a lot of weight in a healthy amount of time" if you don't plan on doing it in what is actually a healthy manner?10
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Lala land indeed. I mean it really depends. Do you want to look good on December 17 but you are ok if you gain a lot of weight back by January 1? does it HAVE to be 50 pounds?
Are there people who lose weight quickly and keep it off? sure. And there are people who win olympic medals and who discover new planets, but I wouldn't give all people advice with the expectation that they fit into one of those categories.
Why don't you just try to lose as much weight as you can while feeling good and nourishing your body before December 17th, (maybe it will be 50 pounds, maybe it will be 5, either way its progress!) ...and then just...see what happens.3 -
50 to lose? From that starting point you can lose a lot just on 2000 cals a day. I would forget the unnecessary deadline and work out the maintenance calories for your target weight, then just eat that and be patient. If you have any aspiration of maintaining your desired weight when you get there, then you may as well get used to the calories you'll need for that. In fact, don't even think of it as a 'diet' rather just eating the right amount of calories for your height and activity level.
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Unless you are morbidly obese, I think your goal is way too aggressive, especially if it's your intent to keep it off. Aim for 1% per week. Is 12/17 truly something that requires you to be at a specific weight (like to keep your job)?0
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kshama2001 wrote: »You want to lose a half pound a day every day for 100 days? Not a healthy goal. Shoot for losing a pound a week for the first 30 pounds and then drop it to a half pound per week.
What happens on Dec 17?
Ah man!!! I hope I can drop 10-25 pounds this month, and then work on lowering the weekly weight loss to something that makes sense.
Dec 17th is my baby's first birthday. We are taking a lot of photos that day, and he is my last baby I will ever have, and it'll be the last 1st birthday we will ever have. I was fit for my first baby, but I was 18 and it was easy, I still ate whatever I wanted. My 2nd baby was really hard. I was 30 pounds overweight for his first, and 40 pounds over by his second birthday. I was engaged, moved to another state and changed jobs, and I got a trainer, and within a couple of months, I was healthy again. I flew back to see my fiance, and a month after that trip, we broke up, and I didn't care anymore. I started gaining weight, and got to about 175 - 180 and I met my husband. He never commented or mentioned my size or weight. We decided to have a baby and I got just over 200 pounds when I delivered him, and after recovering, I weighed 189. I weighed 189 all the way up until this last Sunday. I now weigh 185
The "I have weight because I had a baby" is really not going to cut it for me anymore. I'd love to weigh 139-149 by his birthday.1 -
You lose the water weight in the first few days to one week then things will slow down significantly. Give yourself more time.
Thank you!!! I really didn't pay attention the last time I dropped weight. I had a trainer, and I just did as I was told. He text me every day 2-3 times a day asking me what I ate, when, how much I slept, and then I worked out 1-2 times a day, 6 days a week. The pounds came off, I gained muscle and looked really good and felt really good.0 -
4 pounds since what date? Has it just been a 1 , 2, or three 3 days or is this after a whole week plus?
Depending on when you started, you can reasonably assume that if you have been 100% in a calorie deficit, it could possibly be both or and if the deficit is a little more than 2 pounds it could be a wee bit of muscle too. The larger the deficit it will be all three at some point in your weight loss unless you are doing all that you can do for muscle sparing during weight loss.
Ok, I started working out on Monday and the last time I had soda was Sunday night. I started eating 800-1200 calories on Tuesday, and the 4 pounds is since Monday Morning of this week. So 4-5 days.
I'm lifting weights, won't that help me keep my muscle?0 -
Probably not if you are on a huge deficit.2
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janejellyroll wrote: »Why do you think it is just water? Most of the time, assuming you're at a reasonable deficit, you're losing a combination of water, fat, and muscle.
I think it's just water weight because I google more than anyone ever should. When I do anything in life, I love to learn all about it, examine why I do it, and then give it 300% focus. I'm at about 800-1200 calories a day, and burn anywhere from 200 - 600 calories a day.0
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