What do I need to know? Trying to lose weight

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JanckeleRoux
JanckeleRoux Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2016 in Getting Started
I have about a month in which I want to knuckle down and commit to losing weight. I have never successfully done it before and my family can't really help me. What do I need to know? I want to lose about 10kg

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  • zorander6
    zorander6 Posts: 2,711 Member
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    First you need to know that time limits are arbitrary and may not be easily achievable. You are looking at losing 22lbs in a month roughly which is beyond the scope of what's generally recommended here. Could you do it? Probably. Will you gain it back? Most likely. Start with a half pound per week goal and see where you are at. Move to 1lb, and possibly 2lb but I'd seriously not recommend going beyond that. The knuckle down and committing should be to long term weight management. This isn't a fast fad diet. Log what you eat and be honest with yourself. Exercise can help but if you cut too much you will just be hungry and miserable.

  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
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    I was never successful until I found this app and actually started counting how many calories I consume and how many I burn. With only 10kg to lose you should have no problem getting started within the month. Start by going to settings and click "update diet/fitness profile." Enter your information then click the green button to "Update Profile." I use a fitness tracker to track my calories out so I keep my activity set to sedentary even though I am rather active now. I enabled negative calorie adjustments by clicking on "Home," "Settings," "Enable Negative Adjustments." This causes my calorie goal to change depending on the amount of steps and exercise I do during the day.

    As far as food goes, you can eat anything. The secret to losing is to know how many calories you ate so you can stay in a deficit. I chose to lose 2 lbs/week but I started morbidly obese. I am now maintaining at a healthy BMI. To make it easier, you could choose a half kg/week. You would reach your goal if you successfully eat at the 500 or so calorie deficit that My Fitness Pal gives you.

    The best way to know how many calories you consume is to weigh and measure your food and drinks. Everything I know of, except water, mustard, and some artificially sweetened things, have calories. I don't worry about the few that are in spray Pam or pickles but I do weigh all condiments like mayo, ketchup, and the likes because they do add up.

    Unless you have a medical reason for it, don't worry about carbs, fats, or even alcohol. As long as you measure, log, and stay at or below your calorie goal you should have no problem losing weight.

    Exercise really helps and those calories you burn mean you can eat more. Whenever I had a social gathering there was food. I made sure to take a long walk and move a lot throughout the day so I'd have more calories to splurge on. Some people don't like to eat their exercise calories but I do. I've found that I burn more calories throughout the day when I'm not super hungry or tired. Too little food leaves me on the couch which means I burn fewer calories than if I'd had a snack and kept busy.

    Good luck!

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Although it's for people who've already started and aren't finding success, this chart may help guide you.

    my987gjw17rq.jpg
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Although it's for people who've already started and aren't finding success, this chart may help guide you.

    my987gjw17rq.jpg

    I could have used this chart a few weeks ago when a couple of peeps on this forum told me it was rubbish some medications caused weight gain lol.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    10kg in a month of FAT loss is not achievable unless you are significantly overweight. You might lose 10kg of WEIGHT but the initial loss will be water weight.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 901 Member
    edited November 2016
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    lizery wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Although it's for people who've already started and aren't finding success, this chart may help guide you.

    my987gjw17rq.jpg

    I could have used this chart a few weeks ago when a couple of peeps on this forum told me it was rubbish some medications caused weight gain lol.

    Many medications that list 'weight gain' as a side-effect tend to be from either water weight or increased appetite.

    I haaaaate when I have to take meds with the increased appetite side effect. x.o;

    edit; Just a note that I said many, and not all.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    why do you only have a month?

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