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MyFitnessPal Community

HI! I'M HERE TO LOSE WEIGHT! READ MY PLAN PLEASE!

artluv22

My current stats are 5'9" (69 inches/ 175 centimeters), 214 pounds (97 kilograms) and I'm a 19 year old female. My goal is to lose 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in 18-23 weeks. I start today (February 19, 2017)!

My diet plan is to eat 1200 calories a day (I'll eat anything I want, as long as it's not over 1200), TRY to drink 12 cups (96 ounces/ 2.8 Liters) or at least 8 cups (64 ounces/1.89 Liters) a day.

I will work out 5 days a week, mainly 45 minutes of moderate cardio and 15 minutes of strength training.

I will also walk 2 miles per hour (3.218688 kilometers per hour) everyday for 30 minutes.

WISH ME LUCK!

Replies

GettingFit5551

Good luck to you!

artluv22

Thank you! Please introduce yourself, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear your story

Hello_its_Dan

Too much activity with too little calories IMO.

BMR is nearly 1600 BTW

Hypothetical woman 19 5'9" maintaining 150lbs

Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1852
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2122
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2392
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2662
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2932

artluv22

The thing is, I'd like to lose 3 lbs a week. I'm willing to do the daily walking and 5x a week workout for an hour. But in order to lose 3 lbs a week with this exercise plan, how many calories should i intake?

AverageJoeFit

Losing 3 lbs a week is kinda setting yourself up for failure.

Generally it is healthy to lose no more then 2 lbs a week usually less. Working out doesn't help you lose weight either. It will tone up your muscles, but if you are to aggressive you won't maintain the weight loss plan.

Hello_its_Dan

artluv22 wrote: »

The thing is, I'd like to lose 3 lbs a week. I'm willing to do the daily walking and 5x a week workout for an hour. But in order to lose 3 lbs a week with this exercise plan, how many calories should i intake?

@artluv22 see my first post

suruda

I like that you have a clear plan! The calories seem low and the goal of 3 lbs a week seems high. You will probably be able to start at that rate but it will drop off. The key is to not get discouraged and keep your motivation high. I would recommend taking some "before" pictures...those are always good motivation when the scale slows down.

In contrast, I am a 52 year old woman who has struggled with my weight always...I'm 5'4" and lightly active as well. at 1200 calories a day (I work out several days a week and don't eat back any of those calories) I lose 1 lb a week on average. It is a bummer and feels slow but from all I've read on the boards, it's the best way for long term success.

Keep reading other people's stories, explore the sight and you will find tons of info. Good luck, it will be fun to follow your journey!

lynn_glenmont

The problem with your plan is that even at 23 weeks, you're talking about an average loss of 2.6 lbs. With a bit of help from some initial water loss, you might be able to manage that for the first 10 weeks or 12 weeks at that rate, but it's unlikely you'll be able to maintain a large enough deficit to continue that rate of loss as you get nearer to a "healthy" BMI.

CafeRacer808

artluv22 wrote: »

The thing is, I'd like to lose 3 lbs a week. I'm willing to do the daily walking and 5x a week workout for an hour. But in order to lose 3 lbs a week with this exercise plan, how many calories should i intake?

For someone with only 60 lbs to lose, aiming for no more than 1.5 lb/week is an appropriate goal. Trying to lose 3 lb/week so that you can meet an arbitrary deadline is unhealthy, unsustainable, and unrealistic for someone of your size. It's also worth pointing out that your exercise plan will likely require your to eat more than 1200 calories/day - our bodies require extra calories to fuel our workouts.

Finally, you need to remember that you should be lowering your weekly weight loss goal as you lose weight. When you get about 10-15 lbs from your goal weight, you should be aiming for no more than .5 lb/week. Also, when you have about 10-15 left to lose, it will naturally take your body a lot longer to shed those final pounds of fat.

I think you need to adjust your expectations and devise a more sensible, sustainable, and realistic weight loss plan. And do away with the deadline. Weight loss is a non-linear process and even if you do everything perfectly (which you won't, because we're human), the chances of you hitting an aggressive deadline are slim to none.

kbmnurse

Hmmm, sounds unrealistic. You will need more calories with that much exercise. Set SMART goals not unrealistic goals.

__TMac__

I'm sure it's disappointing to see everyone's opinions. But remember, you'll look and feel incrementally better with every pound lost. So it's not like you'll have to wait for that last pound before you feel good. I've got 20 lbs left (40 lbs gone) and I feel and look great. So take the good advice you're getting, and look forward to getting more awesome every day!

dfaichmarie2

TmacMMM wrote: »

I'm sure it's disappointing to see everyone's opinions. But remember, you'll look and feel incrementally better with every pound lost. So it's not like you'll have to wait for that last pound before you feel good. I've got 20 lbs left (40 lbs gone) and I feel and look great. So take the good advice you're getting, and look forward to getting more awesome every day!

I like your way of thinking Tmac. I too have lost 45 lbs and it took 18 months. Still want to lose 14 more. Great advice!

artluv22

Alright guys. I have read everybody's post and I think you are all correct. Since I'm doing 225 minutes of moderate/vigorous cardio and 210 minutes of walking (basically 435 minutes of cardio!) a week, along with 75 minutes of strength training, I should definitely eat more. I will keep the workout the same, but eat 1450 calories a day now.

These first two weeks, however, i will eat 1200 calories and do the same exercise plan. Just to see how it works. Thank you!

Ziggy1031

I agree with everyone. I've lost 50lbs so far and it has taken about 8 months. Also remember as a female losing weight too fast can cause havic with your hormones and cause you to spot or have irregular cycles. Slow and steady is "weigh" healthier than fast. With the slow and steady approach you retrain yourself for lifestyle. the fast is more like a diet and once you reach your goal you get in the mindset that you can eat what you want and be fine. Lifestyle change is better. Best wishes!!

artluv22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rF1rFLie6Y

This is the video I'm going by (except for the waist training. I most likely won't do that). I will add exercise from the start but will eat 1200 calories the first 1-2 weeks with the exercises, then 1450 calories the rest of the weight loss journey with the exercises.

Hello_its_Dan

artluv22 wrote: »

Alright guys. I have read everybody's post and I think you are all correct. Since I'm doing 225 minutes of moderate/vigorous cardio and 210 minutes of walking (basically 435 minutes of cardio!) a week, along with 75 minutes of strength training, I should definitely eat more. I will keep the workout the same, but eat 1450 calories a day now.

These first two weeks, however, i will eat 1200 calories and do the same exercise plan. Just to see how it works. Thank you!

So you're eating back your calories burned?
Right?

CafeRacer808

artluv22 wrote: »

Alright guys. I have read everybody's post and I think you are all correct. Since I'm doing 225 minutes of moderate/vigorous cardio and 210 minutes of walking (basically 435 minutes of cardio!) a week, along with 75 minutes of strength training, I should definitely eat more. I will keep the workout the same, but eat 1450 calories a day now.

These first two weeks, however, i will eat 1200 calories and do the same exercise plan. Just to see how it works. Thank you!

I'm confused. If your original goal was to lose 3 lbs/week by eating 1200 calories, bumping that up to 1450 calories/day means you're now expecting to lose 2.5 lbs/week, which is still too aggressive, unrealistic, and unsustainable.

How are you coming up with these daily calorie goal numbers? Are you letting MFP's guided set up determine the calories for you, are you just picking a number that sounds right to you?

snickerscharlie

artluv22 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rF1rFLie6Y

This is the video I'm going by (except for the waist training. I most likely won't do that). I will add exercise from the start but will eat 1200 calories the first 1-2 weeks with the exercises, then 1450 calories the rest of the weight loss journey with the exercises.

Okay, I took one for the team and watched that video.

She has absolutely NO IDEA what she's talking about.

Cold showers DO NOT boost your metabolism. Nor do cold showers "detoxify" your body. If you have toxins in your body that your kidneys can't deal with, you need a hospital, not a cold shower.

Green tea does not "boost your metabolism," either.

You don't have to stop eating at 8 pm. It doesn't matter *when* you eat as long as you stay under your calorie allotment for the day. Food eaten after 8pm does not magically turn to fat.

Waist training is a complete hoax.

Just because someone posts a "Vanity Vlog" doesn't mean they have a clue what they're doing, nor does it make them in anyway qualified to advise others in matters of health and nutrition.

Please reconsider.

artluv22

Hello_its_Dan wrote: »

artluv22 wrote: »

Alright guys. I have read everybody's post and I think you are all correct. Since I'm doing 225 minutes of moderate/vigorous cardio and 210 minutes of walking (basically 435 minutes of cardio!) a week, along with 75 minutes of strength training, I should definitely eat more. I will keep the workout the same, but eat 1450 calories a day now.

These first two weeks, however, i will eat 1200 calories and do the same exercise plan. Just to see how it works. Thank you!

So you're eating back your calories burned?
Right?

No, I will not eat back my calories. So i burn 100 calories at the gym, I won't eat an additional 100 calories

artluv22

snickerscharlie wrote: »

artluv22 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rF1rFLie6Y

This is the video I'm going by (except for the waist training. I most likely won't do that). I will add exercise from the start but will eat 1200 calories the first 1-2 weeks with the exercises, then 1450 calories the rest of the weight loss journey with the exercises.

Okay, I took one for the team and watched that video.

She has absolutely NO IDEA what she's talking about.

Green tea does not "boost your metabolism."

You don't have to stop eating at 8 pm. It doesn't matter *when* you eat as long as you stay under your calorie allotment for the day. Food eaten after 8pm does not magically turn to fat.

Waist training is a complete hoax.

Just because someone posts a "Vanity Vlog" doesn't mean they have a clue what they're doing, nor does it make them in anyway qualified to advise others in matters of health and nutrition.

Please reconsider.

Trust me, I know waist training does not make you lose weight. It just thins the waist (I won't do it). The sleeping 9 hours, drinking green tea, and cold showers are really for me to have energy in the morning. I don't want to drink coffee.

But how is losing 3 lbs a week so bad? What's another pound, especially at my weight and height?

CafeRacer808

artluv22 wrote: »

But how is losing 3 lbs a week so bad? What's another pound, especially at my weight and height?

I already addressed this question in my first comment in this thread. For someone who's trying to lose 60 lbs, aiming for 3 lbs/week is simply unsustainable. We see it all the time in these forums. People start their diet plan with an overly aggressive weight loss rate, and then complain about having no energy and feeling hungry all the time. The vast majority of them end up falling off the wagon and bingeing on food. Some get so frustrated that they stop trying to lose weight all together. The maximum MFP will allow you to lose is 2 lb/week, and that's reserved for people who have upwards of 100 lbs to lose. You're nowhere near that.

Successful weight loss is a slow and steady process. By shooting for 3 lbs/week of fat loss, you're setting yourself up for both disappointment and failure. Choose a reasonable weekly weight loss rate for yourself and as I already said above, re-adjust your expectations.

artluv22

Okay okay okay. So what does everybody recommend to lose 2 lbs a week (8 lbs a month), initially losing 60 lbs in 7.5 months? Because I guess I'm clueless. I still plan on sleeping 9 hours a day, drinking green tea, and taking cold showers but just so I have energy in the morning.

- How many calories should I eat (not eating additional calories that I burn from exercise) a day to lose 2 lbs a week?
- How much cardio and strength exercising should I do a week?

Just a reminder, I'm 19, female, 214 lbs

CafeRacer808

Again, since you only have 60 lbs to lose, 1-1.5lb/week is about right for you. Since you seem to be in a bit of a hurry, start at 1.5lb week. If you find that you're hungry all the time, don't have enough energy to get through the day or your workouts, or feel the need to binge, lower it to 1 lb/week.

MFP's guided set up will tell you how many calories you should be eating per day, based on your age, your gender, your height and weight, and how many lbs/week you want to lose. It will also ask you your activity level, which is determined by your daily activities not counting exercise. If you're a student who walks a lot to get from one class to the next, lightly active is probably a good place to start. You would then log your exercise sessions separately and MFP will give you extra calories on the days you workout (you should eat some or all of those exercise calories - many people eat back about half of them).

In terms of how much exercise you want to do, that's entirely up to you and what you have time for. Exercise is important for overall health and fitness and it will give you some extra calories to eat throughout the day. But your success in losing weight will mostly be determined by how much you're eating, not how much you're working out.

JeanieWww

While this is a great goal, I'm afraid you've not given yourself enough time to achieve it. Did you know you have to burn about 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat? Walking 30 minutes at 2 mph wont burn that off for you. It might burn off part of one of your daily meals, but you're either going to need to change how much / what kind of exercising you do, or how often. I've lost 85 pounds twice in my life. It was a combination of eating more healthy and getting exercise. I believe you can do it too, but you'll want to give yourself more than 23 weeks to do it, if this is your plan on how to achieve it.

estherdragonbat

I'd suggest plugging your stats into MFP and telling them that you want to lose 2lbs a week. It will give you a calorie level to aim for. Try to get as close to it as possible. As far as the exercise, start slow and see how you do. My initial goal was 30 minutes of exercise per day, every day. I was mostly getting that from talking walks. At this point it's either an hour-long walk or 35 minutes on a Nordic skier (3 minutes warmup, 30 minutes cardio, 2 minutes cooldown). Some days, it might be a shorter walk and 35 minutes on the skier.

Nordic skiers provide both cardio and toning. I've recently begun using a fit tube for building strength and tone as well.

MFP is known to over-estimate calorie burns. Most people recommend eating back 25-50% of your exercise calories. I don't always do this, but my calorie level is based on my telling MFP I want to lose 1 lb per week. I generally eat within 50 calories of my daily 'budget', but save my exercise calories in case I miscalculated something. I also find it helps to have a bit of a cushion, so that if I do get hungry/really crave something, I have that extra space. I'm losing 1 to 2 pounds a week. Note: I am also 89 lbs away from my goal weight. As I get closer to goal, I'm going to have to slow down my rate of loss (it shouldn't be more than 1.5/week when I get to within 75 lbs of goal).

Hope that's helpful.

artluv22

I have told MFP that I wanted to lose 2lbs a week, which is the highest setting. I used this https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc to see how many calories i'd burn with the exercises I plan on doing

MelanieCN77

I think you've outlined a really aggressive plan and I hope that in a week or two you'll find why people have commented as such and find a sustainable routine for yourself. I applaud the decision and the fire, though! Some people might have luck reinventing themselves, but I think most find changing small things one at a time and taking it in a more chill, long term sort of way. That's also the opposite of what you want to hear when you're all fired up, I know, but something to think back to if you start having trouble.

artluv22

I thank everybody for giving me advice for my weight loss. I've thought about and I realized, you are all right; 1200 calories with that much exercise is TOO much. So, I'm changing my calorie goal to 1550 per day. Thank you all!

Hello_its_Dan

FWIW make the smallest changes that offer the best rewards while addressing the underlying habits that brought you to this crossroad.

Good luck!

artluv22

FWIW?

I hope 1550 calories will make me lose weight and be toned at the same time.