Is it possible to reach my goal by July?

Just one guy's opinion, but I don't understand why this will even be that big of a challenge. 35 pounds is approximately 122,000 calories. Losing that in 4 months means about a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. If you are planning "intense cardio", you will burn that in an hour or so per day. Just be reasonable with the rest of your life and this is definitely possible. No disrespect to the other posters (and conventional wisdom) that 1 pound a week is best, but that is only a 500 calorie per day deficit. If you are otherwise healthy, and can do "intense cardio" 6 days a week, then get after it, put up some deficits of 1,000+ calories a day and get it done! Good luck.

I don't necessarily disagree if the deficit is extreme and the person has "little to lose" as you wrote. However, this poster has a BMI of 29.8, so pretty much right on the obese line, and 1,000 calories a day if done smartly is definitely achievable and safe for someone in that position. She would probably need to taper off as time goes by to assure a "soft landing", but heck, she could keep eating what she is now and add in one hour of "intense cardio" a day and pretty much get the deficit I described.

It's possible. I lost 25 lbs last year in a little less than 3 months. I also gained it all back later in the year. I'm trying to be more realistic this time and make this a lifestyle change and not a race to the end. I don't want to gain it all back again.

OK, I am going to bow out. Never meant to get in a fight. Time for me to go ride my bike anyway. Good luck to all.

peleroja wrote: »

floridamike99 wrote: »

Just one guy's opinion, but I don't understand why this will even be that big of a challenge. 35 pounds is approximately 122,000 calories. Losing that in 4 months means about a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. If you are planning "intense cardio", you will burn that in an hour or so per day. Just be reasonable with the rest of your life and this is definitely possible. No disrespect to the other posters (and conventional wisdom) that 1 pound a week is best, but that is only a 500 calorie per day deficit. If you are otherwise healthy, and can do "intense cardio" 6 days a week, then get after it, put up some deficits of 1,000+ calories a day and get it done! Good luck.

Let me guess, you're a man? A taller-than-5'3" man?

A 1000 calorie deficit for a woman her size is very aggressive, even with exercise, mainly because for a short, not especially heavy woman, an hour's cardio is going to be much more like 500 calories than 1000 (I personally burn about 600 calories in an 7-8 mile run, for example, and I don't do that every single day.)

I'm lighter than she is but active for more than an hour a day on average (run 30-40 miles per week + cycle commute daily in summer and average around 5 miles a day walking in addition to the running) and I maintain my weight on about 2000 calories a day. If I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, I'd need to maintain that much activity on 1000 calories a day and I'm pretty sure I'd last about two weeks before crashing and burning.

Granted, OP is heavier and that makes a difference, but it's still a much more aggressive cut than it would be for someone larger, so I'd think twice before dismissing the people who stated that a pound a week might be more realistic and sustainable over months.

35 pounds isn't enough weight to really need to worry about sustainability. Especially if you are only gonna be cutting for 4 months. That's only 2 lbs a week, less if you account for the fact that shes gonna lose 5-7 lbs in the first 10 days just for kicking the junk (sodas, bread, salty stuff, etc.) Neither of you are unreasonable. One of you is just being super aggressive and the other very conservative. To think that this girl could burn 500/day and deficit 500/day is VERY reasonable. Tough, but reasonable. Is it ideal? No. But is it some super dangerous thing that she just must absolutely not do? No, that's ridiculous.

jdb3388 wrote: »

peleroja wrote: »

floridamike99 wrote: »

Just one guy's opinion, but I don't understand why this will even be that big of a challenge. 35 pounds is approximately 122,000 calories. Losing that in 4 months means about a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. If you are planning "intense cardio", you will burn that in an hour or so per day. Just be reasonable with the rest of your life and this is definitely possible. No disrespect to the other posters (and conventional wisdom) that 1 pound a week is best, but that is only a 500 calorie per day deficit. If you are otherwise healthy, and can do "intense cardio" 6 days a week, then get after it, put up some deficits of 1,000+ calories a day and get it done! Good luck.

Let me guess, you're a man? A taller-than-5'3" man?

A 1000 calorie deficit for a woman her size is very aggressive, even with exercise, mainly because for a short, not especially heavy woman, an hour's cardio is going to be much more like 500 calories than 1000 (I personally burn about 600 calories in an 7-8 mile run, for example, and I don't do that every single day.)

I'm lighter than she is but active for more than an hour a day on average (run 30-40 miles per week + cycle commute daily in summer and average around 5 miles a day walking in addition to the running) and I maintain my weight on about 2000 calories a day. If I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week, I'd need to maintain that much activity on 1000 calories a day and I'm pretty sure I'd last about two weeks before crashing and burning.

Granted, OP is heavier and that makes a difference, but it's still a much more aggressive cut than it would be for someone larger, so I'd think twice before dismissing the people who stated that a pound a week might be more realistic and sustainable over months.

35 pounds isn't enough weight to really need to worry about sustainability. Especially if you are only gonna be cutting for 4 months. That's only 2 lbs a week, less if you account for the fact that shes gonna lose 5-7 lbs in the first 10 days just for kicking the junk (sodas, bread, salty stuff, etc.) Neither of you are unreasonable. One of you is just being super aggressive and the other very conservative. To think that this girl could burn 500/day and deficit 500/day is VERY reasonable. Tough, but reasonable. Is it ideal? No. But is it some super dangerous thing that she just must absolutely not do? No, that's ridiculous.

4 months is a long time to be doing an hour's hard cardio every day on less than 1500 calories, which judging from the TDEE calculator I just checked with OP's stats is what would be necessary to achieve the necessary deficit for her.

I mean, it's possible, I just don't think it'd be likely to happen for most people even for a relatively short duration of only a few months. I speak from experience when I say that a 1000-calorie deficit when your TDEE isn't super high although you're active is a recipe for feeling pretty exhausted all the time (and hungry!), even if you pay attention to your other nutritional needs as far as macros etc.

I'm sure many people could power through it, but why not eat enough to not feel like a bag of garbage all the time and lose a little slower? Losing two pounds a week is not unrealistic for lots of people, but I think choosing that as your goal when you have a TDEE of, say, 2000-2500 calories is pretty unnecessary and is just setting yourself up for disappointment.

0mid0 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

Even if you don't reach your goal by July (it's pretty aggressive), you can be in better shape in July than you are now.

I would think that would be awesome, even if you do have some weight left to lose when July rolls around. The alternative is to be exactly the same in July as you are now.

Being the same in July as I am now isn't an option lol. I'm going to start tomorrow regardless, even if I lose 5lbs it's progress.

That's an awesome way to look at it! I agree that reaching your goal by July is unrealistic. Aim for 1 lb per week, you can still make a ginormous improvement in that time and not be miserable for 4 months,

I think losing weight that quickly might damage your health. If you are on a forever kind of program, taking longer seems okay.

Body can't burn that much fat per day. Then body can burn that much fat per day but only if you have a ton of fat. Then if you do intense cardio, the exercise will you 100% calories from what you ate. And the organs will be left with not enough. Even if you ate like 20 hrs ago.

Sorry I don't think it's so black and white.
1500 calories can be a decent amount of food as long as its not junk. And I don't know how intense her "intense cardio" will be. She will not likely achieve 1000 deficit.

Not that I'm here to argue with anyone. But here are my 2 cent.

Yeah I'm a guy, a skinny guy, and weigh a little more, started at 186. Goal is 160 to reach 10% bf. So only 26 lbs to lose. Lost almost 19 lbs of Fat so far up 2lbs of muscle... on DEXA scanner. At day 56.

The idea that you have to eat back most of the calories you exercise is funny to me.

I'm eating 2000 calorie avg, close to 1000 deficit. Carb cycling 4 day low 3 day high. Daily protein over 200g low carb below 100g high up to 250g. Fat fluctuates according to carb.

Had 2 cheat days so far. High carb days already feel like a cheat day. Been more energetic than ever lifting hard 7 days a week. MODERATE cardio 30 mins 6 days a week.

@OP my recommendation is to not push heart rate too high during your cardio. Keep it around 65% of your max. It will feel ez but more intensity will use up you glycogen stores too fast and you'll be catabolic which means burning muscle for energy.

If weight lifting is an option. Try to incorporate it in your plan. Might burn less calories but there are other benefits. Including keeping you muscle while you cut. Drink a ton of water. At least 3 liters a day. Eat at least 120g of protein a day. Make good choices on your carbs. Doesn't have to be just vegetables. Red or sweet potatoes are good, oats etc... Don't waste your time on nuts. They are high in calories and not filling. Don't worry about the good fats BS. You can eat them when you hit your goal.

Don't worry about sodium unless you got medical conditions. You not trying to lose water weight. Make sure your food tastes good and it won't even feel like a diet.

If you stick to it, I bet you'll have that initial 4-5 lbs drop and burn another 25lbs of fat. By your goal.

Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »

Sigh
People... people, please, you are promoting unsafe loss here.
With 35 pounds to lose, a 1000 calorie deficit is not giving the OP what she needs to fuel her body, why promote unhealthy loss over making sure someone eats enough and losing at a rate suitable for their size? I don't understand why anyone would tell someone to do that?

I agree. Hopefully OP already got the right idea and won't be harmed by the irresponsible advice some have given here!