Want to lose 18-20 lbs in 8-10 weeks

Seajolly
Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
edited November 18 in Motivation and Support
That's averaging losing 2-2.25 lbs a week. I am obese right now according to my BMI (34.0), so I know the first few weeks I will have a higher weight loss and then it'll slow down. But do you think this is a feasible goal provided I stick with my calorie goal and exercise more? I know it's going to be a challenge but I'm up for it and am also not going to be disappointed if I reach the end and I've lost less than that, because I know weight loss happens kind of at its own pace... I just want something to reach for. Has anyone achieved similar?

Replies

  • Morganbennett1
    Morganbennett1 Posts: 106 Member
    Seajolly wrote: »
    That's averaging losing 2-2.25 lbs a week. I am obese right now according to my BMI (34.0), so I know the first few weeks I will have a higher weight loss and then it'll slow down. But do you think this is a feasible goal provided I stick with my calorie goal and exercise more? I know it's going to be a challenge but I'm up for it and am also not going to be disappointed if I reach the end and I've lost less than that, because I know weight loss happens kind of at its own pace... I just want something to reach for. Has anyone achieved similar?

    Hi Seajolly,
    I haven't seen you on here for awhile, but would love to be your friend again. I think your goal would be slightly unreasonable and potentially unhealthy. While it is true that many people who are obese lose more than the recommended 2lbs per week due to the drastic lifestyle change with eating healthy and exercising. I think it is unrealistic to set that goal for over 8-10 weeks. You should probably start with the goals provided by MFP for losing 2lbs per week and stick with those. Then see where it takes you. The idea is to be able to healthily lose weight, and sometimes that can take some time, but we all didn't get to this place overnight, so we do have to be patient.

    Let me know if I can help!
  • sheilaann67
    sheilaann67 Posts: 17 Member
    With added exercise you can do it
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member

    Hi Seajolly,
    I haven't seen you on here for awhile, but would love to be your friend again. I think your goal would be slightly unreasonable and potentially unhealthy. While it is true that many people who are obese lose more than the recommended 2lbs per week due to the drastic lifestyle change with eating healthy and exercising. I think it is unrealistic to set that goal for over 8-10 weeks. You should probably start with the goals provided by MFP for losing 2lbs per week and stick with those. Then see where it takes you. The idea is to be able to healthily lose weight, and sometimes that can take some time, but we all didn't get to this place overnight, so we do have to be patient.

    Let me know if I can help!

    Hi Morgan! We can for sure be friends again, I'd love that!

    Yes I think I'll stick to the MFP recommended 2lbs per week and see where it takes me. I know this is a lifestyle change, no overnight fixes, so I'm ready for the long haul. :)
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    fiddletime wrote: »
    I did that. Got to goal weight in 10 weeks and lost 20 pounds. But, I managed to pick up every cold that was around and usually I'm never sick. I was hungry the whole time, and I gained it all back plus some once I'd "made it". I'm working on a slower and more sustainable for forever approach this time around.

    Losing hasn't been my battle in life, maintaining has been. Read the maintenance boards too for tips on holding the line. Even if you aren't at goal weight, you might want a break once in awhile and do maintenance for a week or two. It's good practice as well. You can do this!

    Thanks for the insight. Being healthy is my ultimate goal, so I need to keep that in mind for sure. Maintaining is the hardest thing for me too (obviously). I stayed at 130-140 for about 3 years before ballooning up to 199 for the last 2 years. I know this is a lifestyle and this time around I need to really keep in mind that I can never just 'relax'. Staying slim is a full-time job for me.
  • EmPersson
    EmPersson Posts: 768 Member
    I'm actually looking/hoping for something similar. I've been working on getting my life healthier again over the last month and a half or so. Logging some things here, some things there. Still drinking cocktails at night and binging on pizza at work for lunch, etc. So, while I was taking steps in the right direction, the weight wasn't budging. I had a wake up call on Sunday in that I have 8 weeks until my family vacation. A bunch of the lady in laws have all lost weight recently (doing a terrible diet - please avoid Whole 30!), but I'd been telling them how bad it is for people, but yet they all lost weight and I didn't. I decided to get serious, and do the Slim Fast diet (rated/tied as #5 best weight loss diet in 2016 - US News). Slim Fast reports that you can lose *up to* 20 pounds in 8-10 weeks. Like I said, I only have 8 weeks, but I am determined! I know how to maintain once I lose the weight. I know the diet isn't sustainable, but I want to see some results and if I'm left to my own whiles, I make excuse after excuse. I'm learning that a set of rules, with research backing them, is what my mind needs to get through some of the tough decisions. Best of luck to you with your loss! What's your game plan?
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    EmPersson wrote: »
    I'm actually looking/hoping for something similar. I've been working on getting my life healthier again over the last month and a half or so. Logging some things here, some things there. Still drinking cocktails at night and binging on pizza at work for lunch, etc. So, while I was taking steps in the right direction, the weight wasn't budging. I had a wake up call on Sunday in that I have 8 weeks until my family vacation. A bunch of the lady in laws have all lost weight recently (doing a terrible diet - please avoid Whole 30!), but I'd been telling them how bad it is for people, but yet they all lost weight and I didn't. I decided to get serious, and do the Slim Fast diet (rated/tied as #5 best weight loss diet in 2016 - US News). Slim Fast reports that you can lose *up to* 20 pounds in 8-10 weeks. Like I said, I only have 8 weeks, but I am determined! I know how to maintain once I lose the weight. I know the diet isn't sustainable, but I want to see some results and if I'm left to my own whiles, I make excuse after excuse. I'm learning that a set of rules, with research backing them, is what my mind needs to get through some of the tough decisions. Best of luck to you with your loss! What's your game plan?

    Good luck with your loss too! Let me know if you wanna be weightloss buddies on here and we can hold each other accountable!

    I've had friends who had a lot of success with Whole 30. I don't knock it. But it isn't for me. I've been around the block long enough when it comes to dieting that I know what works for me. I need structure and rules in place in order to achieve success. I can't do the whole 'everything in moderation' approach, because I'll fall off the bandwagon. I'll go out with friends and think "Oh, I can get this cake! Everything in moderation, right?". I need rules of this is what I can and cannot eat so I don't go overboard. Which it sounds like you do too, if you're doing Slim Fast! I am adopting a high fat, lower carb lifestyle. My only carbs are coming from fruit and I'm cutting out all grains, processed foods, sugars, etc. This works for me, as it's so easy to say "no" to those foods when I simply cannot have them in my diet. This is day 4 for me and our kitchen at work is full of yummy baked goods but I don't even bat an eye at them because I can't have them in my diet. Keeping the fruit in my diet helps with those carb/sugar cravings so I'm not even tempted by the processed sugar foods.

    I'm also incorporating more oil into my diet, adding Udo's oil to my morning smoothie and eating more eggs and meat throughout the day along with leafy greens and avocado. So far it's working! It's only day 4 but my clothes are already fitting looser and my stomach, which has been bloated for what seems like years, is finally shrinking!
  • lindafit4life21
    lindafit4life21 Posts: 71 Member
    Hi everyone I'm Linda and could use some new friends on here so I won't feel so alone. Add me if you like
  • long_for_me
    long_for_me Posts: 184 Member
    Add me if you like, everyone! I aim to lose 20lbs in 10 weeks. BMI just over 30!
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Since you're obese, you might get that level of weight loss. Heck, you might lose 3 lbs some weeks. It will slow down. The real question--- if we said yes or no, will it change how you do things? I see weight loss as progress towards a healthier life. If it takes longer, it takes longer. It's still movement in the right direction.
  • cmp2008
    cmp2008 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi ladies! I'm needing to lose about 30lbs to get back to a healthy weight that my body can keep long term. I'm currently at 206lbs (I'm 5'9"), and can feel it. I would really appreciate some accountability from people in the same boat! I have 2 kids (4&2) and a hubby that travels quite a bit for work. I need more energy! lol
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Off to a good start! I'm down 8.6 lbs so far just in A WEEK! Crazy! I've never had that kind of weight loss before. I am doing low carb, higher fat and protein and so far, so good. I've been completely full and satisfied, if not a little stuffed, and yet I still lost nearly 9 lbs. Wow... I am amazed and shocked. I know the weightloss is mostly water weight, and I know it'll slow down, but I'm still SO HAPPY that I'm losing while at the same time not being hungry at all.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    Seajolly wrote: »
    Off to a good start! I'm down 8.6 lbs so far just in A WEEK! Crazy! I've never had that kind of weight loss before. I am doing low carb, higher fat and protein and so far, so good. I've been completely full and satisfied, if not a little stuffed, and yet I still lost nearly 9 lbs. Wow... I am amazed and shocked. I know the weightloss is mostly water weight, and I know it'll slow down, but I'm still SO HAPPY that I'm losing while at the same time not being hungry at all.

    I have stopped eating grains because my joints get sore when I eat them. When I "slip" it's because I had a piece of cake or a cookie. I still log them and don't kick myself (too much) when I eat that stuff. I also found weight loss so much easier without it. That, and drastically reducing wine consumption.

    Don't expect all weeks to be like this week. If a lot is water weight, don't get discouraged if some comes back on. Finally, 8# a week isn't sustainable and often people get into a "deficit/binge" cycle. But, you're doing great. Just eat your recommended calories and you'll maintain for the longterm.

  • heidi4fox50
    heidi4fox50 Posts: 18 Member
    Hi, I could also use some low carb friends I have to lose weight this month big time and could use some motivation like your success!! that is awesome..
  • quebot
    quebot Posts: 99 Member
    I sent you a message, but I'll also post here. I started out with an obese BMI (seems easy to do with us short folk). Once I changed my diet (it sounds a lot like yours- although I do some processed stuff like protein bars), 18 lbs just about fell off me. I can tell it's slowing down the past few days. My dr and nutritionist told me that the first month or two will have the greatest loss, then slow and steady from there. I've been through this before as well, and gained it back. I think the most important thing this time around for me will be to keep logging at maintenance level for a while longer after I've met my goal and check in on myself more often than I did before.
  • marelthu
    marelthu Posts: 184 Member
    I lost 2.5 to 3 lbs a week for the first couple of months. It was fine. It's slowed down now.
  • Puzzl3dunicorn
    Puzzl3dunicorn Posts: 30 Member
    I'm on week 10 of a healthier life and I've lost 17 lbs, so it's doable but you really have to be determined. I am breast feeding my five month old so I can still eat a lot and often which helps, but I also count my macros and work out 5 days a week so I definitely still have out a lot of effort into it. However as pp have said it's not really a unsustainable amount to lose long term. I expect to be losing less per week soon, and that's okay, you just gotta keep trudging along.
  • fabnblessfran
    fabnblessfran Posts: 10 Member
    May I join this group?
  • long_for_me
    long_for_me Posts: 184 Member
    May I join as well?
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    May I join this group?

    Of course!
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    May I join as well?

    Absolutely!
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Checking in because I'm now down 10.8 lbs so far in just 9 days! :o When I checked the scale this morning (I'm checking every morning) I was down 1.2 lbs since yesterday morning. And I'm completely satisfied and full from my food, don't feel I'm depriving myself or being strict at all, and am enjoying the foods I'm eating. I am going away tomorrow for a 4 day trip to Disney World and I'm excited to continue this journey there. I might allow myself maybe a treat a day, but I'm feeling positive that I can mostly stay on track.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Just want to follow up on this thread and say that YES, it can be done! I made this thread as a long shot hope to lose 18-20 lbs in 8-10 weeks. Well, we are right in the middle of the 9th week right now and I've lost 19 lbs!!! All by eating low carb/keto, not even calorie restricting, just eating til satisfied! It can be done, folks! Just with a plan and some effort!!! :)
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    Wow! Nice going and thanks for the follow-up. Very impressive.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    fiddletime wrote: »
    Wow! Nice going and thanks for the follow-up. Very impressive.

    Thank you so much :)
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    2nd follow up: So it's been 10 weeks and I'm down 23.2 pounds!!! I surpassed my goal of 18-20 lbs lost in 10 weeks! It can be done, folks! <3
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    Now that you've "made it" be sure to read the maintenance boards. There are lots of people on there all working on maintaining their weight loss, and some people who've been maintaining for many years. I spend a lot of time reading posts there.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    fiddletime wrote: »
    Now that you've "made it" be sure to read the maintenance boards. There are lots of people on there all working on maintaining their weight loss, and some people who've been maintaining for many years. I spend a lot of time reading posts there.

    Thanks, great idea! I am not down to my goal weight yet though. :) Have another 30-35 lbs to go!
This discussion has been closed.