Can you lose 100lbs in a year? (Workout plan and meal plan questions)

karensh1
karensh1 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello MFP Community,

I am a 20 year old young woman that has tried to change her eating habits multiple times. I can only make it through 2 weeks before I give up. This time I’ve made it my goal to lose 75-100 lbs before May of 2019. I’ll be backpacking across Europe with a group of friends for 5 months.

I weight 234lbs and I am 5’3” tall. There is no way that I’ll be dedicated to completing that journey unless I make positive life choices.

I have a general idea as to what kind of meals I should and should not eat. When it comes to the calorie intake, I think it’s off. I consume around 1,400-1,550 calories a day. It keeps me full but I’m sure if that’s the correct calorie intake I should eat on a daily basis.

Last but not least whenever I go to the gym I only use the treadmill. Is there a set workout plan that one should follow to not only lose weight but also tone up the extra skin they will have?

Thank you to everyone in advance.

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,436 Member
    edited January 2018
    Calories look fine, if not a bit low. If you start getting hangry, you can probably eat 100-200 calories more per day and still lose.

    As for exercises, do you want to lift weights or stick to cardio? Stronglifts 5X5 is a great beginner's program, if you want to lift real weights.
  • RunningJustIncase
    RunningJustIncase Posts: 81 Member
    Sent you a FR with message.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, good luck to you! I wanted to chime in to try not to get too hung up on losing a specific amount of weight in a specific amount of time. Right now, it is certainly possible for you to lose 2 lbs per week. But once you get under 200 and especially once you get even lower, it's simply not going to be possible. You will need to lower the amount of weight you are losing per week as you get lighter.

    Having said that, you can absolutely get a lot of the way there by your trip! Consider taking a 2 week diet break every 3 months or so to give your body and hormones a little break, try to fit the foods you love in your calorie goal, and understand that you will have days that you go off plan and that's okay - everyone does.

    :drinker:
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    instead of setting yourself up for failure, which is what you are doing, why not make small changes, master those, then add more. any amount of weight you lose is a win, assuming you keep it off. And by your own admission, you only last acouple of weeks before giving up. Its not all or nothing. its do a little, master that, and add some more. Start small. so what if you only lose 30 in a year. its 30 less than what you have now.

    be realistic. set realistic goals. expect set backs. keep going. we all have good days and bad. ive lost 100+ pounds, was pretty damned dedicated in my diet, and worked out on average 5 times a week. That was lost over a period of 4 years. FOUR YEARS. you didnt get fat overnight and you wont get thin overnight.

    For a long time, i set mini goals. i didnt get a reward when i reached it. but 5-10 pound increments to lose is less daunting than 100.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    instead of setting yourself up for failure, which is what you are doing, why not make small changes, master those, then add more. any amount of weight you lose is a win, assuming you keep it off. And by your own admission, you only last acouple of weeks before giving up. Its not all or nothing. its do a little, master that, and add some more. Start small. so what if you only lose 30 in a year. its 30 less than what you have now.

    be realistic. set realistic goals. expect set backs. keep going. we all have good days and bad. ive lost 100+ pounds, was pretty damned dedicated in my diet, and worked out on average 5 times a week. That was lost over a period of 4 years. FOUR YEARS. you didnt get fat overnight and you wont get thin overnight.

    For a long time, i set mini goals. i didnt get a reward when i reached it. but 5-10 pound increments to lose is less daunting than 100.

    QFT. Heck, it took me a year to lose 15 lbs :lol:
  • Fitwithsci
    Fitwithsci Posts: 69 Member
    Simply put yes, a "safe" amount of weight loss is about 2lbs/week however this depends a lot on the amount of weight you have to lose. 2lbs/week 52 weeks/year =110lbs lost. I agree calories appear a little low, but if you aren't getting hungry than its probably ok. If you are trying to get ready to go backpacking, I would recommend going backpacking. Its great cardio, and works muscles that are not hit other forms of cardio. Its also the exact task you are trying to prepare for. I don't have a specific strength training program to recommend but I would recommend starting out very slow if you have never lifted weights before, 1-2 sets of a few key exercises 2-3 times/week. Look on youtube for beginner upper and lower body push/pull exercises. Also check horizontal/vertical push pull exercises. These movements should train the major muscle groups. Pick exercises that look simple and start with very light, or no weights until your are confident with the movements. No shame in using machines if you are just starting out, or aren't comfortable with free weights. As you gain confidence, add weight, sets, and/or training days (3-5 sets is typical but most recreational lifters do 3), but try to give yourself every other day off from strength training unless you know how to split up the days so you are resting muscle groups adequately. For example lower body M/W/F, and Upper T/Th/Sat.(this is an extreme example and not recommended for beginners) Or Push M/W, Pull on Tu/Th. 1-2 days training days/movement or body part/movement is plenty if you are just starting out. You will most likely get sore for the first couple of weeks, but this should subside relatively quickly. Good luck and I hope you can reach your goal!
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,784 Member
    When I joined MFP, I was 52yo and weighed 232lbs (5'4"). I got down to 174lbs in about 14-16months. I was active with daily walking (2-3miles), cycling and strength training. I tried to adhere to a calorie goal of 1660 cals (+ or - depending on my TDEE). I lost on average 1lb/wk.

    It is very doable. Good luck!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,889 Member
    edited January 2018
    karensh1 wrote: »
    I am a 20 year old young woman that has tried to change her eating habits multiple times. I can only make it through 2 weeks before I give up. This time I’ve made it my goal to lose 75-100 lbs before May of 2019.
    I weight 234lbs and I am 5’3” tall.
    Maybe you can lose 100 pounds in a year. If you set the optimal calorie deficit and stick to it like glue, every day. But it's almost impossible to do it perfectly, and your attitude - which more or less demands perfection - will make it difficult to even stay close most days, which, ironically, WOULD produce the desired result, eventually.
    Europe is going to seem far, far away whenever an opportunity to overeat manifests itself. And those opportunities won't stop coming just because you want to lose weight.
    I have a general idea as to what kind of meals I should and should not eat.
    Does this mean "what foods to eat and avoid"? If so, you are mistaken. You can eat anything and lose weight. You just have to eat less. The more you try to avoid food you like and eat strange food, or too little, the harder it will be to eat less.
    When it comes to the calorie intake, I think it’s off. I consume around 1,400-1,550 calories a day. It keeps me full but I’m sure if that’s the correct calorie intake I should eat on a daily basis.
    What do you mean by this? 1400-1550 calories sounds like a good target. If you stick to it. consistently, for real, and all the way, you'll lose effectively, fast in the beginning, and slowing down as you get closer to goal weight. It's more than a 1000 calorie deficit at this point, so you should not feel full, just not hungry. How long have you tried it? How fast are you losing? If you aren't losing weight, you have to tighten up your logging.
    Last but not least whenever I go to the gym I only use the treadmill. Is there a set workout plan that one should follow to not only lose weight but also tone up the extra skin they will have?
    Exercsise is both last and least when it comes to weightloss. You lose weight by staying in a consistent calorie deficit. But exercise is good for you nonetheless. The best exercise is the exercise you do.
    Loose skin may or may not be a problem for you. I had loose skin the second time I lost 50 pounds, not the first time.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited January 2018
    I don't know if you will lose 100 pounds in a year, but if you are patient and determined, you absolutely can make a great start! You will probably have set-backs, and some days will be harder than others, but remember that the only way to fail is to give up. It sounds like you've set the bar very high for yourself in the past, and then quit when you couldn't meet those expectations. This is really common, but it doesn't have to be true this time! Keep that trip in mind, but remember that the rest of your life is going to happen before, during, and after that trip, so if you don't hit your goal exactly, or even if you miss it by a fair bit, you can still make great improvements in your health and happiness. Good luck!

    ETA: I agree with @kommodevaran on the exercise bit: the best exercise will be the one you enjoy and keep doing. There are no exercises that will make you lose weight unless you also watch your diet. And you're either going to have loose skin or not - best to put it out of your mind because there really isn't anything you can do about it.
  • Iwantahealthierme30
    Iwantahealthierme30 Posts: 293 Member
    Just a little over 1300 calories will give you a 2 pound a week loss. However I cannot eat less than 1400 without feeling it. (dizzy, tired etc) My intake is set at 1610 a day for 1.5 pound loss a week. 1 pound would be 1870 which I found hard to hit with healthy low calorie foods (too much) Why am I giving you this information? I started MFP at 225.

    you could do it but 1.5 pounds a week is easiest.
  • Lesscookies1
    Lesscookies1 Posts: 250 Member
    edited January 2018
    Are you currently losing weight eating the calories you are? Since you mentioned you've tried in the past, and couldn't go farther than 2 weeks I think you need to try something different. Are you working out? Do you use a food scale to measure your calorie intake? Do you track what you eat on MyFitnessPal ?

    I think what you need is focus and accountability. I've lost 40 pounds so far, and having a Fitbit and having a set number to walk daily really has helped me out. I'm also in a group on MyFitnessPal called "biggest loser monthly challenge" (if you do a search for groups it will show up). I think being in a biggest loser type challenge will be great and keep you motivated.

  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,838 Member
    You absolutely can lose 100 lbs in a year - I lost 113. But different people are different and what worked for me may not work for you. I did it by eating plenty of food but staying in a 1000 cal day deficit by doing about 400 calories worth of high intensity exercise per day with one or two lower intensity rest days per week.

    Do you enjoy the treadmill? If the answer is no, find something else you like better. Personally I would cry if I had to get on a treadmill every day. I do Bollywood Zumba, run, and lift weights. I use a stationary bike for when I can't run or get to the gym. You should definitely add some kind of strength training, it preserves your muscle mass while you eat at a deficit.

    As far as loose skin is concerned, you're young, you may be lucky and not have much. I have some but mainly on my lower belly - my armpits looked pretty bad for a while but are tightening up. There's not really anything you can do to prevent it.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,462 Member
    edited January 2018
    2 lb /week for the first 50
    1 lb/week for the next 30-35
    0.5 lb/week for last 15

    Do some progressive strength training. You'll need to build up your legs and core for all that backpacking starting today. Do some cardio for overall endurance.

    PS Be sure to include Switzerland in your trip!
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