i have 5 weeks and counting! HELP ME

alybrookeee
alybrookeee Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hey y’all! my parents and i are going to jamaica in august, and have about 5 weeks left. i’ve been struggling with weight my whole life! :( i am 5 ft 3in. and the most i’ve weighed was 195. now i am down to 178! but unfortunately have hit a bump! my overall goal weight is 130-140. i know i cannot achieve that in a short time period, but i want to get as close as possible! if you have any tips, tricks, or anything that worked for you please share and help a girl out

Replies

  • Jenp789
    Jenp789 Posts: 9 Member
    Start a challenge with a competitive friend over the next few week. Make a small wager or reward. I do that with a couple of friends (we are all on MFP) when I need a little kick start or get lazy with tracking. Right now I am doing a 30 day challenge and we each put $1 per day in. We have to have a minimum of 20 min cardio per day and track all meals/snacks each day. The person who tracks the most day wins. Good luck!
  • jasondjulian
    jasondjulian Posts: 182 Member
    Before anyone can help, outside of encouraging words, we need to know what you are doing now to lose weight.

    5 weeks, if you're just starting off expect to lose perhaps 10-15lbs at most- and 5lbs+ of that will be water weight. That is if you eat at a max recommended deficit.

    Is that going to be enough to make you happy? It'll be better to do what you can but prepare yourself to be confident and pleased with yourself now, and at whatever weight you are in 5 weeks. Good luck!
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    There aren't any tips or tricks, just a calorie deficit. If you're not doing any strength training, starting some now may help with body composition. Check out these threads https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    alybrookeee wrote: »
    hey y’all! my parents and i are going to jamaica in august, and have about 5 weeks left. i’ve been struggling with weight my whole life! :( i am 5 ft 3in. and the most i’ve weighed was 195. now i am down to 178! but unfortunately have hit a bump! my overall goal weight is 130-140. i know i cannot achieve that in a short time period, but i want to get as close as possible! if you have any tips, tricks, or anything that worked for you please share and help a girl out

    Best tip I can give you is to enjoy Jamaica.

    Don't bring along extra baggage (such as worry about your weight). Start your healthy processes today and have fun when you go. The healthy processes you need to work into your life (weighing and tracking your food for fat loss, moving more for aerobic fitness, and lifting for body shape) should last from now on. Don't rush. Just start. Deadlines are traps to help people quit. Don't let that sabotage the desire to make meaningful changes.

    Oh, and @bufger is right. Lifting will change your life.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I just want to say, you are beautiful at the size you are right now. You can lose a little weight before Jamaica, but even if you don't - have fun, wear flattering clothes for your current size (not too small, wear clothes that fit) and enjoy the absolute paradise.

    Just eat reasonably until then, don't make yourself sick right before a trip. :)There is no need to beat yourself up. We are all different!
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
    Learn to get over "the hungries". Its hard, but you can control wanting to eat when you don't need to. You really can get on a routine and stick to it long term. Go back to the basics, and don't make things complicated. I have your same statistics right now. Exactly, except for the age. I am so happy to be at 178 in five weeks from 198. It is a lot of weight loss fast, so you have been sticking to some kind of plan. Hey, Jamaica isn't all about food. You just think it is. Tell yourself that you aren't going to change you eating on that trip. You don't have to. You can still eat within your calories. You know how much it is by now. Cravings are just in your mind. You have to control that to be successful long term. You are in your right mind, and your body is just a vessel. It doesn't have to control you. Hope that makes sense.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    Just stay at a deficit to lose weight. Drink plenty of water, get good sleep, incorporate cardio & strength training. That's it, every "diet" that works, works because you're eating at a deficit. The problem I have with "diets" is what happens when you reach your "goal".... Unless that diet is permanently sustainable, most people go back to thier "normal" eating habits, which were the habits that led them to needing to lose weight.

    One actual trick in which you will look thinner (LOOK, not will be): incorporate stength training. While you won't actually be lighter or gain any substantial muscle mass (especially in 5 weeks), the strength training will make you just a bit stronger and you'll end up with better natural posture: better posture will make someone appear leaner simply because of how you sit and stand.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    edited June 2018
    alybrookeee wrote: »
    hey y’all! my parents and i are going to jamaica in august, and have about 5 weeks left. i’ve been struggling with weight my whole life! :( i am 5 ft 3in. and the most i’ve weighed was 195. now i am down to 178! but unfortunately have hit a bump! my overall goal weight is 130-140. i know i cannot achieve that in a short time period, but i want to get as close as possible! if you have any tips, tricks, or anything that worked for you please share and help a girl out

    So you want to drop 40 lbs in 5 weeks? Sorry to burst your bubble, but it ain't going to happen, you're asking to drop an average of 8 lbs per week, not only is that unrealistic, but it's completely dangerous and stupid. Be happy with those 17 lbs you lost, keep going and drop down your expectation. Health > Super fast weight loss. If you've been losing 1-2 lbs per week, then you're already doing a good job.
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    fb47 wrote: »
    alybrookeee wrote: »
    hey y’all! my parents and i are going to jamaica in august, and have about 5 weeks left. i’ve been struggling with weight my whole life! :( i am 5 ft 3in. and the most i’ve weighed was 195. now i am down to 178! but unfortunately have hit a bump! my overall goal weight is 130-140. i know i cannot achieve that in a short time period, but i want to get as close as possible! if you have any tips, tricks, or anything that worked for you please share and help a girl out

    So you want to drop 40 lbs in 5 weeks? Sorry to burst your bubble, but it ain't going to happen, you're asking to drop an average of 8 lbs per week, not only is that unrealistic, but it's completely dangerous and stupid. Be happy with those 17 lbs you lost, keep going and drop down your expectation. Health > Super fast weight loss. If you've been losing 1-2 lbs per week, then you're already doing a good job.

    OP did say "I know I cannot achieve that in a short time period". I think the message was more about how close she could get before the holiday, not expecting to lose 40lbs.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Paleo_Babe wrote: »
    LOTS of water and LOTS of sleep! It regulates your hormones and makes all the other stuff, like diet and exercise wayyyy easier!

    Good luck!

    How much sleep is "LOTS"?
  • cblack8
    cblack8 Posts: 42 Member
    I use Jillian Michaels 30 day shred when I want to see a difference quickly, with 5 weeks you could do all 30 days and a couple weeks of ripped in 30. That and watching your calories is my best advice.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    Lose at a sensible rate (at your current weight, 1.5 pounds a week would be about the maximum), work your way incrementally into an enjoyable cardiovascular/strength training program, put your nutrition in the best form you can manage (with sufficient protein, healthy fats, plenty of veggies/fruits, and enough treats to keep you sane). That will give you the best possible results for good appearance and vitality for your trip.

    Losing too fast creates a risk of reduced energy so listless manner, weakness so less ability to enjoy Jamaica, unnecessary loss of muscle alongside fat (i.e., flabbier looking), sallow complexion, possibly even thinning hair: Not cute, not fun.

    Will those things for sure happen if you lose too fast? No, not for certain. But you increase the risk.

    The sensible calories + solid nutrition + healthy exercise route increases the odds that you'll look more toned, have a glowing complexion, shiny hair, and an attractively vivacious manner. That's a better look, and feels better, besides.

    But you're the one betting these odds, so it's your choice.

    Enjoy the trip! :)
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    Drink lots of water, and be VERY diligent with your food journaling. Whenever I “flatline” it’s usually because I’ve become a bit lax in the recording of what I’m eating. I just have to remind myself the more I log, and the BETTER I log, then the better chances if something goes wrong, I can diagnose the problem....see what happened more easily. Scale doesn’t lie, neither does the food journal if you fill it out right.

    I’ve seen suggestions for Jillian Michaels Shred - or you can do P90X or Insanity. Most studies show if you do your workouts in the morning, then you’ll be “burning calories better” throughout the day.....it makes better use of your metabolism and fuel/energy that way.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    The good news is that no one weighs you in when you arrive at a vacation destination.

    The other good news is you are traveling with your parents and they love you no matter what you look like or what your weight is.

    The final piece of good news is that if you take the advice above about having realistic expectations and not trying some extreme approach to lose vanity pounds and water weight, you will go into your trip maybe 5-10 lbs lighter, with some good sustainable habits that you can continue during and after vacation.

    Enjoy the trip. Jamaica is awesome!
  • lexieohl2387
    lexieohl2387 Posts: 13 Member
    from personal experience, do it out of LOVE. when you’re doing it because you’re aggravated with yourself and trying to meet a goal weight on a set date, it can be stressful and next thing you know you’ve lost motivation & gained even more aggravation. it’s easy to give up when this happens hence a loss in progress. when you do it because you enjoy seeing changes and you enjoy the process, ur motivation will rise tremendously. it’s just something that happens naturally. with that being said i wouldn’t cut your calories extremely low or anything just for a vacay because that will bite you in the *kitten* in the long run. just don’t be too hard on yourself and remember you have to love yourself first!

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