Is 5 lbs by Christmas too much?

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meeper123
meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I counted out 4 weeks til then I figured it's not completely out of question what you think

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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    meeper123 wrote: »
    I counted out 4 weeks til then I figured it's not completely out of question what you think

    How much weight do you have to lose?
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Depends on your starting point if it is realistic. You can certainly lose some weight by Christmas. It is possible to lose 5 lbs in 4 weeks for some people.
    Are you just starting with weight loss or is it something you have been working at for a bit?

    If you are not overweight or only a few pounds overweight then 5 lbs might be too much. If you are more overweight it is more reasonable expectation.
    Sometimes people drop scale weight more when first changing their diet. If you change your diet to lower carb/lower sodium for example you might have a drop in water weight that changes your scale number at first.
    Not everyone loses right away or every week though. It might take you a few weeks to get your logging in order and such so you might not really have 4 weeks where you are losing weight. Not everyone has their goals set right from the start so there can be an adjustment period.
    If you usually retain water before or during your period the number on the scale might not drop and may go up temporarily. If you start a rigourous new exercise program you may retain water which can cause a bump on the scale.

    I generally think deadlines- paticularly short ones- for weight loss are not helpful to making lasting changes.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    I'm currently 222 lbs so long way to go
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    I hope I don't gain that much. Oh, wait... :laugh:
  • FarmerCarla
    FarmerCarla Posts: 470 Member
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    I like goals for every area of my life, and your Christmas weight goal is certainly reasonable. Go for it!
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    edited November 2018
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    apullum wrote: »
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I generally think deadlines- paticularly short ones- for weight loss are not helpful to making lasting changes.

    This. Why do you need to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain date? What happens if you lose 4 pounds instead of 5? Will you be happy about the 4 you lost or sad that you didn’t lose 5?

    Your Christmas is not going to be better or worse if the scale reads 5 pounds less than it does now. In a month or two, are you even going to remember what you weighed on Christmas?

    Just put your stats into MFP, consistently stay within your calorie goal, and be patient. The weight will come off.

    I think it varies from person to person about starting. Every time I started slowly and sensibly, I failed to lose more than a few pounds. I had to get a "lead to protect" to feel really committed. That's me, not everyone. Of course, most of those attempts eventually failed also. I am only assuming that current one is going to hold because I have kept below goal about 5 times longer than I ever have before.

    I agree that the bulk of the weight should come off consistently. I think what helped me most with the last loss was that I switched to a way of eating that is sustainable. But from personal experience I realize that a lot of serial starters end up with short lived attempts because of the initial slow progress. It's too easy to get into the mindset that there has been so little progress that I can just start again after this season or event or whatever.

    Again, I am absolutely not saying this applies to everyone, but I am absolutely saying that starting slow and steady doesn't work for everyone. It could, but it doesn't.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    meeper123 wrote: »
    I think instead of a number I'll just do my best to walk everyday and eat better

    Any goal that gives you incentive to keep going is good. Sometimes you hit it sometimes you don't. But I find it gives me motivation.

    Consistency is key. To lose weight you have to eat in a deficit so that is most important but exercise is good for fitness so do both and you are well on your way. :)
  • lalabank
    lalabank Posts: 1,009 Member
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    I do the 5lbs per month challenge every month and I LOVE it! I’ve found 5lbs per month to be a great goal for me.
    I have 3 major food centered events in December that I want to enjoy in moderation so my gift to myself for the Holidays is to focus on maintaining and exercise.
    You can add me as a friend for motivation and support. Oh and check out the 5lbs in challenges, it’s a great check in place to keep on track!
    You can do it.

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