Need to lose 17-20 lbs in 14 weeks

Are you not going to be able to go on holiday if you don't lose at least 17 pounds? What kind of holiday has a weight limit?

That is a loss of 1.2 pounds per week which may not be advisable if that is all you have left to lose. You would need to create a 600 calorie deficit and be true to it even during the holidays which would be a deal breaker for me.

If there is no weight limit why don't you try to lose as much as you can between now and then without adding a lot of extra stress to the situation? Extra stress and deadlines usually just makes things harder.

People who make really strict deadlines for weight loss lean towards failure. When they don’t meet their deadline, they give up.

Be a success story. Start logging, stay in a reasonable calorie deficit and enjoy the experience.

Good luck with your journey!

bigfoot27 wrote: »

Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

So 20lbs X 3500cals = 70,000 calories
14 weeks X 7 days = 98 days
98 days X 2100 (maintenance calories) 205800

So
205800- 70,000 (to lose) = 135800
135800 divide by 98 days = 1386

Eat only 1386 calories a day and you'll achieve your goal, I don't think you'll enjoy your holiday though.

bigfoot27 wrote: »

Going on holiday in March 2020 and need to lose between 17-20lbs how many calories would I need to eat to do this. I am 54 y.o. and only do walking as an exercise about 2 -3 miles per day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't see a starting weight listed, but losing 17-20 lbs in 14 weeks sounds fully reasonable for someone who is even moderately overweight. You've come to the right place! I would use the app to set your daily calorie limit. Since you are looking to lose about 1.2 lbs a week, I would set your goal to lose 1.5 pounds a week and go from there. The person above did the calculations for you if you want a more exact number. I personally do not do well eating under 1400 calories a day. It's just not enough food for me whether I'm being really active or not. Still, I think 1400 calories is a good place to start and you can adjust it from there. I'm actually one of those people who do really well on a strict deadline as I usually need something "extra" to motivate me. I think having this upcoming vacation to help motivate you is a good thing! MFP has helped me lose 87 lbs and although I'm now at a healthy weight and BMI, I'm still losing. It's taken me years to get to this point, and some ups and downs, but it was always those special motivations that would keep me going or pull me back during those times my weight crept back up. Good luck! Adding friends helps with the journey, so find some posts and some like-minded people and send out some friend requests. Please add me if you would like.

joanthemom8 wrote: »

Hi, I'll be 54 next month. I lost 19 pounds in about the same time period that you are looking at. I've been on MFP for years, but I could never break through 152 pounds. I was always on the high end of "normal" BMI to low "overweight" BMI. What really did it for me was two things: I gave up alcohol (I've been alcohol free for 6 months) and I follow the Target 100 plan, which among other things limits your carbs to 100 grams. These two things really made the difference for me. I've been a runner for a few years, but I didn't lose weight with just that. I still run, but now that I'm lighter, running is easier for me and my endurance is up.
Good luck! 100 grams of carbs a day is very doable!

I like this idea. I was also on MFP for years but was unable to break the 153 plateau. The past two years I went low carb, and I feel like it's really made the difference for me personally (I believe that some people do better when they find a particular way of eating that works best for them). I'm finally in my (high) 120's (but back to the 130's for a stint after Thanksgiving ) I'm also a runner and my body just functions really well and I feel good when I eat at around 75 grams or less of carbs per day. (My macros are set at 15% carbs, 60% fat, 25% protein and my calories are set at 1900.) When I do reach whatever my maintenance weight is, I might also up my total carbs to 100 per day. I love eating low carb foods (seriously, I'm in love with the cheese) but I also love carbs.