I want to be 130lbs by my 21st birthday...is this realistic? Pics

Hi everyone!

So, I began my freshman year of high school at 130 pounds thinking I was extremely overweight, constantly comparing myself to the 90-pound girls in my class. Instead of losing weight healthily, I would eat very few calories, trying for the goal of 110 pounds. This obviously was not sustainable, and I became severely depressed and anti-social because I thought I was overweight, which led me down a path of consoling myself with high quantities of sodium and sugar-dense foods. When I am surrounded by friends, I am very healthy and active. However, when I get feelings of depression or anxiety (fairly often), I completely shut down and binge eat. It's the biggest catch-22: I am more anti-social because I feel self-conscious about my weight, so I stay at home and eat which makes the issue so much worse.

As high school moved on, I would spend weekends alone, baking sugary treats and eating bags of chips. Every few weeks, I would get a burst of energy and convince myself this was the time I was going to change and become healthy, but after a week I would crash. This cycle caused me to gain around 50 pounds. I weighed my heaviest at 185 my senior year, and closer to graduation I got down to the mid 170s.

I am now in my second year of college, and I have maintained a weight anywhere from 175-185. Currently, I am at 178. Also, I am 5'3. I am trying to set more realistic goals, the main one being 130 pounds by my 21st birthday. That is at the beginning of September, almost exactly 10 months from now. To lose 50 pounds by then would be ~5 pounds a month.

I can't help but feel disgusted that I look so different now from freshman year (pics below). I know I shouldn't feel this way because it's the same feelings that started this entire dilemma, but I don't know any other emotions to describe it.

So now my question is: is this realistic? How in the world do I make this the time that I actually change? I am getting desperate here.

Here are pics of my freshman prom vs junior prom (not my heaviest, I stopped taking pictures unless necessary):

7mz89uf6ybza.png
1hht3fatbkr9.png

Any help, guidance, tips would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks so much if you read this, it means a lot.

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Sorry but it probably won't happen. Having a bigger deficit than what you can sustain will only make you give up. Even if you only lose 30 lbs than then, it's still better than nothing.
  • ISweat4This
    ISweat4This Posts: 653 Member
    Make smaller goals so you don't get discouraged along the way and take more pictures so you can see your progress.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I think the primary thing you need to work on is your coping mechanisms. This has been the biggest change for, learning to eat within my goals was secondary until I got my head sorted out. Exercise is now, for the most part, my coping mechanism. Having fitness goals and wanting to be strong as well as a healthy weight helps take the focus away from purely what the scale says.

    Don't set a deadline, just set smaller goals like logging what you eat, not to a goal but just what you are eating now, for a week or two. To get into the habit and see where you can easily and painlessly make tweaks. Then start with your deficit but keep it reasonable. Again, going too hard will easily make you spiral.
  • megbrewerr
    megbrewerr Posts: 25 Member
    I weighed 182 and I am currently at 149. I started in March and its October now. Admittedly, I spent a month in Europe (Italy and Denmark) where I only lightly considered what I ate, drank frequently. I basically gained 5 back over that time and am seeing the 140s for the first time. I think if you start at 180-170 and focus on calorie restriction (not too low) and add some type of weight lifting or HIIT you may find that you are happy with your progress long before 130.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Deadlines do actually work for me, as I’m super Type A. But, they are always realistic. For example, I want to lose 2# by the end of the year, and 10# in 2018. No monumental pressure, just a way to stay focused.
  • This content has been removed.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,281 Member
    Hey, look at you!!! You're doing great! Small changes that you can live with for the rest of your life are so much more sustainable than any "diet" that you might want to try. Remember that it can creep up (holidays), or not, but long term, stay on track. You've got this! Great work :)
  • sksk1026
    sksk1026 Posts: 215 Member
    cecile97 wrote: »
    yay! here I am a little over a month later, and I am down to 168 lbs. thanks everyone for your motivation and advice, now on to hit the next goal of 158 :smile:

    Wonderful!!!
  • nrkelly04
    nrkelly04 Posts: 29 Member
    Great job!! Keep it up! Take baby steps and celebrate those small victories! Even those that may not reflect on the scale. Such as: Your clothes fitting better, can run for longer periods of time without being out of breath, don't crave bad foods. Every victory, big and small, deserves to be celebrated and should give you a feeling of accomplishment. That is what keeps driving me to continue
  • JLASilver
    JLASilver Posts: 22 Member
    I had similar stats as you, 5’2” started around 160something (I didn’t own a scale) maybe even 170. I started in Feb 2017 and by September I hit 140. It’s now December and I’m at 137. I made a few mistakes along way but the big one was: I stopped logging when I was busy and 10lbs from my goal weight (130) because I figured I could eat intuitively. As a result I plateaued for almost 5 months.
    That being said I found an excercise routine that I absolutely love, I’m the fittest I’ve ever been. I’m still not at my goal weight, but I’m super happy with how far I’ve come. So even though I’m not at goal I’m confident in how I look.
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 669 Member
    cecile97 wrote: »
    yay! here I am a little over a month later, and I am down to 168 lbs. thanks everyone for your motivation and advice, now on to hit the next goal of 158 :smile:

    That is so fantastic!! You are doing great. You’ve so got this!
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    I do too, but since that was 22 years ago, I doubt I'll make it.
    For you,5 lbs a month isn't impossible, at first, but as you get closer to your goal, your body naturally slows down how fast you lose, so you would likely not be losing as fast as you get closer to your goal. At least not while staying healthy.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    Good update - I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to your experience. It's fantastic that you've now got a good balanced relationship with food and body image and are getting to grips with the mental health aspect.

    Slowly chipping away, with a small deficit is far easier, and more sustainable. And to see that you're 23lb lighter than you were six months ago is a huge achievement.
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    thank you for posting this update! There are many who pop onto the forums and then just disappear, and sometimes you wonder if they met success (or in the cases of others, if they ever came to the light). Its very good to hear about the successes you've had, especially in changing your relationship with food and in improving your self view. I wish you more success to come!
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    Great update! <3
  • Slowfaster
    Slowfaster Posts: 186 Member
    edited June 2020
    You're doing it!

    I'm older and I love to see young girls reach their ideal weight while they're still young enough to get maximum benefit from the effort. Your skin is tight enough to spring back into place and all the latest fashions will look fabulous on you.

    You're only young once! Your face will never be this beautiful again, you'll never have as many parties and weddings to go to, you'll probably never be in a position to meet as many young men as you are now.

    Take these wonderful years and be at your very best for them!
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 631 Member
    So much good advice in this thread. I echo it all.
    Small changes, track your intake, monitor your macros, monitor your weight and measurements, small goals along the way.
    A hard deadline is difficult — This is a lifestyle to a healthier you, there is no end date to that.
    You’ve made a fantastic first step by logging into MFP.