Is there a safe way to lose 30 lbs by May 26?

Hi everyone, I am a 5'4 38 yr old mom of 3 who used to be very active until recent ovarian surgeries, laparascopic surgeries and of course the diagnosis of endometriosis last year. I used to weigh 125-130 even after my kids. And now I weigh 155 and its just breaking me. I dont like how I feel this heavy. Due to a laparoscopy in June of last year I was unable to do anything short of walking for almost 3.5 months and by then of course even as I watched what I ate I gained weight. As soon as thr holidays passed I began to work out and then a cold took me out of commission for a week and a half. I'm tired of squeezing into my pants. I'm tired of all this excess weight I have and I want to be 30 lbs lighter by May but I want to do it safely. Is this possible? Any advice helps.

Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    3 kids - not sedentary - Lightly-Active.
    This is merely for the household activities associated with 3 kids - if constantly running around with them because of being that age - probably even higher.
  • 4Phoenix
    4Phoenix Posts: 236 Member
    Losing 2 pounds a week, is do able on paper. However, even with dedication, planning, stress strategies, physical exercise, and motivation, our weight goals fluctuate even under the best actions. Plan your actions as if your goals are to meet a reasonable 2 pounds a week....you might succeed and, if not, you will be happier focusing on your journey and well on your way to your goal.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    MPyLP wrote: »
    Thank you everyone. I have adjusted to start off at 1 lb per week, have incorporated alot more protein, whole grains and fiber as well as water and I have added resistance bands to my workout ( omg I love those things). I wanted to try to be at 125 for my anniversary but I realized THAT is not gonna happen especially with me working on top of coming home and helping kids with remote school work and lifes little unexpectancies. So I am sticking to this and hopefully be at least 20 lbs lighter. Thanks for the support.

    Good for you. Even if you don't lose 20lb (weight loss isn't linear, it'll slow as you get lighter anyway plus the end of May is 16 weeks away), any weight loss at all is still better than where you are right now and will hopefully give you the encouragement to continue.


    In case you haven't read it elsewhere, weigh yourself regularly (be that daily, weekly, monthly or whatever) but be aware that your weight will fluctuate - what you're looking for is a downward trend over longer periods. Blips where you gain 1 or 2lb overnight are likely to be water weight not your body suddenly gaining fat.
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    Good morning I am ready to start the day. Eating my whole wheat and fiber bc today will be busy
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    If you were like over 250lbs then yes.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    4Phoenix wrote: »
    Losing 2 pounds a week, is do able on paper. However, even with dedication, planning, stress strategies, physical exercise, and motivation, our weight goals fluctuate even under the best actions. Plan your actions as if your goals are to meet a reasonable 2 pounds a week....you might succeed and, if not, you will be happier focusing on your journey and well on your way to your goal.
    Not safe for her. Mathematically she'd have to be eating well under 1000 calories to achieve that. Bad advice.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    4Phoenix wrote: »
    Losing 2 pounds a week, is do able on paper. However, even with dedication, planning, stress strategies, physical exercise, and motivation, our weight goals fluctuate even under the best actions. Plan your actions as if your goals are to meet a reasonable 2 pounds a week....you might succeed and, if not, you will be happier focusing on your journey and well on your way to your goal.
    Not safe for her. Mathematically she'd have to be eating well under 1000 calories to achieve that. Bad advice.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Thank you. So far my average is around 1400 calories per day and im getting close. Yesterday it let me know that if I keep it up at that rate I will weigh 145 in 5 wks. Is this pretty accurate?
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    My mistake it is 1430 per day. I feel accurate numbers help
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
    Bad idea 30 pounds in that short of a period of time is not safe or healthy. I have lost 98 pounds and it's taken me 2 years. The average amount to lose when your obese is 1.5 to 2.0 a week. At 155 your overweight but not obese. You would have to be doing something pretty drastic to your body to lose that amount of weight in such s short period of time. You will gain it all back shortly and then some. Slow off stay off.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    MPyLP wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    4Phoenix wrote: »
    Losing 2 pounds a week, is do able on paper. However, even with dedication, planning, stress strategies, physical exercise, and motivation, our weight goals fluctuate even under the best actions. Plan your actions as if your goals are to meet a reasonable 2 pounds a week....you might succeed and, if not, you will be happier focusing on your journey and well on your way to your goal.
    Not safe for her. Mathematically she'd have to be eating well under 1000 calories to achieve that. Bad advice.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Thank you. So far my average is around 1400 calories per day and im getting close. Yesterday it let me know that if I keep it up at that rate I will weigh 145 in 5 wks. Is this pretty accurate?
    That's IF weight loss were linear. But it's not. As weight goes down, you tend to lose less and less per week. So instead of 1lb you might lose .8lb. But IF you are consistent and patient, then it should continue to go down.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I joined mfp in Feb and went from size 10 to size 2 by May. It is possible. But you need to be careful. I started with 1350 daily calories and slowly increased until I was at 1800. I was pretty active, working out daily and a busy full time job.
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    I realized skipping breakfast was totally not good for me bc by lunchtime I'd be starving and eat wte I could just to not feel dizzy or what not so now I MAKE at least a coffee and something light and filling for breakfast. Most days I dont eat lunch
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    And I realized I REALLY love wheat bread with all those seeds and whatnot in them. So that makes it easier for me to incorporate it and I never realized Salmon and quinoa versatility
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    edited February 2021
    [/quote] Thank you. So far my average is around 1400 calories per day and im getting close. Yesterday it let me know that if I keep it up at that rate I will weigh 145 in 5 wks. Is this pretty accurate? [/quote]

    It's a guide. However, it's based on every day being identical to today and that's highly unlikely. You may eat a little more of one thing and a little less of something else, it may be hotter or colder outside, you may drink more water, you may walk an extra 50 paces each day or walk 20 paces less.

    Two important things to focus on
    - through trial and error, learn what keeps you feeling fuller for longer vs what are empty calories. Many people say protein and fat are king, others swear by carbs.
    - aim to weigh less on your anniversary at the end of May than you do today.

    As you learn what works, don't deprive yourself. If you really fancy a cookie that you've baked with your kids, have one if you can see a way to fit it in with your calories for that day / week, perhaps by putting on less potato or a smaller portion of pasta on your plate and adding more veg instead. It's far easier to lose weight if it's not an ordeal.
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    Is it bad to skip lunch sometimes? Sometimes I'll eat a bowl of all bran and 1 egg with 21 grain toast and by lunch time im still full. By dinner time im just about ready to eat. But I dont want to jinx myself by missing a meal.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    MPyLP wrote: »
    Is it bad to skip lunch sometimes? Sometimes I'll eat a bowl of all bran and 1 egg with 21 grain toast and by lunch time im still full. By dinner time im just about ready to eat. But I dont want to jinx myself by missing a meal.

    It's fine. Just don't undereat your calorie goal by lots, on any regular basis. It's very, very likely to come back to bit you. If you're lucky, eating too little, too often just results in an overeating episode. If not so lucky, persistent undereating (too-fast loss) can have health consequences. If there are consequences, the less severe ones are fatigue, weakness, counterproductively slowed weight loss through fatigue, and - often after a few weeks delay - hair loss or brittle nails.

    Eating schedule changes are purely personal preference. Being a little low (or a little high) on calories now and then is no big deal. Persistently undereating *can* be a big deal.
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    So when I began this journey I weighed 158.6 I just weighed myself and I weigh 154.0. I lost 4 lbs! I know I shouldn't get too excited but I am. Yay!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Get excited! Woot woot
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited February 2021
    MPyLP wrote: »
    Is it bad to skip lunch sometimes? Sometimes I'll eat a bowl of all bran and 1 egg with 21 grain toast and by lunch time im still full. By dinner time im just about ready to eat. But I dont want to jinx myself by missing a meal.

    Is it bad?
    This is how I'd think about it.

    If I had a workout later and a skipped lunch caused me to not have enough energy for it - yes that was bad.
    If I had house chores later and a skipped lunch made me so tired after work I just watched TV all night - yes that was bad.
    If I skipped lunch and was so hungry for dinner I way over did it and ate many more calories than lunch would have provided and went over my goal by a big amount - yes that was bad.

    If it allowed me to eat more at dinner or have special treat and no other ill effects that day or the following - no that wasn't bad.

    If this happened constantly and I have the knowledge that I'm cutting say 300 calories extra from an already reasonable diet, and I know the body can adapt by slowing down daily burn I'll likely never notice - that is bad and I'd figure out an adjustment somewhere if weight loss initially increased than slowed down.
  • MPyLP
    MPyLP Posts: 25 Member
    So I've gotten the swing of this. I'll have a light snack for lunch sometimes and if not ill have a light but filling dinner. Started my zumba again and I feel great