Is my goal reasonable?

honeysprinkles
honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My birthday is in almost 7 months exactly. I'll be turning 20 and I'd really like to lose 50lbs by then. 50 lbs in 7 months seems doable to me if I'm willing to put in the hard work. If I meet my goal, my fiance and I are going to plan a trip to the Keys for my birthday. I've been wanting to go there for a long weekend for a while now, and I think it would be a great way to spend my birthday and a great reward/incentive to lose the weight.

I'm 5'6" currently 185 lbs. I'd like to get down to 135 lbs. So my question is: Is this a reasonable goal? I am going to work very hard to meet my goal, but I want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for disappointment by setting an unattainable goal.

Any input is greatly appreciated. :)

Replies

  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
    It looks like that would work out to under 2 pounds a week, which according to MFP is doable. It may come off faster at first, they say the last 10 pounds are the hardest. (I would know nothing about that, as I have never been anywhere near my goal weight!)

    good luck!
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 926 Member
    If that is a picture of you, where is this 50lbs going to come from? Just wondering..
  • stevwil41
    stevwil41 Posts: 608 Member
    I've found that my goals have changed since I first started. You may want to set that as a goal to begin with but as time passes it may change a little. I don't know if you're goal is attainable in a healthy way. If you weighed 250 and wanted to lose 50 I'd say absolutely but the thinner you get the slower the weight usually come off. However, suppose you diligently work at it and in 7 months you're at 145 instead? Is that something you can live with or will you look at it as a failure and not enjoy your weekend in the Keys? Personally, I'd look at it as a success and have a great time:)
  • amiabbott
    amiabbott Posts: 12 Member
    7 months- 50 lbs.. that means you would need to lose close to 2 pounds per week. I have read before that one should strive for 1 pound per week to be healthy but, I don't see why one extra pound would hurt. I am no dietitian but if you go about the right way, cutting calories & exercising, I see no issue. It may harder to do seeing as you have less time but your end goal is a great motivation to stay on track. Good luck!
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    It's reasonable. You'll have to lose close to 2 lbs per week. That's the maximum you should lose under any circumstances. But you can do it. And, at your age, losing weight is fairly easy compared to the struggle of older women. You will have to stick to your plan and not let up. But you should be able to do it. The last five or ten may not be as easy as the first five or ten, however. So don't be disappointed if you don't quite make it by that date.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    If that is a picture of you, where is this 50lbs going to come from? Just wondering..
    It's a picture for motivation! definitely not me, I'm 185lbs!
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I've found that my goals have changed since I first started. You may want to set that as a goal to begin with but as time passes it may change a little. I don't know if you're goal is attainable in a healthy way. If you weighed 250 and wanted to lose 50 I'd say absolutely but the thinner you get the slower the weight usually come off. However, suppose you diligently work at it and in 7 months you're at 145 instead? Is that something you can live with or will you look at it as a failure and not enjoy your weekend in the Keys? Personally, I'd look at it as a success and have a great time:)
    Good point. I think if by the end of the 7 months, I feel that I have worked as hard as I could and was still only at 145 then I would be happy with myself. The motivation is more so I don't give up, it's something to look forward to and work towards. I know that I am perfectly healthy at 135lbs, I used to be 125 a few years ago and I looked fine but I wasn't in shape at all.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    It's reasonable. You'll have to lose close to 2 lbs per week. That's the maximum you should lose under any circumstances. But you can do it. And, at your age, losing weight is fairly easy compared to the struggle of older women. You will have to stick to your plan and not let up. But you should be able to do it. The last five or ten may not be as easy as the first five or ten, however. So don't be disappointed if you don't quite make it by that date.
    Thanks! I am going to give it my best effort. I just figured it out, and that's 30 weeks and 4 days away so I'd need to lose an average of 1.6lbs a week. I think that is safe and doable!
  • bdur76
    bdur76 Posts: 155 Member
    I've lost 137lbs in six months, so with hard work, diligence, willpower, and perseverance I've come to believe that almost anything is possible. Good luck!
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I've lost 137lbs in six months, so with hard work, diligence, willpower, and perseverance I've come to believe that almost anything is possible. Good luck!
    Wow! that's amazing!! Congrats!
  • gracielee1
    gracielee1 Posts: 71 Member
    Two pounds a week is reasonable and I wish you the best. I agree the last 5-10 pounds will be a challenge but only because at that point your body will lose pounds slower (less than pound per week). Be patient and keep it up. I have nine more pounds to go in my progress. I've lost twenty pounds in the past five months (at a rate of about a pound per week), and every step of the way was a learning process for me. I took up yoga and quit my job and picked up more positive friends. I learned from mistakes and learned what dietary and fitness approaches work best for my body and I made sacrifices (quit smoking, alcohol, sleeping past 11 pm, snacks) too, but I know you'll get to your goal if you keep logging your progress every day. I wish you the best and if you ever have any questions or want to share best practices, please feel free.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    Two pounds a week is reasonable and I wish you the best. I agree the last 5-10 pounds will be a challenge but only because at that point your body will lose pounds slower (less than pound per week). Be patient and keep it up. I have nine more pounds to go in my progress. I've lost twenty pounds in the past five months (at a rate of about a pound per week), and every step of the way was a learning process for me. I took up yoga and quit my job and picked up more positive friends. I learned from mistakes and learned what dietary and fitness approaches work best for my body and I made sacrifices (quit smoking, alcohol, sleeping past 11 pm, snacks) too, but I know you'll get to your goal if you keep logging your progress every day. I wish you the best and if you ever have any questions or want to share best practices, please feel free.
    Thank you so much! I appreciate the support!
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