is it an unrealistic goal

denise_earheart
denise_earheart Posts: 354
edited November 8 in Fitness and Exercise
to want to lose 20-30 pounds by the end of February?? if not is it do-able??

Replies

  • myfriendamy
    myfriendamy Posts: 131 Member
    25lbs in 6 weeks is around 4lbs a week. personally, I think it's not healthy to lose weight that fast. I think 10-15lbs is more doable.
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
    In a month?

    Unrealistic.
  • sbb4406
    sbb4406 Posts: 65
    If you're incredibly overweight, it could be realistic. But based on your avatar, I'd say it's probably not realistic for you. Pounds aren't everything though... you could possibly lose enough inches between now and then and look like you've lost that much.
  • Ya I am going to measure myself to... hoping to tone up and lose inches.. so do you guys think 2 pounds a week is more like it???? and what would you recommend I eat???
  • 25lbs in 6 weeks is around 4lbs a week. personally, I think it's not healthy to lose weight that fast. I think 10-15lbs is more doable.

    Ya that is what I was thinking.... but not sure...
  • lulabox
    lulabox Posts: 96 Member
    Not possible. You could starve yourself and you'd probably lose a lot of weight (but not as much as that) but that would:

    1. Screw your metabolism.
    2. Make you lose muscle mass, making you look flabbier.

    The result will be that you will put more fat back on almost instantly if you stop starving yourself, and you would have lost precious muscle tone too. That's one of the ways people get trapped into eternal obesity or being overweight.

    So bottom line is: this is the worse possible thing you can do for long term fat loss.
  • maggie16sweetxoxo
    maggie16sweetxoxo Posts: 314 Member
    Well that my be possible to do, but its very difficult. Also can be very unhealthy if your not losing the weight in a safe way. So I'm going to say it is a bit unrealistic. Good luck just give your self some more time :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Not likely, not if you want to stay healthy anyway.
    Don't get fixated on a number, start eating well (eat the cals MFP recommends plus your exercise cals) and start exercising and you will see positive changes in a month.
  • lulabox
    lulabox Posts: 96 Member
    A word of warning if you crash diet (with or without bingeing): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • Well that my be possible to do, but its very difficult. Also can be very unhealthy if your not losing the weight in a safe way. So I'm going to say it is a bit unrealistic. Good luck just give your self some more time :)


    Oh I am going to my brothers wedding .. just wanted to see if I could go down that far but I wont starve myself to do it.... maybe 20????? LOL
  • Not likely, not if you want to stay healthy anyway.
    Don't get fixated on a number, start eating well (eat the cals MFP recommends plus your exercise cals) and start exercising and you will see positive changes in a month.


    what would you eat????
  • lulabox
    lulabox Posts: 96 Member
    1lb a week would already be a massive achievement and you would be able to see great results visually too. Get a book on healthy eating and good luck!!
  • lulabox
    lulabox Posts: 96 Member

    what would you eat????

    Enough calories (if you eat a lot normally, I'd have at least 1500 a day even if MFP says otherwise. I eat a lot more than they recommend and I am losing 1-2 lb a week). I posted this earlier for someone else:

    - Learn to cook new and simple recipes rather than grabbing ready meals or fast food (e.g. no pizza for lunch).
    - Buy a recipe book with quick, easy, simple and healthy recipes.
    - Make meals with more of the following ingredients:

    Vegetables: green veggies every day (broccoli, salad, beans etc), tomato, beetroot etc. For extra calories, add veggies that are starchy or pulses: potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, yams, kidney beans, chick peas, white beans, lentils etc.

    Fruit: Banana, orange, strawberries etc all make a good snack. A glass of fruit juice in the morning for example (but no more than 1 glass of juice as it's lots of sugar with no fibre).

    An example "ideal" day would be:

    Breakfast - 400 calories approx.

    1 glass of orange juice (100% natural no added sugar)
    2 fried eggs cooked with 1 cal spray oil (spice up with a bit of salt and pepper, or tabasco for a kick).
    1 piece of toast

    Snack - 100 calories approx.
    1 banana

    Lunch - 500 calories approx. - Chicken and apple salad followed by yogurt with fruit and honey
    1 cup of salad leaves with tomato, sweetcorn, cucumber
    1 medium chicken breast without skin
    1 chopped apple
    1 tsp of olive oil and 1 tsp vinegar
    1 yogurt with a tsp of honey, strawberries and almonds

    Dinner - 500 calories approx. salmon fillet with zesty creme fraiche
    1 salmon fillet fried with 1 cal cooking spray
    1 portion of green beans or broccoli
    1 portion of new potatoes
    2 tbsp of low fat creme fraiche mixed with a zest of lemon

    Basically for main meals, try to have half of your plate with veggies, 1/4 with carbs (potatoes/rice/pasta etc) and 1/4 with protein (chicken, lean beef etc).

    ALSO DO SPORTS if possible. 30 min 3 times a week is enough. Brisk walking to start with is enough.

    I think that's a reasonable, long term suggestion. It's not a quick fix like a low carb diet (they do work well though at first but it's hard to move back to normal eating afterwards for many and they're not more successful long term apparently than calorie restriction) or a crash diet.
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
    while anything is just about possible I'd wager its a far stretch and very very unhealthy. I read that 2lbs a week is the max to lose and be healthy.
  • em_ringer
    em_ringer Posts: 8 Member
    If you follow a low carb diet it could help. I limit myself to carbs only once a day and that is usually breakfast occasionally lunch and never dinner. Follow the calorie and fat guidelines that MFP has set for you - lots of fruit/veg/salad and low fat protien is the way I am doing it. For example: breakfast would be porridge, lunch would be a huge salad with canned tuna and a low fat dressing, dinner would be a turkey and vegetable stir fry (I use 200grams of turkey breast for mine and LOADS of veg like mushrooms/peppers)
    If you want to snack during the day grab some fruit and the biggest piece of advice is to drink LOTS of water.
    I hope you have success xx
  • FitDC
    FitDC Posts: 63
    It you are committed, you can make a big difference in a short time. Until the wedding: (1) Go vegetarian (no sweets, no starches) and supplement with vitamins (iron), (2) Drink 8 glasses of water a day, (3) Walk 45 minutes a day. It may not be all that you would like to lose, but if will be a big boost. Have fun at the wedding. It's all about being there for him anyway.
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
    Its doable with a very strict diet and extreme exercise, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. Heck, those contestants on the Biggest Loser can lose 20lbs in a week.
  • lulabox
    lulabox Posts: 96 Member
    Its doable with a very strict diet and extreme exercise, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. Heck, those contestants on the Biggest Loser can lose 20lbs in a week.

    True but in my opinion perhaps not reasonable for the average mortal subjected to a full time job and every day stresses, especially if simply overweight rather than obese... I'd also totally need a personal trainer to shout at me to do as much as them!!!
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
    too much too soon. 2 lbs a week is probably the most i would recommend. not to mention that if you set your goal too "high" you probably won't reach it and will feel defeated.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
    If you want to look great for a wedding, I'd focus on heavy lifting to condition your muscles to burn more fat and cardio as well to help burn extra calories. Eat really clean and measure yourself and take pictures. That will tell a better tale than the scale ever will.
  • Sounds like a bit much to take on. Nothing worse than starting strong for the first couple of days than burning out. Slow and steady always wins and more importantly finishes the race.
This discussion has been closed.