Realistic weightloss in 5months?!

realistically you can lose up to approx 40ish lbs in 5 months and still be healthy.... this of course depends on how dedicated you are, how your metabolism works, and how your body cooperates with the changes.

Hi Neff.
I think you picked a great site to work on. One of the major keys is tracking your intake of food. This helps you be successful.

You need a PLAN though. Try the Fiber 35 Diet. Then track what you consume here on MyFitnessPal. It is scientific. You can do this. Forget about your vacation and think about this plan will be your way of life forever. You will be so glad that you did.

The Fiber 35 is AMAZING! The Weight Watchers plan bases their whole diet plan on this scientific fact. The amount of fiber you consume. If you consume 35 grams of fiber a day you can multiply that by 7 and subtract it from your total caloric intake. This is researched based and it does work.
Go on line and get the book, or download the weekly plan for free. You can do it. Anything you want is totally possible. Tell yourself that every day. You are worth it.
All the best.

Hi Steph,
My goal was much higher, but I used to weigh over 270 lbs and I got down close to 230 in four months by cutting "white" stuff out of my diet (refined sugars and flours, white rice, white potatoes, etc.), drinking lots of water, and walking. I had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia so I couldn't do strenuous exercise or lift weights, so I started by walking 1/2 mile a day for two weeks, then added a half mile every two weeks. Unfortunately, after that, the hernia ruptured and I had to have emergency surgery. After 8 days in the hospital and 2 months in recovery I had gained back 25 lbs. I was stuck around 250 for years. Finally decided I was going to get "unstuck"... I was 252 at New Years, now at 248. Cut out white foods again, paying attention to eating leaner meats and lower-fat foods now, too.

One pound a week is what is recommended and most maintainable, I feel rather confident you could lose 30 with some moderate effort- log your food and do your work outs- its taken me a long time to lose 45, but i did have a baby in the middle of my loss.. In the last 3 months i have lost just over 7 pounds, i started with my goal at only half a pound a week though to ease my way into it, and had i not completely slacked around christmas i probably would be down about 5 more.. but sadly i gained for a while and had to work that off as well. right now my goal is set to a pound a week, and i am hitting it!

Hi all! Im new to MFP... started 4 days ago... so far so good! Im 20yrs old, 5ft 3in and currently weigh close to 200lbs. I want to lose 60lbs... and am going on holiday in 5 months! Obviously, I don't think ill lose all the weight by then, but I want to lose as much as possible. What can I do to boost my loss while still keeping healthy? Anyone had a goal of 60lbs..how long did it take? How did you do it? I love to hear success stories and am looking for tips and motivation
Steph x

Since the deficit should come out of maintenance calories, the more low key daily activity you can get, the better. You don't need to eat that back. Because that energy is mainly supplied from fat, 60-70%.
The exercise on the other hand is mainly carbs, and since you would now be trying to work the muscle, it needs to be fed.

That's why MFP in several places talks about net calories, eating back your exercise, giving you credits on days you log it, ect.

You already have a deficit built into your goal calories, check your Goal's page if you don't see that.

And your metabolism, if you undercut your BMR with an aggressive goal, will just slow down.

Feel like missing out on a free 200-300 calorie burn each and every day?
And since your activity burn is based on your basal metabolism, that would go down too.

So be smart, pick 1 lb goal, and then increase your normal daily activity. Slow walks with kids, stairs, constant moving, ect.
This will actually make it more than 1 lb, because MFP doe not actually know how much your maintenance calories are, besides the fact you pick the level.