Is my x-mas goal unhealthy? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Tisha___ · 10-30-2006, 04:29 PM

I started this journey on September 18th. I'm just over 5' tall, and started at 235. As of today, I'm down to 218. So, that's 17lbs in 42 days.

Would it be crazy to make a goal for myself, to get down to 195 by X-mas day?

That would be 23lbs in 56 days. Would that be an unhealthy goal?

I understand that everyone is different and all that... I'm just asking for your opinion here.

Thanks in advance!

SwimGirl · 10-30-2006, 04:36 PM

I always say to aim high!! My christmas goal is REALLY high (well now it is, it was healthy when I first started.. heh), and even if I don't make it, I am working harder to get there. Go for it, what do you have to lose but weight?

-Aimee

suechef · 10-30-2006, 04:36 PM

That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself during a time of year that is traditionally difficult. It depends on how you're doing it. If you are in reasonable shape as far as exercise goes and can do 3 or 4 hours of exercise a day (while eating well, not starving yourself), then I suppose it's theoretically possible, but... why do you want to lose so much so fast? Will you have a significantly merrier Christmas at 195? (sorry that sounds a little snarky!! not meant to be, I'm just thinking you should examine why you want this).

It sounds like you're doing well. Why not just keep doing what you're doing & not put extra pressure on yourself.

cheers,
Sue

sotypical · 10-30-2006, 04:40 PM

I agree to aim hight - but at the same time like sue said that is a lot of pressure.

Why not aim for 200 or 205 - then it is only 13-18 pounds to lose (still a lot) - just over 8 weeks, at 2 pounds a week you could lose 16 pounds! Just work at it, but dont aim to high to stress yourself out.

If you think you can do it, but all means GO FOR IT!!!

Tisha___ · 10-30-2006, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suechef

That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself during a time of year that is traditionally difficult. It depends on how you're doing it. If you are in reasonable shape as far as exercise goes and can do 3 or 4 hours of exercise a day (while eating well, not starving yourself), then I suppose it's theoretically possible, but... why do you want to lose so much so fast? Will you have a significantly merrier Christmas at 195? (sorry that sounds a little snarky!! not meant to be, I'm just thinking you should examine why you want this).

It sounds like you're doing well. Why not just keep doing what you're doing & not put extra pressure on yourself.

cheers,
Sue

Wow. That was a lot harsher than I was expecting.

I guess I look at the challenges as fun things. I don't really see them as putting pressure on myself. I just do them for fun, to keep myself motivated.

I'm not going to starve myself and I'm not going to exercise 4 hours a day, but I am thinking it would still be a possible goal. That's 3lbs per week. Is that really that extreme? That's about the average of what I've lost so far, per week.

I guess I was just wondering if since I've already lost some... and undoubtedly part of that was water weight, since I was so dehydrated when I started this thing... if it would go as smoothly for the next little bit, and if that seemed too much, too fast or not. I guess I didn't think it really seemed all that drastic. IS IT really drastic? Am I losing too fast??? Now I'm kinda worried.

sotypical · 10-30-2006, 05:18 PM

Tisha - you are not losing to fast. Just dont get discourage if it doesnt keep up!

I started around where you are now on February 9. I didnt see my first lost until March 23 (I am not that obbessed, I went back and checked fit day) haha - I reached 195 on May 20. Two months from my first loss. I was averaging 1600-1700 calories a day. An average loss of 2.3 pounds week. An an avergae of an hour a day of exercise.

Hope that helped. I think you can do it if you really work it. I always set myself challenges and have yet to make one... lol

Tisha___ · 10-30-2006, 05:38 PM

Thanks for the replies, ladies. I guess I was just shocked initially, because I thought it might be a little gung ho, but I didn't think it was crazy. Just wanted to double check myself, I guess.

lol

Anyway, I think I'll just wait and see how I do with my Thanksgiving Challenge (7 pounds in 23 days), and go from there.

SwimGirl · 10-30-2006, 05:44 PM

Tisha - I still am going with my first comment.. go for it!! Don't think negatively, if you believe you can do it.. there is NOTHING stopping you. A positive outlook will get you SO much further with this weight loss stuff.

-Aimee

Tisha___ · 10-30-2006, 05:50 PM

Thanks, Aimee.

Keeping postitive is one of the hardest parts of this journey so far, but it's not as hard as it's been in the past. And, it gets easier every day!

SwimGirl · 10-30-2006, 06:02 PM

Oh - do you realize we both want to lose 23 pounds by Christmas? It's exactly 2.88 pounds/week to get there in 8 weeks. Yup, exactly 8 weeks until Christmas.... scary!

-Aimee

Jasmine31 · 10-30-2006, 06:10 PM

Well what I like to do is set a challenge for myself of 10 pounds in a month as an aim to lose. I did hit this months challenge! I did it on app. 1700-1800 average of cals daily. My walking minutes are almost at 2000. By tomorrow I expect them to be at about 2090 total. That is an average of 68 minutes daily. Not bad. I tell myself to aim for 10. If I lose and hit only a 5 pound loss, I still won!!

That is just how I see it and I know you can do anything you set your mind to! Just remember that whatever you are doing to make sure it is something you don't mind continually to do, even after you lose. That is the key to success!

Good luck hun!

suechef · 10-30-2006, 06:39 PM

I'm sorry, I certainly didn't mean to sound harsh. I just thought it sounded like you were being tough on yourself. Some people really put themselves through the wringer. Plus I didn't really do the math and was thinking it was more than it was. Still, three pounds a week is quite a pace to maintain, and with Christmas coming I figured why not ease up - but that reflects my own attitude to weight loss. I go through periods of really working it, and other periods where I cut myself a little slack ( but still either maintain or lose, I don't mean I go back to my old habits).

Anyway, whether or not it's a reasonable goal - if it's fun for you, why not just do it and then you'll know! Make sure you're meeting your nutritional needs, and after that, anything goes.

While the 1-2 pound a week notion is the current conventional wisdom, it's also true that some people have been very successful (in the long term, not just the short) losing much faster. And if it doesn't work out, no harm done, it just takes another week or two or whatever. You're still headed in the right direction.

Again my apologies, I definitely didn't mean to be hard on you.

cheers,
Sue

rockinrobin · 10-30-2006, 07:39 PM

I also have set 10 pounds a month as my goal. The heavier you are the faster the weight falls off........ in the begining. Today is 8 weeks on this particular "diet" and I've lost 34 pounds, that's 17 a month on average. (My starting weight posted on the left was taken in July). I had one week where I lost 9 lbs, one week 1 lb a couple of weeks 2 1/2 lbs and so on and so on. I'm still keeping 10lbs as my 4 week goal because I know eventually I can't keep losing at this brisk pace as much as I'd love to. I'm still going to eat the same and be absolutely thrilled when a week passes and I've lost more then the 2 1/2 lbs., which also pushes up my long term goal.

I think the problem of setting your goals too high it that you set yourself up for disappointment and when you're disappointed you tend to fall off track. I know I certainly do. It's funny the week after I lost only 1lb was really tough because I was so bummed out and everything seemed so much harder, whereas the week after the 9lb weight loss I was so pumped and psyched you could have put hot fudge sundaes in front of me all day long and it wouldn't have bothered me. I really am trying to look at this as 4 week "mini-goals" and try to not get too crazy when there is a 1lb weightloss week. Sorry, I've gotten off track. Wouldn't it be great to set a 20lb weight loss by xmas and then when you lose 25lbs it's like an extra xmas gift. That's how I look at it. I'm sure you will find what works for you and that's what it's all about. And you are so right - it does get easier every day. Good luck on whatever you decide. You're definitely doing something right - KEEP IT UP!!!!

LLV · 10-30-2006, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tisha___

That would be 23lbs in 56 days. Would that be an unhealthy goal?

That all depends on how you're doing things. I mean - do you follow a certain calorie regime every day?

i2kandoit · 10-30-2006, 07:55 PM

Tisha I think that is totally do-able. It's not too bad. It's going to be a challenge, yes. But I do not think it is unhealthy. I am seeing a dietician and she said that a person should not try to lose more than 3.5 pounds a week, and that even 3 pounds is tough to lose healthily. Just remember to eat right, get your nutrients. Remember to take a multi vitamin, that'll also help. Good luck!!!