hello 20-somethings!

I'm brand new to this group---hello! My name is Leda, I'm 5'3" and 140 pounds.

My question for everyone is this: My birthday is toward the end of September, and I would love to begin my 24th year with a new slimmer body, mostly all of my fat is located in my stomach.
Do you girls think that a 15-20 pound weight loss is achievable by late September, or should I not get my hopes up?
For those of you who say it is possible, can you PLEASE give me hints on HOW I can make this goal a reality? I already count calories (try to stay between 1000-1200) and exercise. I am willing to go for the gold!!


thank you for ANY words of advice...!!

leda

Anything is possible!

I would say keep up the exercise and maybe lay of carbs and alcholol. Try to eat more protein too!

Good luck!!

I think it is totally possible if you keep focused on your goals and follow your plan. I normally try to lose around 5 lbs a month, so that would be a 15 lb loss by the end of September, right in your range. I follow a similar plan to yours, eating 1200 cals (or close to that) each day and doing TJ 4 times a week.

My only suggestion is to keep your calories closer to 1200 than 1000. 1200 is a much healthier amount.

thank you both!!! I've been loading up on chicken---so I will DEFINITELY keep your words in mind.

leda

Hi Leda!

I think its definately possible! What are you doing for exercise? Make sure to do some strength training as well as cardio!

If the fat is located on your stomach, maybe you could try to also focus on foods with a low glycemic index? (Stomach fat, from what I understood, is often linked with insulin sensitivities, so it *might* help some more in having a nice weight- loss.)

I totallly think that you can do it!! I have a goal to lose 30 pounds by Labor Day and I feel pretty confident that I can do it. It is about 3 pounds a week which isn't too bad and I think achievable. And even if I don't lose the full 30 pounds I am a lot closer to my goal than if I didn't do anything! I want to start off my school year A LOT thinner! I wish you luck!!

When I first started losing weight I lost 15 pounds in seven weeks, and you have nine, so it is possible. Exercise is a big key, as is eating right (there is no magic bullet).

But if you aren't losing weight as quickly as you would like don't get discouraged. You do not have very much to lost and the last five or ten pounds I hear can be the toughest. No matter what, eating right and exercising will make it a healthy 24th year even if it takes you a little longer to hit your goal.

It sounds doable, but it's going to take a lot of hard work. As far as calories, no one can tell you how many you should be eating to lose weight (outside of your doctor or nutritionist maybe).
If I ate 1200 calories a day I wouldn't lose, I need to eat at least 1500 if I'm active. This site gives you an idea of how many you need to eat to maintain your current weight, so cut back a few hundred calories and you should be able to lose.
But then again, that may not be right for you either. It's just a lot of guess work until you find something that works for you.
Good luck!

15 pounds by late September is totally doable! My only advice is make sure you're ating ENOUGH! If you eat too little (for most people that is less than 1200 calories a day) then your body thinks it is starving and slows down your metabolism to compensate. This results in a slower weight loss, and a tougher time keeping it off. Keep up the good work!

It is definitely doable if you don't have any slip up's.. however, you don't have much to lose and don't weigh that much to begin with, so it may be harder for you than someone who was bigger, with more to lose.