Ok... ok... I am kind of a slacker. I had all these plans to get to goal weight by Thanksgiving, to amaze and astound my extended family (who I rarely see).

Now it's 12 weeks to Thanksgiving, and I'm still struggling to get on plan. Arg!

Anyhoo, I basically want to lose 11 pounds in the next 12 weeks. I'm a slooooooooow loser... typical loss for me is about 0.5 lbs a week, if I'm lucky. So to lose essentially a pound a week would require really super stringent eating/exercising, and even then there's no guarantee.

What do you other featherweights think? Is 11 pounds in 12 weeks possible when I'm only 11 pounds from goal?

If it matters, I'm 5'0" tall, current weight is 115 (give or take a few ounces), and goal is 104 (which I haven't been since college, almost 20 years ago). I am also nursing my 9-month-old. I also have more muscle now than I did back then (I couldn't do a single boy pushup in college... now I can do 7-10 in a row), so 104 may not be realistic.

As a fellow shortie I understand how seemingly impossible it is to lose weight when you are in the 110s range. I got to 106 (from my usual ~110) in college only after I literally starved for some days because my scholarship funds had been delayed.

I would recommend extremely clean eating and exercising in ways that will keep your body guessing. Maybe search for advice regarding 'losing the last ten' as they say.

hmmm, i reckon that's a really tough challenge with your starting weight.

Just start and see where you get to.

I've just started back at the diet this week and have only been doing it 4 days and already feel a lot better about myself - it doesn't take long!

So i'd say you've plenty of time to make a difference if you start now and if you stick to it, you're going to be happy with yourself whatever the scale says.

It'll be difficult although doable but you'll need to stick to super clean eating and exercise as someone else has said... If you can't lose the whole 11 lbs by then just focus on losing as much as you can and wowing your extended family with your wonderful, outgoing personality instead ... Good luck!!

It's an ambitious goal. Maybe you'll make it on time, maybe you won't, maybe you'll stop before where you think you want to get to. What's the downside of just trying?

I second Ilene.
I would also add that, unless you plan on hopping on a scale to show them that you're 104 it might be more important to focus on the way you look and feel. Especially since you're nursing still, you might find that you have the figure you did in college at say, 109 accounting for the extra muscle and bustline.

There are times to focus on a number (for yourself) and times to focus on looks (to wow others) that said, I think 104 is not unrealistic in the time you have, but be careful so you don't lose that muscle!

It is absolutely possible, but I have heard from many friends that breaking the 110lb barrier can be brutal. They make it out to be some kind of a magical number. I'm not sure why, but I have heard it so many times I am starting to believe there is something to it.

I would shoot for the stars, and keep a pair of Spanx handy just in case.