Well I'll give my background a little bit. I'm a 15 year old girl, I will be 16 in a little over a month. My starting weight was 251, and I got down to 198 (maybe 194 at one point, but I don't know if the scale that said that was accurate) I did this all in under a year. I was happy for myself, and I could finally look at myself in the mirror for once. Anyway, around Thanksgiving and Christmas, everything started to change. The cold winter stopped me from walking to the gym, along with school. I ate a lot due to the holidays. Eventually this all started to backfire. I saw that I was gaining weight, but I still ate a lot. I now weight 214 pounds. I realized this weight may have been mostly gained during Easter. Now i'm ready to lose weight seriously again! Anyways, on June 9th I am going to an amusement park for my birthday with a friend, and I'll be going in the pool a lot. Well, if I start working out almost every weekday at the gym except Wednesdays, and eating around 1550 calories a day. (ill be walking to a friends house on Wednesdays) and try to go to the gym a few times on some Saturdays. How much weight could I possibly lose by June 9th?

Congrats on the weight loss, good job! I'm not sure what your "goal" is by June 9th, but you likely won't lose enough weight to significantly change your appearance by then. You need to think about your past success and accept (for now) your current weight. If you try some crash plan to lose a lot of weight by June 9th, you're likely to gain it back and more after the park.
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I get the impression you're an "emotional" eater and you're used to eating simple carbs to feel good. While it may make you feel better, in the long run it will make you gain weight and feel worse. It's a vicious cycle that you can't win.

IMO, you need to get off the carbs. Your body will crave them and it can make you crazy at first and make you want to binge, but if you cut your carbs (especially simple carbs) and fight those urges, I promise after 2-3 weeks you will lose that craving, actually feel BETTER and lose weight.

I don't know why people oppose the Atkins plan. It works. His beliefs on carb cutting, how it works and how you lose weight is spot on. If you haven't already you should read his first book. But I don't care if you call it Atkins, Mediterranean or the ShelbyJo diet. If you cut carbs you will lose fat ... as long as you're eating enough, sleeping and getting exercise.

You say 'going to the gym', doing what? You need to start with a small plan and stick to it. Like 20 mins of cardio with a heart rate of 125 per minute (assuming you have no health issues and this is ok with your Dr.) and 10 mins of free weight lifting. I would rather you start at a comfortable, maintainable level then go overboard and quit. If you do just this (and clean up your nutrition) consistently you should see results over the months.

Also, stay off the simple carbs like chips, soda, pizza, pasta, bread and so on. Stay away from foods that are high on the glycemic index. What we are told are "healthy foods" are not good for weight loss. Also, if you drink alcohol stop. IMO alcohol slows your metabolism and the sugars convert into fat.

Everyone is looking for a quick fix. That's how we are as Americans. We want instant results. There is no quick fix or magic. You need to look at a LONG term goal and stay with the program consistently. As I always say, the tortoise wins the race!!

Here is the thing, you could lose a lot but depending on genetics you could end up with a lot of loose skin, hair loss and other issues (all I which assume may be as upsetting as being overweight on your birthday). If there isn't some pressing health issue, I would go with slow and steady wins the race.

If you weighed over 300 hundred I wouldn't be a negative Nancy about this but starting at 214 isn't as heavy as it probably feels to you. I started at around there and now I am at 180. I have another 40 to go but I am glad I am doing it slower.


I am on the fence about Atkins, I think cutting carbs is a good thing but I don't like the idea of cutting out carbs from fruits which are good for essential vitamins and minerals. I heard that Atkins has gone through a change, but I haven't tried it in about ten years and back then it was no bread or fruits and to me no fruit is a bad move.

But every person is different and when anyone tells you they found the secret to weight loss what they are really saying they found what works for them not you.

I do a weird hybrid of Paleo and Sonoma. I do wave 2 of Sonoma for breakfast and lunch and Paleo for dinners. It took me a long time to find what works for me and to make me feel full and satisfied. And may take some time for you too. I think if you have a deep love for breads maybe starting with Sonoma or Mediterranean may be easier than jumping to Atkins which is memory serves is a bit stricter in the breads area.

One thing that I will stand by and say works for EVERYONE no matter who you are is cutting out soda and other sugary drinks. I only stick to water, coffee and tea which I gradually cut out the sugar, switched to Splenda and eventually was able to take it unsweetened. You are wasting a ton of unfilling calories with these drinks and diet drinks have been shown to slow down you metabolism.

The first ten pounds I lost was due to solely removing soda and sugary drinks from my diet and nothing else. No diet change or exercise. Just goes to show how bad that stuff is for you. (I will admit I go to a movie about once a month and indulge with popcorn and soda but that is it)

I think we've been sold on fruit and fruit juices by the producers of these products and their advertisers. Where do think the multi-billion dollar Orange Juice industry would be if people found out or knew that OJ was very high glycemic, raises your insulin and subsequently increases body fat? Broke. So they sell us on OJ from a very young age that it is "healthy", has vitamin C and is "good for you". IMO you would be way better off taking a multi vitamin to get your vitamins and minerals.

If you're trying to lose weight, cutting carbs and keeping your insulin low or steady is very important. Fruit, breads and pasta all RAISE your insulin and insulin increases fat storage. So cutting down on these foods is not a bad move, but essential for effective weight loss. As I've said in other posts, many people will disagree with me about cutting those items. But with 30 years in fitness and bodybuilding, I think I know a little about nutrition and dieting.

BTW, years and years ago I thought what many people thought and still think: that healthy foods lead to weight loss. So I would eat rice cakes, bread, whole grain pasta, yogurt, white rice, granola bars, etc. And I wondered why I couldn't get "lean" .... well it's because of how those foods raise your insulin and help you store fat.

Look at the diets of figure and bikini gals that are getting ready to go on stage and compete. What do you think their nutrition plan is like? Low carb and low glycemic. They also use carb rotation. Why? Because they know it works. Now do you have to have a diet like these athletes? No, but you can learn a lot from their 12-16 week diet and adjust it so you can stay with it for the long term. It's all about the level of and your willingness and ability to stay with it.

This is utterly and deceivingly wrong. You will be damaging yourself mentally, your metabolism and your health by going on such a diet. You have years and years of yo-yo-dieting, feeling miserable and eventually getting an eating disorder ahead of you. good luck with that! DO NOT GO ON A DIET.

it's so sad that you would give a kid an advice that will lead her down spiral of self-hate and disorders.

PS: Models and people like that cut out carbs as they tend to be calorie-dense. Lower calories= weight loss. I'd suggest dealing with the emotional eating and exercising a bit to loose weight. but do not, and i repeat, do not, go on a diet. trust your body!

First, I agree about fruit juice, it typically has all the fiber taken out of it in the juicing process and has added sugars.

But regular fruit, like oranges, apples, kiwis, etc. have a good amount of fiber, vitamins and nutrients that can help that are involved in a functioning and healthy heart, brain, body.

I am not saying that Atkin's is unhealthy but every person's body is different. I had terrible headaches and hair loss with Atkins. But I have also known people who have been wildly success with Atkins with no ill side effects.

I really think people should refrain from claiming that they found the perfect diet because they haven't. You have just found what work for you. I am glad you found what works for you but I have been successful with weight loss eating carbs and that doesn't mean I have been "sold" on anything. I just found my way and it happen to involve carbs from whole grains and fruit.

Here is a study about multi-vitamins vs. food from Harvard Medical school.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsle...s-through-diet

Multi-vitamins are suppose to help with vitamin deficiencies not be a replacement for food.

However, there are several veggies that go along with Atkins that you can get your vitamins from. Just do a little research before you dive in.

Remember your health is the MOST important thing, over your weight. But honestly, you are very young to be cutting out fruits from your diet. You are still growing and you could harm you metabolism which could hinder your weight loss. I think your best bet is seeing a doctor who could put you on a good well balanced diet.

I disagree with your argument that everyone is different and different diets work for different people. Physiologically and biologically we are all the same ... unless you have some verified medical condition that prevents you from losing weight. I don't know why Atkins has gotten such a bad rep over the past few years. Maybe I should not have used his name as it has sort of become taboo. Geez, I guess I should have said South Beach, Mediterranean or "RaggedyAnne" diet. Or just said "proper nutrition".

As I explained on another thread, look at the diets of figure and bikini competitors 12-16 weeks out from a show. What are they doing? Reducing carbs and rotating carbs. Why? Because it works. Reducing carbs does work, especially simple carbs. Look at bodybuilders (yes, I understand you don't want to look like them). But how do they get so ripped and look so muscular? Because they KNOW how to "diet" (actually it's eating properly).

If you want to lose weight on a "nutrition plan" you want to avoid spikes in insulin. As insulin rises, fat storage increases. Fruits, simple carbs like pasta, bread, alcohol and so on raise insulin. You're going to have a tough time losing weight eating them. Does the body need complex carbs? Yes. Does it need over 100 complex carbs a day? No.

Here's the other part: it's about what you CHOOSE and what your willing to COMMIT to over the long run. Most people don't want to live on 1400 calories a day and low carbs. They want to "enjoy" life. So if you choose to eat simple carbs and fruits, you can. You just won't ever drop as much body fat as possible for you. So if you're happy at 160lbs and as a choice want to eat fruits, pasta, whole grains to "feel good" then that's your choice. BUT you won't ever see 130lbs.

The majority of Americans don't want to make sacrifices when it comes to "nutrition", aka "diet". Everyone wants an "easy way" or quick results. There is no quick fix or magic pill. There is a multi-billion dollar weight loss market out there of "fat burners" which is all BS. There is nothing "over the counter" that will effectively help you lose fat. There are "under the counter" or "off label use" medications that can be used to speed metabolism which work very effectively, but I am not going to discuss those and they can have serious side affects.

The point is it all comes down to dedication, sacrifice and hard work. Some want to work harder than others and some want to make bigger sacrifices than others to lose fat. In the end if you're happy weighing 160 (for example) that's fine. But don't waste years pining away eating simple carbs and "wishing" you could weigh 130.

I'm not good at long posts. I will simply say there is no quick way to lose weight. You will likely lose no more than 10 pounds by June 9th healthily, and that's on the high end. Your current calorie consumption sounds about right for your current height/weight. Just keep it up and work on developing a healthy lifestyle. Choosing to eat healthy foods and just upping your activity levels can really help you out. Learn healthy portion sizes and be sure to include fruits/veggies with every meal.

Wow! This is a hard post for me to respond to, as it feels like I have an opportunity to talk to myself 16 years ago...

Not that long ago, I would have said, "Pick a diet and do it. Pick and exercise and do it." But I know that doesn't work.

Here is what has worked for me:

Find an exercise you LOVE. I hated all forms of exercise, so I decided to force myself to pick one and love it. I picked running. Don't get me wrong. I like it. I get a good calorie burn from it. I've ran a 10K and a Half with amazing times for my short history and weight. But I discovered Crossfit and actually LOVE it. Take a bit of time and try stuff. Even if it's scary. Find what you love, it will last and it won't seem like "work".

Don't make any short term changes. When I started out for this final weight loss journey, I made myself a promise. I would not do anything that I couldn't maintain for life. Now, this does NOT mean I will never change or modify things, but that I would actually THINK about my choices. Can I never eat gluten again? yes, because it makes me sick and in pain. Can I never eat chocolate again? no, because that would suck. So I made it a rule that if it is within my calorie count, I could have chocolate. If I start abusing it, rethink.

Count calories. Weigh yourself. Record your data! I started with the rough estimate of body weight x10. Recorded everything I ate. Recorded my exercise. Recorded my weight every day. Eventually, I figured out that if I exercise for 1 hour I can eat 1600-1700 calories a day and maintain/lose. If I don't exercise that day, I need to eat 1300-1500 to maintain/lose. I didn't think my body was that predictable, but it is. Learn your body and use it to your advantage!

Forgive yourself. For missing 1 day of exercise, for eating 100 too many calories. The more you beat yourself up, the harder it seems. Today is that day for me. My weight was up 0.8 lbs. Well guess what? I didn't count calories yesterday, I didn't exercise. I know my body. I can't beat myself up, because I KNEW my weight would be up. I have to say, "If you wanted to see a loss, you should have not had a lazy day yesterday." and move on. It has been the hardest part of my journey, but closing in on maintenance, I am realizing it is the most important part.

Good luck, and don't give up. 1 change at a time, 1 moment at a time.

Immediately after posting, I realized I didn't answer your question! lol

How much weight you lose depends on what you are willing to do, which was my point in the above post.

You have 5 weeks, so you could lose 5 - 15 pounds depending on what you do.

If you starve yourself and do cardio like a manic, you will lose more, BUT you will be cranky, unhealthy, and your body won't look like you've lost X amount of weight. It will look soft and doughy, and you won't have the energy to go crazy at the amusement park!

If you have a lower calorie diet filled with healthy fruits, veggies, meats, grains (if you eat them), do a nice amount of cardio, and build some muscle, you will lose less weight, but lose major inches. You will also have the energy to walk and stand all day, have the ab strength to hold your arms up on roller coasters without bashing your head on the person next to you (personal experience!)

This past month I have been mainly doing Crossfit. My weight has stayed about the same, but I have gone down 1-2 belt notches (depending on where the pants hit my hips), and everyday people at work ask me how I can look smaller each day, but not losing anything. I AM losing something. I am losing fat, and gaining muscle. Muscle = tone = lookin' good!

Last time, I will comment but I will say my peace.

First, I have nothing against the Atkins diet, if you had read my post I actually said there are vegetables that you can get your vitamins and nutrients from and I even stated that I know several people who have had great success with Atkins.

Second, if we all are the same why did I get dizzy spells, headaches and hair loss on Atkins and my friends didn't?

If we are all the same why can my college roommate eat a box of Mac and Cheese with a plate of bacon on the side and Pop Tarts for dessert and never weigh more than 120 (and no she wasn't bulimic because I assumed that she was and watched for it)

If we all the same why am losing more weight than my co-worker even though we exercise together and are on the same diet (granted she could be cheating but I don't believe she is).

People's metabolisms are different, their genetics are different. All these play a BIG role in weight loss.

I am sorry but there is nothing you can tell that will make it okay for a FIFTEEN year old girl to go on Atkins. Several studies have been done on it (here is one http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00181064) that show the unsafety of it for young people.

If she was 20, I wouldn't bother arguing with you because you are right, Atkins could work for her. But at 15 it is a bad idea for her to try. She needs a well rounded diet and quite frankly, I want her to be healthy. Her weight should be secondary to that.

This thread has gone way off track

To the OP: Count on one to two pounds a week as a reasonable goal. If you lose a little more then that's fantastic. If you don't, that's ok as well, as long as you put forth your best effort to become healthier.

Try cutting back on processed foods. Eat real foods, such as fruit and vegetables, and choose lean proteins. Remember that food consists of more than just calories, carbs, fat, and protein. It contains thousands of nutrients that you can't get from a limited diet or multi-vitamin supplements, so eat a varied diet. Eat the rainbow If you snack, then snack on fruits and veggies. Don't drink sugary drinks. Filtered ice cold water is sooo good once you get used to it. Move your body more

Good luck!