My goal is to loose 28lbs by the beginning of June. Is this achievable? Since xmas I have lost about 14lbs, this has been from running and dieting every day. I think nbow my body has adapted to the exercise from running and it needs variations.

So, what I propse to do is do 2 weeks of workout videos, then 2 weeks of running and then back to the two weeks of workout videos. I thought I'd start with the taebo because I've always wanted to do kickboxing. Eventually, when I have a nice enough body, I will find the courage to go swimming too.

Does my plan seem reasonable and realistic?

Its hard to tell, really. The beginning of June is 15 weeks away (I think) so 28 pounds would mean regularly losing just under 2lbs a week which is not too high a target but, as you probably know, while some people can lose at that level quite easily other people (me included) struggle to lose every ounce.

On top of that there are lots of other factors such as how much you've got to lose, your normal activity levels, what you're eating, etc. Perhaps you could talk to a trainer at a gym or fitness centre?

As Sarah says, there's no way of knowing. When I started my diet last July, I was aiming at roughly 2lb a week but I've FitDayed my weight loss and it's averaged out between three-quarters of a pound and one pound a week. I've just had 5 weeks with no weight loss - despite running, walking, swimming, cycling, doing dance and aerobic DVDs 6 days a week on top of walking a couple of miles a day and a diet that would make Gillian McKeith look like a slob! 5 weeks - lost not an ounce. Then 2lbs in 2 days. What's that all about?

The body won't lose to order. You could do even better than that. You might do a lot worse. It will come off in its own time, and it might be a bit self destructive to say "X pounds in x weeks" - although a goal is good, a lot of mini goals are better! (If you set a really big longterm target then start to fall behind it could be so disheartening you risk giving up - is what I mean!)

So my advice would be forget the deadlines, keep doing what you're doing and you'll get there! Maybe sooner, maybe later, but you'll get there! It sounds like you're spot on - throwing in some variety will make a big difference. But you'll hit plateaux (I've had 3 in 7 months - each of them around 4 weeks), which you can't factor in.

Here's something I forgot to do that nearly sabotaged my diet at one point.... I was matching ym calorie intake to my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), so as I was almost 14 stones at the start I was on over 1600 cal a day. As the weight dropped, I forgot to revise the calories downwards... It's now 1400 a day! If you stall, just look really hard at what's going on and do what you're doing now - keep varying things!

Sounds to me like you'll be there on target - but I think mini goals are good (say, every half stone lost treat yourself to something). I stopped pinning dates to my goals when I realised my body had no intention of losing weight to order!

I'm with Phatphoenix on this one - you should just keep plugging away at mini-goals and let your body do this at its own pace. I started my diet nearly 48 weeks ago and so far I've lost 56.5lbs, which is a loss rate of 1.17lbs a week - far lower than my original target of losing 1.5lbs to 2lbs a week.

For the first 20 weeks I managed to sustain a 1.75lbs a week average, but then my body stopped acting like a machine and my loss became much more variable. I've just dropped off the end of a NINE WEEK plateau , when I didn't lose a single ounce. That really hit my average weekly loss, but I just had to accept that my body's not an automaton, and that it would start losing again in it's own sweet time.

The 2.5lb loss I posted this week was doubly sweet, though, for having taken so long to arrive!

If you keep plugging away at it you could very well hit your goal, but try not to get discouraged if everything doesn't go exactly to plan. You'll get there in the end, even if the route you take is a bit more meandering and convoluted than you would have wished. And even if you miss your target, you'll be well on the way there by the beginning of June, which is the important thing.

Good luck!

Janey

I agree with the others plugging away at it is the way to go. Its taken me two years to reach the weight I am now. Mind you I have to say I do have the big munch from time to time especially when I have a period on the way, and if drink alcohol that gives me a huge appetite, but on the whole I eat way healthier than I ever did. I am stuck in the ten's I've been here for a while now but things are starting to shift again. Your clothes will be feeling loose before you know it.

Well done all of you for your losses

Start weight 14 stone 10lbs
Current weight 10 stone 7lbs
Goal weight 9 stone 7lbs

Michele

I would love to lose 10 kilos (about 20 pounds) by the beginning of June, but my weight loss is snail slow at present, so I don't think it's going to happen! But I don't really mind, I have found that that as it has come off so slowly, my body is toning up.

I really think you should add swimming now. I have very little sympathy on the body image front, I must admit. I was 19 stone when I first waddled into the pool, and I still over 14 stone now. I swim regularly. It's a fabulous fat burner, and you may find it speeds up your weight loss a tad when you do it regularly. You won't be the fattest at the pool, promise! And if you are I'll get a train and come with you then I'll be the fattest

It should be sufficient to change your routine every 6 weeks, that's what has been recommended to me. I change more often as I am a fickle, easily bored Gemini!!! Don't ditch the running, add more stuff to it, it's a very efficient fat burner.