I am new to the boards. I just found out through Facebook that my high school class is having a reunion in November! I just started this process. I am down 4 pounds this week. I am doing the couch to 5k program using the treadmill at the gym. I am also cycling my calories. I need to accomplish something by November...what would be realistic for a weight loss?

Hi, and Welcome!

How much you lose depends on so many factors, including where you're starting from, what plan you are on, and how strictly you stick to it. My average is just under 1.5 pounds per week, which is steady but not nearly as fast as some others here. I'm sure others will chime in, but the main thing is that you get started. I don't like to set time-based goals because then I feel like a failure if I don't achieve the weight-loss that I had planned. Others love the time-based goals, so do what works for you.

Best of luck to you. It sounds like you're moving in the right direction!

Hi and welcome to 3FC!

Hugs
Michelle

Thanks for your encouragement. I have about 65 pounds to lose on my 5'8" frame. My start wt is 229, now 225(yeah!). I know my body needs exercise to lose weight, it always has, and it is pretty good to me when I am faithful to it and work hard. I have had an amazing job, but a desk job, for the past four years and wow, did that change me. I never realized how activ eI was just during the day(not the gym) So I keep going!

There is nothing better than a high school reunion to motivate u. I was at my lowest point 143 in 2007 for about twenty seconds after three people asked who I was married to from class of '97. These were the people I went to school with from k-12. Then I feel completly off the wagon rolling into a vact of carbs and anything sweet but to me this was the best motivation I have ever had.

as a general rule weight loss slows down the closer you are to your ideal weight, so when i was around 160 lbs I could loose 4lbs (average about 2lbs) in a week, but once I started goind under 130lbs it was more like 0.5lbs a week.
If you have 65lbs you want to loose I think you would be able to loose a significant amount before Novemeber and if you going to be excersing you should see some extra inches lost by then aswell.

I can tell you that I started in a similar place, and I lost 2-3 lbs. per week when I started. It then slowed to 2 lbs. per week, then 1.5, then 1, then .5 as I continued my journey.

I AVERAGED 1.71 lbs per week over the whole year.

I also calorie count, and exercised for 1 hour per day (5-6 days per week) throughout my weight loss. I'm 50+ (post-menopausal) so my age probably affected my rate of loss as well.

It sounds like you have a good plan, just stick to it and you should see a nice loss by November.

Remember - your results in November are dependent upon each and every decision you make between now and then. My weight loss and maintenance journey has been comprised of thousands of decisions and choices. If you make wise ones, the journey is so much more enjoyable (and successful).

You CAN do this! Post often to hold yourself accountable. Maybe even join one of the accountability threads here at 3FC. I found them to be a great motivator when I really wanted to slip off plan.

Also - I really think keeping a food/exercise/weight journal (Fitday, etc.) really helped me. Knowing I had to log everything helped me avoid some less healthy, yet tempting foods along the way.