Hey everyone! I have a quick question, and I need some input from you guys.

I am beginning my community's Biggest Loser Competition on Tuesday. I'm filling out the paperwork now, and it wants to know my weight loss goal for the contest which is 12 weeks long.

Now I know that the standard 2lbs/wk would give me a goal of 24 lbs lost. I'm wondering if this is enough to cut it.

I don't want to make it too easy on myself but I don't want to set myself up for failure. Also, it IS a competition, and I'm strongly motivated.

So my question is, what was your experience in your first few months of losing? Did you lose more than 2/week?

Thanks for your help!

It is common to lose more than 2lbs a week in the beginning but that doesn't mean any one person will. I think 24lbs is a fair estimate. My guess is that you will lose 10lbs in 3 weeks and the next 14 over 9 weeks. That's how it seems to work for me and for a lot other newbies I have seen on the site.

Personally, I have lost 14lbs in 4 weeks and now my weight loss seems to have slowed to about 1.5 to 2lbs/week even though I am doing the same (better, really) than I was in the beginning. I think we get that little "bonus" in the beginning of water, food weight, and excess glycogen.

Good luck with your challenge!! Please keep posting! I can't wait to see your progress!

When I make 'time' goals I tend to have a realistic goal and a hopeful goal (I tend to err on the side of caution). For you (without knowing your history, plan, ...) 24 lbs is a realistic loss, but I think you'd lose more than that. For a hopeful goal, 36 lbs is quite possible. In my opinion, the standard losing 1-2 lbs/week doesn't really apply for those of us starting at higher weights. The first few weeks of my lifestyle change the weight melted off and I averaged much closer to 3-4 lbs/week for the first few months. If you commit to your plan and stay on track I think you'll lose at least 36 lbs (probably a bit more). Good luck!!!!!


Edit: The whole losing 1-2/week is also based on average. For me my average so far has been much higher but has slowed down a little as I'm approaching my goal. I'm sure by the time I reach my goal the average will be around 2/week...that's just something to keep in mind when you're first starting out.

Boy, that's tough. Do you have to meet the goal? Are there penalties for not reaching whatever goal you set?

I personally lost 30 lbs the first two months, but have stalled out since. And I lost most of it with diet alone. I've stalled out since adding exercise, so mixing the two together within the reality of the real world (outside the TV world of the real TBL) I don't know what you're likely to do.

I don't know. There's a show on Lifetime called "Diet Tribe" and their goals have been 30 lbs in 90 days and 50 pounds in 120 days if that helps.

Thanks for the help everyone. As far as I know there is no penalty for not reaching it. I think it's just a tool to help us stay focused and work towards something. I've even considered using a different measurement, like jeans size inches lost, but that's even more difficult to guess.

I think I'll give myself a range, like 10-12% of my weight. That seems doable, and if I do more, great!

Is there someone who is running it that you can call and ask questions? If so then I'd call them and ask them if you are allowed to change it later if need be. If so then put the 24 for now and if you do lose really fast and it becomes too easy a goal for you then you can add to it when you know for sure that you want to.

I just checked my stats, and I lost 36 lbs between June 19th, when I started, and August 19th... which is about nine weeks I think....

Since I've lost 72 lbs total so far, that means I lost HALF my total weight loss so far in the first nine weeks. In the beginning, it's harder to stay on plan, but it goes so quick that it's fun!

My start weight is similar to yours and I'm taller, so I'd say you could probably shoot a little higher than 24-- maybe 30 lbs?

I was mostly focused on diet in the beginning, although I did start light exercise right awa.

That's a good idea, Fitgirly, and I think I will do that. BTW, I just moved away from Conway. I lived in Jacksonville a few years ago. Small world

That's encouraging, ubergirl. Thanks, girls!