Right now I weigh 233.5 lbs. In your opinion, do you think it's a realistic goal to want to lose 33.5 lbs by January 1st 2012? I would lurve to be 200 lbs by then!

I have been losing about 8-9 lbs a month but I haven't been religious about it. I always stick to on plan foods but generally I just eat when I feel like it. I don't always get all my veggies in, I don't always eat breakfast and sometimes I skip meals. My thoughts are as long as I'm happy and it works for me I don't feel a need to fix anything. BUT, if I could get to 200 lbs by Jan 1st and sticking exactly to plan would make it happen I would be willing to change.

I realize none of you can tell me if it can happen but I just want to make sure I'm not living some fantasy about losing 33.5 lbs in 3 months. I also don't want to set unrealistic expectations and set myself up for failure.

So what do you think?

I don't think I could lose 33 pounds by Jan 1. (I'm 217.5 now, but don't tell anyone ) It depends on lots of things... Do you exercise? (me, no) How old are you? It was certainly easier to lose weight when I was in my 30s. It's been tough in my 40s. BUT, I love that you have a goal! If you only get half-way there, you will be so much closer to 200 than you are now. Dream big!

I'm 33. I do exercise but not in the traditional sense, I hate regular exercise so I do things like gardening and yardwork to compensate a few times a week.

I think maybe I can at least try to do it with the assumption of even if I've gotten halfway there it's not a failure, because I've already won by trying my best and losing what I did lose. I can stick to plan better and start adding in exercising more.

I wouldn't say it's impossible, but you really need to up the exercise. 20-30 minutes a day of something that increases your heartrate (speed walking, stair climbing, dancing, etc.) in additional to normal daily activity. While yardwork is a great way of exercising, unless you are pushing a mower everyday it probably isn't enough to get into a fat burning zone. Just remember 33 lbs by January 1 is 11 lbs a month. That's almost 3 lbs a week. As the weight drops off it will most likely start to come off slower or even plateau. Definitely not impossible. But you will have to work for it!

When I was 33 I think if I was very dedicated I might have been able to lose 33 lbs in 3 months. In fact I lost 50 in 3 months before. But now at almost 38 It has taken me 10 months to lose 30 Ahhh the joys of aging.
But I say set smaller goals for yourself so that it doesn't seem unreachable and you get discouraged. So how about 10 pounds within 5 weeks, then set another goal and so on?

I think it's lofty, but do it. I made a goal of 6 pounds this month. It's lofty for sure but I am going to work hard at it to make it (then beyond).

If you are one who gets frustrated easily by not reaching a goal, even if only by a few pounds, then lower your goal.

Good luck either way!

PS - I am 33 too! Turning 34 in a few weeks though...

I'm aiming for about that in 3 months. I'm a little younger than you but not enough to make that much difference. I think if you stay on plan you should come pretty close even if you don't quite make it.

I have a totally different take on this. In the last year or so, I have really changed my idea of a "goal" for "dieting." This is thanks to some great wisdom in the blogworld so I can't claim credit for it.

Basically, I have let go of goals that are how many pounds by a certain date. The truth is that we cannot control the scale. Instead, we can only control our actions. So my suggestion is to set goals that have to do with what you CAN control. Like specifics about eating and exercise. For example, how many servings of veggies you will have each day. That way, reaching your goal or not is totally within your power and not up to the fickle nature of the scale. Because, sadly, we can do everything right and have the scale still not cooperate.

So, my suggestion, and I'm sure many won't like it, is to forget the number and focus on the behaviors. In time, the number will follow.

Just a thought.

Great advice Waisting time.

Wasting time has great advice!