The recommended weight loss per week is only 1 - 3 lbs (Some say 2 - 4 lbs), I think wanting to lose 100 lbs before the end of the year might be "impossible"... That's a little fast to lose that much weight, you might lose it, but then you might end up gaining it back. Everyone responds to weight loss differently. I have to lose 85 lbs, and I know I won't have it lost before the end of the year.
My honest opinion is that a realistic weightloss on a sensible diet when you've got a fair bit to lose would be about 50lbs by the end of the year. You lose quicker the first few months and it took me about 6 months to lose my first 50 and another nine months to lose the next 40. I am very strict with myself, seldom eat off-plan and have seen no real plateaus but had a couple of stalls where I lost nothing for 2 or 3 weeks, only to have a 3 or 4 lb loss.
However, having said all that I'm in my mid-40s so it may be easier for you being younger.
If your body is losing more than 1-3 pounds a week, then it is eating away at your muscle.
Your result if you do so will more than likely be a "skinny flabby" body - untoned, unsleek, unhealthy.
It also takes your body time to adjust as it loses weight - if it was comfortable at 200, rapidly losing too much without time to adjust can make your body think you're starving yourself, which can then turn it to holding onto every calorie you consume.
There's a reason "slow and steady" wins the race - even if we don't like it.
I started my plan on 4/21 I started working out before then but I didnt start doing them both til 4-21 I have lost 25lbs so far. My goal is to lose the other 25 by the end of the year. There have been times in between me losing the 25lbs that I have gained 2-5lbs and then lost it back. That in mind I think my 25lbs goal by year end would be great if I lose more good but I am not pushing for more if I lost 25 more by 12-31 then I will be very very happy!!!!!!
There are less than 24 weeks left in the year. If you lose 2 lbs a week you're looking at 48 lbs. Theoretically.
I lost 20 lbs in 2 months by sticking to my diet with one cheat day a week and going to the gym 6 days a week. Prior to that I was at a plateau after losing 10 lbs... I ended up increasing my gym time and lowering my calories a tad, plus eliminating evening carbs.
Plateaus happen, even to the most strict dieters and exercisers. It happens when your body gets use to the routine you're sticking to. I suggest you start off going to the gym slowly and increasing your days/time there as you go on. You're more likely to burn out or hit a plateau if you start at 5 or 6 days a week instead of gradually increasing it. They also say having a cheat meal once a week confuses your metabolism, so it doesn't get use to the same amount of calories you consume causing it slow down which creates a plateau.
I was always doing the same things at the gym when I hit my plateau:
running 30 hr, and using the same machines for weight training 3-5 days a week.
Then I changed to:
1st and 2nd week of new program: 20 minutes cardio 6 days a week, with lower body workout 3 days a week and 3 days upper body using different exercises each time so my body didn't get use to it; with 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
3rd and 4th week: 30 minutes cardio 6 days a week, with weight training same as above but with 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
5th and 6th week: 40 minutes cardio 6 days a week, with weight training same as above but with 5 sets of 8-10 reps.
And now I'm back to weeks 1 and 2 except now I'm using heavier weights. 6 weeks of constantly changing my workout routine has been incredible. And it's nice to only do 20 minutes of cardio for the time being : )
That's just my 2 cents.
Best of luck to you! Let us know how you get on.
I don't think it's possible to lose 20lbs a month doing things "the right way" unless you're fasting, or using those old Ana Boot Camp methods we used to try back in ballet, which are drastic and DANGEROUS.
It wouldn't, however, be too far fetched to believe you could lose 50-60lbs in five months at a healthy pace.
I don't think it's possible to lose 20lbs a month doing things "the right way" unless you're fasting, or using those old Ana Boot Camp methods we used to try back in ballet, which are drastic and DANGEROUS.
It wouldn't, however, be too far fetched to believe you could lose 50-60lbs in five months at a healthy pace.
I was just about to post that you can lose up to 60 pounds over the next 5 months. That equals a 3 pound weight loss per week. Keep in mind that the first couple weeks will be water weight. Depending on you personally, that can be ~10-20 pounds in itself. Without even looking at it from a healthy standpoint, I won't say 100 is impossible for you. But it's certainly not a goal that I would safely set for myself.
To keep the scale and/or the tape measure moving in a downward direction, you have to keep challenging your body. That means sometimes eating more calories, sometimes it's eating less calories. Sometimes it means taking in more protein, others more complex carbs. The same for exercise, some weeks will require more, some weeks will require less. Keep it fresh and don't wait for your method to quit working for you. Change it often and you should continue to succeed.
Last edited by cmichele1974; 07-22-2008 at 12:06 PM.
I'd also agree it's not really feasible- not healthily. however, just aim to do the healthiest you can- drink tons of water (4-5 liters at least a day), eat your calorie range, eat complex carbs when you have them, etc. You may try laying off meat for a couple days a week- I hear that helps clean out your system.
I have been dieting for 24 weeks doing 14-1500 calories a day and working out a few times a week. (kinda slacking lately) but I have lost 57lb so far. I drink a gallon of water most days. It is not unreasonable to lose 50-60lbs.Im hoping and praying to have another 40 off by the end of the year. If not I will just continue what i am doing and know that it will come off in time.I didnt gain the weight at this rate and i may take longer to lose it! I am alot healthier than i was in Jan when i started dieting! Thats my main goal!!
I need to loose just over a hundred pounds, and I know it is almost impossible to loose that much before the end of the year. But how much do you all think is possible to loose before the end of the year? I am on a 1,500 Cal diet, and want to go to the gym about 5 to 6 times a week.
How much are you all loosing on a monthly basis if you are strictly sticking to the diet?
And do people really hit a plateau if they are really strict with themselves? I have never hit a plateau where I can honestly say that I ate everything I had to eat. I know some people that 'cheat' then complain that they hit a plateau. What are your experiences?
I think it would be very hard to do. I've lost almost 60 in 9 months. I stick to my diet, for the most part, but also allow for things I crave, such as chips, and sweets, etc. I hit a platue a while back, and I was sticking to my diet, and excersizing, the scale was not moving. It finally started moving again.
I think you should focus on losing weight instead of how much in a certain amount of time. At least for starters. Or make a small goal, like 10 lbs in a month. ( which I think is the most realistic if you want to do it in a healthy way )
I think it depends on how you approach this. Some people who have a large amount of weight to lose find that at first, the weight seems to FLY off, so maybe, esp. if you're really strict, you might lose fast at the beginning. But a plateau is a very real thing and it can hit you -- I've hit one not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES, always at the exact same size/weight. I've been losing inches steadily these last few months and I've just hit yet another plateau... same size and weight as all the other times. I NEED to figure out how to beat this thing but it seems by body LIKES this size/weight or something, so I get stuck. It can happen. The first time it happened, it happened after I'd dropped around 80lbs. Then I regained 10 lbs, lost that and again got stuck. Then I regained another 10lbs and lost that and now I'm stuck again. UGH!
I think 100lbs by the end of the year is a little unrealistic. Realistically, I think you could lose around 50 - 70 lbs. provided you find something that works and that you can stick with.
100 lbs in 5 months?
