I'm new here. I have had some personal problems of late which have prevented me losing weight, in fact I did lose 7lbs but put it back on again.
Thing is I am going away on 31st May and I really wanted to lose 14lbs by then. Time is running out for me. Any ideas what I can do to achieve a good weight loss before that date or I will have to get all new clothes!!
I suppose you can try being an NHL goalie in the playoffs, if a team will let you. They lose 5-10lbs a game in water weight. Of course it comes back on if they want to stay healthy and alive. I really don't think there is any SAFE way to lose 14lbs in 20 odd days, it just doesn't work that way. 2lbs a week is pretty extreme weight loss. Think of it this way, 3,500 calories equals around a lb. So to lose 14lbs you would have to burn 49,000 calories more then you take in. If you had 24 days that means you would have to roughly burn 2,000 calories more a day then you took in. Still think you can do it? I do understand it is an important goal, but all those lose 10lbs in 2 days are unhealthy B.S. I would realize it can not be done and concentrate on being at the weight you want to be long-term not just in 20 odd days.
I have to agree with Diamond D, it is just not a good idea to loose that much that quick. I did but I was so overweigtht that the first 20 pounds fell off as soon as I started eating healthy. Now I have to fight for every pound. The closer you are to your goal the harder it is to loose. Looks are not nearly as important as health. And if it is men you are out to impress, well, they really do not notice as much as you think they do. If they like you they like you not your body and if they like you for your body they are not the one for you. So quit obcessing and be healthy.
So we've heard about what you can't do, but here's what you can do -- May 31 is basically 4 weeks away, so why not shoot for 7-8 pounds gone by then? I have a minigoal for myself of losing 7-8 pounds by May 31, so I'd be happy to buddy up with you to get those gone.
I'm not a real big believer in situational motivation (i.e. losing x amount of pounds for an event such as a wedding) because invarably what happens is that the person 1) goes on a crash 'fad' diet such as one of the 48-hour 'miracle' juice diets, loses a few pounds of water and muscle weight in a few days, then gets hungry, binges and gains the weight back as fat; 2) gets discouraged when they aren't losing fast enough and just goes back to the old ways of eating; or 3) by some miracle gets to the 'scale' goal by the day of event, then binges during the event and for about 2 weeks afterward, with the result of having even more bodyfat a month later. And once the situation is resolved, the party is over, the motivation is gone.
What we all need to do is get out of the mode of 'losing weight in time for a wedding/party/vacation' and just focus on PERMANENT lifestyle changes. Changing your way of eating and movement level permanently, to something you can live with for the rest of your life. What most of us also need to do is quit focusing on the scale so much and look inward - we change from the inside out. Since when has focusing on the scale benefitted your life? And those numbers are really meaningless anyway. I haven't weighed myself in quite awhile, but I would probably guess myself to be in the range of 148-150 pounds....at 5'4" tall. The number that REALLY counts to me, however, is the number on the inside of my clothes - the SIZE tag. Right now, my jeans size tag is a DKNY or Calvin Klein 4 regular...for tops, I wear small or medium...bra size, 34 B/C...panties - Jockey size 4/5....
How did I get there? Weight training, eating clean and short, intense cardio bursts. I'm no superwoman - certainly not exceptional - this is something ANYONE can do...
But situational motivation - that doesn't cut it IMHO...
Thanks for your replies, firstly I KNOW I am now going to lose 14lbs in 4 weeks short of chopping off an arm or leg LOL but I would like to lose the maximum possible.
Secondly I don't want to impress any men. I simply want to be able to fit into my summer clothes which I am sure will be too tight if I don't lose a few lbs., and feel confortable with myself.
I have started again today, the comment about "what I can do rather than what I can't " has made me sit up and think. I CAN lose some weight before then and every Lb lost is a bonus, however I do realise that I will probably have gained it all by the time I come home, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Wish me luck ..... I'll keep you posted if that's OK??
I assume that, by this, you mean a healthy weight loss. Depending on how you are eating and/or drinking, you can drop 5-10 pounds in water alone just by saturating your system with clean, cool water! That's right, the more water you drink, the less water your body holds!
Most diets that offer quick results right away are actually using this fact. The first week on Atkins or Hollywood, for example, you're losing WATER, not fat.
What can I do
Hiya Jano
