Trying to lose 15 pounds in a month before leaving?

[ST25]

Gah, work and stress made me get far behind in my exercise. Now I'm trying to hurry up and shed off a few pounds before I leave for my next visit. He's not superficial, but he has said that he likes fit girls and he likes it when a girl takes care of herself, so I try to accomplish that the best way I can. I want to at least make a good impression on his mother AND him before the summer starts. Should I work out 1 hour a day, 5 days a week? Anybody have any pointers on diets, what to eat, what not to eat, cardio tips and whatnot. I wanna look sexy for the SO and I have about 30 days to accomplish this!

[Moon]

15 pounds is probably unrealistic, sorry But, I can tell you you'll lose quite a bit if you do the Dukan Diet until then. I've done it, and it does work; it's boring as hell and tedious, but OK for a short time.

[kittyo9]

That is still superficial...

Anyway, 1 hour a day, 5 days a week is fine (although I don't know what your workouts are like), but you won't lose 15 lbs in a month that way unless you're also restricting your intake. Even then, there are no guarantees that you will lose 15 lbs. The generic formula "3500 calories per pound" is a fair guideline, but everyone's body is different and weight gain/loss is far more complicated than a simple mathematical equation, which is why losing/gaining weight is really easy for some people and really difficult for others.

Since I know nothing about you, I'll put it this way: If you assume you use about 500 calories to work out for an hour (that is a generous measurement-- most workout equipment and calculations far overestimate your calorie expenditure and include calories you would burn just by existing for the same time), 5 times a week, that comes to about 2500 calories... which is, simplistically, less than a pound lost. If you restrict an extra 500 calories a day (eat 1300 instead of 1800 or whatever your requirements are for maintaining your current weight), that will bring you to 5000 calories a week, which is around 1.4 lbs. 4.5 weeks in a month x 1.4 lbs = 6.3 lbs in a month.

If you're looking for a quick fix, you need to eat way less and exercise way more in order to lose 15 lbs in a month. It's not healthy by any means (rapid weight gain/loss puts huge amounts of stress on your body, plus food deficiency can be really harmful because you need those calories and nutrients for your body to function), so I would think you'd want to avoid that route.

[ST25]

Dukan diet? Hmmm, I think I can try that out. Does that have an exercise regime to go with it?

Edit: Yeah, I've heard that it's really unrealistic to lose that much in a month, but what can I do? At my height (5'3, 140 lbs), I look like a frumpy little thing and I figured that I'd see a difference in losing the 15 pounds. Maybe 10 pounds would be more realistic then...

[kittyo9]

Dukan diet? Hmmm, I think I can try that out. Does that have an exercise regime to go with it?

Edit: Yeah, I've heard that it's really unrealistic to lose that much in a month, but what can I do? At my height (5'3, 140 lbs), I look like a frumpy little thing and I figured that I'd see a difference in losing the 15 pounds. Maybe 10 pounds would be more realistic then...

I would honestly say that 5-7 lbs is much more realistic.

[ST25]

I would honestly say that 5-7 lbs is much more realistic.

Geez, even 10 pounds is too extreme? I thought you would lose 1-2 pounds a week with the right training, so I would have lost at least 8 pounds by the 31st of May.

[Hollandia]

I agree, that is pretty drastic and sounds unhealthy. I would suggest that since you cannot lose 15 pounds in a month that you instead try to tone what you have. I use the Zone workouts from Jillian Michaels. I throw in some plank and pick the areas that I find are problem areas. If you lose weight too quickly you can get some nasty stretch marks and you are more likely to put it back on and then some. You also want to eat healthy while toning and not starve yourself. I changed all my carbs over to the productive kind like brown rice and whole wheat pasta and grains only. Eat tons of veggies. The darker they are the better they are for you, the same goes with fruits and their color. Chicken and fish are great for protein but lean red meat is fine too. not ham or pork while trying to lose. Avoid alcohol at all costs if you want to lose any weight. Stay away from fried foods and fast food. If you eat out at all make them put all sauces, dressings and condiments on the side. Watch your sodium intake and use kosher or sea salt, the kind with the iodine is already in most processed foods you eat. Smart balance is a nice substitute for butter. Get a hot air popper and pop your own popcorn for a snack or dessert. I put some smart balance, sea salt and parmesan cheese sprinkles (lightly)for a snack or some smart balance, sea salt and splenda for a dessert. Soups are a great way to fill yourself up, but make them yourself. Get some low-sodium boullion from the market, put tons of veggies in it, a handful of brown rice or whole wheat pasta and some kind of protein. Flavor to your tastes. Use spices not "seasonings". The can be deceptively fattening. Use the spiciest you can handle it tends to fill you up and kickstart your metabolism. Grapefruit juice in small quantities is good too. Drink a lot of water too. It also fills you up and helps hydrate your body.

Give yourself at least one day a week off from workouts. Your body needs recovery time. I work out each morning and evening about 6 days a week. I used to do 7 days and found it harder to tone.

I am a bit of a health nut. I was pushing a size 12 five years ago. Lost 40 pounds by changing the way I ate and working out. I did go up to a size 6 in misses over the winter but almost back in my junior's size 5 jeans again. If you want any more help, please feel free to PM me.

[kittyo9]

Geez, even 10 pounds is too extreme? I thought you would lose 1-2 pounds a week with the right training, so I would have lost at least 8 pounds by the 31st of May.

Not extreme, but for someone your size, it might be difficult to reach. There's no reason you can't strive for more, it's just about goal-setting.

[Moon]

Dukan diet? Hmmm, I think I can try that out. Does that have an exercise regime to go with it?

Edit: Yeah, I've heard that it's really unrealistic to lose that much in a month, but what can I do? At my height (5'3, 140 lbs), I look like a frumpy little thing and I figured that I'd see a difference in losing the 15 pounds. Maybe 10 pounds would be more realistic then...

No, but you can find one of those somewhere. Dukan is tough, very high protein almost no carbs, sugar or fat whatsoever, but it'll do it. You might even be able to do 10 pounds on it, and it's not extreme or unhealthy.

[kiara_silver]

This would be really unhealthy, I lost 15 pounds with dieting and exercise and it took me 3 months :P I ate a specific diet not sure what it's called.
Breakfast was choice between oatmeal, fruit, cottage cheese or yoghurt. And then lunch and dinner were both unlimited amount of veggies and a protein, lunch a 6oz piece and dinner a 8oz piece. And then adding lots of water and exercise 3-4 times a week. It does work, but to me the diet part gets hard after awhile.
I think if you love yourself though, plus your SO will love how you look no matter what. This was my biggest challenge, just accepting myself how I am.
Working out though you may loose less but look better, muscle weighs more then fat so in a month you could tone up a bit. Best of luck, just keep in mind to stay healthy, it's better for long term!

[ZenZeta]

Well, this thread is right up my alley, as I'm a personal trainer.

As others have said, 15 pounds in a month is unrealistic and unhealthy. I personally believe that a little curve never hurt anyone. Women should be made for comfort, not for speed, and these models we see in the magazine are AIRBRUSHED (sorry about that soapbox)

My advice: Love the skin you're in. I bet your sweetie will love every inch of you no matter what size.

BUT... you need to first accurately calculate your caloric needs to maintain your weight, then cut about 500 calories from that (I get SOOOO mad when I see people eating 800 calories a day or something ridiculous like that). You then need to structure your diet to fit that caloric intake with healthy foods. Of course, exercise will help as well. Depending on your fitness level, you can start doing cardio and WEIGHT TRAINING!!!! Building muscle will CRUSH your metabolism.

These are just a few quick tips. Depending on where you are, there is a possibility that you can drop a considerable amount of water weight, but even an aggressive, healthy weight loss goal would be 2 pounds a week... and that's with hard work and dedication.

Good Luck!

[lyonsgirl]

Dukan diet? Hmmm, I think I can try that out. Does that have an exercise regime to go with it?

Edit: Yeah, I've heard that it's really unrealistic to lose that much in a month, but what can I do? At my height (5'3, 140 lbs), I look like a frumpy little thing and I figured that I'd see a difference in losing the 15 pounds. Maybe 10 pounds would be more realistic then...

I am also 5'3". And 140 lbs. I'm trying to lose another 10-15 before the wedding which is 6 months from now. But... I highly doubt you're a "frumpy little thing". I realize that our body types are most likely not the same and you may carry your weight differently than I do, but, like everyone else has said, 15 lbs in a month is pushing it. I've been eating better and trying to be more active over the past 3 months, and I have lost about 5 lbs. Then again, I haven't actually been "working out" or "on a diet". I've made lifestyle changes.

If YOU think you're sexy, your SO will think you are. Simple as that.

[Goyangi]

I have a keen interest in both health and fitness. And I totally support anyone's desire to become healthier versions of themselves. But diets? Don't do them. Seriously. They are incredibly difficult to maintain, and serve only as "temporary bandaids".

Now, I recommend doing some internet research! There is a plethora of awesome information on how to lose weight, the healthy way. Weight loss is mainly about caloric intake. You cannot outrun your fork. Cardio for an hour, burn 800 calories. Eat a number 3 at McDonalds in 10 minutes, +1000 calories. Find out what your BMR is [there are several nice calculators online] and subtract a manageable number from that. Deprivation is as much as a devil as lack of moderation. When I was first getting into fitness, I used myfitnesspal. It's an app/food log, and when used properly, a very powerful tool. It forces you to be completely honest with what exactly you are putting into your body.

Working out is a powerful supplement to any weight loss endeavors. As far as type, cardio is generally the go-to in terms of weight loss. And it doesn't matter WHAT really, as long as you're moving and you're exerting a substantial amount of effort! As a runner, I of course am biased and think running is one of the most perfect exercises. Why? Because you don't need any fancy equipment, you just go!

And don't get too hung up on numbers, calories, pounds, ect - it shouldn't be about that arbitrary number, "if I lose x amount of pounds life will be perfect." Focus on non-scar victories, how you FEEl when you look in the mirror. How well you FEEL in your clothes. The pride you feel after a great work out, for making a healthy decision. You can't measure that on a scale. While I am sad to report you are unlikely to attain your ideal in a month, remember lasting progress takes time. And don't forget there is something devastatingly attractive about someone who has a healthy relationship with her body!

[digitalfever]

I'd aim for 2-3 pounds a week. But you'll have to work out and have no cheat days. I'd start by increasing your water intake to 2 litres and removing all other types of drinks.

Then start to eat every three to four hours. Have breakfast, a small snack (think a handful of nuts or an apple,) Lunch and then another snack followed by dinner being your last meal. Increase your vegetable and fruit intake while decreasing your carbohydrates (don't stop eating bread but try to eat fibre rich bread such as flax seed etc.)


When I was loosing weight I followed this plan and lost about 100 pounds

[Malaga]

Carbs cause water retention so if you cut out ALL sugar and carbs other than vegetables (no sweets, bread, pasta, rice or cereals, and not too much fruit either) you will probably lose a lot of water weight fast. Also remember to drink lots of water and/or herbal tea (in my experience nettle tea is great for water retention), unsweetend of course.

Losing actual fat tissue takes more time but by flushing out excess water you'll feel and look leaner, and you'll start to feel the effects in a few days. It's unsustainable long term and you should aim for a more balanced diet, but for quick results, give this a try.