To think I can lose three stone by the end of the year

[Pollyforever]

BMI of 30, want to lose weight to get to healthy BMI. Has anyone lost that amount of weight in that time frame? Or am I totally unrealistic? If you managed it how did you do it?

Started losing weight in April and had similar BMI to you, just hit 2.5 stone loss. Another half a stone to goal so by the end of the year definitely achievable. I calorie count (strictly) and ran 2x a week. It’ll come off in no time. Eat below 1500 calories a day until you drop a couple of stone then go to 1300.

You’ve got a decent amount of time to do it though a sensible way and not a crash diet.

What do you think has caused you to gain the weight? Addressing that might give you a direction to take to lose it again.

Thats brilliant! Well done and thanks for replying!

I lost 2 stones in 4 months so yes you can. Good luck ☺️

It's weight I've put on over 3 pregnancies close together and then I've just got into a bad habit of snacking too much and in the wrong things. It started when I was exhausted when they were babies and not sleeping well/teething and would snack for the sugar boost and now its ended up as a habit that has stuck.

Definitely doable with calorie control I have over 2 stone off since May and aiming for 4 by new year. I don't really exercise beyond walking but planning now to increase my exercise a bit, as my calorie target has lowered with losing the weight. Recommend you avoid fad diets e.g. slimming world. There is a calorie counting thread in the weight loss section

I think you probably could if you're extremely disciplined about it. I've lost around that amount of weight in a similar time frame before. I was doing fairly intense workouts five days a week, walking to and from work every day and watching my calorie intake very carefully, basically.

I would just aim to lose the weight, rather than aiming to it by a certain date. It's much better to take a little longer and keep it off than crash diet to do it quickly and gain it again immediately.

Totally realistic. You could lose 2 safely in that time. Rather than focus on calorie restriction, add in fasting. Dr Jason Fung is an excellent source on YouTube as is Dr Berg.

Best of luck. I’d set up u thread on the weighloss board with some targets and offer to do a weekly weigh in. The ladies over their can help cheer you on and keep you disciplined perhaps?
it’s a long time to remain motivated for, but I’m sure you can do it. What a goal!!

I lost around that amount in about that sort of time frame on Slimming World.

Can I join you?

Easily done. I lost over 40lb in a similar timescale. I used My Fitness Pal to stay within a calorie deficit and did 1 hour of brisk walking every day.

I ate whatever I wanted within a calorie deficit. You soon learn that you get to eat much more if you make healthy choices and make some simple swaps.

I'm maintaining over the summer and will lose a similar amount Sep-Dec. I've averaged 1-2 lb a week, occasionally gaining, maintaining or losing more.

Good luck OP!

I've lost 2 stone in just over 3 months without any excercise other than walking my kids to school. I'm doing slimming world and have another stone to go.

Just start. Any progress towards your goal will feel great and even if you 'only' take off 1 or 2 stone in 4 months, you'll be that much closer to your goal.

Hi OP

I'd really like to do the same! I'd actually like to lose more than 3 stone in total but 3 stone by the end of the year would be great. Do you have a particular diet plan in mind?

xx

I went Keto for a while. The motivation is tremendous once you’re in it - you can wee on sticks and literally see that you’re producing ketones from burning fat.
You need to do brisk walks, though, and it takes about 2 days to get into ketosis (when your body starts burning fat as its fuel).
There’s a thread on Mumsnet somewhere.

Definitely doable OP! I lost almost 3 stone Jan- June a couple of years ago, so almost the same. It was during lockdown so no gym, just tried to hit 10k steps a day and healthy eating.

For healthy eating, I did a mix of calorie counting and Slimming World. I found that when I just counted calories I'd spend my cals on junk food, SW kept me right with 1/3 of every plate being fruit or veg. I always recommend them but know they're not everyone's cup of tea

What is a typical day's food for you?

I would advise you to set much, much smaller goals. Otherwise if you keep on looking at the end goal you will in all likelihood become overwhelmed by it and give up. Based on my experience I would suggest:

Review your diet (both food and drink) and educate yourself about portion sizes. Once you've done that, start making changes gradually. Do not be tempted by a 'big bang' because again you will risk becoming overwhelmed. For the same reason I also do not recommend banning any foods - just cut down the portion sizes. I would not advise you to calorie count at first, just move towards becoming more calorie aware and that will encourage you to make healthier choices. It is my firm view that strict calorie counting, unless you're in a situation where you're at risk of dying unless you lose weight, is unnecessary and counter productive.

What exercise do you do currently? Do you have any forms of exercise you did previously that you'd like to go back to? This one is a bit harder to advise on without more information on what you do currently but again I'd suggest you start small and do not fall into the trap of trying to exercise every day - rest days are important and it's easy to give in to temptation to skip them if you're focused on losing weight.

Weighing - I would advise that you weigh yourself no more than once a week. Preferably do it at the same time of day each week and wearing similar clothes each time.

You may already know some of this but this is what has helped me lose 3/4 stone in 6 weeks. I really wanted to be careful about making too drastic a change that I couldn't stick to and I think I've managed to avoid that. I did start from a position of already being quite fit though, so this has probably had quite an impact on the amount I've lost in the timeframe.

Why not aim for 5% reduction in body weight and then maintain for a week or 2 and set your next goal from there! As pp said small goals are the best.

I second keto. I lost a stone in a month, all from eating foods I love. Examples - steak with mushroom and creamed spinach, chicken breasts with mozzarella and pancetta, fry ups, tapas ie an array of chorizo, other meats, cheeses, olives etc. Its just basically cutting out the 'bad' carbs.

It's only 4 months and 3 weeks til the end of the year, and really it's only 4 months and 2 weeks til Christmas and New Years celebrations kick in... So about 18 weeks you have to lose this 3 stone.

I think it's unrealistic. Why the desperation to lose 3 stone in such a small timeframe @Pollyforever ?

I have a big holiday coming up next Spring, and also a very close family member is getting married. (March and April.)

I am currently overweight, and want to lose 2 stone. I am starting in 2 weeks after my current vacation/time off work ends. I think 2 stone is doable in 6-7 months, but 3 stone, in 4 and a half months is a bit of an unrealistic goal.

Still, I am bookmarking this thread, as there is already a few good ideas/tips.

Very do-able.
Have a look at the Low Carb Bootcamp threads on here

I have lost nearly 2 stone in 3 months and am finding it fairly easy

@WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps I've lost 2 stone over the past four years but I've hardly put any effort in so I want to give myself a more set target rather than 'oh I just need to lose this weight' 2 stone of it is still 'baby weight' although that baby starts school in September! Also I think a faster result would help to motivate me.
@Ansjovis I'm actually pretty fit considering my weight. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week dping weights and a small amount of cardio. I could walk more and need to make an effort to do that.
I think either calorie counting or keto, I'm unsure which would be easier to stick to.

Some great motivation on this thread. I'm going to set up a thread on weight loss and anyone who wants to join me please do!

Easily! I lost 4 stone in 4 months just calorie counting, loading up on veg, and walking lots with couch to 5k. Went from 16stone to 12stone, size 20 to 14.

@myfuckingfreezer that's fantastic!! You must feel great! How many calories did you have a day?