To think I can lose 3 stones by mid July?

[FreyaFromTheFens]

I’ve recently made some big changes to my diet and gone from drinking a lot of alcohol every night to not at all during the week. I lost 3 and a half lbs in the first week.
Is it realistic to think such big changes mean I can lose around 2 lbs a week if I keep it up or will the weight loss reduce once my body gets used to the changes?
2 lbs a week over 23 weeks would be amazing if it worked!
I’m pretty active if this makes a difference.

You can do it if you have the motivation. Good luck!

Has anyone lost this amount of weight in that time?

A safe and sustainable limit is 05-1% of your body weight per week.
Your body doesn't get "used to the changes" but as you become a smaller person, you need fewer calories so it is realistic to think the weight loss will slow down if no further changes are made.

I think you can do it if you're v disciplined. I've made similar changes since new year. I've cut out alcohol & all crap + takeaways etc. I'm eating whole foods, lots of vegetables with lean meat / fish / eggs

3 meals per day & watching portions. No snacks really, perhaps a satsuma or an apple. Lots of water.

I'm not exercising any more than I was due to knee injury.

I have 3 stones to lose & I'm down 12lbs today. I'm feeling very determined to shift this weight & to get back into my lovely clothes.

I've made other significant changes in my life which are impacting positively. I've changed jobs from one the was super stressful to a calmer role. I knew I was under pressure but I actually didn't realise just how badly it was affecting me until I left. It's like a weight has been lifted & I can breathe again. And I have time & motivation to focus on me now.

You can do it OP

Wow 12 lbs off is brilliant well done! I really needed to change as was eating and drinking far too much and I’m fed up with being overweight.

I’m sticking to 3 meals a day too and would find fasting too difficult so am hoping this is enough to keep the weight coming off each week.

You might have to step up your exercise for the last half stone or more, but that doesn't sound unrealistic.

You may find that it slows towards the end, but if you are very active that will help a great deal.

The key will be consistency and not expecting a neat 2lb / week - weight loss isn't always nice and linear! As long as you know you're making the right changes, don't get discouraged.

Thanks, 1% of my body weight does equal 2 lbs loss a week 😊

I've just started a healthy eating plan and I lost 6 lbs in my first week which has really spurred me on, I'm hoping to lose at least 2 stone by middle of May which is 15 weeks away.

I'm sure we can both reach our goal if we're disciplined 💪

It depends on your starting weight (the heavier you are the faster it will shift) your age (weight shifts much more slowly as you get older as metabolism slows and you need fewer calories anyway, so being in deficit is tough going) how many calories you can burn through excercise. Personally I could lose only about half a pound a week because at 54 and 5' 4" with a desk job, my calorie requirements is only about 1600 a day just to not gain weight, so the amount I could eat to lose weight faster would leave me permanently hungry. Whereas a younger, taller more active woman could lose weight by dropping to a very achievable 1500 calories a day.

In my late 30s I lost 3 stone in 8 months and that was with my discipline wearing off towards the end. In my 50s, it's another story though! You'd definitely see a good chunk gone by July if you stick with it.

I lost 2.5 stones from July-December so I’d say it’s definitely possible!

Personally, I think that's quite a lot of weight to lose in a short period of time. Whether you can or not, is one thing. People do lose drastic amounts of weight quickly. But should you? Strict dieting and weight loss often sets people up for re-gaining the weight because very few people can restrict themselves or exercise intensively for long stretches of time. Why not focus on good habits - healthy food, no alcohol, exercise that you enjoy however many times a week - and see what happens, but without putting strict rules on what you want to achieve?

If you want my personal advice, stop drinking altogether. I gave up alcohol and lost a stone in about 2-3 months without even trying. I ate a lot of cake in those couple months. It's been 9 months and the difference in my appearance from last spring to now is amazing. It's the only change I made, but I'm thinner, my face is less bloated, fewer wrinkles/bags around the eyes, skin and eyes are brighter. I know a few people who have done the same and have had the same changes. Some of them look 10 years younger in a year. It's made an amazing difference.

That’s brilliant well done! Good luck 😊

Honestly I would struggle to give it up completely and cutting it out during the week is a real achievement for me as I was drinking a lot every night so I’m going to do it gradually otherwise I think I’ll find it hard to stick to with the diet changes too.
You’ve done really well to give it up though and it’s great that you look and feel so much better for it 😊

Yes, it is possible, I lost six stone in a year with no exercise, it wasn't hard just disciplined. I had been diagnosed with a chronic illness and it was the motivation I needed. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it.

I've lost 1 stone 10lbs in 8 weeks following Slimming World. I've cut out alcohol mostly and really am not missing it (thought I would) its also meant I'm not snacking as much. I drink a lot more water now. I still have a further 3 stones to lose though so I maybe lost more as I had a higher start weight.

It is a lot to lose week on week on week, so you need to be fairly disciplined and find an way of eating that allows you to feel satisfied, that is different for everyone as we all have our own ways, some low carb, some volume, some low fat, some calorie count etc etc

What you also need to do is not panic the first time you dont lose, or the weight goes up, or you lose less than the 2lb you are expectinb, because weight loss isnt linear, your body fluctuates and what happens when you get dispirited by not seeing that 2lb loss, is you're at risk of going off piste and eating something you shouldnt because you're upset or feel like its not working etc etc

Yes it's possible. There are many who say that if you lose quickly then you're likely to put it straight back on again but the latest studies have highlighted that most people who tend to lose quickly, keep going. This is is due to better motivation as they can see the results.
It's absolutely possible and well done on reducing the alcohol. I cut it out during the week some time ago and have a couple Fri and sat night, never felt better.

I lost 3 stove in 5 months so yes it is possible.

It can be done but you need to steel yourself for ups and downs and plateaus, some days you'll do everything right, weigh the next morning and you've gained weight, other days you'll do everything wrong and somehow lose 3lb overnight.

You need to prepare for and see it as a long game and persevere. If you have a bad day, start again the next day, and just keep your eye on the over all trend rather than the short term fluctuations.

Summer bodies are made in winter.
Op you can do it, good luck.

Thank you for the encouragement, a lot of you have had some brilliant results so that makes me determined to stick to it.

The food I’m now eating during the week is porridge pot with fruit and mixed seeds for breakfast and vegetable soups for lunch. Dinner is either salmon or chicken with a tray of roasted Mediterranean veggies. Snacks are bananas or raw carrots if I feel hungry but I really haven’t yet.

Weekends are more relaxed but smaller portions than I was having before.

I’m going to weigh myself on a Friday but will be prepared to not lose each week so thanks for pointing that out. If it doesn’t work I’ll have to make adjustments 😁

I'm aiming for the same goal so joined slimming world on 2nd Jan, I've lost 10lbs so far. It's coming off slowly and I've had one cheat night (which I'll do once a month), also only drinking when I go out instead of just drinking wine at home but I was only a weekend drinker. It's hard work but it could be doable, I'd be over the moon if I could lose at least 2 stone by the summer

Thank you! I also weigh on a Friday morning so I'll post my results on here if that's OK with you, and hope you do too