Is it healthy to lose 50lb in 25 weeks?

O

Oscura

New member
First of all, these are my vital stats. I’m 15, 5”4 and weigh about 171 lbs. I understand how one should aim to lose 2 lb a week healthily so I could hypothetically lose 50 lb in 25 weeks. But I realise that weight loss slows down as you get thinner. So could I possibly lose it in 25 weeks or is it better to lose it at a slower pace?


Diet


Breakfast
Bowl of Cereal

Lunch
Low calorie/fat chips (87 calories) and a small sandwich

Dinner
A small portion of my mother’s cooking. Currently forcing her to steam/boil me vegetables.

Treats
Every Friday, I have a treat about 600 calories. Sometimes I might treat myself during the week to a few lollipops each around 50 calories, especially if I get headrush.




Exercise
Walking for 1hr x5
Visit school gym (Treadmill/Weights/Bike/Cross-trainer) x2
Weekend work outs (900 Jumping Jacks, 900 Ski Jumps, 300 Squats – in total)
 
2 lbs a week is AVERAGE .. but a better guideline is to lose 1% of your bodyweight per week. For someone at 170 lbs, that means on average losing 1.7 lbs per week. Obviously as you lose weight and weigh less, than number will go down. Some people can lose more and faster and some can't. Some people lose in chunks - 3 lbs here, then nothing, then 2 more lbs, then nothing for 2 weeks, then 4 lbs. (That would be how I lose.) Some people lose steadily at about 2lbs a week until they reach their goal. It just all depends.

As far as what you're eating, it very much looks like you're not eating enough to sustain yourself and I'm not entirely sure about your choices either. A bowl of cereal is not a great breakfast, nor is a sandwich and chips for lunch. I have no idea what "my mother's cooking" is - are we talking casseroles or baked chicken or what?

I would suggest that you start with figuring out how many calories you're eating - which includes weighing what you eat - and going from there.
 
KaraCooks said:
2 lbs a week is AVERAGE .. but a better guideline is to lose 1% of your bodyweight per week. For someone at 170 lbs, that means on average losing 1.7 lbs per week. Obviously as you lose weight and weigh less, than number will go down. Some people can lose more and faster and some can't. Some people lose in chunks - 3 lbs here, then nothing, then 2 more lbs, then nothing for 2 weeks, then 4 lbs. (That would be how I lose.) Some people lose steadily at about 2lbs a week until they reach their goal. It just all depends.

As far as what you're eating, it very much looks like you're not eating enough to sustain yourself and I'm not entirely sure about your choices either. A bowl of cereal is not a great breakfast, nor is a sandwich and chips for lunch. I have no idea what "my mother's cooking" is - are we talking casseroles or baked chicken or what?

I would suggest that you start with figuring out how many calories you're eating - which includes weighing what you eat - and going from there.
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Luckily, I've measured my calorie intake for the past few days. I even weighed my portion of rice with my chilli today. :p I've had about 1500 calories on average but have only walked for an hour each day. Due to a broken cooker, my family has been doomed to unhealthy foods like burgers and microwaved chips. But my mother tries to cook relatively healthy foods like soup, pasta or rice dishes.

What do you suggest for breakfast instead?
 
How about oatmeal? It's a nearly perfect food.

The quick/instant stuff if you absolutely have to, but generally, the longer it takes to cook the better it is.

I personally eat steel-cut oats which take about 20 minutes to cook, but rolled oats are okay too.
 
My two standby meals for breakfast are this:

yogurt and blueberries
steel cut oats and cheese

However, you shouldn't feel limited to either of those or even to "breakfast" foods. I think sometimes people get in a rut and feel like they have to eat certain foods for breakfast or it's not "right".

Ideally you should get some protein, some complex carbs, and some veggies or fruit at every meal. I try to get my carbs and fruit in the morning and at lunch and then limit carbs and fruit in the evenings.

So even within that range you could try any of the following for breakfast:

peanut butter and an apple
turkey or lean ham on whole grain bread
eggs and toast (a poached egg on a whole wheat english muffin is awesome)
an omelet with veggies
avocado and chicken rolled into a whole wheat tortilla
scrambled eggs and veggies rolled into a whole wheat tortilla (a breakfast burrito of sorts)

Pretty much anything that appeals as long as you're getting a mix of protein, complex carbs, and some kind of fruit or veggie.
 
While what Kara says is true, I think everybody has to do it their own way, for me eating carbs in the morning proves difficult because of my underlying condition, so i just eat fruit. I have lost consistently and I do not feel terribly hungry at any time, so if you prefer to have cereal and that does keep you full... I say go for it!

Losing weight is not something that you can just say "everybody should" because we are all different and it is a highly personal thing to do. What works for me, may not work for you. So find within your chosen caloric range what you want to eat and stick to it (not too many treats a week, because it quickly gets out of hand I'd say)...
Also a question, those 600 cal treats, are they on top of a normal day's worth of food or do they substitute a meal that would have been lower on calories? For example I love popcorn, I really do, I used to go and eat popcorn in the cinema then go home and eat dinner. I have learned that if I time my popcorn better it can just serve as a one off dinner substitute. So I go to the movies a tad later, eat popcorn, and then go to bed afterwards, and fascinatingly, I am not hungry... I probably wasn't before either but just ate because I was used to it. Maybe you can do the same with your treat (because 600 cals is quite a big treat!).

Another thing is, I "only" had 40 pounds to lose and I thought I could do it in 9 months... well I was wrong, life happens and you cannot dedicate 100% of yourself to losing weight every day, I am close to being there now 17 months after starting, and I am fairly happy. What I want to say is, you probably "can" lose 50 pounds, if you really really work on it, however if you still want to have treats and have a normal life and a weightloss that will be sustainable, you may want to not give yourself such a strict time frame.
Camy
 
if you prefer to have cereal and that does keep you full... I say go for it!
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I'm going to ... respectfully ... disagree with this. :)

Yes, everyone needs to find their own way and weight loss is definitely NOT one-size-fits-all. We all have different metabolisms, different body types, different likes and dislikes, etc.

But factually, if someone is wanting to lose X amount of weight in a given time, that person is going to have to make some changes to what they eat. 90% of the cereals on the market are NOT great breakfast foods - despite what the advertising might say. There are very few cereals that don't have added sugar, and most of them are chock full of chemicals and preservatives. Even the "whole fiber" cereals provide less fiber per serving than a piece of whole grain bread.

If someone really wants to maximize weight loss (healthily), then a bowl of cereal for breakfast is not the best choice. :) Notice I'm not saying "don't do it" or "you can't do it" ... but it's not the best choice.

As far as the popcorn substituting for dinner ... again, with respect ... I think that's a very bad choice. You're much better off eating a healthy dinner and accepting that you'll go over your calories by X amount by choice than eating a "Meal" of starch, salt, and butter and not fueling your body.
 
Camy said:
While what Kara says is true, I think everybody has to do it their own way, for me eating carbs in the morning proves difficult because of my underlying condition, so i just eat fruit.
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Fruits are carbs.
 
Eating an apple in the morning or a banana, I am sure is not what Kara meant when writing you need complex carbs.

And Kara, I'd rather stay in my calorie limit than a) feeling crap because I went over my limit (and eating without feeling hungry just to "fuel" my body) or b) depriving myself of something I love once every two weeks. I am sure nobody here eats perfectly 100% of the time, I am not saying she should just eat popcorn for dinner, I am saying I do it to feel ok with myself and I don't see anything wrong with it. Of course you shouldn't eat twinkies instead of a normal meal ALL evenings, but if you love'em, and you won't feel starved afterwards I don't see why substituting one meal every so pften with a treat is so wrong.
What exactly will happen if once a week or once every two weeks, i do not give my body the "correct fuel"? I would like to see a good reason behind this.
Camy
 
Camy said:
Eating an apple in the morning or a banana, I am sure is not what Kara meant when writing you need complex carbs.
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Sorry, really not intending to be nitpicky. I just want things to be clear for clarity's sake.

When you say:

for me eating carbs in the morning proves difficult because of my underlying condition, so i just eat fruit
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That in itself means fruits aren't carbs. You know this isn't the case and I realize you were speaking in the context of complex carbs vs. fibrous carbs. But others around here might now.

Good day :)
 
Wow. I'm feeling a lot of hostility in your response and I'm not sure where it's coming from. I happen to disagree with you ... but that doesn't mean I'm attacking you personally.

And I have no idea where you got the whole "eating without feeling hungry" part because that has nothing to do with what you talked about, which was advising someone to substitute an unhealthy treat for a healthy meal.

I don't see why substituting one meal every so pften with a treat is so wrong.
What exactly will happen if once a week or once every two weeks, i do not give my body the "correct fuel"? I would like to see a good reason behind this.
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Any time you eschew healthy food in favor of junk, you're depriving your body of nutrients. Is it going to kill you to do it once in a while? No, of course not. But for many people it's really easy to justify the action and once you've justified it, it becomes easier to do it again and again.

I believe that setting the precedent of replacing healthy food with junk is a bad one. It's really easy to get into that slippery slope of "it's ok what I eat as long as I stay within my calories" which I see a LOT of people doing. Heck, I have done it to myself before.

I also think there's a huge difference between having a not-so-great-for-you meal vs. choosing to replace a healthy meal with junk. Is a 5Guys hamburger for dinner a treat? Yup. Do I do it in place of a healthy meal once every couple of weeks? Yup. But there is some redeeming nutritional value there as well. I'm not ditching my healthy meal for a plate of brownies or a container of popcorn or a bag of chips.

You said in your first post:
I go to the movies a tad later, eat popcorn, and then go to bed afterwards, and fascinatingly, I am not hungry...
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So what about going to the movies a tad later, and eating a smaller healthy dinner first .. then having a some popcorn as a treat, instead of eating popcorn for dinner?

Again, that's me. I think it's a bad precedent to set, especially for someone who is just starting out learning how to manage their food and nutrition intakes. Obviously some people may disagree. :) It's not personal.
 
I think 2 pounds a week is perfectly fine. And it is true that after some time weight loss does not move in the same pace. Then you would need to change your diet and exercise routine. :coolgleamA:
 
2 pounds a week sounds like a very good plan for long term loss
 
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