How to go from a size 10 to size 6 in 6 weeks?

[SOS_Please]

Hello all! I need some advice: I am looking to go down from a size 10 to a size 6 in 6 weeks. Now, I am willing to put in as much time and effort as is needed (I will extend my goal beyond the 6 weeks, if I don't reach it by then, but I would like to really jump-start my weight loss). So, I need suggestions! I really want to start living a healthy lifestyle. I am 22, 5'9", 155 lbs, and well preportioned (and have fine self-esteem). I just want to be healthy and lose some weight/tone up.

 

So, I eat a lot of junk; I mean...a lot. McDonalds everyday, candy, doughnuts, (diet) pop, etc. etc. Also, I am not very active; I stay at work all day behind a desk. So, I don't have time to go to a gym. However, I am willing to buy cardio tapes and do them at home (or any kind of exorcise tape that I can do at home). I have a stationary bike too. The only form of exorcise I loathe is running.

 

As far as eating is concerned: I thought maybe a week fast on a protein shake would be a good start. I have a modest budget and cooking is out (cause I am a horrid cook), but I will eat raw foods--if necessary--and/or fast on liquids.

 

So, please, I would really appreciate any advice you all might have! This means a lot to me (I hardly ever reach the goals I set, so I need help in attaining this one)!

[LucreziaBorgia]

The first thing you will want to understand and accept is that you will not lose all the weight you want in six weeks. You might lose half of that (with half of that amount being water weight), but you won't lose the full amount of pounds. Setting unrealistic goals is the number one reason they are never reached. Shoot for half of what you want and you have a better chance of reaching it and sticking to your diet/exercise. When you reach that goal, set the next one.

 

As for your diet, if you want to lose some serious weight, you have to dump all that fast food, junk food, and caffeine from your diet. Permanently. You can revert to those things as an occasional thing, but get used to going at least a week or longer between those 'occasional times'. I wouldn't recommend a 'fast'. All you do is lose water weight, and gain it all back as soon as you start eating again. When you fast, the body senses that it is starving and will do everything in its power to hold on to that fat - including slowing down the metabolism in order to assure that no fat is lost. You have to keep eating in order to keep your metabolism high enough to lose weight. Think: fresh vegetables (baggies of carrots, celery, cucumber) and fruits, lean meats - chicken with no skin, fish, less fats - sub in mustard for mayo, olive oil for butter, etc. Change out white breads for whole wheat, brown rice for white and so on. You'll want to avoid fried foods. If you aren't a cook, then get some of those frozen meals that are low in fat and calories and eat those for dinner.

 

Losing fat is hard work - you'll need to exercise no less than thirty minutes a day doing at least some moderate exercise. You'll want something that burns a maximum of calories - an exercise program that uses the large muscle groups of your body. Kickboxing, or something like that. Years ago, I did the whole Tae Bo thing - cheesy, but it really did burn some serious calories in a workout. Weigh yourself only once a week to stay motivated.

 

Understand this also - when you lose the weight, you have to work to keep it off. Your weight/metabolism is like a giant rubber band. When you lose weight, the body will do every metabolic trick it has to snap back up to that top weight. The second you start going back to unhealthy eating habits and stop exercising, you will snap back up to that top weight and more. People who revert generally gain back all the weight, plus additional weight. It is an ongoing process, and truly a lifestyle change.

[child_of_isis]

Cut out the processed carbs. Processed carbs keep the appetite on warp 10 all of the time.

 

Go for whole grains. Eat lean protein and veggies.

 

It's just that simple.

 

I eat like this and I am a size six. It is not hard to stay on either. But you do have to make a lifetime commitment to it.

[SOS_Please]

Yes. Lifestyle change is difficult when I love McDonalds so much! However, I am willing to stay dedicated to this! I really want to be healthy! A couple good things: I already hate white bread and mayo! Sweets and fried foods are my problems...oh, and potatoes. I love my potatoes!

 

Okay, so low carbs and high protein.

 

Now, what about fasting? I had always thought it was good to cleanse your body? I mean, if I am drinking protein shakes, won't that keep my metabolism going?

 

What other exorcises do you guys suggest? Kick boxing sounds good. This is corney, but I heard that belly dancing is good for trimming the waist. I really like my bubble butt and boobs, but I want a trimmer waist for sure. I mean, it is pretty small in preportion to the rest of me (I have a size 8 waist, and a size 10/12 bum). However, I would like it to be even smaller.

 

Thank you two for your comments! I appreciate it!

[PWSX3]

Yes. Lifestyle change is difficult when I love McDonalds so much!

Trust me if you eat healthy foods for six months & then you eat a McDonalds for me they taste like crap.

Buy a George Foreman & cook your own hamburgers at home, use the better meat & that will keep you away from the McDonalds as well. My son (17) & I did this & now he doesn't even like fast food hamburgers.

Sweets and fried foods are my problems...oh, and potatoes. I love my potatoes!

The potatoes are my downfall as well, I LOVE potatoes so I just cut back on how many I eat. What we do now is buy the Fiesta (I think) flavored French Fries & then bake them in the toaster oven with no grease. I still need my potatoes but I feel if I make them a little better for me that is helping.

What other exorcises do you guys suggest? Kick boxing sounds good. This is corney, but I heard that belly dancing is good for trimming the waist. I really like my bubble butt and boobs, but I want a trimmer waist for sure. I mean, it is pretty small in preportion to the rest of me (I have a size 8 waist, and a size 10/12 bum). However, I would like it to be even smaller.

 

Thank you two for your comments! I appreciate it!

Walking is always a good thing, and you can do that anyplace.

[Art_Critic]

Walking is always a good thing, and you can do that anyplace.

 

Steps too.. A friend of mine shed quite a few pounds by taking the stairs to her floor at work ( 5 floors ) instead of the elevator..

 

Of course that wasn't the only change she made though.. she also did portion counting.. She ate quite a bit and cut all her portions for her meals

[sunshinegirl]

Hi SOS--

 

I'm also 5'9" and when I was 22 I weighed about what you did, maybe more in fact, and was anxious to get some of the weight off. A decade or so later, I am a fit and healthy 30 pounds lighter. (Yes, this is thin for my height but for me it's proportional.)

 

Be sure to take the long view on this. The single biggest thing that has made a difference in my life was, over time, discovering sports that I truly enjoy. Today, it's not about watching my weight, it's about living an active life as its own reward. On a regular basis, I do all of the following: roller blading, running, yoga, biking, and rock climbing.

 

Many of these are social things I do with friends; but it truly doesn't feel like "ugh, I have to go work out now!" Instead it's "awesome, I'm going to yoga with Lisa! My body will feel so good in 90 minutes' time." Or it's "awesome! I get to go work on that bouldering problem at the rock gym tonight!"

 

A side benefit is that I don't have to watch what I eat, or count calories, or weigh myself every day. Eating healthy is good - I should eat better than I do, and you should too - but I can totally get away with eating whatever I want because I burn a lot of cals.

 

Good luck!

[spookie]

It's been a couple of weeks since you posted and I don't know if you're still reading this, but I hope you're reaching your goals.

 

A couple of things I wanted to add: it helps if stay focused on living healthy instead of fixating on unrealistic goals and "numbers". In order to lose fat permanently, you have to change your lifestyle to sustainable and healthy. Week-long protein-shake fast doesn't fit the bill, nor do fad diets, etc..

 

I'd also recommend lifting weights in addition to cardio. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, so if you lift and eat lots of protein, you will need to do less cardio to lose fat.

 

You should aim to get about 40% of your calories from protein. I find that it's really helpful to record what you eat. fitday.com is a good website to do that on. It has a large database of foods and breaks everything you eat into carbs, fat, and protein.

 

Anyway, good luck.