how long- weight loss

[monkey5]

Over the past 3 years, I have gained well over 20 pounds due to stress. I have been working out an hour and 30 minutes everyday, for 3 days (just started) and I am watching what I eat (less sugar, carbs, lower calories).

 

So I wanted to ask how long it will take me to lose 20-25 pounds?

 

Normally, I walk on the treadmill for 35 minutes, bike for 10, and hop on the elliptical for 5....also mixing in circuit training with weights...

 

can anyone give me a rough idea? I would like to lose the weight by december.

(btw, I am 19 years old)

[ravenstar]

Wouldn't it be great if we could drop 5 a week!!! Usually it averages about a 1-2 lbs a week. Which sucks when i need to loose ten by the end of the month. I will say that in my experience, the scale doen't mean as much as the way my clothes fit! Even at my thinnest (a size 4) i weighed in at 130. Just food for thought.

[IrishCarBomb]

Over the past 3 years, I have gained well over 20 pounds due to stress.

 

Was it stress? Or stress mixed with bad diet and lack of exercise?

 

OK... on topic... you can generally think that 3,000-3,500 calories = 1 pound. It's not exact but it's a general rule of thumb I've heard from some doctors.

 

So in general, 100 calorie reduction per day will get you one pound less per month. So, for 20 pounds in 2 months, you'll need to have a 1,000 calorie reduction per day.

 

I don't think you'll make it... but keep up your efforts anyways. If you want to improve your body image, start lifting weights and building your muscle. Regardless of gender, this is a great way to get quick results.

[youngandhopeful]

Well i wouldn't go mad "losing weight" it's not a diet you need its a lifestyle change, thats what will keep the weight off permanently. It seems liks you have the right idea, with gyming it.

 

A pound of fat is roughly 3500 calories, so if you have a calorie deficit of 500 per day, you should lose 1 pound a week. Obviously if you are quite overweight you would probably lose more, as its generally easier for heavy people to drop weight at first.

 

Try adding some small weights into your routine at the gym. Maybe do cardio mon wed fri and do some toning/weight training on tues thurs. By adding weights to your regime you can add lean muscle, which ultimately will help you burn more fat, even when your just sat doing nothing as it raises your metabolism.

 

If you want i could knock-up a workout plan for you. Just let me know, ill try and get back to you asap.

 

Good luck with the weight loss!

 

p.s. make sure you have your rest days, o and make sure one day of the week, you have that "treat" you want. It's no fair on yourself to not eat anything you like.

 

plus your only 19, you shouldn't be too concious of your weight, unless its at an unhealthy stage

[Darkzen]

Over the past 3 years, I have gained well over 20 pounds due to stress. I have been working out an hour and 30 minutes everyday, for 3 days (just started) and I am watching what I eat (less sugar, carbs, lower calories).

 

So I wanted to ask how long it will take me to lose 20-25 pounds?

 

Normally, I walk on the treadmill for 35 minutes, bike for 10, and hop on the elliptical for 5....also mixing in circuit training with weights...

 

can anyone give me a rough idea? I would like to lose the weight by december.

(btw, I am 19 years old)

 

You'll lose 20-30lbs in a month with that routine (if you have a fairly active day aside from that or eat properly). I dropped 50lbs in 8 weeks of basic training. I've also dropped about 50lbs in an off-season of college football (like 2-3 months) between the weight room, biking to/from work (like 5 miles) and having an active day. I was 19 during the college football off-season and 21 in basic training.

 

I'm now 30 and losing weight is a little slower, because it takes my body longer to recoup after activity. I put on a lot of weight after the Army and still have a little ways to go. Between ju-jitsu and weight-lifting (started a month ago), I'll already lost 10-15lbs. I can't stand cardio machines, so I get my cardio from ju-jitsu and circut training. Four days a week lifting and two days a week at ju-jitsu... hoping to eventually get upto four days a week of each. I do lift for mass though, so weight won't really change much, it's all about body composition IMHO.

[monkey5]

thank you all for your advice.

 

I do have a very active lifestyle. I ride and train horses (riding for an hour 3 times a week) as well as working a job where I am on my feet for 5-6 hours.then the time in the gym.

 

I watch what I eat, and try to eat the carbs in the morning. I stay far away from sugary stuff.

[StartFresh]

You'll lose 20-30lbs in a month with that routine (if you have a fairly active day aside from that or eat properly). I dropped 50lbs in 8 weeks of basic training. I've also dropped about 50lbs in an off-season of college football (like 2-3 months) between the weight room, biking to/from work (like 5 miles) and having an active day. I was 19 during the college football off-season and 21 in basic training.

 

I'm now 30 and losing weight is a little slower, because it takes my body longer to recoup after activity. I put on a lot of weight after the Army and still have a little ways to go. Between ju-jitsu and weight-lifting (started a month ago), I'll already lost 10-15lbs. I can't stand cardio machines, so I get my cardio from ju-jitsu and circut training. Four days a week lifting and two days a week at ju-jitsu... hoping to eventually get upto four days a week of each. I do lift for mass though, so weight won't really change much, it's all about body composition IMHO.

 

20-30 pounds of fat in a month? No, thats unhealthy. You might have lost 50 pounds in 2 months, but I guarantee that was a lot of muscle mass. Sounds like you had a lot of catabolic activity during that time (basic training, biking 5 miles). I bet you lost a ton of strength over that period too, huh?

 

The generally accepted rule is 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week or around 2% of your total body weight per week for people with higher BF%.

 

I lost about 35 pounds in around 6 months with taking several liberties including occassional drinking, trip to the bahamas, etc. If you want to do it the right way, around 10 weeks. If you crash diet and do it the wrong way, sure you might lose 20 pounds in a month, but it won't be all fat, it will be a good portion of muscle mass so your actual BF% still won't change much (ever wonder why anorexic/bulemic girls have skinny arms/legs but little pouches and lovehandles?)

 

I'll give you 2 months if you really really really stick to a strict regiment (like measure your portions with a measuring cup, count your calories, count your grams of protein/fats/carbs per day), 2.5-3 months if you just diet normally and excersize.

 

-SF

[Darkzen]

20-30 pounds of fat in a month? No, thats unhealthy. You might have lost 50 pounds in 2 months, but I guarantee that was a lot of muscle mass. Sounds like you had a lot of catabolic activity during that time (basic training, biking 5 miles). I bet you lost a ton of strength over that period too, huh?

 

Actually, I got a lot stronger. I didn't ride no bike in basic training, it was running/jogging for the most part (farthest run was 5 miles, but we started doing 1 or 2 and worked up to it). I was 255lbs when I got to basic training, left at 205lbs. Some of it was muscle mass though.

 

The generally accepted rule is 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week or around 2% of your total body weight per week for people with higher BF%.

 

I'll have to disagree, based on personal experience. I've lost 10-15lbs this month, by doing Ju-Jitsu and weight-lifting. I also haven't lost a stitch of muscle. Although, that's only 3-5% of my total body weight (I was like 295lbs, I should be about 250lbs for my build).

 

I lost about 35 pounds in around 6 months with taking several liberties including occassional drinking, trip to the bahamas, etc. If you want to do it the right way, around 10 weeks. If you crash diet and do it the wrong way, sure you might lose 20 pounds in a month, but it won't be all fat, it will be a good portion of muscle mass so your actual BF% still won't change much (ever wonder why anorexic/bulemic girls have skinny arms/legs but little pouches and lovehandles?)

 

Who said anything about dieting? I was under the assumption that he's doing cardio for 90 mins a day. That's half a pound of fat, in burnt energy a day. Kind of guessing there, I remember the number being like ~3.3k calories = 1lb of fat (could be ~5.2k also, can't remember exactly). Say he burns 1k calories from the cardio, drops another 700 from proper diet... that's reasonably ~10lbs/month of lost body fat. Play with the numbers and you can double that fairly easily. The trick is to eat properly and exercise the excess weight off. Which is what the OP seems to be doing. Knowing when to eat and what type of food to eat is what's important in a proper diet.

 

I'll give you 2 months if you really really really stick to a strict regiment (like measure your portions with a measuring cup, count your calories, count your grams of protein/fats/carbs per day), 2.5-3 months if you just diet normally and excersize.

 

-SF

 

I wish I had a picture of me right before basic training (I have one of me right after it)... I'd show you the massive difference it made in two months. I easily lost 40lbs of body fat, including a double chin and belly. Basic training is an extreme regiment though (plus a demanding day of activities). If the OP exercises at the current pace and has an active day, he can easily lose the weight in a couple weeks or a month.

[StartFresh]

You are right, 1 pound = ~3.3-3.5k calories. However, you can't just run a defecit of 1700 calories a day from your maintenance. You'll put your body into a survival state where it will start running off of muscle mass instead of fat. Then you'll occassionally binge and it will go right to the gut. Yeah, I burn off like an extra 500-600 calories a day at the gym maybe but I make sure I eat ~200ish more to compensate. Bodies are smart, they will recognize a huge gap in between what you are burning and what you are eating and adjust accordingly. You can't just run a huge calorie defecit and burn off a pound a day. I wish it were that easy!

[Darkzen]

You are right, 1 pound = ~3.3-3.5k calories. However, you can't just run a defecit of 1700 calories a day from your maintenance. You'll put your body into a survival state where it will start running off of muscle mass instead of fat. Then you'll occassionally binge and it will go right to the gut. Yeah, I burn off like an extra 500-600 calories a day at the gym maybe but I make sure I eat ~200ish more to compensate. Bodies are smart, they will recognize a huge gap in between what you are burning and what you are eating and adjust accordingly. You can't just run a huge calorie defecit and burn off a pound a day. I wish it were that easy!

 

You can, I've done it on a few occasions personally. Basic training I lost ~2 pounds every 3-4 days, on average.

 

I understand how the body works and know what you're talking about, but limits can be pushed if you're smart about it. There's a science to everything, unfortunately facts are limited by our current understanding. I'm a big fitness buff and have trained quite a few people in my time (all achieved their desired results). I'm out of shape because I lost my drive for a few years, due to a bad relationship. I was obese, but three years ago I started to lift weights again and changed my body shape. I was 280lbs and should have weighed about 210 for my build... I put on 40lbs of muscle since then though and maintained my body fat. I was over 300lbs, but most people figured I weighed 260ish due to my body shape.

 

Recently I started to do cardio and have shed a good 15lbs . I'm naturally a heavy boned person, in my avatar picture I was 230lbs and had a 4-pack... I'm always about 20-30 lbs over what I'm supposed to weigh for my height and build. I'm about 280 atm and still have 30lbs to go (maybe 40, can't tell exactly yet). It should take me two or three months of dedication to get back to where I should be. I'm older so it takes me longer to recover, leading to less work-outs overall. Ju-jitsu is great though, I'm starting to get core strength again and my flexibility back.

 

Losing weight can be quite fast if you know your body chemistry. I know my body well enough, to know the what and when of diet and exercise, for me. I can shed weight extremely fast compared to some. I'm a naturally athletic person, but prone to laziness and putting on weight. The minute I get active, the weight just rolls off. Maybe it's my genetic disposition. Although, I'm more of a strongman type athlete, as opposed to a runner type athlete. Build-wise anyways, I used to actually run quite well. Have ran 2 miles in 10:30 and a 4.7 forty yd dash, in my time. Even at 300lbs and 30 years old, I ran a 6 sec flat forty.