how long should it take to lose approx 15 lbs?

[sully737]

Im female, small frame, 5'3" and I weigh 130 - 135. I'd love to lose 10-15 lbs... How long should I be expecting this to take?

 

Everytime in the past I feel as though Ive done everything right, eat well, exercise blah blah blah, and months later, I seem to see no change. Its quite discouraging.

 

Do you think that bodies have a pre-determined "happy body weight?"

[USMCHokie]

Im female, small frame, 5'3" and I weigh 130 - 135. I'd love to lose 10-15 lbs... How long should I be expecting this to take?

 

Depends on how disciplined you are and how much work you're willing to put into it...one or two true pounds a week is a pretty decent goal...

 

Everytime in the past I feel as though Ive done everything right, eat well, exercise blah blah blah, and months later, I seem to see no change. Its quite discouraging.

 

If that is the case, then I suspect that you weren't eating well enough or exercising hard enough...it may take more work than you think...

 

Do you think that bodies have a pre-determined "happy body weight?"

 

Yes and no. Yes, genetics is the determinative factor in your body shape and weight. But no, you can achieve almost anything if you set your mind to it and have to discipline to stay the course.

[sully737]

Thanks Chokie! It IS much harder to lose those pesky 10 lbs than you would think... Grrr... I see all these shows on tv and commercials about people who lose 6 or 7 lbs in a week, and I cant manage to shed any! its quite discouraging.

 

But, you're right. I mean, obviously, I wasnt doing enough... otherwise, I would be seeing results.

 

The new year is here. Im going to try again. Id like to see -10-15 lbs in 3 months.

 

Im going to better my diet, and start running 3-4 times per week after work.

 

This seems reasonable.... right??

[pookster72]

you're not overweight so unfortunately i'd imagine it would take a while. i think three months is a reasonable time frame, though its hard to stay motivated when you don't see quick changes. i'd focus more on fitness and achieving different goals there for a while before you weigh yourself, since you're going to get into better shape a lot faster than you are going to drop 15 pounds. maybe rather than telling yourself you want to drop 5 pounds in a month you should tell yourself that you want to be able to run for 4 miles within a month (or whatever...depending on your fitness level now).

[sully737]

you're not overweight so unfortunately i'd imagine it would take a while. i think three months is a reasonable time frame, though its hard to stay motivated when you don't see quick changes. i'd focus more on fitness and achieving different goals there for a while before you weigh yourself, since you're going to get into better shape a lot faster than you are going to drop 15 pounds. maybe rather than telling yourself you want to drop 5 pounds in a month you should tell yourself that you want to be able to run for 4 miles within a month (or whatever...depending on your fitness level now).

 

Although Im not "technically" overweight, I would still like to shed a few. My BMI is somewhere around 23... Which is on the heavier end of healthy.

 

That seems like a much easier way to look at things though... that way I dont beat myself up when the scale doesnt move... which it never seems to!! thanks for the suggestion, Pookster!

[sully737]

My boss cued me into a wonderful resource, Lance Armstrong's livestrong website has a calorie tracker thats easy to use and has virtually EVERYTHING on it.

 

If anyone is interested in using it themselves! Its : http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

 

Although Ive only been using this for one day It seems really great, as I have a hard time counting calories.

 

MY MyPlate says that in order to lose approx 1.5 lbs per week, I would need to eat approx 1,367 calories per day. Today I have managed to do this, but do you think this is a reasonable caloric intake?

 

It seems to be, its just a matter of my will power.

[Faded_x]

Good luck! The reason why you're seeing these people lose so much in a week, is because they have a lot more to lose. When you're healthy already, but just wanting to lose those last few pesky pounds is when you'll find it a lot harder.

 

I started out using a calorie counter, but soon came to realise that I wasn't overly interested in losing weight, I just wanted to be fitter; so I stopped using it. I'm not sure what the one you're using is like, but the one I used allowed you to enter your food and exercise each day, and it will keep you on track. Most of the ones I'd seen didn't have the exercising element to it, so I thought that was great. It was really helpful.

[Zodiac23]

Like you I always found those last 5-10 pounds to be really difficult to shed. Then a trainer told me to stop doing plain old distance running at a moderate pace. In it's place he told m to do high intensity running.

Basically you run as hard as you can for 45 sec and then drop to a moderate pace for 15 sec and repeat. Do about 20 min worth 3 times a week. When I did that those last few pounds melted right off.

[Els]

I'm having the same problem. 5'1", fluctuate between 115-120 lbs. I'd like to be 110.

 

Funny thing is, I notice that there is pretty much NO difference between when I exercise and eat carefully... and when I don't. I don't quite get it. If calories can be counted so precisely, why are they not making a damn difference?

 

I am now tempted to just content myself with my 'happy weight' at the moment. I just don't like that damn tummy STARING at me when I sit down!

[Faded_x]

I'm having the same problem. 5'1", fluctuate between 115-120 lbs. I'd like to be 110.

 

Funny thing is, I notice that there is pretty much NO difference between when I exercise and eat carefully... and when I don't. I don't quite get it. If calories can be counted so precisely, why are they not making a damn difference?

 

I am now tempted to just content myself with my 'happy weight' at the moment. I just don't like that damn tummy STARING at me when I sit down!

 

I'm pretty much the exact same as you here, except I'm 5'2". The weight I fluctuate between is the same as yours (except I go by 52-54kg, rather than lbs), and my goal is the same as yours at 50kg.

 

I also find that when I try and be healthier (that is, eat a bit better, and exercise), I have the same result than if I were to just gorge out on junk food and do no exercise at all. I discovered this when I totally pigged out pretty much the whole of December for Christmas, and when I jumped on the scales today expecting changes, I discovered I was still 52kg as usual. I decided I was going to take advantage of this, and just eat all the junk I want for a bit, haha.

[GrayClouds]

Im female, small frame, 5'3" and I weigh 130 - 135. I'd love to lose 10-15 lbs... How long should I be expecting this to take?

 

Everytime in the past I feel as though Ive done everything right, eat well, exercise blah blah blah, and months later, I seem to see no change. Its quite discouraging.

 

Do you think that bodies have a pre-determined "happy body weight?"

 

"happy body weight"...yes it is the equal the point where energy consumed = energy expended. If you cut calorie intake by 500 cal. a day you will lose you weight in 2-3 months. Add 45 min of walking 5 days a week and it should happen a little faster. People usually compensate for calories burned with exercise by moving less or eating more so it is important to be aware of you intake.

Edited January 7, 2011 by GrayClouds

[sully737]

there is pretty much NO difference between when I exercise and eat carefully... and when I don't. I don't quite get it. If calories can be counted so precisely, why are they not making a damn difference?

 

Exactly! This is why I get discouraged! I mean, like I said I would like to lose about 10 lbs, but try as I may, they dont seem to go anywhere!

 

At 26, Im more or less the same size as I was in high school, I even still have CLOTHES that I wear from high school... Its not that I gain weight when Im not counting calories, but I also dont lose any when I am.

 

Right now Im on a 1350 calorie diet. Its been about a week.

 

Heres hoping.

[GrayClouds]

Exactly! This is why I get discouraged! I mean, like I said I would like to lose about 10 lbs, but try as I may, they dont seem to go anywhere!

 

At 26, Im more or less the same size as I was in high school, I even still have CLOTHES that I wear from high school... Its not that I gain weight when Im not counting calories, but I also dont lose any when I am.

 

Right now Im on a 1350 calorie diet. Its been about a week.

 

Heres hoping.

 

Depending on how much exercise your doing that maybe too low to achieve your goal.

[Els]

The hell. I measured myself today at 54kg. Then, just for the heck of it, I measured myself again after a nice long pee. I lost 0.5kg. o.O

 

I'm used to losing 1-2 kgs each time I take a crap, but this is quite new to me. Did I really have 500ml(g) of water in my bladder? Lol.