Is it possible to lose 50 pounds in four to five months, if so what exercise should I do?

Question

I'm just ready for a change in my life.

Answer 1

Drink lots of water. I think its about 6-8 16 oz glasses of water, I could be wrong on that figure so look it up. Water as a purifying effect on the body and it will reduce water retention due to sodium.

Count calories (not as hard as it sounds, there are plenty of sites on the net that can help you) to stay under the 2000 calories a day mark. As long as the amount of calories you burn is more than the amount you consume, you will definitely lose weight. Also, try to limit your complex carbohydrate consumption (sugar, white bread)

Do excercise, 30 minutes of cardio at least three times a week and light weight training. More muscle, even a little, burns more calories a day.

Hit the sauna, a 10-20 minute session increases your heart rate 50-75%. This provides the same metabolic result as physical exercise and is the equivalent of going on a brisk walk.

Keep your metabolism up and burning calories by eating a light snack (fruit, salad, an egg, etc) every 4 hours. If you g any longer than 4 hours than your metabolism will slow down. If you plain just don't eat than your body will actually store more fat and it will be harder to lose.

...and of course, DON'T fall into bulemic/anorexic activities. THEY DON'T WORK. I don't know you so this is just a general warning b/c that s***'s out there. Dont fall for the fads either, if we could lose 10 lbs in a weekend doing the hollywood diet then I think everyone would do it.

Answer 2

It's possible...but it definitely won't be easy. A safe bet is to aim for losing 2 pounds per week. One pound of fat is the equivalent of 3500 calories, so you need to aim to have your body's daily needs exceed your caloric intake by 1000 calories a day. The easiest way to do this would be to exercise daily (e.g. walking uphill for 45 minutes) and to aim for a low calorie diet.

Exercise goals:

I'm guessing that if you think you need to lose 50 pounds, you probably haven't been doing much exercising. In this case, the ABSOLUTE WORST thing that you could do would be to try to immediately kill yourself working out. You'll get sore and discouraged. This will lead to skipping a day or two and the next thing you know it you're back to your old habits.

Start with a relatively light work out plan and focus on cutting your calories more from your diet in the beginning. Walking uphill on a treadmill at a moderate pace (e.g. 6% grade at 3.5mph) will burn about 250 calories over a 30 minute period. Once you get used to this, you can increase the grade, speed, time, or all of them. Really, the key is doing something that gets your heart pumping but is realistic enough that you will come back and do it tomorrow.

Also, the key to exercise is keeping it interesting. I personally use an ipod while I work out. I know others that like to read (I find it to distracting) or other people that listed to audio books. The trick is finding something that can keep your mind off the monotony of walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes. If you can walk outside, great, but I don't recommend this because you would probably have a tendency to slow down and not realize it.

Healthy Eating Goals

Again, if you are 50 pounds over weight, exercise alone is not going to cut it. You need to make some changes in your lifestyle...and this includes eating healthier. Your diet should consist of lean meats (e.g. chicken, turkey), fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains (e.g. whole wheat bread, brown rice), and skim dairy products (e.g. skim milk, low fat yogurt).

I would shoot for a caloric intake in the neighborhood of 1500 calories a day, spread out evenly over 5 meals. This will keep the hunger urges down and your glucose levels up.

If you find that you are really hungry, it may be an urge, but it might also be real hunger. Try these tricks to tell the difference:

(1) chew a piece of gum and drink some water
(2) drink a glass of skim milk
(3) have a diet soda

if you are still hungry and you are in between meals, have a piece of fruit, half of an energy bar, etc. The trick is just to make sure it is healthy.

Finally, one last VERY IMPORTANT note. I have struggled with weight issues in my past just as you are now. I know that often times a person will slip in their diet plan, get discouraged or feel guilty, and then end up falling off the wagon. This is the absolute worst thing that you can do. If you fall off the wagon, get back on. The healthiest type of weight loss is the type that lasts. 50 pounds in five months may be an ambitious goal, but would you be any less proud of yourself if you only lost 30 in that five months? I doubt it. You will look better, feel better, and you will know that you are on right path to hitting your goals. Good luck.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Hmm. Unless you're considerably overweight you can lose (healthily!) 1-2 pounds per week, putting you at 4-8 pounds lost per month and 20-40 pounds lost in five months. Losing 2 pounds per week consistently would probably be difficult because your body tends to "plateau"--that is, it adjusts to a certain calorie intake/exercise level and refuses to budge in weight until changes are made.

It is very difficult to lose 50 pounds by exercise alone, especially in that short time span. You'll need to concentrate on your eating -- replace refined grains for whole, cut down on sugar (including sodas), eat lean protein, drink lots of water.

For maximum weight loss (at least if you're just starting out), try to weight/resistance train 3-4 times a week and do some form of cardiovascular exercise (brisk walking, jogging, swimming, using the elliptical) for at least 30 minutes, 4 times a week. Even if the weight doesn't come off quickly, you'll feel much better.

Answer 5

It's more than just excercising, it's eating healthy too. First off, planning is everything. "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail". Eat about 5 or 6 small healthy meals or snacks everyday. Workout 4 or 5 times a week. Make sure you push yourself when you are working out. Don't do the same excercises.

You also need to think about the near future instead of the big picture. Think about losing 2 lbs every week. Before you know it, you will be shedding fat like crazy. Hope this helps you! Good luck and stay strong!!

Answer 6

Possible but not a good idea. You should plan to lose weight at the rate you gained it. Probably just a few lbs a month. Otherwise your own body will go into protect mode and fight you all the way.
Eat less, work out more. Be patient and lose it forever. Quick weight loss almost always leads to quick weight gain again.

Answer 7

Girl I feel you. It is possible but you have to be committed. Pick a diet that is realistic for you - whether it is Atkins, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, or whatever. It just has to be something you will stick with. Me and all of my friends are on a SERIOUS diet. We each do our own thing. We meet up once a week for a group workout at 24 hour fitness and on sundays we weigh-in at sunday dinner....

It isn't easy... but just think of how fly you will be this summer if you stick with it.

Answer 8

Running is best. Have you tried just eating less? You Americans are so obese and you are exporting your fatty diets and enormous portions all over the world.

Answer 9

It's possible.
Something that burns a lot of calories, like jogging or swimming

Good Luck

Answer 10

bicycling 10 miles a day 5 days a week,

drink tons of water so you do not die or over heating.