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Hi there. Was wondering how to safely lose weight by May of next yr. I don't want to over do it but my Dr wants me to lose the weight. Does anyone have any ideas?

Divine Zealot

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend losing half that weight in the time frame you allotted. Fast weight loss is undoubtedly possible, however the process is far from pleasant. The only way I can see that much weight being taken off in that time would be an incredibly low calorie intake, which isn't healthy.

Ditch the time frame. Honestly, I'd end up making this process take upwards of 1.5 - 3 years.
I can see where u are coming from. But my dr wants me to lose 80 lbs within a yr and I haven't lost that much at all expect 15lbs since the diet he put me on and that is a low-carb diet

Divine Zealot

Dafaithfulone
I can see where u are coming from. But my dr wants me to lose 80 lbs within a yr and I haven't lost that much at all expect 15lbs since the diet he put me on and that is a low-carb diet

I see no reason to go on low-carb dieting. (For more, see my replies on the threads here and here.) Low carbing is a fad, and hopefully will be phased out soon.

If your doctor is expecting, and encouraging, you to lose weight that quickly, I would suggest another doctor. If you're overweight now, then surely, you can lose a fair bit of weight quite quickly at the start, but as you lose weight, your metabolism lowers, which requires you to either eat less, or work out harder to maintain that level of loss.
A safe rate to lose weight at is roughly 2 lbs a week. Your doctor should know that and if he doesn't I recommend getting a new doctor.

Too safely lose weight you first of all need a diet that you can stick too. I personally adhere to the Paleo diet because the rules are simple. However, it is a very difficult diet to follow since so much of it removes very common elements from our lives, such as bread and cheese. You diet will be key in this though. What is your diet like now? You said "low-carb" that generally just means avoiding carbs... but I have found that most people still make unhealthy choice with that diet because they are keeping their carbs low. Most traditional beginner weight loss diets are lean meats and non-fat sides. One thing I did when I first started weight loss was replacing all my dairy with either almond milk or coconut milk. A bit sugary, but not as fattening as regular milk. That is a small start, but I cannot really help you if you do not tell me what kind of food you are eating. Also, if you consume alcohol STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!! Alcohol is chalk full of empty calories.

Next you need a strict workout regiment. For beginners, I recommend at least 3 days a week of working out if not 4. Your workout should include lifting weights and cardio a like. I would say start out just lifting weights and build some muscle, do not worry you will not bulk out. More muscle means you burn more calories just sitting around. Then I would do high intensity interval training to help burn extra calories. Do not workout more than 6 days a week otherwise you will do more damage than good to your body.

I would highly recommend that you get a better method for tracking health. I always recommend using body fat percentage as your main health tracking tool. That will give you a better idea of how healthy you are. Low fat and high muscle are a good thing. I am sure your doctor can help you get that kind of testing on your health insurance.

Last of all be prepared for those you call friends and family to become your worst enemies. I am not joking about this either. Friends, co-workers, family members, significant others are going to be your number one source of temptation. In the beginning they will be very supportive. However, once they feel the novelty has worn off they will try to get you to break your diet. Then when you don't break your diet you will be the one who ruins outings. You have to stand fast and strong before them. Do not lose that dedication and you will be just fine.

I am not sure what else I can tell you without more information from you.

Divine Zealot

XenoReiji
A safe rate to lose weight at is roughly 2 lbs a week. Your doctor should know that and if he doesn't I recommend getting a new doctor.

A 1000 calorie deficit is intense, especially for a female. Even 500 can be too much for many, as that can end up taking out roughly a third of their caloric requirements. She's also somewhat on the short side, so her requirements for the weight she'd end up at wouldn't be that high either.

Doctors are not trained in nutrition. Most doctors won't know these things.

Quote:
Too safely lose weight you first of all need a diet that you can stick too. I personally adhere to the Paleo diet because the rules are simple. However, it is a very difficult diet to follow since so much of it removes very common elements from our lives, such as bread and cheese.

Look into Mark Sisson's variation of paleo called "Primal." It allows dairy products to be consumed provided you don't have any problems with it. (Some however, have suggested methods of overcoming lactose intolerance.) However, I find his comments on low-carbing it, in general, to be inherently false, as it lays claim to the idea that carb consumption = fat gain.

Quote:
Next you need a strict workout regiment. For beginners, I recommend at least 3 days a week of working out if not 4. Your workout should include lifting weights and cardio a like. I would say start out just lifting weights and build some muscle, do not worry you will not bulk out.

Agreed. Bulking won't happen on a female without drugs in most cases.

Quote:
More muscle means you burn more calories just sitting around. Then I would do high intensity interval training to help burn extra calories. Do not workout more than 6 days a week otherwise you will do more damage than good to your body.

Assuming she were to drop those 80 lbs of overall weight (Let's assume 60 lbs of fat roughly for the sake of easy math) and she were to tack on another 20 lbs of muscle, the overall benefit calorie wise would be roughly 0 change in basal metabolic rate. Chances are however, that she may not put on that much muscle, and she may have more fat to lose, so overall, her TDEE would be roughly the same, if not lower then than it is now.

Quote:
Last of all be prepared for those you call friends and family to become your worst enemies. I am not joking about this either. Friends, co-workers, family members, significant others are going to be your number one source of temptation. In the beginning they will be very supportive. However, once they feel the novelty has worn off they will try to get you to break your diet. Then when you don't break your diet you will be the one who ruins outings. You have to stand fast and strong before them. Do not lose that dedication and you will be just fine.

Seconding this. People are not keen on change, and if something that has been there "all the time" is being removed (in this case, your weight), they may react to it unknowingly.

Amateur Businessman

safely no.
Eat less, move more, pick up some heavy things.
I lost 115 lbs. since last January. everyone is different, I just changed a few eating habits and did more exercise and the weight fell off. I lost 50 lbs of it in the first few months. I didn't starve myself it's just my body took awhile to adjust.

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