Need To Lose 20 Pounds By The End of September, Suggestions?

[Anonymous]

So, my sister is getting married in September and I got my bridesmaids dress a couple days ago. I'm a size 14. I'm horrified, never been this big in my life. I'm 5'3 and currently 175. I was 178 when I went and got the dress. My goal is to make sure that dress doesn't fit on her wedding day. I know, that sounds horrible because it will ruin her wedding, but I don't care, I want to be happy. What can I do to shed the pounds?

Currently, I cut out the entire bread group and rice. I'm only eating red meat maybe once or twice a week on days I do cardio. I'm doing cardio twice a week for 30-45 minutes after 45 minutes of weight lifting.

[ichot]

You need to be extremely strict with diet. Exercise helps but diet is key. There's no point in exercising if you're treating yourself to a Starbucks drink every morning.

1. Save desserts for celebrations and NEVER for rewarding yourself. That'll save you of a couple thousand unnecessary calories every week.

2. Cut all sweet drinks. Live off water. Invest in a multi-stage water filter and stop buying bottled water.

"I'm doing cardio"
-I hope it isn't the pissy 'cardio' that I see 100% of women doing. Keep your heart rate up... It's not difficult to determine your heart rate either, you don't need a 300 dollar fitness tracker. in my opinion If you aren't drenched in sweat doing half an hour of cardio, you aren't doing cardio.

"currently 175. I was 178"
I hope you aren't trying to make any point with this. Quit fussing about a single pound, you aren't a fighter trying to get to a weightclass. Manage your weight within a range... If you can't figure out how to do such a thing I don't know what to say.

[Asker]

Uh, well, first single = 1 whereas 178-175 = 3, which, last I checked, is not a single pound... just saying, don't criticize women with the word 'pissy' if you're going to get pissy and not do proper math lol. Losing 3 pounds in less than a week, even though it's most likely just water weight, is a sign that you made a significant change somewhere in your diet. What matters now is making sure the diet sticks, but it's nice knowing I'm on the right track.

Also, I don't know what you mean by pissy cardio. I don't have a fitness tracker, but I did play soccer for 16 years and ran track for two, so I try to make sure my heart feels like it did back then. My trainer told me if I'm not breaking a sweat, then I'm not doing it right, which I kinda figured, but whatever lol. I'm still trying to figure out when I'm burning muscle vs. fat, though, that's pretty hard.

I do the water thing, already, I probably should've said that. But what's wrong with bottled water? Just curious.

[ichot]

"Uh, well, first single = 1 whereas 178-175 = 3"
/facepalm. You clearly didn't get the jist of the message being so focused on your (whoopdee doo) 3 pounds. Kind of why I wanted to point it out in the first place because you seemed like the type of person that cares about these insignificant figures.

"Losing 3 pounds in less than a week, even though it's most likely just water weight, is a sign that you made a significant change somewhere in your diet."
Please re-read your statement. I can lose 3,5-10 pounds in a single day and HAVE done so, such weightloss does not in any way require a diet change... You're making hasty conclusions. Try to figure this statement out..."Manage your weight within a range" or ask your personal trainer about it.

[ichot]

Pissy cardio? You go to a gym, look around. The threadmills and especially the sit down ellipticals. There's always going to be an ignorant fool thinking any level of effort will count as exercise. More often than not, these kinds of people complain exercise doesn't work and 'weightloss is difficult'.

[ichot]

"But what's wrong with bottled water? Just curious. "
1. It's a waste of money. The water filter will pay itself back in a year or less.
2. Bottled water is more often than not just tap water. It tastes like tap water and it's noticeably different compared to a proper filtered water.
3. You're contributing to plastic waste.

[orphan]

max of 50g of non fiber carbs a day. drink only water. 30-45 min of cardio a day (spin class).

good luck, chances are you won't stay consistent.

[Asker]

Why would I not?

[orphan]

it's easy to workout when you feel like it.

it's the days you don't that test your will.

[Asker]

I work out on the days that I don't feel like it. I have a personal trainer. I stopped for a bit because of a medical issue, but I want to make sure I'm doing it right on my own.

[orphan]

goes for food choices as well.. for example.. cutting out the rice group would be good if you made the exception for brown rice.

diet is the toughest part.. but it's essential... the exercising isn't.

[Asker]

I just don't like rice. I never really ate it, anyway.

And the diet is what I'm scared of. I'm a big junk food eater, but I've been cooking from home for the past 3 weeks so I'm not craving the fast food anymore. I cut out everything but water for over a month, too. I had a pop last week because I was getting car sick but I didn't even drink half of it. It was gross. And this is coming from someone who went through a 2 liter of Coke every day.

[Smmyskittles]

Cut junk food down to once a week, for one meal. Fatty foods as well.

Incorporate chicken, fish, eggs, veggies, and fruits into your diet. Make them a majority and make sure to get different kinds.

Avoid any sugary foods or sugar pop/juice, etc.

Drink water if you find yourself hungry after eating. & Pack small snacks for in-between meal times.

[Asker]

I'm already doing this so that makes me feel better knowing I'm going the right direction, though I noticed that my appetite is pretty much gone since I've started changing my diet.

[Smmyskittles]

Decreased appetite? Huh, it's the opposite for me.

Also, don't eat late at night. Alcoholic drinks should only be once a month [if you can, cut them out entirely] and no more than just one or two.

Keep up the good work! :]

[Mommyof_3]

Just watch your calories that's all! Your weight will come off fast as heck !