Getting in Shape

20 Lbs in 2 months. Possible?

Hello all!
I'm getting married Sept 2014. We just got engaged at the beginning of November. I had joined WW in January of last year and lost 20 lbs. It wasn't hard or anything. Since then I have changed job shifts and we moved. Things have been harder so I don't think WW will work as easily for my weird hours. We are going to wedding dress shop February 8th and 9th. I may not find the one I know that. Just trying to get back down to the size I was when my FI and I first met (138). I'm currently 157 so about 20lbs to go. I have started trying to eat better and I have ran a couple times to get things going. However, my biggest issue I'm running into is my weird hours. I work 3p-11:30p. I get up at 9a every morning and have breakfast, then a lunch right before work, my work lunch at 5:30, and then when I get home around midnight I'm hungry again. This quickly leads to over eating. What can I do to avoid this?
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Re: 20 Lbs in 2 months. Possible?

  • 1. Try waking up a little later or earlier depending on what might work best for you.
    2. At 5:30 instead of having a meal, maybe have a snack such as yogurt or pretzles. I work 2 - 10 so I usually eat a snack instead of a meal at work. I love the Dannon Greek yogurt. It's a alot more filling than other yogurts I have tried. 
    3. Do the opposite of #2. Eat a meal at work but a snack when you get home.

    Also, what are you eating for breakfast? Sometimes changing what you eat for breakfast can make it easier to eat a snack at work and therefore cuts down on the over eating since you eat again when you get home. 
  • Typically I'll do an english muffin with peanut butter and honey, or special k cereal (love the cinnamon almond and chocolatey delight!), or something like eggs but normally its the other two. 

    The big issue I'm hitting now is I had lost down to 150 but then we went on vacation and decided we would do as we pleased. I gained back up to 158 in a week. Luckily, no more vacations lie between now and the honeymoon. I tend to eat pretty good at work but we throw LOTS of parties for birthdays, holidays, random ones and it's hard not to eat the junk. We had bbq chicken, hushpuppies, baked beans, and red velvet cheesecake for our Christmas dinner on Tuesday. I keep forgetting my way and eating more than I should.
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  • Since you had success with WW, I would go back to that (a similar, free option is MyFitnessPal).  You don't have to attend WW meetings to participate - they have an online subscription option as well.  I lost 85 lbs using their online tools.  My goal was 100, I quit WW a few months ago to save money and gained back 13, so I have about 25-ish to lose before the end of March when I'm going to need to take my dress in for alterations!  I'm going to try MyFitnessPal this time around.  Best of luck to you!
  • I think 20lbs before Feb 8th/9th is a little on the aggressive side - it's really 1 1/2 months away or about 7 weeks away.  If you lost an average of 2 lbs a week that would still only be 14lbs.  I'm only saying this because I don't want you to set yourself up for failure - keep in mind that Christmas and New Years are both in there.  I don't want to be negative Nancy, but I just don't want to see you set yourself up for failure as that can cause another setback for some people.

    As far as WW goes, I believe you can still use their forums/community without being a WW member.  So you can get the support there.  Also there is MyFitnessPal as mentioned before - MyFitnessPal is basically calorie counting instead of doing the calculated WW point system.


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  • Try meal prepping for the week over the weekend. I know it's not easy, but I have friends who get their Rubbermaid containers and section their food up for the week ahead, (I'm still trying to make more than 2 days at a time). Also you want to be healthy. I know a few people who do the Herbal Life Shakes or the Body by Vi shakes, along with those they do have a healthy dinner. A 'clean' meal with lots of protein and portioned correctly. Good Luck

  • Also, don't try to lose weight just for dress fitting, get the size you are now. it's easy to get it taken in when you lose weight. It's just a fitting not the final product. Be healthy with the weight loss.

  • I'm being healthy trust me. I'm just trying to find ways to eat better during the holidays and those types of situations. I'm trying to do special k for breakfast, a protein bar for lunch, and then maybe a chicken salad for dinner sort of thing. It's easy to stick to during the week but once it's the weekend my fiancé wants to go out and enjoy our time together so we end up eating bad things. I also just don't want to try and get it where I am now. I know 20 lbs is a lot to aim for but I do want to just lose until that date even if it isn't 20 lbs. I don't want to pay a fortune for multiple alterations in the long run. I lost 50 lbs a few years ago just by watching my diet and exercising but when my fiancé got home from Iraq we went nuts and it was replaced.

    I went from a size 14 to a size 4 in that loss time so my body really loses the inches. I have no hips and gain love handles so I do want to get something that will look good even after I lose the weight. Thats why I want to be closer to that then not. If I put on something where I am now I may not get it because it shows parts that show more when I weigh this much where as when I'm down to my 138 size 4 I can wear just about anything and feel amazing in it.
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  • Your wedding's in September. It's difficult to lose weight as fast as you're talking without regaining it almost as quickly. I'm no dietician, but I would suggest upping your protein intake and adding in some form of strength training--building muscle tone will slim you down, even if the scale doesn't move much. If you can afford a gym, try one that offers 24-hour access. In February, buy a dress that fits you then. If you lose enough weight to need alterations before the wedding, congrats and just budget a little extra money and time for that possibility. Good luck!
  • On the overeating thing--maybe try a light snack instead of full lunch before work? Or pack a few small snack items for work (veggies, apples, nuts, boiled eggs, etc)?
  • I'm very similar to you. My ideal weight is about 140 (size 4), and I'm rocking about 152 (size 6/8) right now. I bought my dress at 157 (a bridal 10/street 8). I bought a custom sizing/alteration package that would let me change the dress up to 2 sizes without an additional fee. I'd like to be between 140 and 145 for my late June wedding with a first fitting at the begining of May. My goal for the holidays was to just make it through without GAINING weight. Then try to go for 3-4 lbs/month until May.

    I find the best way to keep from over eating is to add in a ton of veggies. They are filling for low cals. I wake up at 6 am, eat breakfast by 7:30. Lunch is around 11. Dinner at 5:30 b/c I'm hungry as soon as I finish my after work workout. Then I'll often get hungry around 8 or 9 again. If this happens I'll cook up some extra veggies (love wilted spinach and roast kale chips with some salt and pepper and a touch of olive oil). I'll do this at work too. I pack snap peas and celery sticks to snack on. Yogurt and eggs are also my staples that keep me full.

  • Nix the special k for breakfast.  It's all refined carbs.  Will not make you feel satisfied for more than an hour, will spike your blood sugar making you more hungry later.  You need to have some lean protein and complex carbs with your breakfast.  Think egg whites and a whole wheat english muffin.  Also watch liquid calories--no sodas, juices, sugary espresso-based drinks.  Switch to drip coffee with skim milk or green tea.  Flavored seltzer instead of sugary drinks.  No alcohol--it's all empty calories.  Also some protein bars are not much better than candy bars.  You need to read the label and make sure it is low glycemic so it doesn't cause a blood sugar spike.
  • Yeah I'm good on the liquids. I do drink oolong tea every morning and occasionally coffee. I never drink sodas or anything except water literally. We keep gallons of drinking water on the counter and that's all I drink.

    I am bad about leaning on the bars for my quick meals at work and sometimes breakfast when feeling lazy. I used to cook a lot more but it got easier and less costly to do the bars. Plus, I like to do bacon and sausage and pancakes which are SOOO good but also not healthy. I will work on incorporating more veggies. I eat lots of fruits (apples, bananas, and grapes typically) but hardly any veggies ever.

    I would love more suggestions on veggie snacks and the like!
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  • Fruit will have a smililar effect to the Special K, like @CrazyCatLady3 mentioned. While it has nutrients, it doesn't keep you super full. If you like the sweet flavor, non-green veggies will work great. Red bell pepper slices and carrot sticks will do the trick, and snap peas are green but also have sweetness. If you like hummus, any of these options dipped in hummus will keep you full all afternoon. Hummus is medium calorie, but has a lot of protein, so a reasonable portion will keep you full, so don't over do. I find salads to be dangerous b/c so much other crap gets loaded on that it defeats the purpose of the salad.

    If you really love fruit, don't nix it, but search for the best bang for your buck fruits. Berries are amazing. They are on the lower sugar side and have a ton of antioxidants. Even better, berries on top of greek yogurt will give you a sweet kick with a protein punch. As I write this, I'm eating greek yogurt with blackberries, yum. Pomegranate is pretty great too.

    It really sounds like you are eating too many refined carbs. Carbs aren't the enemy, you just need to pick the best ones! Veggies, some fruit, and whole grains. The refined carbs digest so quickly that it leaves your belly wanting more. Get some protein into each snack/meal to stay fuller longer.

  • Yeah. I went grocery shopping this morning and bought sweet potatoes, salad bags (just romaine lettuce and spinach). I got a light vinaigrette for that. I don't add cheese and bacon and junk like that to a salad because your right it defeats the entire purpose.

    I do like hummus alright just normally with crackers. I found some good recipes with mostly veggies and chicken that I'd like to try that don't have fattening ingredients.

    I can honestly say I'm awful with food. I love Italian and dessert so my favorites are the most high in carbs and sugar. I was in Charleston week before last and ate whatever I pleased because it was vacation and I gained 8 lbs that week. So I know I have to be careful with my food. I have to stop and think before eating which I normally don't do.

    I did join myfitnesspal and started tracking on there. I had the app already just never used it because I was on WW at the time.
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  • You might also want to look into daily burn…it doesn't just measure calories, if gives you a break down of your proteins, carbs, fiber, etc. and lets you know if you're going over or eating too little of any specific things.  
  • I work rotating shifts at a hospital and Shakeology really helps me.  My problem is not having time to eat, and it's a really easy meal that keeps you full.  
  • Oooh great ideas ya'll. I do have the Body by Vi mix I've had for a year or so but I just couldn't get used to it. I have time to eat it's just the wanting to eat so many times a day. I may start just doing a shake right before work so that it fills me up but doesn't add on alllll those calories.
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  • Something that you might also do is try eating fruits around lunch or your "work lunch" time. Don't eat them first thing in the morning. While fruits do help to boost your metabolism, they also tend to increase hunger cravings. Between fruit snacks you can always enjoy a cup of tea. (The less sugar the better!) Tea naturally suppresses the appetite and helps avoid those terrible cravings! (To be kinder to your teeth, adding just a splash of milk keeps the tea from leaving stains.)
  • Absolutely! I started a new clean eating diet as well as working out 45 mins 5x a week. Two weeks in and I've already lost 6 pounds. My FH is a nurse and he ensures me this is totally healthy because of all the amazing food choices I've been making and my work outs even that strenuous. I just do pilates and indoor walking workouts. 


  • I have been doing better. I've lost about 7 lbs since restarting on Weight Watchers. I hadn't planned to rejoin due to their poor customer service in the past but it DOES work so I did it regardless. So far so good. Didn't do well today. We had our cake tasting and then went to the Melting Pot for Restaurant Week in Charlotte so now I feel awful physically and mentally. So the rest of the week is salads and chicken! Woohoo!
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