[wackymb]

Hi, I was wanting to know how long it would take me to lose any where around 40 to 50 pounds. I've got as little as 4 months to lose it. What type of exercises should I do and for how long? And if it is possible. Me and my husband and son are going to Arizona to visit my in-laws and I would love to lose weight so I could actually have fun and swim in their pool without having to wear a t-shirt and shorts. Please any advise will help me so much. Thank you for your time. Have a great weekend.

[ISneezeFunny]

Wow. 40 lbs in 4 months... that's about 10 lbs in a month.

Not only is that ridiculously difficult to achieve, it's also unhealthy. Your more likely goal is anywhere from 5 - 8 lbs a month... so about 20 - 30 lbs is reasonable. This doesn't mean that it'll be easy either. In the past 2 months, I've lost about 12 lbs... and that was... very difficult.

First, got to make sure you're overall healthy so you can start a diet/exercise regimen.

Second, cut sodas, chips, chocolate, snacks, etc. from your daily diet. Replace sodas with water and replace all snacks with fruits + veggies.

Eat sensible and healthy meals... eat small portions and eat more often. I usually eat every 3 hours... not entire meals, but more like...

8am breakfast - bowl of cereal with skim milk
10am - apple or banana
12pm - salad or sandwich (and a sensible sandwich... not a footlong sub or a double cheeseburger)
3pm - protein bar or fruit or yogurt
6pm - grilled chicken/fish with steamed veggies and/or rice (again, sensible)
9pm - protein shake after a workout
Midnight snack (I'm a college student) - fruit or bowl of cereal

Also, add a small exercise routine about 3 times a week... this includes anywhere from walking 45 minutes outside (great way to take a dog for a walk... or grab a friend/husband/son and just have a nice chat... ) to jogging 30 - 40 minutes.

It's really difficult to get into this really fast and quickly, as people usually get overwhelmed within a week or so... so try to ease into it. Start by exercising once a week, say, on a weekend when you have time. Great time to go for a walk is usually after dinner on a Saturday evening at the park.

Also, don't dive into changing your diet head on. Start by getting rid of your snacks and replacing them with fruits, veggies, and yogurt. Then start replacing a dinner with grilled chicken/steamed veggies. Then take it from there.

Let us know of your progress and good luck!

[lovelesspa]

I would give just about the same advice as ISneezefunny. Losing 2-3 pounds max per week, is a more realistic goal, and your then more likely to keep it off long term, as long as you stick to what your doing, and make these changes a permanent thing in your life. You have to try and reduce, fats, sodium, sugar consumption, foremost. No fatty or fired foods, no snack foods, like chips, cakes and cookies, as well as presweetened drinks like soda, if it have high fructose corn syrup in it do't consume it, Sugar is the number one source of calories and weight gain. So drink lots of water instead. And make sure to include Low fat dairy line 1% or skim milk, low fat yogurt and low fat Hard cheese at least 3 servings a day, and the reason is, dairy will help you lose more body fat and weight, Calcium regulates energy, metabolism, which increase fat breakdown and decrease body fat. When you eat low fat dairy products your increasing fat breakdown in fat cells. The more calcium stored in fat cells the more calories your body will burn. A serving is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, and 1 1/2 oz. of hard cheese, (cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, parmesan, ricotta or cottage cheese). A good way to look at what you should eat would be roughly 6 oz. of whole grains (cereals, rice, pasta, bread). And whole grain products like cereals, rice , pasta and breads, instead of white flour products. 2.5 c veggies, 1.5 c fruits. 3 cups low fat dairy, and about 6 Oz, of meat/beans, this for a caloric intake of roughly 1600 calories, If you incorporate, lean meats, like skinless chicken, turkey, fish, loin type meats, (3 Oz.) with fruits, veggies, you should be losing weight shortly. Along with a regular exercise program, I would say more like 4-5 times a week 30-60 minutes, of aerobics, running, walking, biking, dancing, but something that makes you work. Just make small changes, when your cutting your favorite foods out, smaller portions of healthy foods and exercise, that's the way to do it. Don't get caught up on weighing yourself all the time, or counting exact calories, just be aware of portion sizes and the quality of what your putting into your body. Read nutritional labels and stick to one serving portions of the foods your eating.

[Fashionista55]

Just start exercising and go on a very strict diet, cut out sugar and sodium. You have to ask yourself what's more important- the food or your body? Unless your committed I say it's not impossible.

[kp2171]

You've been given some good advice already.

Some of the first diet changes you can do easily, without big lifestyle changes or changes in cooking are portion control, rate of food intake, and portion types.

The "use a smaller plate" method, especially at dinner, can be effective in making you take a little less food. Eating slower helps. And eating a greater portion of veggies and fruits at dinner, with fruit as the replacement for dessert, can help. You'd be shocked, in two weeks of portion control, at how your body responds. That second helping will not be missed. That big first helping will leave you feeling bloated. Give it two weeks and you'll likely see how much excess food you were probably eating.

But you need to fuel your body as well, especially if you are excercising. Your body responds to starvation by decreasing your caloric needs... meaning you won't lose much weight, if you do drop fast you'll feel terrible, and you'll likely give up or gain it all, and more, back. So don't go without food... go with better choices.

And, as mentioned, diet alone won't get you there. You need to exercise. Walk. Go to the library and get exercise dvds and see what sticks. Unless you move your body, you aren't going to lose this kind of weight. Get a planner and plan out your exercise routines. Your body gets used to the same routine over and over so its good to mix things up some. Walking one day. Weight another. Maybe tae bo, pilates, yoga a different day. Each of these does different things for your body, and will keep it guessing.

Don't forget to stretch a lot, don't forget to get good sleep, get a good pair of shoes for walking/running, and, if you can, get an exercise partner. If you don't have a gym membership you might consider this. I love the YMCA... its family friendly, you can use it when travelling, and if $ is an issue you can talk to them about fees. My understanding is that they are very willing to make a plan that will work for your budget. Asking is free.

You have a tough goal, one that might not be attainable in a healthy manner. Some people can shed lbs with work and you might be one of them. Some people can do all the right things and lose weight much slower.

So its nice to have a goal weight by a date... but even if you don't hit it perfectly, what if you were half way there? You'll be stronger, on your path to getting there, and you'll have the foundation for reaching that place where you'll be able to do all the things you want to do, whenever you want to do them.