20kg in 6months

[Lorriedave]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum. I'm 78kg and 1.65m tall, and need to lose 20kg in the next 6 months. Any ideas, advice? I have an elliptical cross trainer and hope to exercise for 1hr everyday. Would that be enough to achieve my goal?

[Lorriedave]

Thanks Concerned. Will look into adjusting my diet too.

[Thistle72]

Hi Concerned, I've started the plan this week but like Lorriedave I exercise through running and spinning but don't seem to be losing weight. I've been watching what I'm eating but maybe not enough. What would you suggest as a rough guide? Any ideas?

[gingernut49 in reply to Thistle72]

youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A(Not working as expected?) - and use the MyFitnessPal app to count calories.

[gingernut49]

You won't lose weight just by exercising - you need to control the calories you take in. I lost 20 kg in six months by following the 5:2 Diet. This is based on an excellent BBC Horizon programme that aired in August 2012 called "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" vimeo.com/54089463 and then subsequently Kate Harrison's book "The 5:2 Diet". This little video will give you the basic idea youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A(Not working as expected?) and you're only 'dieting' two days a week. I found the MyFitnessPal app indispensable.

There is also an excellent Facebook group with the same name if you need motivation. I had lost the weight I needed to by April last year and have maintained since then by just 'fasting' (500 calories) once a week for the health benefits. With any other diet I would have put it all back on again by now, but 5:2 is a way of life rather than a diet.

Exercise is obviously important too, but don't eat the exercise calories you burn. I started the NHS Couch to 5k running programme in January 2013 and I still run three times a week and I try to walk around five miles every day.

[GoogleMe]

Is an hour a day on the cross trainer (ie indoors) something you are looking forward to? Will you enjoy it? Are you doing it already, given that you have the kit? Do you have other more varied and outdoor options to include that would increase your activity level and provide other benefits (eg you won't do anything about your Vitamin D levels indoors) It's not about what you hope but about what you will actually do in practice long term.

Is there any particular reason you 'need' to be 20kgs in 6 months? Offhand it looks to me as though you may be aiming for the bottom of your BMI range - is that what suits your frame? I know it wouldn't be right for me. I'm back to the deemed 'healthy' range and feel I have perhaps another 10kgs to go for full trimness but the lower reaches of the range wouldn't be right for me.

[Thistle72]

Thanks Concerned and gingernut49, the more I read on this forum the more I learn. Thanks so much, hopefully this will aid the weight loss.

[ivlyndy]

I have lost 33 lbs since last November and I last weighed myself the last Friday in March - I'm due to weigh again on Friday 25th (last Friday in each month) I am 5'7" and I have given up white bread, rice, pasta, pastry, biscuits and processed food. I read about the bad effects of sugar and have done all I can to stop it. I power walk/jog 3/4 x 60 minutes each week and I need to reach 11 st 6 lbs to be healthy. I haven't felt deprived and still have red wine as a treat occasionally. I've never felt better

[Thistle72]

Hi Ivlyndy, that's great, well done!!! Its a lifestyle change and looks like one you can maintain without feeling like your going without. I do eat a lot of pasta and rice, what would you have with Spaghetti Bol or curry? It would help me in my plight knowing what you would suggest as an alternative to rice and pasta?

[albionjen in reply to Thistle72]

You can buy whole grain pasta or brown rice if you are trying to switch away from white starches.

I actually think whole wheat pasta tastes better when you have a strong sauce like spaghetti Bol. Although I still have white rice as it tastes better than brown and cooks quicker

It is more important for people with diabetes/blood sugar problems to limit the white starches. If you don't have those problems then you can still eat white rice and pasta, just keep the serving size under control.

[Nysrine]

Hi, definitely yes if you do that everyday , I done it the past and achieved the result in just 3 months and 1 week, good luck

[albionjen]

Are you sure you need to lose 20kg? That would make you 58kg which is a healthy weight, but you may find you are happy before losing so much. For example, I'm 5cm shorter than you and weigh about 61kg. At this weight I am a size 10, which I think is a nice size for me. I'm only planning to lose 1kg more and I am already more or less happy with my shape and fitness levels.

In answer to your question, in order to lose weight you just have to take in less calories than you burn. 500kcal under each day equals about 0.5kg loss per week. You can create the deficit by cutting intake of food or increasing activity levels or both combined. Keep track of calories and you should start seeing your weight go down.

1hr on the elliptical every day is not necessary, but if you enjoy it feel free to carry on. I would suggest having a rest day perhaps once a week if you are really pushing it when you exercise. Over doing it can make you prone to injury and then you won't be able to work out at all! Try to add in some strength building activities as well, which will help maintain your muscle as you lose weight. Could be yoga, gardening, lifting weights, press ups. Pick something you like and think you can keep doing after you've lost the weight.

Welcome to the forum!

[Thistle72]

Thanks albionjen, that's good advice. I'm learning new things all the time on this forum which really motivates you to carry on. Thanks

[Windswept1]

nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/...

I lost 22 lb by following the advice on the above site. I still eat a range of food but now portion control, especially with rice, pasta etc by weighing it. Using smaller plates helps psychologically as well. I find that planning my meals and not getting too hungry is the key for me. I also recommend couch to 5k which has dramatically improved my fitness.

[Lorriedave]

Thanks all. Started the c25k plan last week. Great so far. Will look into all you advised.

[Lamb0450]

I'm interested... did you do the 20kg in 6 months?