70 days away…… help

I think it would be quite hard, but depends what you're currently eating and how you're currently exercising. I would likewise prefer to lose that amount and my wedding is also that many days away, and honestly, with the amount I eat currently and how much I exercise... I don't think it's possible *for me*. But it depends how severe you're prepared to be with yourself!

I eat really well during the week and only have alcohol or takeout on the weekends. I know those treats I have on the weekends are what makes it difficult for me to lose the last little bit of weight I want, but I also don't really want to make the sacrifice I'd need to in order to do so. It would just be too depressing to live that way, even if it was only for 70 days.

Depending on your current weight and lifestyle adjustments, it will be difficult but not impossible. That said, it’s most important to do this the healthiest way possible. I recommend looking into the Whole 30 diet - it’s 30 days quite extreme cuts but no caloric limitation just cutting a lot of sugar/processed food. On a much less extreme note, cut out drinking anything except for water and black coffee. No drinking calories. No artificial sweetener. Water and coffee. Also - exercise!! Not just a bunch of cardio. Do push-ups and sit-ups every single night. It isn’t only losing weight - gaining muscle will help you look leaner and feel confident. Push-ups, sit-ups, planks during commercials at night and set goals and improve.

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Yes, this is what I mean! I've already done all those things, so there's not much more I can cut. If you have those things you can just cold turkey give up (which would be really, really hard, for sure!) then you've got a much higher likelihood of being able to achieve it. If you're already down to the bare bones calorie and exercise wise, there's not so much you can do.

Why do you "need" to drop 10-15 pounds to feel confident? If you put your energy into loving yourself and your body, treating yourself with kindness and compassion, and allowing yourself to be excited about GETTING MARRIED, you might find your confidence skyrockets in 70 days.

View Quoted Comment I have been working so hard this last year and covid crap set me back a little but not terrible I hit the gym with a trainer 4 to 5 times a week and he is brutal

View Quoted Comment Maybe I used the wrong wording I dunno. I am beyond excited for getting married I just want to shed a few lol

The generally acceptable amount of weight to lose per week is 0.5-2 lbs. I've been on a weight loss/health/fitness journey for a little over a year now, and I would say at my most dedicated (~24% calorie deficit, >10,000 steps a day, moderate cardio workouts 2-4 x a week) I was losing about 1.25 lbs a week. With your timeline, it is certainly possible to lose that much, but it may not be enjoyable or sustainable. To lose weight you must be in a caloric deficit, so you'll need to figure out your maintenance calories and then create a 10-20% deficit from there. I would also recommend weight training! It is so underrated as a weight-loss tool, as many believe cardio burns more calories. But for me, it is much more enjoyable and when it comes to calories burned over time, it is way more than cardio. Plus, by gaining more muscle mass you are increasing the number of calories you burn at rest! If you need help with any of this, I'd be more than happy to help you out! I'm not a coach, but I have my Bachelor's in Exercise Science so I just really enjoy this stuff. I also have a few good Facebook group recommendations if you're interested in finding a community. Here is an accurate calculator for calculating your calories: https://tdeecalculator.net/

Hope you are able to reach your goals, no matter what they are!

Start whole30 60 days in. It will reset your body and you should see a drop in weight. Don’t plan to do whole30 within a month of your wedding day. Reintroducing foods and alcohol can make your stomach upset for the first couple of weeks after whole30. You need time to adjust.

I started doing the keto diet and limiting my carbs to under 50g a day. I by no means do this perfectly lol, I’ve actually only been doing it for a week so far. I walk frequently and do some ab workouts also. I didn’t realize just how many carbs and sugar I was putting into my body before, so just by significantly cutting back I already feel much better. It is super hard, but I’m down 3.8 pounds in a week, my wedding is in August 😊

View Quoted Comment It is definitely possible to drop 10, that's about 1 pound a week which is considered a comfortable rate of weight loss. 15 would be difficult and stressful. If you've already adjusted your movement and nutrition start looking at lifestyle and habits. So things like deep breathing before meals to lower cortisol levels to make you less likely to store fat. Practice eating slowly which will also lower cortisol levels but also help you digest more efficiently. Adopt a bedtime routine to help you recover better from your workouts. And start adding self-care like massages, bubble baths, meditation, etc. I know all of this probably sound frivolous and unrelated but the goal with all of this is to get your body functioning more optimally so that everything your doing with your nutrition and exercise becomes more effective.
**side note I'm a fitness, wellness and nutrition coach and these are the things that make a big different when my clients want to speed things up. That and just tweaking your workout program

View Quoted Comment Sorry I didn't mean to reply to your comment earlier. I was trying to just comment on the thread and accidentally tapped your comment

View Quoted Comment Haha no worries! I enjoyed reading your suggestions anyway, and plan on trying some of them

The general rule of thumb is about 1 pound per week is sustainable weight loss, so if you have 70 days left that means you can sustainably lose about 7 pounds. Losing more than that is absolutely possible, but it usually results in more drastic adjustments to your calorie intake and exercise levels, which typically are not sustainable long term.

Having said that, it all depends on where you start and what your goal is. If you have super unhealthy habits and are drastically overweight, improvements to diet and exercise might result in more like 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week at the beginning, and slower taper off as you reach a more ideal weight. If you have already been working on diet and exercise, 1-2 pounds a week is more likely, but as you get closer to a healthy weight those numbers tend to budge less even if you keep healthy habits.

Keep in mind stress is generally counterproductive to weight loss. So if you become too focused on the number on the scale, you may be doing more harm than good. Focus on healthy habits that sustain your body AND mind, like drinking plenty of water, avoiding excess sugar, eating plenty of fresh foods especially vegetables, getting adequate sleep, and moving your body throughout the day (as opposed to just doing a workout and then remaining sedentary for the rest of the day). If you find yourself getting stressed, remind yourself that 10-15 pounds makes absolutely zero difference in your self-worth.

One quick note (since there are so many great suggestions above)--take note of the difference between losing pounds and losing inches! I did a 6 week fitness/nutrition challenge and lost 6.8% body fat, but only lost 5 pounds. HOWEVER, my clothes fit better and I can tell certain parts of my body are more defined--muscle takes up less "space" than fat. So you may not be losing the number of pounds that you want, but you might be losing inches!