The Student Room Group

Weight loss help!

Posting anon coz a few of my friends come on here and I dont want them to know what I'm doing!

I have a big prize-giving event thing coming up at the beginning of January and I really want to look my best for it. Id like to lose a bit of weight. How much can I realistically expect to lose by then if I start a calorie controlled diet now? I am 5'2 and just under 8 stone at the moment, and I'd prefer to lose about a stone by then.

Any advice? Whats the quickest way to lose weight? I've heard that not eating after a certain time (ie 5pm can help) is this true?

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Reply 1

That's about 6 weeks, right? In that time you could just about lose a stone healthily. For someone 5'2", under 7 stone is a decent weight as well.

I'd limit my calorie intake to 1200-1500 and start exercising. Cut out sugars as far as you possibly can, don't eat saturated fat, and I'd also limit my carbohydrate intake more to fruit and veg than other forms of carbohydrate, although a bit of wholemeal pasta and rice would be a good plan.

I would also increase my intake of fat from fish, nuts, olive oil etc. a fair bit. Most important though is calorie counting. At your size if you want to lose that amount of weight in that time, 1500 calories a day max is what you want to be eating unless you're extremely active. You can't have much lean mass at your height so your BMR is not going to be especially high.

Reply 2

I've tried to limit my calorie intake. Last week I ate around 600-700 calories per day. I plan to exercise more regularly as well. Thanks for the diet advice

Reply 3

Anonymous
I've tried to limit my calorie intake. Last week I ate around 600-700 calories per day. I plan to exercise more regularly as well. Thanks for the diet advice

That's too little, even at your size. 5'2" is small, but you still need more calories than that. I wouldn't be surprised if you could lose fat quite nicely on 1000 calories per day. Despite what people say about needing "at least 1200 calories a day to keep your metabolism running", that is actually a load of crap. I can cut fat quite nicely on 1500 calories per day, and I'm a 5'10" muscular guy. You're a girl 8 inches shorter than me with probably 5 stone less lean muscle mass at the very least, I'm sure you could cut up quite nicely on 400/500 calories per day less than I can.

There isn't one universal calorie intake for everyone, despite what people would have you believe, it depends on your metabolism. I know guys much smaller than me who need 5000+ calories a day to gain weight, whereas I manage it nicely on 3000 per day.

Having said that, 600/700 is too low for anybody, you really want to be getting 1200 to be safe, although you could try experimenting by dropping your calorie intake by 50 a day and seeing what difference that makes to how much flab you drop.

However, if you up your exercise, up your calorie intake. More than a 1000 calorie per day deficit could also be asking for trouble, although again I would suggest a little experimentation and seeing where it takes you. Everybody's body is different.

Reply 4

I am 5'2 and just under 8 stone at the moment

Do you really feel that you need to lose weight?

Reply 5

8 stone? Im not good with girl's weights, but im guessing thats actually pretty low?

Reply 6

What's wrong with letting your friends know that you'd like to loose weight?

Reply 7

P.S. I'm 5ft and 8 stone, and I look pretty damn fine.

Reply 8

Reue
8 stone? Im not good with girl's weights, but im guessing thats actually pretty low?

She's 5'2" for God's sake, and you have no idea about her body composition.
Princess_Peach
P.S. I'm 5ft and 8 stone, and I look pretty damn fine.

Good for you. She may well have a little belly she wants to get rid of. I refer you to the above comment: you have no idea about her body composition.

Reply 9

how many months would it take to lose 5-6 pounds with the right diet]

Reply 10

Kasey101
how many months would it take to lose 5-6 pounds with the right diet]
Depending on your bodyfat percentage, metabolism and diet, you could expect it to take between 2 or 3 weeks and a couple of months.

Reply 11

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy
That's about 6 weeks, right? In that time you could just about lose a stone healthily. For someone 5'2", under 7 stone is a decent weight as well.
I'd limit my calorie intake to 1200-1500 and start exercising. Cut out sugars as far as you possibly can, don't eat saturated fat, and I'd also limit my carbohydrate intake more to fruit and veg than other forms of carbohydrate, although a bit of wholemeal pasta and rice would be a good plan.

I would also increase my intake of fat from fish, nuts, olive oil etc. a fair bit. Most important though is calorie counting. At your size if you want to lose that amount of weight in that time, 1500 calories a day max is what you want to be eating unless you're extremely active. You can't have much lean mass at your height so your BMR is not going to be especially high.


No it's not. According to BMI calculations 7st 3lbs is the minimum healthy weight at that height.

You will find it very difficult to lose weight when you're already so small- you'd have to be incredibly strict with yourself.

That said, you really shouldn't lose anymore weight. You say you want to look your best, but by that do you mean skeletal? I mean you must be a size 6 at that height and weight already so I really don't think it's a good idea. Below 7 stone is definitely too small.

I'm half an inch shorter than you and 10st, I don't think I've been 7st since I was about 10.

Reply 12

Princess_Peach
P.S. I'm 5ft and 8 stone, and I look pretty damn fine.


Err ok, good for you (anyone see the relevance?)

Reply 13

puppy
No it's not. According to BMI calculations 7st 3lbs is the minimum healthy weight at that height.

You will find it very difficult to lose weight when you're already so small- you'd have to be incredibly strict with yourself.

That said, you really shouldn't lose anymore weight. You say you want to look your best, but by that do you mean skeletal? I mean you must be a size 6 at that height and weight already so I really don't think it's a good idea. Below 7 stone is definitely too small.

I'm half an inch shorter than you and 10st, I don't think I've been 7st since I was about 10.

BMI is a load of crap. Anybody with half a brain knows that. It doesn't take body composition into account.

I know a couple of girls who are 5'6" who weigh about 7 stone, they have curvey figures, B cup breasts.

To be perfectly frank, if you're less than 5'2" and weigh 10 stone then you should stop making excuses for yourself and accept you're on the porky side.

Reply 14

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy
BMI is a load of crap. Anybody with half a brain knows that. It doesn't take body composition into account.

I know a couple of girls who are 5'6" who weigh about 7 stone, they have curvey figures, B cup breasts.

To be perfectly frank, if you're less than 5'2" and weigh 10 stone then you should stop making excuses for yourself and accept you're on the porky side.



Wow that's harsh. You don't even know what I look like. I'm actually a size 10/12 (or is that a load of crap too?).

Just because I don't think it's responsible to encourage people at a healthy weight (on the lighter side of healthy at that) to lose anymore weight does not make me a porker who's making excuses for myself.

*goes to cut self*

Reply 15

puppy
Just because I don't think it's responsible to encourage people at a healthy weight (on the lighter side of healthy at that) to lose anymore weight does not make me a porker who's making excuses for myself.

Healthy weight does not necessarily equate to having a great body.

I know lots of people who are at a normal weight who have little bellies. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to lose that belly and get shredded.

She's 5'2". Under 7 stone is perfectly fine. It's not like she's 5'10" or something. I know girls who are 5'6" and weigh about 7 stone and they have curvier figures than celebrities like Jessica Alba, and she has a phenomenal body.

As for you being a size 10 or 12... No offence, but you're not tall. You're under 5'2", a size 12 at that height is pretty big.

Reply 16

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy
Healthy weight does not necessarily equate to having a great body.

I know lots of people who are at a normal weight who have little bellies. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to lose that belly and get shredded.

She's 5'2". Under 7 stone is perfectly fine. It's not like she's 5'10" or something. I know girls who are 5'6" and weigh about 7 stone and they have curvier figures than celebrities like Jessica Alba, and she has a phenomenal body.

As for you being a size 10 or 12... No offence, but you're not tall. You're under 5'2", a size 12 at that height is pretty big.


What the hell do you mean 'no offence'? I've never been so offended in my life. No one has ever upset me this much on TSR, ever. You're really really cruel. Well at least you can put 'making grown women cry' on your CV you piece of ****.

Reply 17

puppy
What the hell do you mean 'no offence'? I've never been so offended in my life. No one has ever upset me this much on TSR, ever. You're really really cruel. Well at least you can put 'making grown women cry' on your CV you piece of ****.

Chill out. If you're happy with yourself then what does my opinion matter? Also, let's not forget you were the one saying that 7 stone is not a healthy weight for someone of that height when it's clearly utter crap.

As for putting that on my CV... I'm not sure why you think I would, but I can assure you that if you are indeed crying that this certainly isn't the first time I've made a grown woman cry.

I doubt it's even in the first 20 times.

Reply 18

try a GI diet and exercise like mad!
I did 3hrs a day when I wanted to lose my stomach, I know its a bit extreme but it worked for elle macpherson. my whole life was one big exercise plan
hit the gym for an hour in the mornings, walk for an hour after uni and then try to take it some sort of class daily (yoga/spinning/swimming/tai bo etc).
all that along with some healthy low cal eating. (even join a slimming world for 6 weeks for recipes and stuff if you are stuck.

Reply 19

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy
Chill out. If you're happy with yourself then what does my opinion matter? Also, let's not forget you were the one saying that 7 stone is not a healthy weight for someone of that height when it's clearly utter crap.

As for putting that on my CV... I'm not sure why you think I would, but I can assure you that if you are indeed crying that this certainly isn't the first time I've made a grown woman cry.

I doubt it's even in the first 20 times.


I'm not happy with myself, that's why it's a problem. Now leave me alone, if you don't like fat chicks then you'd better not talk to me.