How long is it REALISTICALLY going to take me??

lighterlifeclaire

Silver Member
Hi *waves*

I was thinking today about when I'm finish RtM..I know its well far off but I think its always good to look to the future!!

However, I have never thought about how long this is all going to actually take me...

I started Foundation at a weight of 24 stone 8lbs on November 14th 2007. Up until December 18th I had lost a total of 36lbs after complete abstinence. I lapsed over Xmas and have not been weighed since but have been back SSing for the past 3 days... My prediction (based on home scales) is that I currently weigh 21stone 7lbs... which totals a weight loss of 43lbs.

I just wondered, a question for those who have 'been there and done that'... how long can I expect it to take me to lose *another* 8 stone.

My target weight is roughly 12stone 7lbs...

I can make predictions based on my previous weight loss up until now but I doubt I will lose 11lbs again like my first week so its hard to judge!!

Just having some kind of guideline, I think will help me on my journey

Thanks in advance xx
 
I estimate at a stone a month and have worked my target out this way. My counsellor helped us to set goals based on a healthy BMI. I have so far lost 6 stone and 2 lbs in 16 weeks, and hope to have lost my remaining 5 stone excess weight by June and then begin management.
I am following the diet to the letter and intend to keep doing so - after a lifetime of trying to do things my way it has worked to "hand over control" and follow the rules.
Ask your counsellor to help you to set goals. I dont want to lose over 10 stone and still be officially medically overweight and so am aiming for a healthy BMI which for my height 5'6" is between 8stone 12 and 11 stone 2 so want to get to about 10and half with room to move up but not over 11.
 
Hello...well i am officially 8 months and two days into lighter life...and I have lost just over 9 stone in that time. I have been 100% abstinent throughout so i am mentally and physically exhausted, RTM is in sight...but need to feel ready....just want to get it over and done with now but it's tricky for me as i realised the other day just how cut off i have become from food...it's still there though. I suffer from emotional eating and my triggers are tiredness and stress and lack of self esteem, so there are times when it can be very very tough.
Everyones journey is different as is everyones body...my advice just take it one day at a time, remain strong and focused. Set mini goals and achievements, focus on someting else in your life that you might want to change too, more me time somewhere, time really does fly and the weight will continue to drop off...try and throw some excercise in as you go through as well when your feel it's time. LL does what it says on the tin...i lost 4 stone in foundation and the rest after...there where weeks i lost nothing, there were weeks my body randomly put on a 1lb...although i had done nothing different! lol.....YOU CAN DO IT! it's so worth it in the end...funny thing is you will get to the point where losing the weight is just a bonus what you learn about yourself, and how you feel on the inside is worth more. As cliche as it sounds i have found that it's not the so much the destination but the journey that takes you there....it is never ending and i shall be travelling for a very long time.

Mad x
 
I lost 8 stones is just over 6 months. This did however include 13lb loss in my first week. I tend to aim for 1st+ per month, sometimes i loose much more sometimes less as i have a few weeks with little loss then a few weeks with lots (repeating this pattern all the way through)
good luck, you can do it
sil x
 
Hi Claire

I have a long way to go too, I am too afraid to make an end date as I dont want to feel a failure if I dont get to it on that time. I think your idea of the Valentines challenge was good, and I am aiming to have lots of realistic mini challenges on the way to help me get where I want. I am approx 15.7 now and need to be 9.7 to have a good BMI so do have a long way to go. Perhaps when Valentines day has gone we could set an easter goal.
 
What interesting posts! I too have lost a stone a month - 5 stones in 5 months with another 2 stones to go. So this diet seems to live up to expectations.

What I don't know is whether it will slow down at the end. My LLC says not, but a lot of the posts here suggest it might, though there are a lot of posts along the lines of 'messing about with the last stone', suggesting they have fallen off the wagon at some point. I'd be interested to hear from those who have just kept to the rules to the end. Did your loss slow down as you approached goal???

But I really agree with madhatter's lovely post. It's the journey as much as the destination. I'm not really counting the days until I can eat again, though it will be interesting to start RtM and see if I can put all this insight into practice. I'm so thrilled with the 'new me', it can take as long as it takes.
 
I would aim for a stone a month, but I actually lost 4 stone in 14 weeks - so you will probably lose more than that stone a month. However, it'll give you a realistic idea and you won't be disappointed then. Its well worth the effort though!
 
I average 3.5lb per week now, which is near on exactly a stone a month. This has been relatively consistent too.
I think one of the really important things is to regularly review your targets, which I know you are doing through your mini challenges. IMO, regularly resetting your smart targets are one of the keys to the plan, especially the short term ones as those are the ones that keep you success focused. It's really important that you don't focus too much on the huge task of 'I have so much to lose'. Keep breaking it down into mini battles. I think of the time I'm on Lighterlife as being a series of battles with what has gone on in my head as well as what is going into my stomach. The war is keeping the weight off and I know I'll be fighting that for the rest of my life.
All you can do right now is get yourself through each day by staying abstinent, setting goals and keeping thought records up to date.
Good luck Claire!
 
jesus... I shouldn't have added up what I need to lose.. gonna be abstinent until about July..how depressing is that? i think i like the idea of smaller goals...!
 
Even with some reasonably low ish weeks by most standards (2.5lbs) I have lost just about 6 stone in 6 months. But you have to bear in mind that everyone will lose weight at different rates and that as you get closer to your goal that the weight may slow down.
I think you just have to see how the next few months go but stick with it as it does work and work well!!!!
Good luck!
swbt
 
If you don't lapse, and drink at least 6 litres of water a day, you can lose 4 lbs a week. I think I'm about the same height as you (I'm 5 ft 10) and I lost roughly like that, just over a stone a month. I also made sure I did my steps too, and started 'proper' exercise as soon as I started eating again.
 
JULY?! 80lbs... Hmm... I'm hoping to reach my target by my 22nd birthday which is on June 12th 2008 :confused::confused::confused:

What size do you want to get to? It may be more reasonable to aim for a clothing size ... or at least bear that in mind also. Measurement is as, if not more important that 'weight' per se, especially if like me you have a bit of muscle (this weighs more than fat) or you exercise - which in turn builds muscle and increases tone.

Cheers,

CC xx
 
What size do you want to get to? It may be more reasonable to aim for a clothing size ... or at least bear that in mind also. Measurement is as, if not more important that 'weight' per se, especially if like me you have a bit of muscle (this weighs more than fat) or you exercise - which in turn builds muscle and increases tone.

Cheers,

CC xx

I started a size 26/28 :eek:

In the 7 weeks I have progressed into size 22 jeans... which I bought 2 weeks ago but are now slighly loose.

My aim is a size 12 :eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
Hi Claire

I lost 6 stone in 20 weeks of strict SSing and went from a size 24 to a 12-14 over that time too. Madhatter's post is inspirational and mirrors my, at times, difficult journey. But it has all been worth it! Good luck with your journey, we're all behind you!
 
Hi Claire

I lost 6 stone in 20 weeks of strict SSing and went from a size 24 to a 12-14 over that time too. Madhatter's post is inspirational and mirrors my, at times, difficult journey. But it has all been worth it! Good luck with your journey, we're all behind you!

:eek: from a size 24 to size 12/14 in 20 weeks :eek::eek::eek: cor blimey!!! :rolleyes: Well done you!!!!!
 
Hi Claire,

I lost 9 and a half stones from Jan 14th 03 - Sept 03 and have kept all but a stone off, but have had a baby since. I didnt lapse once out of fear more than anything. I lost 12lbs in first week and 12 lbs during fortnight to Florida. My advice, just remember the time will pass anyway!? You keep going girl, good luck

x:)
 
Hi Claire,

I lost 9 and a half stones from Jan 14th 03 - Sept 03 and have kept all but a stone off, but have had a baby since. I didnt lapse once out of fear more than anything. I lost 12lbs in first week and 12 lbs during fortnight to Florida. My advice, just remember the time will pass anyway!? You keep going girl, good luck

x:)

thanks... thats great... I think it would be a good idea to ditch the long term date limit goal and stick with mini ones... I just have this feeling that if I don't reach the goal by set time (which is atm, June) I might feel like a bit of a failure :confused:

It just sounds weird when people say "so how long u on these shakes for?" and i go "errm, I haven't really thought about it really, probably around summer time":sigh:
 
Hello Claire! Thanks for starting this thread - such interesting and inspirational posts...

I've always had a bit of a problem with goal setting on LL really, because I feel that as long as I stay abstinent and drink all the water, there's not much I can do to affect my weight loss. I think the claim that we lose about a stone a month (obviously it depends a bit how much you have to lose) is true, and it doesn't make much difference what you're aiming for, that is what will happen, more or less.

So my philosophy is 'it'll take as long as it takes' because I have absolute faith (and evidence!) that I will lose this weight, and it doesn't really matter whether it's in 8 weeks or 10. So success is guaranteed, and as long as I stick to the plan, failure isn't part of my thinking because nothing I do will make much difference.

Hmmm (scratches chin) that was a bit rambling. Wonder if it makes sense, or is helpful to anybody at all????
 
Hello Claire! Thanks for starting this thread - such interesting and inspirational posts...

I've always had a bit of a problem with goal setting on LL really, because I feel that as long as I stay abstinent and drink all the water, there's not much I can do to affect my weight loss. I think the claim that we lose about a stone a month (obviously it depends a bit how much you have to lose) is true, and it doesn't make much difference what you're aiming for, that is what will happen, more or less.

So my philosophy is 'it'll take as long as it takes' because I have absolute faith (and evidence!) that I will lose this weight, and it doesn't really matter whether it's in 8 weeks or 10. So success is guaranteed, and as long as I stick to the plan, failure isn't part of my thinking because nothing I do will make much difference.

Hmmm (scratches chin) that was a bit rambling. Wonder if it makes sense, or is helpful to anybody at all????

It totally made sense and is a great outlook to have... however... :eek: it doesn't help when you're as impatient as me!!! :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
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