Is it possible for me to lose 8 pounds in five weeks?

And I mean eight pounds of fat.

I'm 5'9" and 148 lbs, 39 years old. I want to weigh 140 by by fortieth birthday! I weighed 139 a year ago...

If I really push myself at the gym, I can burn 2500/day. No gym day burn (once  a week) is 1700 calories. I cannot eat less than 1500 calories a day, I would go bonkers.  I would also like to eat at maintenance one day a week, but that may not work into the equation?

What do I have to do to weigh 140 by May 2nd? Am I being unreasonable?

Thanks for any advice/input.

8 lbs in 5 week should be easy...

Eat clean foods and eat 5 to 6 times a day

Do at least an hour of Cardio

Do a couple days of weight training

I think clean foods will be the key

What exactly do you mean by clean foods? Thanks!

Fish, chicken, Veggies, Fruits, almonds, brown rice and very lean beef

Tough goal.  You're already at a healthy BMI level, and based on personal experience it's harder to drop weight that fast at that level by relying on diet (you'll end up starving yourself).  I suggest that you try to generate 1000 cal/day deficit with exercise only and hope for the best.  That means something like 10-15 miles per day jogging or walking, or equivalent in the gym.  Good luck!  Eat healthy, and if you go for the heavy exercise, drink lots of water, eat lots of snacks and don't skimp on the carbs for energy.

2500 - 1000 = 1500 (5 x week)

2500 - 0 = 2500 (maintenance day 1 x week)

1700 - 200 = 1500 (no gym day 1 x week)

That would give you a weekly deficit of 5200 per week.  This would equate to a little under 1.5lbs a week -- THEORETICALLY! Weight loss is never an exact science, but thats what the numbers work out to. 

So, it should take you about 5-6 weeks to lose 8lbs. 

Remember though, the lighter you are, the harder it is to lose weight so in reality it could take longer.

What you guys say makes sense... It is a tough goal, and the math is theoretical. And I do remember it being tough to lose weight at a normal BMI.

Wish me luck!

And anyone else please feel free to commen/advise.

Thank you!

anythings possible with the right mentality and dedication.  If you're trying to lose only fat then I'd stay away from the weights, cause muscle weighs more than fat so you might end up gaining weight.  But you would actually look like you lost weight.  Good luck, I'm sure you'll make it. 

Original Post by wbrumley:

anythings possible with the right mentality and dedication.  If you're trying to lose only fat then I'd stay away from the weights, cause muscle weighs more than fat so you might end up gaining weight.  But you would actually look like you lost weight.  Good luck, I'm sure you'll make it. 

Actually, weight lifting is one of the best things you can do for losing fat.  You will only gain weight (MUSCLE!) if purposely eating 200-300 calories above your maintenance for the day.  That's because the body needs a surfeit to be able to make new muscle.  If you do want awesome results and wanted to get into strenth training I'd ask spirochete and melkor for advice in the fitness forum. 

Even if you gain muscle weight in a win win situation.  Muscle is more compact than fat (so you can be heavier but look lighter).  You'll be stronger and have healthier bones.  You will also burn more calories per day because muscle burns calories, even when its not working out!

my answer to your question would be yes, it's possible, but weight is such a tricky little vixen... you could do everything right by the math and not reach your goal! it  sounds like a good way to ruin your birthday and start your 40th off on a bum note.

if I were you, I'd set a goal that I could have control of. I'd tie my goal to the INPUT to the system rather than the OUTPUT, which is way more chaotic. Aim for a certain deficit each week, aim to hit the gym a certain number of times, aim to stay away from all your trouble foods (except for a treat or two) between now and then. when you're done, the scale might say what you want to, and it might not, but you can still feel like a big success on your big day, without having to roll the dice.

good luck and happy bday :)

Thank you, everybody, for your great advice!

As far as weight-lifting: I really like it and do 20-30 minute sessions 3-5 times a week. Not a lot, I know, but right now I am spending most of my gym time on cardio (60-80 minutes.) I have no qualms about gaining muscle weight, I feel and look better when I'm stronger.

And Corderoyfirekills3, you bring up a fantastic point about INPUT versus OUTPUT. I am going to take your advice to heart and concentrate on making my goals my actions and NOT my body's unpredictable reactions. Thank you for your insight.

The hardest part is the weekends for me. So far so good, but it's only Saturday morning!

If anybody has more advice/ideas please post, thank you!