Is losing 20 lbs in 4 months a realistic goal?

[TaraTM]

I am 24 years old and I have always been in decent shape. I am 5'7 and my ideal weight is 135lb right now I am at 155lb

I gained all of this weight over the course of my college years. Now I am trying to quit eating junk and cut my alcohol intake significantly.

I want to lose this weight the right way and also keep muscle tone.


I am back at the gym but I need a nudge in the right direction. What would be a basic meal plan and workout routine for my goal?

 

[Tourny]

It's a very reasonable goal.


Meal plan: Calorie control is a good choice, if you're looking for something more structured (eat this on this day, never eat that etc) by all means look at the various diets, just keep in mind that you may need to stick with it just to maintain a weight (so the more limited it is the harder it becomes) and that most diets average out (ignore all the pseudo-science and fantastic claims)


Workout: include strength training and cardio 2-3 times a week, push yourself to set faster times, more reps, higher weights etc each time. take a week long break once a month to ensure maximum recovery.


Tourny

 

[TaraTM]

That doesn't sound too bad. I thought I would have to do hardcore workouts everyday to achieve this. I think thats my problem. I overestimate what I need to do and just give up before I even start.


Your right about dieting, it doesn't change your food choices for the long run. I think for me the best way to shred the pounds is to cut out the fatty foods, beer, and soda. I'm using an app for my phone, fitness pal.. and it's really showing me what I'm putting into my body. Now when I think about grabbing a donut before work I think is it really worth the extra calories.