Weight Loss Calculator - How Long to Lose?

When setting weight loss goals, most of my clients have high hopes to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Is that realistic? Most times it's not. It takes months and years to put on weight, so don't expect to lose it over night.

That being said, I don't want to be a Debbie Downer! I found a cool tool to find out how long it'll take to get to your goal weight, with healthy daily calorie recommendations based on your activity level. Check it out:

Weight Loss Target Date Calculator

Goals Revisited

As a trainer, I talk to people about their personal goals. Increase strength, stamina, endurance, lose body fat, gain muscle, etc. I want to revisit my own goals though. At around 19-20% body fat (estimated), I'm within the "Fit Women" range. I'm 5'4" and my weight stays within the 124-127 lb range.



Time to be honest: I'm not as proud of myself as I should be. I'm supposed to be the example. Closer to athletic. I would love to be 12-15% body fat, no matter what weight that should take me to. At that point, I would have much greater definition in my abs, rather than the top portion that just shows now. Proof of the hard work I'm capable of. Proof that I fuel my body right. Nutrition is a huge part of lowering your body fat percentage.

By the end of August, I want to lose at least 5% body fat. That is my personal goal. To attain it, I will try to eat around 1500 calories a day, with a good balance of lean protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates. If I slip up one day, fine. I'm human. If there's a party, I won't deprive myself, but I won't go overboard.

I need motivation just as much as the next person. This is my goal and this is my confession of it.

Don't hide your goals in your head. State them, and don't be afraid. An unstated failed goal goes unnoticed but also without support. State your goal, find your support, and take action. That is the first step.

Motivation and Protein Powder

A couple of my clients have motivated me recently. I don't want to be a sub par trainer. I want to continue to evolve and make myself a better person.

This last week I've been slacking off a bit. It started because I was feeling tired, but I just need to work my schedule around that. No excuses. These next two weeks my work schedule will be a bit crazy. I'm covering night shifts at a different location while keeping up my training clients and switching them to early mornings. It's also my birthday this week, so it won't be all work! I've got a fun week planned as well.

Using this birthday as a new opportunity to begin change, I want to achieve these goals:

- Run a half marathon before the year ends

- Increase my standard running pace to 6.5 mph (about 9:15 minute mile)

- Decrease my body fat % enough to where I see more than the top half of my abs

- Decrease the amount of sugar I consume

My boyfriend and I just got our first tub of vanilla protein powder. I'm curious to its effects and how it could help me. I'm not big on making shakes (mostly because I'm too lazy to get out the blender everyday, much less clean it everyday) so I'm trying to come up with different ways to incorporate it into my diet.

Tropical Protein Parfait

- 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks

- 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

- 8 walnut halves

The vanilla protein powder makes this concoction taste sweet. I like how the juice from the pineapple chunks makes this taste better than I think it would on its own. After a few bites, I realized that the vanilla protein mixed with cottage cheese pretty much tasted like cake batter. Whether that's good or bad is all up to you.