Successful weight losers know that it's hard to predict what their scales will show next week. Many of them start with losing quite a few pounds during first weeks but then weight loss usually slow down or even stop: the infamous weight loss plateau occurs.
The reasons of such uneven body weight curve behavior are plenty. Even eating more of salty foods can result in water retention though it's the water gain. Generally speaking, the more pounds you want to lose, the more patient you have to be.
However, here are some calculations to do to roughly estimate what one can expect on what diet in a 5-months period of time.
If you start simple limiting your calorie intake, theoretically you'll be losing 1 pound of body fat for every 3,500 Cal. you
don't consume. To lose 50 pounds, you'll have to deprive yourself of 175,000 Cal. To do in in 5 months, you should create a calorie deficit of 1,200 Cal. a day. For example, if your current calorie intake is 2,000 Cal. a day, now you'll eat only 800 Cal., which is below safe calorie limitation, will through you in the starvation mode, slow down your metabolism, and can even lead to eating disorders, hormonal problems, etc.
However, if you create this same calorie deficit by limiting your daily calorie intake by 600 Cal. and burn the rest 600 Cal. by exercising more, you calorie intake can be as "high" as 800 + 600 = 1400 or more if you are currently on more than 2,000 Cal. A day.
There's a little known way to indulge in extra 300 Cal. a day while still losing weight. Increase your fat intake and decrease your carbohydrate intake. Recent research studies showed that this will result in higher fat burning rate at rest.
