About how long..?

[Mardii]

Hi. I'm new to this site, and I am also new to Cathe's programs. Just so that everyone knows, including Cathe if she has the time to read and reply to my post, I am a teenager. Fifteen years old, to be more precise.

Anyway, I have been set on losing weight and getting in shape for quite some time now, but have always been a bit.. lazy. Well, I got the Low Impact Step + Total Body Sculpting DVD for Christmas. I am planning on doing at least 20 minutes of it per day, if not more. Along with that, I'll be eating healthier. Which may be tough for me, as I am a complete junkie! But anyway, I was wondering how long it would take me to lose about 25 lbs if I work out for about 20 minutes per day with the DVDs. I may be getting new DVDs as well, if the ones I have get too easy.

I am hoping to lose the 25 lbs by June 2006, at the latest -- preferably in the spring time. However I am not sure if that is realistic or not, so I was hoping that anyone would be able to give me an idea if that is realistic or not.

And if Cathe does read this, if you have any specific tips for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you, everyone.

-Mardii

 

[catwoman]

You don't say much else about what you weigh now, or how much "overweight" you are, so it's hard to say how long it will take to lose 25 lbs.

20 minutes a day to begin with is excellent, but try to work up to 30 minutes a day, and eventually do the whole 40-minute workout.

Eat your grains, fruits, and veggies, and make sure to eat plenty of protein (chicken, lean cuts of steak, almonds/peanuts, cottage cheese, turkey sausage, etc.). My naturopathic doctor recommends eating only one carb per meal (corn, potatoes, milk, bread, rice, fruit, etc.) with one protein, and one veggie. This helps fight cravings throughout the day. Keep a handful of almonds or peanuts on-hand when the munchies hit.

A few words of advice (saving you the time it took for me to learn these things myself the hard way - I'm 36, and I've been "studying" fitness for about 20 years):
1) Be kind to your knees!!! I would even suggest not using a step at first. Let your body adjust and your muscles strengthen before you add the step. I still don't use a step (oh, once in a while I use it to increase intensity), but I have tender knees, so I probably never will use a step regularly.
2) Water water water water water!!!!
3) Do NOT drink Diet sodas or use artificial sweeteners. Some people think they are okay, but naturopathic doctors acknowledge that artificial sweeteners are the absolute worst kind of sweetener you can ingest. They are man-made (all of them, even Splenda). Anything man-made is NOT good for the body. A better substitute for sugar is Stevia (pronounced Steevia). It is actually classified as a supplement, and is all-natural. You can find it in health food stores. My biochemist dad won't touch anything but Stevia, if that says anything.
4) Watch out for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Read your labels and if HFCS is listed among the first 2-3 ingredients, put the item back on the shelf and RUN!!
5) TAKE A GOOD MULTI-VITAMIN, SUCH AS NATURE'S SUNSHINE's "SUPER SUPPLEMENTAL". Your workouts will go better when you have the nutrients in your system.
6) Read, read, read, read everything you can on health and fitness. Some of the info will be questionable, but you will benefit from most of what you read. Knowledge is power, and the more you learn about getting in shape, the more fun it will become.

I hope this helps gets you started on a lifetime of physical fitness. Welcome, young Cathe-ite!! :7

 

[catwoman]

A couple more things:

1) Stick to it. Even if you don't lose the 25 lbs., you're still giving your body what it needs when you exercise!!! Learn to love the body you've got and don't try to change it too much. Make it healthier, but don't try to become something that's unrealistic.

2) Get a good chiropractor. My chiro has saved me many a time. In fact, he just saved me tonight. I "torqued" my knee a couple of weaks ago during a workout (too long to explain what "torquing" is, and how I torqued my knee) and haven't been able to exercise since. My knee has been hurting off and on for this whole time, and I was starting to worry I'd have to see a specialist. I went to my chiro tonight, and explained what happened, and with just a few pops and twists, he got my knee back in shape. It's still sore, but that's to be expected. At least I didn't have to see a specialist and get bed-ridden with surgery, though! Hopefully, with my chiro's help, I'll be exercising again by New Year's Day! I find my chiropractor is invaluable in my quest for fitness.

 

[kathryn]

Hi, Mardi! Welcome to the forums!

For your weight loss, 1-2 pounds a week (at most) is usually recommended for sustainable weight loss (more than that is usually fluid and/or muscle loss as well as fat, and may come back). Slow and steady wins the race as far as fat loss.

For losing weight, I'd say it's about 70% or more what you eat, and the rest exercise and daily activity (don't forget to incorporate more movement in your daily activities, like using the stairs instead of the elevator).

Getting away from the junk food, and replacing empty calories or calorie-dense foods with nutrient-dense foods (veggies, beans, fruits, unprocessed grains, etc.) will not only help you lose weight, but make you healthier, which is even more important.

Come on over to the "open discussion" forum, where lots of knowledgeable forum members will be able to give you some guidance and ideas.

 

[Mardii]

Thank you, so much, for the advice. I really appreciate it. I've already adjusted my 'diet' slightly. (It's not a diet, per say, but rather just making my eating habits healthier and such.)

And as for my weight, as one of your asked, it's about 150 lbs, give or take a few. I'm aiming for 125 lbs because I think it's a relatively healthy weight for my height. Of course, I'm not set on the exact weight, but rather how healthy my body is and such.

-Mardii

 

[kathryn]

> (It's not a diet,
>per say, but rather just making my eating habits healthier and
>such.)

That's the best way to go, IMO. "diet" also means "way of eating" and not just "specific regimen designed to lose weight."