Cathe, Help!!!

[adrienneelsenity]

Hi Cathe,
I am getting married . I need to lose 85 pounds, but I am having a hard time motivating myself. I know that most instructors say that you should only lose 2 pounds per week. However, I lost 4 pounds a week by doing the following: I worked out for 3 hours, three times a week. I would pick a muscle, say squats. I would do one set of 8, and run 5 minutes on the treadmill. I would repeat this until completing 3 sets. I did this for squats, lunges, wide squats, bicep curls, tricep extensions, chest flyes, chest press, one arm rows (lats), wrist curls, ab crunches, and oblique crunches. I would take me three hours to complete this and I would be soaking wet. I was eating the Nutrisystem diet, and I never, I repeat never felt hungry. I was careful to get plenty of rest. I was motivated because the pounds were dropping of soooo fast. Nutrisystem counselors said they had never seen anything like it before. I know this is extreme, but I am in a state of emergency for my wedding. I gained my weight back because I kept telling myself that I could lose it again. I stopped exercising and now, 85 pounds later, here I am. Is this okay, if you are preparaing for a special ocassion like a wedding? How can I keep the pounds from coming back since I can't complete this extreme workout forver? Thanks.......p.s. I am praying for your speedy recovery.... Love, Adrienne

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Adrienne! I honestly don't recommend this approach. It is hard on your body's overall health and well being. This extreme approach is a combination of overtraining (which leads to injuries) and yo-yo dieting (labled as such when one gains and loses drastic weight frequently, which can also disturb your bodys natural metabolism and lead to weight gain).

The reason you lost so much weight initially is because your body had a lot of stored water and water will be the first thing to come off quickly and easily. But three hours, three times per week (and when just starting out too), is much too hard on your muscles, joints, bones and heart. Plus each time you set your body up for extreme measures like this, it not only doesn't respond as well the second time, BUT it takes more effort to getthe same results.

Honestly Adrienne, the best way to keep the pounds from coming back is to make fitness a lifestyle rather than a quick fix for a function. That way, you can play it smarter and lose weight slower, more sensibly, more safely, and more enjoyably.

I suggest working out 4 to 6 days a week with 3 to 5 of those workouts being cardio (and two of those cardio workouts being less intense than the other cardio workouts). Weight train 2 times per week (add a third down the road to enhnace progress) making sure to work each major muscle group in those workouts. Put about two days between your weight workouts.

Put in at least one rest day a week.

Eat 6 small healthy meals daily in their most natural and less processed state (that will shape you up super quickly too).

Drink plenty of water, get sound sleep, stretch after every workout, and listen to your body if it tells you something is not right on given day or if its too tired on a given day etc.

Good Luck!

 

[adrienneelsenity]

THANK YOU CATHE. EVEN THOUGH I AM DESPERATE, I WILL TAKE YOUR ADVISE. AFTERALL, I DO WANT THE WEIGHT LOSS TO BE PERMANENT. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. I PROMISE TO DO WHAT YOU ADVISED ME TO DO.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A SPEEDY RECOVERY.
LOVE ADRIENNE