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fantasiize

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Cathe, (and, of course, anyone else who cares to read :))
Despite my age, 15, I've really come to develop a need to workout. Of course it's something everybody should be doing, not to lose weight, but to adapt a healthy life style and to perhaps prevent obesity. I've noticed that from my family's previous generations, I come from a family that undoubtably has weight (and diabetes) problems. And I find it so important to start now that I'm so young to prevent all of the above. However, being the typical lazy, undisciplined teenager, I find it very difficult to keep up a workout routine and I always find some excuse not to workout.
Having taped most of your shows on Fit TV, I cannot say that working out gets boring, because your workouts, Cathe, indeed are not. Can anyone help give me a boost of motivation to keep going with a routine? I'd appreciate any little tidbit of advice.


Also, I want to increase my endurance however I have no motivation whatsoever do to my insecurities and possible incapabilities of long distance running for a long period of time since I am probably around 15 lbs overweight (those late night bowl of ice creams has finally caught up with me). Am I doomed for soccer try outs or is there a way I can increase my stamina? Also, does step workouts increase stamina? Let me know what you think. :D
 
Not Cathe here,
But much like everything else in life, you won't do it if you "need" to, but only if you "want" to.

You don't really say what your fitness goals are, although it seems like soccer is in there somewhere. My suggestion would be to set goals for yourself to start. Do you want to lose the 15 lbs? Do you want to run faster, longer? Do you want muscle definition?

I find that if you have specifics to work for, rather than "I should really do this because it's good for me", that tends to help get you off the couch. But you have to decide what your goals are for yourself and get into the habit.

They say it takes 2 weeks to develop a habit. So maybe a short term goal is to work out 4-5 times/week for 2 weeks, and see what you feel like after that.

You will find that working out consistently will certainly help with your endurance in the short term.
 
Everything you said is exactly right. And surely common sense. And yes, I guess you could say I do want this. And last night I thought it over and I really should make short term goals or aim for little things rather than think of the big picture.

Thanks for the tips and actually taking out the time to write it. I really appreciate it! :)
 
Hi Fantasiize,
I'm a 14 year old girl, who doesn't have any weight porblems or anything, just love working out since I got involved in Gymnastics. Ever since I started gymnastics, I developed a love to work out. I never was overweight or anything when I started, just didn't have muscle. But let me tell you, you develop QUICKLY. I got a six pack in like 2 months!!! Anyway, back to you (LOL) if you want a little motivation, just try thinking about what your goals are everytime you work out. Think about losing those pounds or making the soccor team. That's what helped me. I wanted to make the competitive team really badly, and just focused on mastering my skills, and becomming stonger and more flexible. Just think of your goals!

Good Luck,

~Adri;-)
 
Adri,
It's great to know that someone my age is here and giving me advice! And your advice really gets to the heart, because not only do you love to work out and excel at what you love to do, but you're so motivated and self disciplined and those are qualities many teens lack. You, yourself, is a motivation to strive to be better than the best and I thank you for all your help (even if it was just a tiny paragraph ;-))

Thanks again,

Sarah`
 
Sarah, I just want to pass along some advice based on what I did a few times in my teen years. I would decide I should work out, and then a couple of days later when the initial muscle soreness hit, I'd give up. Or if I was trying something aerobic, like running, it was so hard AT FIRST that I would give up.

So my advice is, when just starting out, some things might be hard AT FIRST, but know that your body will quickly adjust and get stronger. Keep telling yourself this!

And don't be scared by muscle soreness in the beginning. It's never that bad again, and it's okay to wait a couple days for it to go away. Stretch, stretch, stretch!

When starting out, a lot of your motivation might come from faith, pure and simple faith that what you're doing will reap great results. Once you see actual IMPROVEMENT and results, (which won't take that long!) that will provide HUGE motivation, trust me!

One more thing, yes, step aerobics definitely increases stamina!!! Holy cow! Have you tried one of Cathe's step tapes? Nothing to sneeze at!
 
Very great piece of advice; greatly appreciated! Yes, running always seems hard! But you're right (yet again I ask where did my common sense go?) it's never easy at the beginning.

What I've discovered lately is that working out really isn't my problem. I love strength training! (Especially with Push and Pull, etc.) My real problem is cardio. And not to mention I'm afraid if I do the same thing every day, kickboxing for an example, it won't be as effective because I'd get used to it. I'm really looking foward to the fall, or at least some cooler weather, because the humidity is too much for me to go out for a run.

I'd love to try one of Cathe's step workouts because they look far from boring and really make you sweat. However, I'm still stuck on the basics because I don't know all the moves but basic seems too elementary for me. Should I just start with the more advance and just keep practing the moves? Or do you have to know the moves before hand to get the most benefits?

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I know once I see the results that that in itself will be motivating (that's why I love strength training so much, once my hamstrings got stronger and I could feel them, I was eager for more!)
 
First of all, I must say I admire you tremendously. Fifteen years old and you write so beautifully!! And hardly any spelling or grammar errors. My dear you are both athletic and articulate. Be proud. I am old enough to be your mom, & I have two daughters who I hope have your admirable traits when they are 15!

Second, I have found that working out thing has to be fun to stick with it. Maybe you can enlist some friends to start running/walking with you. Since soccer is a goal, you can't step dance or kick box your way to the goal line. It takes running so worth getting yourself fit for the field.

Go to nyrrc.com or your local Road Runners Club (or any other running site) to get beginner running programs. I believe they have 3 day a week programs, 5 day a week, anything. You will defintely find what you are looking for online. I started running at age 21 & did my first marathon a few years later. I joined NYRRC and found people to run with there.

Another thing: maybe you can ask your mom/dad to take you to a nutritionist. Like going to school - you gotta learn the basics. If this is not in the cards, go to your school nurse for help. Also lots of great books on the subject. This is NOT NOT NOT advice to diet!!!!! 15 pounds overweight (and perhaps you are not quite as overweight as you believe?) is not a lot. Perhaps just the result of teenage eating. Oh what I ate at 15! Funny bones (which were yodels with peanut butter in them), ice cream, cereal by the box with whole milk and sugar on it. I still love ceral but a bowl with skim milk and some blueberries in it goes a long way. SO learning how to make some adjustments will really help move the weight out, and increase your energy.

Finally, give yourself a break dear girl. This is a lifetime commitment, this fitness/healthy lifestyle thing and I applaud you for being so dedicated already. Do not obsess, do not be critical of yourself for missing a day here and there or even a week. Forget the scale - heck, ditch it! - and focus on how you feel. I spent too many years in unhealthy obsession over every pound and calorie burned. If I can save you from that misery I would be glad.

Good luck to you!! Write back and keep us posted on your progress!!

Julie :) :)
 
I agree with Julie about your writing--it IS beautiful and flows very well. Bet you'll pass your AP exams with flying colors (or whatever college credit type stuff you'll have to do)

Also, I second what Julie said about not obsessing, and not self-criticizing. So often no one would ever be meaner to us than we can potentially be to ourselves. Always speak encouragingly to yourself, always stay cool.

I had more thoughts about your question, whether step aerobics builds stamina. Before I started exercising with videos, I went to the gym to work out, and also went running. At the gym I'd do stationary bike, elliptical machine, or stairclimber for cardio, and weight machines for strength. Okay--what I learned after starting to work out with Cathe's videos is that I never EVER pushed myself that hard "on my own" at the gym. Never. I never did cardio as intensely as I do with Cathe, and I never worked my muscles as well. Doing Cathe's videos lifts me to a higher level of not wimping out on myself!

And I know I've only mentioned Cathe's videos--I don't mean to imply that hers are the only option, the only way to go. Her stuff just really clicks with me at this point, so that's why I only mentioned her.

Gisela
 
Julie,
I'd first like to thank you for the AMAZING compliments you gave me about my writing. A lot of people find it hard to believe that I write the way I do at a young age, but my love for vocabulary, writing, reading, and just literature overall has developed my verbal/writing skills at an alarming rate. And for you to say that you'd like your two girls to be as 'athletic and articulate' as you claim me to be is just so flattering. A definite confidence boost. Thanks!

Now back to fitness, =), running seemed a lot harder than I expected. But maybe that's because it was the first time I tried getting into it in a long time. I ran about a half a mile in 5 minutes this morning and it was killer! My goal was to jog 5 minutes, walk a minute, jog 6 minutes, walk a minute, and so on until I got up to 12, but after the five minutes I couldn't go on any more. I was really looking foward to the sense of accomplishment after I finished but I guess I went in a little over my head. So now my goal is to just run the same half mile in 5 minutes everyday until I can increase my running time comfortably (and not sucking in wind). I can't let myself sway off track, I just have to do this. And what motivates me is that knowing if I keep this up, I'll be able to run at least 6 miles a day 5 years from now!

For the past year, it has indeed come to 'obsession' rather than making a life style change. And the celebrities weren't making it any easier. But what good do they do to anyone's self esteem? So I am forcing myself to think life style change instead of obsessing over every little thing I do or don't do, which truthfully has been eating at me alive this past summer.

It means a lot to have such people, who I don't even know personally, to care and give me such great advice! And to not have someone judging me feels FANTASTIC. High school is hard enough without worrying how big my thighs look in jeans or how many times I've worn black this week. Thanks for helping get my focus in the right place =D

Sarah `
 
Gisela,
Lots of thanks to you also for your compliments on my writing. Do I really write that well that you have faith in me to pass whatever college credit exams I'll take? If so, I am so lucky to have something come to me so easily! If only keeping the weight off and having a naturally fast metabolism came to me as easily!

I find giving myself a pep talk in whatever I do helps. It gets my mind somewhat off whatever I'm doing and helps me finish instead of slowing down or quitting early.

Tell me, what person pushes themselves to the fullest extent on their own? Certainly not anyone I know, that's for sure. And I totally understand your rave about Cathe because she is exactly what you say she is. Simply the best! And out of all the workout DVDs my mother owns and the shows on Fit TV, Cathe is the one I like most. She's advance and she's realistic. I love her strength videos very much. Those low end squats and lunges kill but I love it. And I've seen the results. I'm quickly adding weight to the barbell as my lower and upper body get stronger. If only I had this much excitment towards cardio!

I love the advice and motivation everyone's giving and I appreciate it so much =)

Sarah `
 
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