Weight Loss

[kdfrog]

My wife and I want to lose weight. We are tired of being fat. We are starting to eat right,using South Beach, but have no clue if what we are doing is right or not. As far as working out, we have one of Cathe's videos. I have no idea which one it is. Also my wife renewed her health club membership to do step. What do you suggest in videos, or books, or whatever that we can learn to make working out a lifestyle, not just something we do at the beginning of each year to make ourselves feel good?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[gidget1978]

The key to any weightloss is eating clean. Hopefully SBD will work for you and your wife but one can never tell with fad diets. In my mind, deprivation is hard. Your cutting out a food group that your body needs, although in week 3 I beleive you add it back in.,
Its probably best for you to decide what your body actually needs. Find out how many carbs,protein and fat you need on a daily basis. I know you need 1/2 of your body weight in protein, as for the rest, Im not sure. I have never had a weight problem myself but these are the things I would consider.
Another good program for you and your wife to follow would be the Body For Life program. Its something you could do together and that may be the motivation you need.
The program consist of having 6 meals a day,3 weight workouts a week and one 20 mins cardio workout a week. You are also allowed one cheat day a week where you can eat, anything you want. This can be troublesome if you have a problem getting back on track after giving yourself a treat.
As far as workouts go, most of Cathes workouts are advance. If you never exercised on a reg basis then you will want to start with her beginner/intermediate workouts.
Good Luck!

 

[lioness]

Congratulations to you and your wife for wanting to lose weight and be healthy! I'm glad that you are realizing it is a lifestyle change, not just a diet. That is a great start and a wonderful mindset. I started on the same journey 9 years ago and managed to lose 35 pounds and keep it off.

I'm not very familiar with South Beach. For me, I started reading food labels. I didn't follow a particular plan, I just changed my eating habits on a very gradual basis. First, go through your cupboards and toss out the bad stuff. Don't buy it and don't bring it home. I started eating more chicken, fish, veggies and fruit. I'm not a big veggie eater but I ate what I liked. I cut all simple carbs (anything made with white flour) and started eating whole grains instead. Allow yourself 1 cheat meal a week so you won't be deprived. I found ways to satisfy my sweet tooth without going overboard. If you are doing South Beach, read all you can about the program. There are so many wonderful resources on the web. Pick up a couple of fitness magazine that will also provide you with information. I read whatever I can get my hands on regarding diet, nutrition and fitness.

As for exercise, I'm not sure what your fitness levels are. Cathe is advanced so if you haven't worked out in a while, you might want to try walking or checking out other dvds. Cathe has a wonderful selection that you can review in length on this website. I started out doing Taebo and mixed in some walking. I'm not big on stepping so I can't recommend any of her dvds but I do love her circuit workouts (Boot Camp and High Step Challenge), Kick, Punch and Crunch and any of her weight workouts.

There are many knowledgeable people that visit this forum. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

HTH,

 

[Shelshula]

> I know you need 1/2 of your body weight in protein

Would that be every day, because that would be a lot of protein....

Perhaps you meant the number of grams of protein should be about the same number as 1/2 your body weight.:7

 

[Traildoggie]

It's hard to recommend an exercise program. we don't know how old you are, what kind of shape you're in, and how much overweight you are. You might be 200 lbs over or 20 lbs over, 55 yo or 25 yo, a former athlete who's softened up a bit or a lifelong couch potato. no way to tell from here. do you cook at home or eat out a lot? convenience and fast food are often a big part of the problem. Weight loss, if it's going to stick, usually requires looking at how come you got to where you are and what things you are willing to change.
Walking is good to start with especially if you're significantly over weight and out of shape. It burns calories and get muscles, and other body parts toughened up. 5 days a week, 30 min a session is an initial goal. as your speed and distance increase, add in more intense exercises. Cardio and strength training should be a part of any fitness program.
I've never tried south Beach but lots of people do well with it. Weight Watchers has been around for a long time. the Bob Greene Best Life diet is worth a look too.