Only DDR to lose weight?

[SittinPretty]

Hey Everyone!

I had first bought ddr max back in June and I've been hangin out here as a guest until now . I had just bought ddr max 2 i think a couple of wks and I love it.

I am 23. I am 4ft 9 (yea yea i'm a shortie asian) but I had gained a ton of weight when I had my first child back in 99. Before I weighed around 97lbs and as of today I weigh 167lbs (just lost 5lbs playin ddr). Everybody says that I am not FAT but just a little chubby.

My eating style during my pregnancy went off the hook that's why I gained so much! But after that and during/after my 2nd child I have been back to my usual eating style which is only eating 1x-2x a day (sometimes none just because it's just me). Lately I have been eating chicken breast either grilled or boiled (meats the same way) for dinner. I am not a breakfast person but if I am hungry I go for a grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Not sure about lunch

My kids keep me busy and I do alot of running around in college, work, etc. I am a full time college student working on my degrees on Law enforcement and Criminal justice and I work as a server at Steak n Shake (I stay away from the shakes and some steakburgers!)

So yea.....Anyways as I am rambling off....

My question is can a person lose weight only by playing ddr? This question has been buggin me for a couple of days now.

[abrannan]

DDR is just like any other exercise. So the question could just as easily be, can a person lose weight by only jogging? or swimming? The answer is yes, with the condition that you're not eating way too much for your body. If you're eating 1000 extra calories per day, and only burning 500 through DDR, you'll still gain weight.

I'd really recommend that you switch from only eating 1x-2x per day to having 5 small meals/snacks. That maintains your blood sugar and energy levels, and provides a more constant running level for your body.

[MATS]

or just eat when ur hungry and eat a little less than u normally would eat


this probobly wont help u at all but thats what im guessing will help i have ever dieted

[SittinPretty]

Yes I do eat when I am hungry. Just thinking of it....I realized that I only ate once yesterday.

For dinner I had grilled chicken breast w/pepper and lemon (grilled on that george forman thing lol) vegtables and some mashed potatoes. I had kool aid to drink lol.

Still waiting to buy a new filter for my water so I don't have to buy my water.

Had a good talk with a person who wasn't able to get into his screen name but his email is [e-mail]. He was pretty cool and he helped me as well as you guys did.

TANKS!

[ddrcrazy]

Ive been trying to keep my daily caloric intake between 1200-1300. 2-3 hours of DDR Max 2 in workout mode is great to burn about 2000-3000 calories in the process!! And the results should be great!! ;D ;D

[ddrcrazy]

a great way to track your caloric intake for a day is www.fitday.com ...it has changed the way that I look at calculating my daily food intake. THE SITE CALCULATES IT ALL FOR YOU!!! ITS AMAZING!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

[abrannan]

ddrcrazy said:

Ive been trying to keep my daily caloric intake between 1200-1300. 2-3 hours of DDR Max 2 in workout mode is great to burn about 2000-3000 calories in the process!! And the results should be great!! ;D ;D

2-3 hours is probably obverkill. Your body needs time to recuperate from a workout of that size. I'd only do a 2-3 hour workout once a week at best. Otherwise keep it to an hour or so.

[SittinPretty]

hehe. I dont think i can do 2-3hrs a day. Currently I am doing at least 45-1hr in ddr max and max 2 in workout on hard.

I am currently moving the speed up to 1.5 hehe.

I try to do it every day....but with me bouncing through the steps it is hurting my left ankle (this was even when i was playing it on light normal speed).

I try keep my food intake to about 1000.

[abrannan]

SittinPretty said:

hehe. I dont think i can do 2-3hrs a day. Currently I am doing at least 45-1hr in ddr max and max 2 in workout on hard.

I am currently moving the speed up to 1.5 hehe.

I try to do it every day....but with me bouncing through the steps it is hurting my left ankle (this was even when i was playing it on light normal speed).

I try keep my food intake to about 1000.

You do know that 1.5 doesn't make the song any faster, just the arrows, right?

[SittinPretty]

hehe yes i know the the arrows. That was what i wanted. It helped me burned more calories (so what I believed).

Am I the only one bouncing to the arrows?

[orangina]

Hi there,

I agree with Abrannan..that yes you can lose weight with exercise only if you dont increase your calories..but it will not be fast ..
For example you need to burn 200 calories to burn off 4 oreos..thats about 30 minutes of aerobics or more..so it would take time.

I disagree with eating 5-6 mini meals. My belief (I work for a weight loss site where we teach people to eat like the French) is you need to eat real unprocessed foods.
YES you can eat cheese, and bread etc and lose weight but you must watch your portions.

Studies show that if you eat a lot of meals you are still going to eat at the next meal as much as if you had not eaten a mini meal. In other words..mini meals dont work for most people..it just makes you eat more.

What works is watching portions..keeping them small, eating chemical free food, eating good fats, eating at mealtimes only (few snacks if any) and moving.

Micromanaging carbs and proteins like Atkins only works in that it reduces calories.
YOU DO HOWEVER need to get in enough protein or you will be hungry.

Hope this helps.

[iamjay]

The past 2 weeks on Weekdays i've been drining lots of water and eating only lunch and dinner. I do moderate work at my job (8 hours a day 4 days a wk) and I play about 15 songs a day on stepmania (hard). In that time i lost about 10 pounds. I ONLY DRINK WATER, but today i had a orange pop with 25% less surgar

[orangina]

People who dont eat breakfast are usually HEAVIER than people who do..because they end up scarfing up everything in site at lunch and dinner.
But if you are happy with it and it works - then I guess thats what you will do.
Time will tell if it works long term for you.

[toasty]

With exercise, probably every fitness & nutrition guru on the planet will tell you that eating 6 well-balanced meals a day is the way to go, assuming those 6 meals avoid heavily processed foods. Your goal is to raise your metabolism. Ironically, eating less will have the opposite effect -- you need constant fuel to keep your metabolism going 24/7. Eating 3 large meals a day or less will insure that your metabolism is idling during the day, except for right after you eat; furthermore, you won;t have enough energy to get the most out of your workout, whatever it may be.

This is why they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day -- it kick-starts your metabolism.

These meals should not be huge, or even "meals" in the traditional sense -- try eating your normal 3 meals without overdoing it on the portion size, and have an exercise bar or something of the sort that will provide you with convenient, effective nutrition for the other meals.

Best of luck.

[orangina]

Different nutrition experts will tell you different things. YES these days saying 6 mini meals is the way to go seems to be the new hot thing.
BUT if you look at Americans who are eating 6 mini meals is it working?

I say look at the French who eat 3 meals a day and are slim as a culture. You cant argue against the Mediterranean diet. It works..Lower heart disease, less body fat, lower weight and 3 meals a day! NOT 6...

[abrannan]

orangina said:

BUT if you look at Americans who are eating 6 mini meals is it working?

Worked for me. I lost more weight, and was less hungry when I had scheduled, pre-measured, nutritionally sound snacks between my reasonably sized nutritionally sound meals, than when I only ate three less regimented (and less healthy) meals per day.

[orangina]

Yes it will work if you do it! But many folks wont. As I mentioned in the studies done, folks on the 6 mini meal plan tend to eat 6 big meals or 3 mini meals and 3 regular size meals..and thus they take in more calories than they would if they ate 3.
PLEASE do not think I am condoning eating 3 large unhealthy meals. I am saying eat 3 meals per day of moderate portions, of real unprocessed foods. And yes you can eat cheese, chocolate etc and lose weight.

BTW I notice you say it WORKED for you..not it WORKS for you. Are you still eating 6 mini meals.

Eating 3 moderate meals at the table with your family and friends and perhaps one snack mid afternoon is a healthy and enjoyable way to lose weight.

Much more so than measuring out 6 meals throughout the day..
However if it works for you thats what counts..

I just cringe though when I see this mini meal stuff....
sorry...

[abrannan]

orangina said:

Yes it will work if you do it! But many folks wont. As I mentioned in the studies done, folks on the 6 mini meal plan tend to eat 6 big meals or 3 mini meals and 3 regular size meals..and thus they take in more calories than they would if they ate 3.
PLEASE do not think I am condoning eating 3 large unhealthy meals. I am saying eat 3 meals per day of moderate portions, of real unprocessed foods. And yes you can eat cheese, chocolate etc and lose weight.

BTW I notice you say it WORKED for you..not it WORKS for you. Are you still eating 6 mini meals.

No, i'm not still eating 6 mini meals (though I'm about to go back on that plan) and my blood sugar is paying the price. I get ravenous cravings during the afternoons now, and find myself eating the worst snacks. My 3 main meals are a reasonable size (roughly 300-400 calories for Breakfast and Lunch, 600-800 for dinner) but the time between them is too long for me.

Of course, I'm pretty much pre-diabetic at this point, though my doctor hasn't diagnosed me as such.

I just cringe though when I see this mini meal stuff....
sorry...

No need to be sorry, I never said that my way was the best way for everybody. I'm glad that there are other knowlegeable people like you on this board now so we can get into an open discussion/debate about health choices.

[orangina]

Here is what I would try...

If you can make it from breakfast to lunch..then in the afternoon have a snack make it with PROTEIN or you will crave more and more junk. My suggestion would be the following

hardcooked eggs
yogurt and almonds.
apple and peanutbutter
hummus and crackers
cottage cheese and fruit or veggies

Try it and see if that takes you to dinner.

My favorite is the egg..If I eat say chips or cookies I will just continue eating junk

Also the diet soda. aspartame causes weight stalls and cravings..

Faux food is soooo bad for you!

[SittinPretty]

hehe hmmmmmm

I for some reason cannot get myself to eat 6 a day. I am so busy getting ready for college, work has given me more hours (more running around) and my son is getting ready for school. Stress and all.

At times I am so busy I forget to eat-yet I feed my kids. I haven't been doing DDR-last time I did it was Sunday but I am still dropping pounds.