Can't seem to lose weight, some advice please?

[eniko]

Short overview: used to be underweight, started eating more to gain weight, overshot, am now 75kg/165lbs when i'd rather be 55-60kg or 121-132lbs. I'm also 1m66 or 5'5 tall.

I've been DDRing 3 times a week one hour for a while now, and the scale won't get lower. I don't know if I'm just not DDRing enough, but when I try to do days without taking a day rest in between my lungs get messed up (I have asthma) and my legs get sluggish and really heavy.

My diet is something like this:

[135-270 kcal] Two to four cups of coffee consisting of half coffee/half half-fat milk, and 1 sugar each
[500-800 kcal] Dinner, guestimated, can vary a lot depending on day of the week
[500 kcal] Two cheese sammiches
[330-550 kcal] 3-5 glasses of milk

So 1800 or so average kcal a day. Is this too much?

I really don't understand why I'm not losing weight, because I'm really not at home with this calorie counting thing, and I have no idea how much DDR you need to do to actually burn significant calories.

If it matters any, I play 5 footer standard songs like Candy Heart, or faster 4 footers like Afronova Primeval, with a 5 minute build up and cool down.

[abrannan]

I see a lot of dairy in your diet, but almost nothing else. Where are the fruits and vegetables? Where's the protein? Where's breakfast? For that matter, where's lunch?

[eniko]

abrannan said:

I see a lot of dairy in your diet, but almost nothing else. Where are the fruits and vegetables? Where's the protein? Where's breakfast? For that matter, where's lunch?

Well protein, veggies and fruit come from dinner. Lunch are the sandwiches, and I prefer to skip breakfast knowing full well it's bad for you, but I have a terribly hard time forcing anything solid down my throat when I'm only half awake.

[abrannan]

eniko said:

abrannan said:

I prefer to skip breakfast knowing full well it's bad for you, but I have a terribly hard time forcing anything solid down my throat when I'm only half awake.

*BZZZZZT* Breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of your day. It gets your metabolism started, it "wakes" your body up, and gets your fuel systems moving. You shouldn't skip any meal, but if you have to, it certainly shouldn't be breakfast.

[xstatic]

If you can't do solids in the morning, try o start your day with a smoothie or a slimfast. Super easy, super yummy... especially the smoothies! Just go to a grocery store and buy a bag of frozen strawberries, cherries, raspberries, pineapple, etc by dole. I like to buy a bunch of different ones so that in the morning I just plop a little of this ands a little of that into the blender, add some skim milk, ice, and splenda = insta amazing smoothie.

[SSC]

Also, keep in mind that it's been suggested in research that 4-6 small meals a day means a much healthier diet, and less cardio at a higher intensity is a much more effective way to burn fat and lose weight. Try playing 10-12 songs that push you to your absolute physical limit, rather than playing a bunch of 'ho-hums,' and throwing in a difficult one every once in a while.

[sublime]

heyy these ideas have helped me too.

I was told that removing dairy can make a significant improvement in your life.
It has worked for me. I only eat minimal dairy. Everything else (ice cream, and milk) is soy. and soy is the best thing on earth.

its just expensive.

[fharyn]

Hm...I'm not going to say anything for or against the breakfast thing. I'm a night owl, and don't move on a "normal" schedule, so I've skipped breakfast my whole life. Plus, I can't keep anything down in the morning hours (unless I've been awake all night) otherwise, if I'm on a 9-5 schedule, I'll probably wind up throwing it up.

But...I will say this...where is the water? =)
I suggest u drink a lot of water.
Maybe cool it on the coffee a little. It can't be good to start your day with 2-4 cups. Plus, it can't be all good for your bones either. *shrug*

As for DDR playing...U seem to be a standard player, I don't know if u're asthma can handle it (I don't know much about asthma, just that my sister had it *shrug*), but u could try this....
On your last song (or every 3rd-4th song) try a really hard song, that u can't pass, but KNOW if u were a little better u could pass it.
I know right now, being able to play 4-5 feet, u should be able to pass a few 6 footers. And once u've done that, u're way on your way to 7's. I seem to have lost most of my weight when I was playing 7 footers. *shrug* maybe the moves make u're body move more areas.

I can't really give out much advice on your food plan, because I am a milk fiend!! I do know that I lost 95lbs in one year (nov 04 - nov 05), and I didn't really change my eating habits. I could never give up milk (or dairy). And...I was only drinking red bulls, water, and eating sandwiches from the local convient store down my street (7-11). Plus...I was only eating about a meal (or 2, which included milk) a day. Heh. (waits to be told that was a bad move) *nervous*

I wasn't calorie counting (which I probably should have), but I do remember, that I drank a LOT of water. I mean...my room was littered with empty bottles. haha. I also know that after I really started getting into DDR, I just wasn't as hungry any more, and that could be the reason eventually I only ate one meal a day (dinner, and occasionally a snack at work).
Drink more water, friend.

Good luck to u!

~Fharyn~