Hi there!

[darlingyourekiller]

Hey everyone! I have been a longtime DDR fan and have most of the American releases, though I am lazy and play with the game controller! I have just started a sedentary job where I work full-time and I am tempted by snacks all the time. All of my life I have been 60+ pounds overweight and I am ready to make a change. I have been having hair shedding and I do not like my body the way it is, and so I have been trying to get on the track to becoming slimmer and healthier. I am taking a daily hair, skin, and nails vitamin and I plan to drink more water. I believe I weigh around 205 right now (or more, haven't gotten to weigh recently) and that is 20 pounds up from this time last year and I know it's from the job! I am 5 foot 2 and I NEED to lose this weight.

So, here I am for support and companionship from you guys who have successfully used DDR as a weight loss aid! I am planning on PAX East next year as well as E3 and I would like to look my best -- I am a member of the gaming press and I'd like to look more polished.

Would it be realistic to lose 20 pounds by March or July? Or would I lose more at a steady rate by then? I want to eventually get down to 120-130 pounds if that sounds reasonable for my height. Also, how much water should I be drinking daily to aid with losing weight?

I hope to speak to you all more soon! :3

[blackink]

You should drink at last 2L of water a day and the more you play, the more pounds you lose
Eat a helthy diet that is at last 1500 kcal a day, soon you will be losing alot of weight!

[chiefeagle02]

A healthy lifestyle is a life-long commitment, which is why diets tend to fail. The trick is to make a few small changes at a time and train your body to accept them as the norm. Things like swapping soda pop for juice or water or eating a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit in the morning for breakfast (two servings of the stuff is 300 calories and fills you up quite nicely). Ween yourself into a healthy lifestyle. If you jump into DDR and dieting and you get tired of it, there's nothing really to fall back on, which is why so many diets fail as there's nothing to fall back on). Playing DDR is fun and it can help you lose weight and get you into shape, but it shouldn't be the ONLY thing you do. While not playing DDR or exergaming, look for excuses to be active in your daily life (I don't know how many opportunities the field of gaming journalism allows), even if it's a walking to the store, cleaning your house/apartment, or anything that gets you up and moving. For the more technologically savvy, if you have a Playstation, I recommend the EyeToy Play or Guitar Hero to supplement DDR for gaming exercise. YES, playing guitar can burn calories...and getting up and dancing to the music while playing is a lot more fun and you'll be active. On that note, Karaoke games would work too. Dance and have fun! Healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be boring!

Twenty pounds by springtime is totally attainable. Blackink's suggestion of two liters of water sounds about right (eight cups of water, or sixty-four ounces, or half a gallon).

Hope I didn't put you to sleep, but welcome to the forums. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I wish you the best of luck.

-Thomas