Hallarie - First off, WELCOME! We're glad you're here!
About the step diet, the first week you shouldn't change anything. Just wear the pedometer and track your steps. This will give you a baseline at the end of the week. From that number, you'll be able to start at "your place".
I had someone leave a comment on my blog asking about it, so I'll just repost that. I completely encourage you to get the book. It's an easy read and has a ton of information.
The other ladies here can help a lot... they've helped me understand parts that I had gotten confused.
Anywho - Here's the post and feel free to ask anything!
The premise of the diet is to move more and eat a bit less (when needed). It is broken into phases. A baseline phase that lasts 1-2 weeks. Losing phases last 12 weeks each, which is followed by a period (I chose 4 weeks) of maintenance before beginning another losing period.
For the first week, you track your normal steps and don’t change anything. This will help you find a baseline by averaging your steps for the week. I averaged about 7300 steps per day over the baseline week.
For weeks 2 and 3, you add 2000 steps to your baseline week and attempt to move more. I had to get 9300 steps, so I parked in the back of the lot and walked up the stairs and it worked out OK.
For the following 12 weeks, you add 500 steps to your weekly number. For me, I had 9300 so I added 500 to it for week 4. I rounded up to 10,000 to make it easier for me to remember. In week 5, I needed 10,500 steps. In week 6, 11,000 steps and so on. I am now needing 12,000 steps per day.
At the end of the 12th week, you begin a maintenance phase. You get to choose how long this lasts. I chose 4 weeks. You lower your steps to maintenance levels.
The book is great. It has a lot of information, as well as conversions to turn other exercises into steps. I haven’t converted anything yet because I am afraid I will goof it up.
I have not drastically altered my food intake and do not track calories. The book suggests eating 75% of whatever you want. I haven’t done too much of that yet, just occasionally.
This seems to be a life change that I can stick with. I can’t count calories. I become too frustrated and I end up failing. This, however, seems to be a lifelong thing. I started taking walks with friends and all kinds of cool things to get out and about. We even walk to the store now!
Hi There! I have ordered this book and it should be here in the next day or two! I'm excited to read it and get started. Thanks for doing such a great job of making this known to all of us!
Weclome Hillarie!!! So great to have another stepper! ok so for one week just do your normal routine and count your steps, at the end of a week you average those steps and then week 2 you will add 2000 steps to that average and you will be well on your way!! for the following 12 weeks you add 500 steps a week, it's pretty simple. I still recommend reading the book because it's full of good info but this will get you started for sure! also there really isn't a diet plan for this, just to eat 1/4 less of what you normally eat, and that doesn't mean to inflate your plates to 125%, lol! But please post daily with us and we'll definitely support you!
Cat it's so nice that your husband is working out as well to help motivate you to stay on track. I bought mine a pedometer and he let the kids break it the first night he had it. He's wanting another one but I don't know if he's serious or not. And yes, extra steps means less this weekend, woo hoo!
My day is going well it's 4:30 and I'm only 150 steps from goal so that won't be a problem and I peeked at the scale and I'm down another .6 of a lb! YAY!!!
Glad you are here! The book is definatly worth reading. No doubt about that. Keep posting, this group is really supportive. I would have never thought that forums could be this good!
Thank you all for the wonderful knowledge. OK so this week I'm just wearing easy enough. I am on my feet running at work all day (I work retail) so I get lots of steps in but they are not intentional exercise. I know we're not supposed to cheat but I want to make a change now so do you think I can average the last 2 days walking steps into an equation to equal 7 and start adding extra steps already. I'm not trying to get the cart before the horse here but I know from earlier this year wearing my pedometer how many steps I take on a working day can I use that average? Please. I'll try to be patient with following all the other rules I promise. Do you think that will work? It would give me a baseline right?
Spryng - It's okey-dokey! Were definatly being supportive!
Karen31 - Let us know when the book gets here and you start your baseline week. It's exciting!
Hillarie - Sorry it took so long to respond. If you feel like you know your baseline and need to start now, by all means go for it. I don't want you to get discouraged before you even start! I'll be honest and say that I worry that you will want to push hard, just remember to take it slow, it doesn't have to be fast to last forever. I had a hard time NOT doing extra the first week. I wanted to get started too, so I know what you mean! I must have done some extra, because I lost a pound the first week.
I can't remember what I have posted on here, but I hurt my knee on Tuesday. I decided (against friend's opinions) to take a Kickboxing class. I LOVED IT! I did, however, hurt my knee jump-roping. OUCH! It was sore and stiff all day yesterday and I worried about getting my steps. I really didn't think that I would pull it off, but tried all day anyway to get as many as I could. I was slow, but persistant. I got 12,656 and needed 12,500! WHOO-HOO! I did get on the treadmill for 20 minutes and SUPER SLOW speed... I went .72 miles in 20 minutes! OMG! I didn't realize how slow I was really moving!
Welcome Hillarie and Karen. I am glad you found us. This is a fun, supportive thread.
Hillarie: Since you are already active, adding more steps now wouldn't be a problem. Just don't add so many that you become overwhelmed. All steps count towards your daily total. Life happens, so if you don't get in all your steps one day, you can try to pick up more in the coming days to make up. You can also "bank" steps---walk extra steps if you know there will be a day coming up when you won't be able to get as many in. So you don't have to think it is "cheating" if you come up short for a day or two or don't follow the rules perfectly.
Spryng: Good work on the .6 pound loss!
Sassy: Maybe the explanatory piece from your blog could be put in the first post of each month's thread. That is a good summary of the program. I always check out some of the new threads when they show up on the home page and probably a lot of other people do to.
We were writing our posts at the same time. I hope your knee gets back to normal soon.
Hi everyone! I'm brand new to the Step Diet, but really excited! It makes perfect sense! (move more) I'm glad I'm not doing it alone, my best friend is doing it with me! I love competition.. HHEEHHEE I'm getting antsy though, I'm only on week one and not suppose to do more than I usually would.. but I have to admit, with the pedometer on.. I want to see how many I can get in! LOL. So far I have:
Monday: 2051
Tuesday: 3,335
Wednesday:2504
I have no idea if those are normal.. LOL.. But I'm excited for Monday!
Hi Marmi. Welcome to this thread. I am glad you found us. This has been a fun and supportive group. I have lost 1 1/5 pounds since joining in July and feel great. It is wonderful having a friend to do this with. DH isn't doing the step diet, but he works out regularly and that helps keep me motivated to workout and stick with this program.
Welcome Marmi! so you all know, I am the friend she is talking about! lol We both work from home for our company therefore we are pretty sedentry so this has been the perfect plan for both of us for sure! I finally talked her into joining our thread! the more the merrier!!! Your numbers are like mine marmi, lol.. For me having 4 kids you would have thought my average daily steps would have been more but nope, I averaged around 3400 a day my first week.. but hey, I'm moving more now and that is what counts!
Sassy, so sorry you hurt your knee! kickboxing sounds exausting, lol.. I just vacuumed my house and I got 1500 steps in! LOL!! boy can't beat that! LOL!! You must have a very active lifestyle to only have to be on your treadmill for 20 min and get to 12500 steps.. I'm having to get on my treadmill for at least 35 min a day just to get to 5900 steps... I can't imagine the hrs I'll be on there when I'm at my final 11400 steps in the weeks to come, lol.. probably ALL Day! LOL!! But that is ok, the 500 extra steps a week makes it easy to adjust to.
well, I need to do some more cleaning. Yak with you all later! oh and btw today I had to go to walmart to get school supplies and I've been cleaning so I'm at 5100 steps WITHOUT my treadmill at all today! I may jump on for 5 min before bed to clock in a few extra so I'd call today a busy success!
Hi Marmi! WELCOME! I'm so glad you have Spryng! I look forward to the competition between you two (wink, wink)!
My BF says she "not keeping track", but I know that she is. She's just too competitive not to. So I'm officially doing the Step Diet, she probably has bought the book but won't admit to anything. HEHEHE!
My job is running or sitting... no in-between. I can't ever tell what kind of day that I am going to have. I had to get on the treadmill for 30 minutes tonight to make it!
Afternoon all! so it's 3pm and I'm already at 5700 steps for today, just 200 more to hit goal! I might get back on my treadmill tonight and do another 20 min or so in preperation for this weekend, but we'll see, lol.. I'm just exausted from the week right now.
Thinking of taking the kids fishing the weekend. It's not suppose to be as hot and it would get me moving more for sure, lol..
well, gonna relax for a bit.
This is kinda a re-post (from a different thread), but I wanted to get your input. Hope you all are doing well. Today is my LAST SATURDAY that I have to work! My hours change on Monday and will be Monday-Thursday. YIPPEE!
Anywho, here's the post... I think that I need your advice.
I made my steps the first 2 days after hurting my knee, though it's not so much my knee now as it is my calf muscle. It feels like I have had a Charlie-Horse for 2 days. My DH tried to get it out, though he was also trying to keep me from crying with the pain. OUCH! I only got 7100 steps yesterday, I just couldn't do it. ARGGGG... it is SO frustrating to me. I've been thinking and decided that there is no point in having an unrealistic goal. My goal for this week was 12,500 per day and there is NO WAY that I am going to get that everyday. So I've decided, in light of my current state, to change my goal for the rest of the week to 10,000 steps. I've got some making up to do from yesterday, but now at least I have hope. I adjusted next week to compensate me getting back to full speed and will be officially back on the same track as before on 8/20.
I had a hard time deciding to do it. It makes me mad that I had to, but I was afraid I would give up if I knew that they were flat out unrealistic for right now. Believe me, 10,000 steps is going to be a challenge. Worked hard yesterday on only got 7100!
I don't feel like I am taking it easy on myself, but have any of you ever changed your goals before?
Last edited by sassybiscuit; 08-09-2008 at 10:58 AM.
Sassy I would say if you are injured taking it easier on yourself is the smart thing to do. If you push yourself you could further injure yourself and then you'd be in a bigger pickle for sure! So yeah, cut down your steps this week, maybe you can make up for it by doing some dumbbell lifting? I know you can substitute weight lifting for walking per the book so maybe cut down your actual steps and make up for it with some weights? what do you think?
this weekend is gonna be a breeze for me. I only need 4900 steps a day to hit my entire goal for the week, so I plan on still getting in my reg goal for today so I can be real lazy tomorrow! LOL!! Also even though my official weight loss for this week was .6 lbs again that is now 1.2 lbs for the past two weeks, at least it's consistant! but I think I'm losing some inches for sure because my stomach is visibly smaller!!!! yay! it's my biggest problem area So I'm sooo thrilled with this plan for sure!
So great to have another stepper! ok so for one week just do your normal routine and count your steps, at the end of a week you average those steps and then week 2 you will add 2000 steps to that average and you will be well on your way!! 
Welcome Hillarie and Karen. I am glad you found us. This is a fun, supportive thread.
I hope your knee gets back to normal soon.
