Hi everyone!

Hoping all are well. I have been reading some of the threads here and I guess I'm getting a bit overwhelmed with all the information that's out there! I know I need to choose the plan that's best for me but how to choose the right one when there's so many?

I have so many questions:

1.) How much weight on average is healthy to lose per week?
2.) How many times per week is realistic for a beginner to workout?
3.) How much time of aerobic activity does it really take to make a difference per workout?
4.) How do you know if you're pushing yourself too much?
5.) Don't you want to allow approx 48 hrs for your muscles to recoup before working them again?
6.) If that's true, then how can you get in 5 workouts/week?
7.) How much time will it take before I actually see results?
8.) What is an ideal calorie/fat consumption amount per day?
9.) How does the 21 day program apply to the spacing of the workouts?
10.) Does the 21 day program really work if you stick to it?
11.) What happens when you reach a plateau and you're not losing any more weight or inches?
12.) How do you keep yourself energized and motivated when all you want to do is sleep?
13.) Is there a best time of day to workout?

Ok. I think that's enough for now - ha ha! I'm looking to lose 40-45lbs and am just getting started. I'm normally petite (or at least I used to be) but ever since having my second daughter 4 years ago! I have had such a hard time losing anything. And what's worse is that I'm tired all the time. I know kids wear you out but I think that I must have the tired gene and I'm discouraged that there's no getting rid of it. I also know that everyone is different and that there is no perfect program and no perfect answer to any of the above questions. I just had to ask and hope that I could get something that will point me in the right direction. Thanks so much for all your help and good luck!!

Sassypie

Just thought I'd try and answer a few of your questions.

1) You should aim for FAT LOSS of about 1/2 pound - 2 pounds per week depending on how much you have to lose. Actually the huge weight loss that you hear so many people rave about when they start a commercial program is mostly water and lean body mass - you want to lose FAT, because lean body mass - muscle - actually BURNS fat and helps you lose quicker!

2) Six days a week with a day of rest each week. It's not really how much TIME you work out, it's the INTENSITY of your workouts. I know lots of folks (and I was one myself) who spend hours on the cardio machines at the gym and have not visibly changed one iota in years. It has been proven again and again that interval training, interspersed with weight training, is far more effective than hours of cardio in the so-called 'fat-burning' zone.

3) Again, it's not the time, it's the intensity and actually just DOING it in the first place. Check this link http://www.stumptuous.com/cardio.html for a very good (and funny!) article called "Kardio Kween" that explains all.

4) You HAVE to push yourself if you want to make changes. When I do cardio at intervals, I will do 2 minutes jogging, 1 minute all out running. Just look at the way a race horse is trained. They don't just trot and canter all day - they do intervals, all out breezing interspersed with cantering and galloping. That's how you improve - by pushing your limits.

5) Exactly! As long as you're working a different muscle group every time (what bodybuilders call 'splits') you're NOT overtraining. For example: the classic BFL split:

Monday - Upper body weight training
Tuesday - 20 Minutes cardio
Wednesday - Lower body weight training
Thursday - 20 minutes cardio
Friday - Upper body weight training
Saturday - 20 minutes cardio
Sunday - rest day
Monday - Lower Body Weight training
Tuesday - 20 minutes cardio

and so on. You will see there is more than 48 hours between bodypart training to recover.

That should answer question 6.

7) It all depends how much you put into it. How intense and focused you are during your workouts, and how 'clean' your nutrition is. If you're taking little bites of this and that and thinking it's not going to affect your progress - WRONG! (Thank goodness BFL has the Free Day every week!) Those nibbles do add up...

8) Everyone is different - depends on what your caloric needs are. Basic rule of thumb is 1 gram protein and carbs per pound of body weight. At each meal you can eat all the veggies you want.

9 & 10 - I have no idea what the 21 day program you are referring to is.

11 - Keep working at it - your body changes from the inside out. Focus on how you feel INSIDE. If you're lifting weights and eating clean, most likely what's happening is you're building muscle mass - this is a GOOD THING (don't worry about getting 'too big' - unless you are on steroids or have a preponderance of testosterone - which women don't have - you will NOT get huge) because muscle burns fat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - not just while you're doing cardio.

12 - you should be getting 8 hours of sleep a night - your body needs the recovery time. If you're not feeling energized, then you need to look at your lifestyle and what you're eating. If you're eating a lot of sugar, that can tend to make you crash big time - the quick insulin rush followed by the rundown feeling.

13 - First thing in the morning if possible, but the important thing is to 'just do it'. If you make an effort, you'll find that the morning workout becomes a habit - a GOOD habit! It's like renewing your commitment to be healthy every day!

Any more questions? Check us out at the Body for Life board - and you can check my website for my photos up to Oct 2001 and the Transformation Gallery at www.leanandstrong.com for my progress photos up to last month! Take care!

Thank you Mrs. Jim for all the information you provided - you got really detailed and that definitely helps me tremendously! I did go to the lean and strong website and checked out your photos and I am very impressed. It must have been very hard losing the weight but you've done it - great job! I am curious now about this body for life - I checked out some other photos on the site and it was mentioned a few times. I'm gonna check it out and see what it's all about. It sounds intriguing and maybe it'll work for me. Anyway, I just had to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions - it probably took forever! Thanks again and good luck!

Sassypie