Losing weight

[GillPower]

I am on week 4 of the programme. I guess like a lot of people I really want to lose some weight!!! Have others managed to lose weight? How long did it take? Do you find yourself eating healthier ....sorry to bombard with questions...oh and if I could also look 20 years younger that would be great!!! Xx

[Wheatls Graduate]

I'm on week 8 and don't think I've lost any weight. I thought I would have, but it's probably because I haven't cut down on eating as I wanted to see what difference the running alone would make and losing weight wasn't my main focus. Could do with losing around 1stone though. I run in the mornings and tend to do most of my eating in the evenings. I wondered whether running in the evening would make me eat more healthily.

[RubyR Graduate]

Although I haven't lost much weight I have noticed I've toned up and feeling a lot fitter, plus I am subconsciously thinking more about what I eat!

I figure the less I worry about it and keep going with the running the more weight I'm going to loose!

Good luck with the running and the weight loss xxxx

[nomorejellybelly Graduate]

Hi GillPower. I found that at first I actually put weight on but this is quite usual apparently whilst fat turns to muscle as muscle is heavier. Now that I have graduated and have been doing longer runs for several weeks I have noticed that my weight is starting to go down gradually. The goods news is that my wobbly bits are no longer that wobbly.....just need my jelly belly to get a bit smaller and I'll be well happy!! Good luck and if you find out the secret of looking 20 years younger then please please let me know too!! Claire. X

[Cazvs Graduate]

I haven't lost any weight either, I've dropped a dress size though!

[Gary_M]

I am dieting at the same time and doing other exercise etc and in the 3 months or so (I started before running) and in total I have lost 2 stone but in total I need to lose 6 to be down to a healthy BMI, with this much to lose it will come off quick for me as so much weight running burns lots of calories. Like others have said I have noticed increased toning in my legs.

[eveshamgal Graduate]

i am only on week 1 but i am also on a low carb diet to help manage my BG levels (am type 2 diabetic). I have lost a couple of lbs but not much which has started to frustrate me to be honest. I am going to speak to the nurse at my next appointment to see if there are any other reasons. i know i have PCOS which doesnt help, along wth the diabetes etc.

[pingle Graduate in reply to eveshamgal]

Hi eveshamgal

Don't get frustrated yet! Week 1 is still very early days and you are not doing enough distance to really burn the calories. Give it time and you will see real benefits. There have been lots of people on this site who have seen real improvements in BG control and PCOS symptoms BUT just running is not enough to shift lots of weight. The diet needs attention as well. Lots of people have got on well with myfitnesspal. Good luck. C25K is one of the best things you could be doing for your general health and fitness.

[eveshamgal Graduate in reply to pingle]

Hi pingle,

Thanks for the message. I think I was more frustrated because I read about other people (on other forums) who have lost weight Just by going low carb itself without exercise lol

I know as I get further down the programme I will burn more calories etc and will continue with my lifestyle change.

Have to say these boards make it very easy to keep motivated

[ktaylor217 Graduate]

I have lost about half a stone but I am much slimmer. I'm at least one dress size smaller. Remember that you will be losing fat but gaining muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat so while your body composition is changing and your shape will change you many not actually lose weight but it does not mean you are doing anything wrong! I judge my size by the fit of my clothes not by my weight on the scales.

This picture says it all really:

sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hpho...

[jenniej Graduate]

I wasn't particularly trying to lose weight and I probably lost only 2 or 3 pounds doing the program. Now a year on since I first started I'm a stone lighter and at least a dress size smaller. I didnt consciously change my diet and still eat loads of chocolate. I find I drink less alcohol - as I dont want it to affect my run the next day. General health - loads better.

I think my experience is quite common - if you only run and make no other changes then you'll only start to lose weight when you finish the program and are running longer and faster. But no matter what you will tone your body. Good luck!

[NeverthoughtIwouldrun Graduate]

Yeh I started this to loose weight (about 1/2 stone overweight and wanted to lose a stone before summer!) and I didn't loss any of anything I put on weight then I started using myfitnesspal which is an app/website which lets you track everything you eat it's amazing lost half a stone hope to loose another half before going away best thing it's free! The other thing I did was started running at about. 5ish this was my main snacking time so it stopped me snacking

[TheMagicalPixie Graduate]

I started this program April last year, and every month last year I gradually put on weight. My work involves a lot of travel which means it messes with my routine, means I am not in control of what I eat in the same way, I'm not necessarily somewhere I can go for a run, and I am often too tired to think about a work out!

I graduated in November and in December made an effort to increase exercise and eat more healthily. I started losing weight in December, except Christmas messed that up. Just before Christmas I started swimming regularly and when I am at home I swim for about an hour every day. I try to run at least 3 times a week, and I do dvd workouts sometimes too. I have been eating less junk this year and have noticed I am drinking less alcohol too, although that has not been a conscious decision. This year is going well in terms of weight loss, I have lost 5kg.

I think as people have said you need to make it a lifestyle thing and remember muscle weighs more. I bought a dress in August last year, which fitted perfectly at the time, but within a couple of months it was too tight. Knowing I had lost weight I tried it on recently and despite weighing more than when I bought it, it was really baggy as I have changed shape a lot - don’t focus too much on the scales!

[fatgirlruns Graduate]

I started the C25k in March and have lost about 6lbs but I am also following weight watchers and I am 3lbs from my goal weight, so want to keep up the running to keep my weight down.

I have noticed that my clothes are looser and I feel fitter so the running must be doing some good!!

[jbroox Graduate]

My C25K journey began toward the end of February. At the same time I added the My Net Diary app to my iPhone and set a weight-loss goal. With the combination of the C25K and managing what I eat better, I've been able to lose 25lbs so far. I still have about 15 lbs to go to reach my goal. More than weight loss, however, I've lost inches.

Most important, with each run and each pound I lose I feel a whole lot better. And that's the real prize!

Best of luck to you!

[Hidden]

Like most people who are also half way through, I am feeling some physical benefits, but it's not showing up on the scales as yet....

weight loss is all about calorie balance and the simple facts are that if you are going to loose weight you need to use or burn more calories than you take in throughout the day - this will force your body into fat burning mode to make up the calorie difference.

a bit of maths, to target 1.5lb weight loss per week you need to be at minus 500 calories PER DAY ...... for me (90% of waking hours is spent sitting with very little exercise) my base calorie need is just over 2,000/day, so to loose 1.5lbs in a week I would needed to cut back calories to under 1,500/day. BUT one running session for 30mins only burns around 250-300 calories - the same as a couple of slices of bread (or my beloved kit-kat chunky) ....and so by week4 we're running for 16 mins in total, so only burning 150-160 calories per session - which is not enough to make a dent in the scales unless you have significantly cut back calories from elsewhere.

so running alone isn't the key to real weight loss - a balanced and calorie counted diet is your best friend - but running helps you tone up & the "Happy" feeling at the end of each session carries you onto leading an over all more healthy lifestyle - which should include diet too.

I know this may sound a little negative, but - this is the only real way to loose those pounds..

[Malcy Graduate in reply to Hidden]

This is exactly the correct perspective. Running alone won't result in significant weight loss. But combined with a calorie counting regime, it makes a massive contribution to overall health. I found that an hour's brisk walk every lunch time, plus running on alternate days, was best. I lost 30% of my body weight in 14 months (about 32kg) and am also constantly amazed at what I can do in terms of running. My best experience was the day our lift broke down and I RAN up four flights of stairs. I had previously had to take 2/3 breaks on the way up ...

[WillowFae Graduate]

I watched Secret Eaters last night on channel 4 and one of the women went to the gym a lot and was under the mistaken belief that for an hour after you had exercised you could eat what you wanted because your metabolism was so high! She was put right.

Exercise alone won't do anything. I've lost a LOT of weight but I've been doing WW as well as running so I know my calorie deficit is low enough for the weight to come off.

[hermioneinc]

I absoutly love Secret Eaters!! Did you see the bit where she put BUTTER on her weetabix...I was horrified! It shows you how ignorant people are about food.....I put it down to not reading to be honest

[lola465 Graduate]

I'm doing weightwatchers as well as the C25k program.

The weight is coming off quicker than on previous efforts by quite a large margin.

[pingle Graduate]

I didn't lose an ounce for the first 6 weeks but when I started doing the longer runs the weight did creep down. I've been running now for over a year and have lost about 3/4 of a stone but without doing a thing about my diet and without trying at all. I'm hopeless at diets as the minute I think I can't have something I go out of my mind with cravings. The best bit is I have gone down at least a dress size and all my clothes are too lose. I'd recommend measuring yourself. I didn't and regret it but I definitely lost lots of tummy flab before the scales started to move. This is a blog from quite a while ago which is really good on weight loss

couchto5k.healthunlocked.co...

Cheers and good luck with your C25k journey.