Good News!!

[Laney0378]

Hey Everyone!

I did my 'graduation' run today!!

- I've been running for 30 minutes+ since Week 5 or Week 6 - I can't remember now - and I measured my run at 2.7 miles (4.3K) several weeks ago so I've been running that distance for at least 3, maybe 4 weeks but it's been hard lately - more psychological than physical I think - because I've hit that 'wall'... Even though I 'know' in my head I can run for more than 30 minutes, each time I set off I think I won't do it again and my breathing goes and it's a struggle! I've always done it, but have had no confidence I can do it next time, if you understand what I mean?

...My daughter came home from Uni two weeks ago and although it's good to have someone to run with now (I run on my own - no music, nothing), because she's faster than me, when we ran together I ended up stopping halfway!! I was mortified - I've never done that before on this plan!! So even though our time was faster because she pulled me along, I felt bad for walking a little in the middle!! That was the only time though!!

Anyway, although I have kept to the 'plan' - in fact I have done more each week - today was 'crunch time' lol!

I did the whole 5K at the Norwich Parkrun today and although I am slow, I did the whole thing running, no walking, in 37 minutes dead!!

Yes, I'm slow, but I did it!! - And I wasn't last!

So pleased!! Now, when's the next 10K run lol!!

Oh, and I have lost a fairly huge amount of weight - not just with this running - I started a new way of life with healthy eating on January 9 and then started going to the gym from early March to improve my fitness and then I started this running plan from around the end of April I think it was... Anyway, I've lost more than 5 stone so far...

[LMS2110 Graduate]

Hi Laney, what an amazing feat! Congratulations upon graduating, but truly special congrats on all the other changes you've made to your life and body since the start of the year. You must be feeling so very proud, and rightly so ... Now celebrate, get your badge and welcome to the graduate side of the C25K fence. Cheers, Linda x

[Laney0378 Graduate]

Thanks, Linda!

I hope I don't sound like I'm patting myself on the back but I'm just so pleased today!! - I'd decided to turn my life around well before I heard of this but running on this plan has helped me a lot I think...

And it's meant a lot to me to finally do a 5K - I know people say it's the 30 minute running that counts for the C25K - and I've done that for a while - but I really wanted to do the full 5K, if only to prove to myself I could do it - and I forgot to say, I was a little faster - in speed, not time - today than on the 4.3K runs I've done so far...

Thanks again!

Elaine

[sofaqueen Graduate]

I think you deserve to give yourself a pat on the back and have everyone else pat you on the back too. What you have achieved is fantastic and you are a real inspiration to someone like me, who has just started this 7 weeks ago and still has a long way to go. To hear that you have come so far with your running AND that amazing weight loss really makes me feel like it is possible to achieve great results. Congratulations on your achievements

[Laney0378 Graduate in reply to sofaqueen]

Thank you!

- I found the first few weeks do-able but not easy, but the last three weeks have been really hard... But I think if you have a goal in mind, if you have the motivation to keep going, you CAN do it - you just have to keep at it and it will happen. I think it is mostly your mental attitude that makes the difference - like most things - and if you've been doing it for seven weeks, well done! - And please, keep going!

- I'm an older runner and my determination has seen me through so far. I have a long way to go yet - this is only the beginning - but I can't think of giving up now, and I hope you do the same. Certainly I feel so much better now physically and I want to keep improving! I hope you do too!

[sofaqueen Graduate in reply to Laney0378]

It's really great to hear other people's stories and this site is so supportive it's really brilliant. I started this really not thinking I'd get beyond W1 but have just done W7R1 this morning. I still find it hard, but keep mindful of Laura saying that speed does not matter as much as keeping going. I definitely want to keep going with this, despite not finding it easy I really look forward to my running days. I really need to lose weight but I started this firstly to help myself mentally, and I'm really finding it is helping. I haven't lost any weight but think I have toned up a little - really hoping that I'll keep going with this and see real benefits over time. Great that you have the drive and determination to keep going - it's really inspiring to read stories like yours and makes me want to keep pushing further.

[Laney0378 Graduate in reply to sofaqueen]

Thanks!

And you are doing well, because you've done more than 6 weeks, that's more than 18 of the sessions so you're more than 2/3 of the way through! If you've got this far, you can do the rest!

I try and set myself a goal of running a little faster or a little further each time - not too much and I don't make a big thing of it because just doing each run as it comes is a big achievement - but it often helps me to focus on the run and what I want to do, and if I do better, that's great, if not, at least I have done the run!

I wish you all the best! Let me know how it goes?

Elaine

[Jany]

More than 5 stone?! Amazing! Well done! I've lost 1 and have hit a wall. Haven't lost anything for 6 weeks- any top tips? X

[Laney0378 Graduate in reply to Jany]

Hi Jany,

Thank you!

Yeah, it's up to 74lbs this week...

I don't know about 'tips' but some things I do / don't do are:

I have breakfast and a main meal and usually a sandwich or soup for lunch - or occasionally I skip lunch and just have fruit (if I'm busy).

I eat a lot of fish - grilled or baked - usually with some sort of sauce - chilli, mayonnaise etc because I like it with that and you have to like the food you're eating!

I also eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and I have couscous or a baked potato or rice with my main meal. Sometimes I have veggie food and I like diary products - cheese sometimes, eggs, milk...

I don't eat much meat now - I have pretty much cut out red meat and I just have chicken very occasionally - not for any reason because chicken's OK - I just prefer fish now...

I've mostly given up alcohol too...

Most importantly, I DON'T see myself as being on a diet - I just look at it as trying to eat healthily - that way I can indulge myself if I want to - I just choose not to most of the time! I DO have cakes now and again - the odd sweet - some wine if I feel like it.

I DON'T calorie count - I just try and eat lots of good food and much less of the bad!!

I'm not any sort of an expert but I think how much you lose at any one time depends a lot on how much weight you have still to lose because obviously, if you're near your target weight, your weight loss will be much slower than at first - my weight loss is slowing down a lot now - but I would have thought you should have lost maybe a pound or two over six weeks? ... So maybe you need to re-examine what you're eating and when? - It may be though, if you look at your lifestyle and you feel you're eating healthily and exercising, you just need to persevere with it and the weight loss will start up again, soon... I wouldn't cut down your food too much because starvation or very low calorie diets don't work long-term, in my opinion.

HTH

Elaine

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Congratulations on graduating, and even more so on such an amazing weight loss - you are fantastic!

[Laney0378 Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

Hey!

Thank you! You're very kind!

E