Losing weight, but no diet

[johnjc8]

Just been reading JSilver's post about starting the C25K programme while being on a diet. I want to lose weight (couldn't put a picture of me in the profile as the space wasn't big enough), but I figured that all this exercise would make me shed the pounds - eventually. Can I ask everyone who isn't on a diet, but especially those of you who have completed the programme, have you lost weight as a result?

[Jase44 Graduate]

I've been eating normally and I've lost 2.5kgs in 3 weeks which doesn't sound a lot but it's 2 1/2 bags of sugar. So yes it does make u lose weight

[johnjc8 Graduate in reply to Jase44]

Thanks Jase. There's hope for me yet.

[Jase44 Graduate in reply to johnjc8]

Just normal eating and exercising. You'll lose weight but don't over eat to compensate for the exercise to much or it's pointless. You will get there and fitter along the way to. Hey I'm even having fun and sleeping better too

[ju-ju- Graduate]

My body is completely different now ( firm bum and thighs particularly), and I am eating more than I ever have in my life because I can!!! ( I do quite long runs now)...It will totally change your body but worth the kick start with something like Myfitnesspal ( I did that when I started C 25K)...good luck!

[johnjc8 Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks juicyju. I'll have a look at Myfitnesspal.

[pinkangel16 Graduate]

If you take a sensible approach to eating while exercising, you will lose weight.

I've lost about 10 lbs since running :). I eat pretty much what I want but only ever eat when I'm hungry - which can be often nowadays!

I would like to lose a bit more, so will have to either step up the exercise (well running - that's all I do!) or cut back a bit on the food and drink (don't drink much nowadays to be fair).

Good luck and I hope you achieve what you want to

[johnjc8 Graduate in reply to pinkangel16]

Thanks pinkangel. It's the 'sensible approach' that I'm worried about. Not got a great history of that I'm afraid.

[pinkangel16 Graduate in reply to johnjc8]

Well just give yourself a good talking to! Be stubborn with yourself..

[johnjc8 Graduate in reply to pinkangel16]

Lol

[useitorloseit Graduate]

I haven't lost any weight at all. But then I eat like a horse, so I guess I would've put loads on if I hadn't been running!

[AllieG Graduate]

I haven't lost any weight either but have toned up. I'm guessing the extra muscle weighs more than blubber!

[Rignold]

It is very unlikely to put on muscle through running tbh.

[Hidden in reply to Rignold]

omg your so cute sorry lol x

[rmnsuk Graduate]

I've lost 50+ pounds since july, but actually as soon as I started at the gym my weight stabilized for weeks. I think it may have coincided with the run up to Christmas. Anyhow since new year I've started losing again. Most of the weight loss is down to eating fewer calories, but c25k helps a little. It help fitness much more, and health by all accounts. And it turns out that running can be terribly addictive. I've never run in my life before this and though I was almost sick after my first run, I now look forward to running and the gym (wow never thought I'd say that)

[TurboTortoise Graduate]

I don't think running alone (certainly while doing the C25K course) will result in any weight loss - though it will do you no end of good, physically and mentally. You will be burning off a maximum of 900-1000 calories a week on the programme (1 mile uses up around 100 kcals on average), and the often-quoted stats are that to lose a pound a week you need a deficit of 7,500kcal per week (which I worked out once means you need to run 5 miles, 7 days a week!) Personally I haven't lost any weight or changed shape since I started running (although I wasn't trying), but I feel SO much healthier. So it's definitely worth doing - but in conjunction with watching what you eat to get a good result with weight loss.

[Tomas Graduate in reply to TurboTortoise]

Just to clarify: there are 3500 kcals in a pound of body fat, not 7500. So it's not quite as bad, but you're absolutely right that the c25k running sessions are unlikely to cause great weight loss on their own.

[TurboTortoise Graduate in reply to Tomas]

Tomas you are quite right! My typo (or inability to do simple arithmetic) . 7 days x 500 kcal deficit = 3,500 kcals, duh!

[Sharonb9999 Graduate]

I've lost just over 4 stone since June when I started C25K. A combination of myfinesspal, running & swimming have helped me. By recording what I eat I feel i'm better able to keep an eye on how my progress. I haven't starved but when you see how many calories you're clocking up you realise how the pounds can pile on. Running is now just a part of my life - I've got firmer thighs & feel stronger physically & mentally. It's not easy but it's soooooo worth it!

[Hidden]

I've lost about 6 or 7 KG although it was not my intention! I find running kills my appetite for about 24 hours, so I have to make sure I eat! I guess it's better for me to not be carrying those kilos...my legs are certainly less wobbly, had to buy some new trousers last week!

[Hidden]

I've deliberately not changed the way I eat during the programme. Not because I eat well, but because I have struggled with bingeing and restricting and I figured one big change is enough at any one time.

Saying that, my eating has changed, because I need to drink a lot more because I sweat A LOT when I run, so I tend to get quite full that way.

I think there's also this part of my head that despite trying to eat 'normally' I have been more conscious of the fuel that I'm putting in. Especially as I've seen my body change and become leaner looking, as well as feeling all the muscles becoming more toned.

At the end of the day though, you know how much change you can handle at one time to make sure it becomes a habit

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

When I started the program, I wasn't doing any dieting (though seriously needed to!), but the running pretty soon started making a change to my shape (it's worth recording thigh, hip and waist measurements at the start, just so you can see). By the time I had finished the 9 weeks, I had started to loose a little and had dropped a dress size anyway. That gave me the encouragement to try to watch my diet a little more, so sensible eating meant I lost more weight then about 18 months ago I started on 5:2 and that has been brilliant for me. On the 5 days, I eat what I want, when I want and on the 2 I don't eat. I run a lot and feel brilliant. I've dropped from a size 18/20 (which is a way of saying 20 really, but I don't want to admit it to myself!) to a 12/14 (depending upon the manufacturer). I've lost 4 stone - I'm not obese anymore (I think I might even have just slipped to not even being overweight), but to be honest, I don't think about weight or food anywhere near as much as I did. Instead I drool over the latest trainers...

[johnjc8 Graduate in reply to agedsnailspace]

"but to be honest, I don't think about weight or food anywhere near as much as I did. Instead I drool over the latest trainers"... Brilliant!!!

[Hidden]

hey your advice is crap its all rubbis so i suggest cai de geg its welsh for shut your mouth ok

[OlsBean in reply to Hidden]

Ayeisha, if you've got nothing constructive or pleasant to say then please don't contribute. You'll find much more help and support if you treat others within this community with respect.

Thank you.

[huffnpuffin Graduate]

Ok, so if once you complete C25k you run 3 times a week at 4k, 5k and 6k you should burn 650+800+1000 calories. If you do not increase your calories consumption you must loose weight, If you diet at the same time - (reduce overall calorie intake) you'll lose more weight. Obviously you may not want to lose too much as you'll need to maintain your weight later. The old thing of eat less and exercise more, does work to loose weight; you get fat by doing the opposite: been there done that many times

[Rignold in reply to huffnpuffin]

I am not sure where you got your calories burned stats from but they are about twice what I would think. I ran 10.5k this morning, with 270m of vertical gain and according to my Garmin stats burned 873 calories.

The benefit of C25k to weight loss is that it gets you to the point where you are fit enough to start doing regular exercise that can contribute to losing weight, rather than being a weight loss programme in and of itself. If you want to lose weight quickly by means of exercise then try a programme such as Insanity or P90x.

[huffnpuffin Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Getting the cals info from endomondo, dropbox.com/s/hgom5mhwx6iji... while I wouldn't put money on the accuracy; I was simply pointing out that you burn calories while exercising and if you dont add any calories you must loose weight. I wouldn't say that its the best or only way to loose weight, in fact as you may gain muscle you'd put on weight in some circumstances. I totally agree with you that its " regular exercise that can contribute to losing weight, rather than being a weight loss programme in and of itself" Its just a form of exercise that for ME allows me to regulate my weight without diet.

But more than that it makes me feel good finishing a run (Maybe relief is a better word). Even the shortest run because upto the summer of last year I hadn't run in 40 years.

[OlsBean]

I know some will criticise me for saying this but based on my own personal experiences and what I have learned from research, I strongly believe that weight-loss and exercise should be separated, if you like, put in different boxes.

I'm not going to understate the absolute importance of exercise and activity for health, it's absolutely critical for longevity and wellbeing, however this notion that we've been indoctrinated with into thinking we got out and run, cycle, swim or whatever else floats your boat and then burn X amount of fat for Y amount of activity is just wrong. Building muscle mass, becoming fitter, increasing glycogen storage and becoming generally more efficient will all help in the long run with weight management, having more muscle mass alone will increase your BMR but you can only do that with the correct nutrition and often people don't eat enough to fuel their level of activity, nor provide the nutrition their body requires post workout for cell repair etc. Because of this dieters can often end up indirectly on VLC (Very Low Calorie) Diets because of the daily energy deficit created by exercise combined with the deficit from the diet itself.

I'm not saying don't exercise if you diet, I am saying allow for what you are doing in what you eat.

Losing weight is once again in my very humble opinion is 90% about what you put in your mouth, with quality of sleep, stress levels and perhaps some activity contributing

Good Luck.