What do you eat?

[jogon83]

Hello, I started the c25k and I am due to go out today for wk4d2 today, initially i started the program just to get fit and I am still keeping this as my main focus. I would like to lose about 2 stones and then go from there but even though i've upped my exercise from practically nothing to going out 3-4 times a week I don't seem to have lost a great deal probably a couple of pounds. My scales are slightly old and not digital ones either so cant say for certain how much I've lost but I thought I'd be well on my way to half a stone at least with the amount of exercise I've been doing and the consistency of it also. I was also thinking maybe I'm building muscle? or it'll start to drop off once i start getting more consecutive minutes in the more I get into the later weeks. what are your experiences? Love to know more!

Zoe

xx

[Rignold]

No, you are not building muscle. Running does not build muscle. But the good news is, you will achieve weight loss over time if you keep at it. A couple of pounds in 4 weeks of C25k is about right. What works is consistency. If you keep at it, the time/distance/calories burned will gradually increase and the lbs will continue to come off.

Foodwise, the classic advice is: Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. And that's about it. Drink a lot of water. 3-4 litres a day plus a litre for every hour of exercise.

[jogon83 in reply to Rignold]

i know bread is my weakness but would this have a major impact on my weightloss? i have heard it is one of the worse things you can have but i love it! thanks for the tips and like you say if i keep at it it will come off

[Rignold in reply to jogon83]

I eat bread. Not very often, but I have to make it every day for teh children for their lunch sandwiches and someties the smell of fresh baked sourdoough coming out of the oven just overwhelms me and I have to eat the crust slathered in butter in less than a second as if my life depended upon it. I have an occasional beer, I eat spaghetti from time to time, I had a square of chocolate earlier today. You don't have to deny yourself all pleasures, but making such things treats and exceptions to the rule is better. And tbh, now I eat bread only occasionally, I really enjoy it when I do, rather than just ingesting it without noticing. Likewie all the other stuff.

[Prune in reply to Rignold]

That is very true, whereas I thought nothing of munching my way through loaves of white bread a few months ago, it's amazing how much you savour a treat when it really is a treat.

For me weight loss has been a side effect of running more than anything else and I wouldn't have thought more than a few pounds loss for most people could be expected over the course of the program. It's the long term that matters!

[Hidden]

think rig has covered it

[ViaM Graduate]

You can find out how many calories you burn each time you run: myfitnesspal.com/exercise/l...

"To lose one pound of fat you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories" - although it is not as simple as that and there is a debate about it out there, of course!

To lose weight, you should aim to consume 300 to 500 calories less than your usual daily intake + exercise.

Do not fall into the trap of "I went out for a run, I can now have a snack/treat" and "I went out for a run so now I can remain inactive for the rest of the day"

[Hidden]

Having lost 4 stone last year, I don't agree with some of the comments on here. First, I would wholly advice the use of myfitnesspal, I have now used for just short of 500 days. I set it to lose 2lb a week and as a rule I did. If I walked (hiked) 4 hours, I would add calories back on and consume those calories as part of my daily calorie count. There are quite a lot of calories in nuts, but so long as you don't exceed what myfitnesspal says, you can eat them, fruit is also good to consume as much as you like again not over your daily calorie allowance. The best way to start the day is with porridge, I would and still do add a teaspoon full of lyons syrup, I ate plenty of salads, I did add mayonnaise or salad cream and I still added sugar to my tea or coffee. Good disciplined use of myfitnesspal will work, exercise will most likely loose weight if used in conjunction with a calories controlled diet, I reckon having lost 4 stone and either run or walked just short of 1700 miles since last May Im in a good position to comment. I also used C25K, in December I could hardly run 400 meters without walking, to date I have completed 16 hard parkruns and set a PB of 25 minutes, so clearly both used in conjunction work. Ultimately the simple maths is, if you consume more than you burn you will put on weight, if you consume less than you burn, you will loose weight.

[jogon83 in reply to Hidden]

Wow that's an amazing achievement. I am going to download the myfitnesspal and try this, I'm sure by the time i see what i am consuming and deducting from exercise things will look a lot different. A couple of people have mentioned this app so it really must be good! Not even thought about any parkruns as yet but you really seem to have the bug, as I have but I'm a new starter only on week 4 of the c25k but really enjoying it. Everyone has to start somewhere Thank you to everyone for our support.

[ridingstar Graduate]

I have been doing Slimming World and lost almost 2 stone in about 4 months and in fact to begin with running actually slowed my weight loss down. Other people in the class who were doing little exercise were losing more than me. The consultant said to begin with we hold on to water so the muscles can repair themselves. Once I got to the last few weeks I did start losing weight faster and am now where I want to be ! One thing is certain now I run 5k 3 times a week my digestion is much faster so I probably will keep the weight off Slimming World diet is UNLIMITED pasta, potato, rice, couscous, lean meat, fish, fruit, veg and fat free yoghurts, pulses and most quorn. Limited bread, cereal, milk and cheese. So I am never hungry. So to lose a serious amount of weight do not rely on running or necessarily eating less just eat the RIGHT things. Running will definitely tone you up which is a big bonus !