41 year old male, over weight, largely inactive and looking to make a lifestyle change. I bet no-one has ever said those words before, or is it more dejavu than I think for most of you..
So the full story is, well the same as above really, I am 41 and looking to make a change to my life, my main goal is 2fold, weight loss and a greater level of fitness. My weight loss target is approx 2 stone, currently I am 18 stone 3lbs, am seeking to reach 16 stone and stay there. In terms of fitness, well to run the 5k, and then hopefully remain in the running game.
I do have some level of fitness, I have a dog who I walk for up to 2 hours about 2 to 3 times a week ( a dog walker does the rest before people say only 3 times a week....), and I have a bike that I can jump on and cycle 15 miles with relative ease, albeit that that distance used to be 50 miles with relative ease! So I am hoping that these will help in terms of stamina and a slight general level of fitness..
I used to enjoy jogging at school, 25 years ago, and as far as I know jogging is the same now as it was 25 years ago; trainers on and one foot in front of the other...
I've been looking at the C25K for ages but never got round to doing it, always finding something else that can take a priority, when in fact they have just been excuses time after time, so this time I have decided to register, make this long winded post and hopefully actually move..
My biggest fear is how I will look, I mean people out for a leisurely stroll do not want to see me sweating and flopping by, but I have always been self conscious and just need to get over that.
One other reason for starting now, is I have an older brother, and we are immensely competitive, he has just started cycling again and is really going for it, and his weight is just falling off him, he has always been bigger than me, so it's always been my prerogative to call him "fatty", but the shoe is on the other foot now, and I need to get smaller than him again, to keep that position.
So that's me really, I have my trainers ready, shorts ready, dog is ready (he will be my jogging partner), the app is on my iPod, absolutely nothing to stop me now...
I plan to take my first steps today with day 1 I week 1...
Wish me luck and as time progresses I'll try to keep this blog updated as to my progress, but not too much, as otherwise it will become my excuse for not going out; 'I can't go out for a run today, as I need to update my blog about my running progress....'
Written by
joak99
Graduate
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Good luck. Follow the instructions given via the app or podcasts and the rest will just happen in time. Who cares what people think. I tend to run at 6:00 am before work, it has been cooler and there is no one around (other than a few interesting souls returning from a very late night).
Welcome. Have at it - you've come to the right place!
Welcome! You are doing the right thing. I am an unfit 49 old female loving this programme despite a long hiatus due to an injury. I felt really self conscious the first few times slow jogging outside in my fluorescent lycra but you do get over it.. And now I don't care what anyone thinks and Just keep going slowly!
Good luck to you! I'm in my mid 40s and found the biggest hurdle was going out in public for fear of scaring the elderly and small animals with my sweaty bulk. However, I rationalised it by thinking that passersby have no idea you look like that after 30 seconds running - as far as they know, you could have been running for an hour. ☺
Good luck you sound very motivated, I am on week two and never thought I could run. Look forward to hearing your progress. I too was very conscious to start with but actually nobody cares one bit. Best of luck.
Welcome! The programme is great, trust it and do what it says and you will be fine. Sadly weight loss is more about diet than exercise but it will certainly help - and I find that doing the running makes me want to eat healthier - having gone to the effort I don't want to spoil it by eating junk. And you feel better about yourself in general which helps everything else. Keep posting your progress and reading these posts for encouragement!
Hello and welcome. Start this and you'll love it. And the bug one is don't worry what others think. I'm 44, 6 stone overweight when I started and live in a town with a sports university. Now I've lost 1.5 stone and have 2 runs left till I graduate. I am the slowest runner out there but I will not give up. And besides I don't hear comments as laura is shouting positive comments in my ear. As for family, you try having 2 sisters that are smaller than you. But I can now say I'm closing in fast. Just enjoy being you, and have fun.
Welcome. This forum is fabulous. I am one of many tomato faced runners and have found most people are either too busy in their own world to notice me or just smile encouragingly so don't worry about that side of things. Good Luck today
Great support, encouragement, advice, offloading, celebrations and commiserations to be found here!
Go out slow and steady. You just want to get through all of the run sections so keep slowing it down until you can.
Snails may leave you in their wake but that's their business- yours is to complete your run whatever it takes.
I can empathise with 'being seen'. I am not to be missed- I wear colourful Lycra with a matching neon pink face and rivulets of sweat running from my soaking thin hair- and thats usually within 10-15 mins 😱 These days I embrace 'the look' but it really was hard to get out there and plod away at the start. I chose quiet paths at quiet times but within a few weeks my confidence grew.
Running alone probably won't bring the weight loss. It'll shrink your dimensions but combined with 'a healthy eating lifestyle' you'll see maximum rewards
Hopefully the sibling rivalry will see you through difficult days That, and the big dawg eyes and wagging tail that your running kit quickly triggers 'Pavlov' style! My lab' accompanied me through all the c25k programme. She's now in semi-retirement due to her age and a dodgy shoulder but she too added a bit of confidence in the early days.
I love your post. It's so open, honest and your comments about being competitive with your brother made me smile 😊
Welcome to your new future. As you have probably seen, we're all nuts and bonkers here (well most of us are ) and totally passionate about how much this programme has changed our lives.
You've run before so you know what to do but remember to run very, very slowly, take your rest days and stretch.
Good luck and enjoy the start of your new life.
Hello Joak99 I am five weeks in to C25k and was very self conscious at the beginning. I used to run up and down a lane with lots of tree cover in the hope no-one would see me. I am now out in the open and extending my route further around where I live as the runs get longer. You will definitely not be hiding in the shadows for long- good luck on your running journey!
Welcome - I do wish you luck but doubt you'll need it as you sound pretty focused. I've found a running partner is helpful whether it's a friend or my Labrador (although running alongside me he barely breaks in a anything more than a walk).
Follow the programme - we all have ups and downs and sometimes you need to take a rest to nurse a tweak and sometimes you have to re-do a week but you just have to keep doing it.
Well thanks all for the responses and it's certainly reassuring to know I am not the only one who has a fear of being seen out in the open!!
Well I can officially report back now and say that I have well and truly started my journey on the C25K and have one run under my belt, not that there is much room under that belt at the moment.
I found the run not too bad, I'd say on the last 60 second run, my legs were heavy and I am sure to stop "running" and just walk would have got me there quicker, but never the less I continued and completed the routine - and now have a warm feeling inside knowing that I have done it.
And thanks to Janey1012 and others above, with the advice, don't worry what people think you look like you could have been running for 1 minute or an hour and in 30 seconds they'll have forgotten you ran past, I was thinking that every time I ran past someone.
A couple of things I have realised I will have to look into:
1. New trainers, my old Nike have seen better days and slowly fell part on my outing
2. Someway to hold my glasses on my head
3. Cordless headphones
4. A lightweight / smaller dog lead
But all in all I am happy and the journey will definitely continue
Welcome aboard and a Massive Well done on making that decision to get off the couch !
This programme is a life changer, and I am sure your dog will love it too
I have to laugh at the friendly rivalry with your brother . Ha ha
Good Luck for the rest of the programme, we are all in this together . We have all been where you are and we know exactly what youre going through. Please keep posting of your progress, plus it will help in keeping you focused and motivated .
Hope you get some new runners sorted out and I think you can buy some glasses clip things on Ebay to keep them secure to your head .
Great post and looking forward to reading of how youre getting on. Oh don't forget the cool down stretches, really important as are rest days. xxx
Well good news to report, week 1 is now completed and behind me, and I am beaming on the inside.
My wife thinks her old husband has been abducted by aliens and someone else put in my place.. I came home from work early last night and said "shall I go for my jog now, then we can spend the evening together", she spluttered her tea all over the carpet and screamed "you're not my husband!" Previously coming home early would have meant a quick trip to the pub and a night in front of the TV, not a jog around the forest. Even the dog looks at me a bit odd when I start off running!
Although only 3 runs in, I can really feel like there is a difference already, I feel I have more energy and just feel better inside. I've been looking forward to the "run" days and feeling somewhat lacking on "rest" days, as time progresses I may do something else exercisy on rest days, but at the moment I am using them to rest, as I feel that my legs need that.
I didn't struggle too much with the runs, the first one was tough, but then that was my first run since 1992, where I wasn't running 20 meters for a bus anyway, but by run 3 I noticed just how much more fluid and relaxed it felt, and also noticed I had run abit further than the other 2 runs.
So all in all, I am one happy person.
I got some new trainers, picked up a random pair of Asics on amazon, as they were half price, but they feel great, as time progresses I will get a gait analysis done, but for the short term these news one are fine.
I got a light weight dog lead, so I can just drop it in my pocket and it doesn't bang about.
I got a head band thing for my glasses, although looking at the email this morning, this is coming from China and expected delivery is 22nd August, so I might need to go back to the drawing board on that one.
Next on the list is some better head phones, drinks bottle, proper running shorts and tops, as at the moment I am just in my old dog walking cargo shorts and a hoodie, but all in good time, I feel at the moment I have everything I need to bound into week 2, and beyond, and will hopefully enjoy it as much as week 1.
Hi joak99 loved this post. Loved the brotherly rivalry, got a brother who's a black belt 5th Dan Karate instructor who runs and cycles for fun and a partner who does half marathons for fun a couple of times a week so I feel your pain 😱
Just started this myself so not on to give advice, especially about running, but two years ago my excersise was to go to the kitchen for something to eat. I decided like you a change was needed. 45 and 6 stone overweight. I notice there's been several replies about running not being great for weight loss more toning. This is where I can tell you about me. As you say about your brother cycling and losing weight that is where you're going to lose the weight. I lost 4 1/2 stone cycling and changing my diet before I could start this. I was cycling as often as possible but at least every other day. Out when I could but excersise bike when I couldn't. Half five in the morning, eleven at night it didn't matter just determined to keep at it. The rewards were and still are excellent. I now cycle 40 miles regularly at least 2/3 times a week. It also helped my cardio greatly for doing this.
Good luck with both this and catching your brother on his bike. Mine now can't keep up with me cycling and he doesn't know I'm doing this. I'm going to surprise him and my partner hopefully 😄😄
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
That, and the big dawg eyes and wagging tail that your running kit quickly triggers 'Pavlov' style! My lab' accompanied me through all the c25k programme. She's now in semi-retirement due to her age and a dodgy shoulder but she too added a bit of confidence in the early days.
Slightly Nervous C25K Newbie
Hello everyone x
Newbie, advice please
Hi all! Newbie here. On week 2 run 3
