Heavy beginner: Hi All ... I'm new. Just had my... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Heavy beginner

jasonallen profile image
22 Replies

Hi All

... I'm new. Just had my first go at wk 1 tonight. I was 29st 4 lb on the 06/08/2016 and am currently 26st 1lb. I started walking 500mtrs daily and now try to walk 5 + miles daily.

I spotted this group online and decided to have a go today.....i can run the 60 second intervals but i cannot recover in 90 seconds.....i'm not going to pressure myself too much about it so i walked/recovered 3 mins in between runs.

Are there any other heavy beginners in the group? and do you extend your rest interval?

cheers :)

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jasonallen profile image
jasonallen
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22 Replies
Vanessa291 profile image
Vanessa291Graduate

Well done, that sounds really sensible to me how you're tackling it. Good luck with the programme 😀

jasonallen profile image
jasonallen in reply to Vanessa291

Thank you ...The best of luck to you too :)

Fat_stab profile image
Fat_stabGraduate

Hi Jason

And firstly well done for:-

1- Losing a couple of stone already ina couple of months, I lack willpower to give up food that easily!

2- Starting to walk daily. For most people a power walk is all that is needed to change their life style (plus some managing of their food intake)

3- Staring week one.

;-)

Now I would not worry too much about running and recovery steps at the moment. But concentrate on gettign out there and exercising.

I also suggest that you ensure that you stretch after your session.

A.

jasonallen profile image
jasonallen in reply to Fat_stab

Thanks :) ....i know what you mean about the food lol....i didn't give it up though, just changed what when and how much of it i eat. After years of this regime or that one i got totally fed up and did a mathematical calc, took my BMR, looked at how many cals in a lb of fat and set my daily intake at 1800 cals.....that means i can eat what i like up to 1800 and still lose body fat....adding in the exercise has turbo charged the loss initially. Wish i would have seen it so clearly in my mid 20s haha

Fat_stab profile image
Fat_stabGraduate in reply to jasonallen

It is something that I need to consider doing in the near future, to actually start calculating my calorie intake..

Any tips on how to do it?

I guess it is just sitting down and listing what I eat and how much they contain...

And well done for giving up smoking as well :)

useitorloseit profile image
useitorloseitGraduate in reply to Fat_stab

Counting calories is a pain and I wouldn't want to do it every day for the rest of my life .... BUT .... doing it for a short while is extremely constructive as you find out what foods you *thought* were ok to eat which actually have squillions of wasted calories in.

If you use my fitness pal for a while it makes working out what you've used throughout the day quite easy, though you may have to start off by weighing and measuring things. Once you know that half a cup of cornflakes or whatever = xcalories, you won't need to weigh them out the next time, so it gets easier.

I did Weightwatchers many years ago and it was the start of me reaslising which foods are nutritionally 'useful' and which are either not worth eating at all or just for once a week or once a month. Some foods like cheese, butter and full fat yogurts are good for you but quite heavy on the calories, but I wouldn't cut them out - the body needs good fats. Bread and breakfast cereals, whilst filling at the time, doesn't seem to fill me up for long. Better for me to eat a couple of eggs for breakfast than slice of toast and marmalade if I'm going to last until lunch without getting the shakes.

So, as clearly demonstrated above, calorie counting can turn you into a right bore, so do it judiciously!!!!

jasonallen profile image
jasonallen in reply to Fat_stab

I just sat down with an A4 sheet of paper and typed my food into google mate....it'll tell you. After day 3 you'll be repeating staple foods anyway so the list will not be endless lol.....we are all creatures of 'habit' really :)

carrie73 profile image
carrie73

Just wanted to say well done and keep going! 😀

Scruffy64 profile image
Scruffy64Graduate

Wow Jason, that is fantastic start, to shed over 3 stones in just 2 months is terrific and to combine it with exercise can only be good as long as you take it gently, as others have said, walking as fast as you can manage might be better for you at this stage, and walking is terrific exercise. Take it slowly, you don't want an injury to stop you in your tracks. I am overweight but I have completed this programme because it is slow and steady, I took twice as long to finish but was happy with that pace. I've lost 17 lbs since May, but plenty more to go. Keep going, it'll change your life 😄🏃

jasonallen profile image
jasonallen in reply to Scruffy64

Thank you. I can hardly believe the weight loss myself and i know it'll slow but i'm happy with what i get and the workouts are the best part....every little step is a personal best at the moment lol

Well done ! your right don't worry about speed of progress. Many here will say take it as slow as you like. You will make progress. The main thing is that you are making progress and we all feel a great sense of achievement however slowly or fast we progress !

I thought I couldn't run for a bus never mind 5 minutes when I started. And I never tried to compare myself with others. I just stick to my own modest goals . personal bests are the best .

jasonallen profile image
jasonallen in reply to

lol .... Cheers and the best of luck on your own journey :)

runswithdogs profile image
runswithdogsGraduate

You can tailor the program however you like. You can extend the walking breaks. You could run every other interval. It's whatever works for you. Just remember to keep all your runs as slow as you can go, that'll make things a little easier.

Eatcakeandrun profile image
Eatcakeandrun

Well done your achievements so far, you sound like a very motivated person! I can't add anything to what's already been said - take it slow, and adapt the programme to suit what you can do.

SuperMouse profile image
SuperMouseGraduate

Just wanted to say well done for starting the programme. You CAN do it and it will change your life! 😃😃

Donkeywhistler profile image
DonkeywhistlerGraduate

Well done for getting where you are now. Adapting the programme is sensible and lots of us have had to make changes. The most important thing is that you keep doing it slow and sure. More tortoise, less hare.🐢🐢🐢👣🏃🏿

ench0 profile image
ench0Graduate

You're doing great! I would keep redoing week 1 until I'm comfortable enough to move on. Because of the weight, make sure you get good shoes with nice padding to absorb the shock. Run closer to the ground, do not bounce. Your knees will thank you. Personal experience, overweight ex smoker.

stewieUK profile image
stewieUKGraduate

Hi Jason and welcome. I wasn't quite as well built as you when I started but not so far off and yes, I "practised" some of the runs at all stages of the programme. If you read some of my earlier posts, you'll see that I hit a brick wall at around week 8 so reverted to week 4 to rebuild confidence.

In short, you do the programme your way and extending rest periods is fine, just so long as you keep moving.

One word of warning though, don't get into the habit of always extending the rest periods. Work through to steady progression, complete week 1 and then move on to week 2 and maybe practice that as well.

Keep us informed of your progress.

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

Well done a jason 😊 Walking is excellent! I try and walk everywhere these days, preferring to leave the car at home. I borrowed a dog to make me get out and exercise. Walking burns loads of calories. Eating good food is important when you are exercising so do look at what you eat with a critical eye, and switch to healthier options. You will start to feel better pretty quickly!

As the weight comes off you will want to keep up the momentum and run/walks will get easier. Be patient though as it takes time ☺

Jmiss profile image
JmissGraduate

Well done for getting out the door and trying something new. Sometimes that's the biggest hurdle. You are doing great so keep it up and well done on the weightloss too :D

jasonallen profile image
jasonallen in reply to Jmiss

Thank you so much....the best of luck to you too :)

Hillrunner2201 profile image
Hillrunner2201

Lots of great advice here. The only thing I'll add is do the plan in your own way, but never give up. Stick at even when it seems like it's not working. That it when changes you don't notice are happening and if you're very patient you will succeed.

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