Gutted

Did anyone else have small gains while starting c25k in weight. 1lb on this week my nurse said don't be 2 disheartened as your muscle mass is building. easier said than done was losing no end b4 c25k and that included a sly take away meal my 1st weigh in where i lost 7lb then slowed to -1lb last 2 weigh ins to +1lb today. Coukd cry tbh

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

Simple answer - yes! Don't get too hung up on weight loss. The amount of running you're doing at the moment will not be enough to make the weight fall off (and definitely make sure you don't allow yourself 'extras' for having run!). What you will see quite quickly is a significant change in body shape as you tone up. If you haven't yet then measure waist, hips, thighs and arms. You will see reductions in the total inches even if you don't see a reduction on the scales.

[Hidden in reply to agedsnailspace]

it is just so annoying b4 i ran I lost 9lb in 3 weigh ins 7lb then 2x 1lb then i run and it creeps back in gaining

[Adeb45]

i'm the same weight up and down like a whores draws....but then suddenly i drop 2 lb...i just watch what i eat, try no to cheat and if i do i try to compensate by going for a swim or something....but i agree with your nurse its probably muscle mass increasing....i would take some measurements and go by inches not weight....well done though your doing fab..dont get to disheartened

[Hidden in reply to Adeb45]

will muscle mass reduce further on though

[Tomas Graduate]

I'm going to disagree with your nurse. You have built very little muscle from running 60 seconds at a time. The impact on the scales is negligible. If you have gained weight it is because of your diet.

These things take time. But you WILL get there.

[Carolinemcd Graduate]

A slow down or stay the same and even a tiny up is also totally normal at this stage of a diet, and it is so frustrating! But you need to remember to just stay on track and it will come off. Think back to what you have eaten this week as there may have been hidden sugars lurking. Also your body may be retaining water for whatever reason. you are female and our bodies are strange things. Around my period my weight can change dramatically over a few days.

[misswobble Graduate]

Me too! What rot. You have to hit the gym and pump iron like a mad thing to build muscle

Stick to running and healthy eating. It is that simple. I would stay well away from the takeaway if you don't want to sabotage your hard work

You have to be a sticker.

[Paul46-ipswich Graduate]

I'd definitely focus on the inches and not the weight, as the others have said water etc is a big factor particularly for ladies. I've hardly lost any weight but had a big change in body shape, my trousers fall down and shirts collars are looser. It's a long term thing though and short term you should really only be concentrating on running and eating lots of healthy food, and I mean lots!

[wizzbang Graduate in reply to Paul46-ipswich]

you need to buy a belt before you are arrested!

[MarkyD Graduate]

W1 of C25K and you're likely to burn 200 calories each session. 200 calories! That's about the same calories as sniffing a piece of cake, or even eating a slice of bread and jam. C25K is not really going to make any difference to your weight for several weeks yet, and if you snack when you get back from a run, you may as well not bother.

Many people do report weight loss on this forum, whilst doing C25K but I'm sure that they are making other improvements to their lives.. being more active, eating more healthily. 1lb is like 2 glasses of water, and so that's within the normal, natural ups and downs in your body weight. What you're looking for is a trend downwards over time. Don't be disheartened, and take more interest in your size: C25K will definitely tone you up.

[wizzbang Graduate]

muscle is heavier than fat, that's what they said on "Trust me I'm a doctor" I have only just finished the c25k, my diet hasn't changed much, so since Jan to now I have lost 4lbs but none off my waist, it is more toning I have noticed. That is 3 months of running not a week and a bit!

Stephen

[Hidden]

I've lost about 3 stone over about 2 years and about 1 and half stone since started C25K about a year ago. Just before Xmas I got to !0st 4lb my lowest weight which is just about 2 lbs above what is my normal BMI. That was great for me.

Occasionally my weight from week to week may have gone up and down by 1 or 2 lbs. Over xmas gained about 6 to 8lbs which is only just now very slowly disappearing .

I don't know at what stage you are at towards your weight loss but maybe if you are near your target the weight probably comes off more slowly. As others have said a gain of 1 or 2 lbs is not unusual.

If you are sticking to your good eating habits and exercise then in the long term you should have nothing to worry about.

[AlbertRoss Graduate]

One of the things is that most diets start off with large losses then tail off - partly because your body adapts to a lower calorie intake. I suspect (but don't know!) that part is also because if you are eating less, there's less in your digestive tract - so the first few days are always likely to see a larger loss. I think that's what some of these "Detox Tea" things do tbh - effectively it's like a laxative, so you have an empty digestive system at the end of it that then starts to refill as you eat something again....

I've lost about 2.5 stone since last May (was 20 to start with), and the first stone disappeared in a couple of months, the next one took until Christmas, and although I'm still going in the right direction it's slowed to a crawl now - it goes up a bit, down a bit, depending on what I've been eating, partly because I'm not now actively counting all the calories, but also because that's just the way it happens. That's not down to doing C25K - or not alone anyway; it's about having a sensible, sustainable diet (I don't follow a particular plan, concentrate on cutting out snacks and portion control works for me), and the exercise helps a bit but also makes me generally more active and healthy.

[Now-runner_NeedsAttn Graduate]

I put on quite a bit of weight when I got to the end of C25K but that's simply the half a victoria sponge I ate in celebration

[jt24 Graduate]

I know it is easier said than done but do not let this throw you off track.

Think of your weight and exercise in the overall scheme of your health, it isn't actually all about the scales.

Definitely use the wee gain to take stock of your eating though. Look back over what you've eaten and you will likely see a few 'hmm, maybe I shouldn't haves'

As others have said, c25k isn't enough to make an impact on its own. I managed last year to put on over a stone despite running 5-10k three times a week! It was simply that more calories were going in compared to what was being burned off!

It is so hard to get caught up in the short-term gains and losses but for better health overall you have to try and focus on a longer term plan. Keep eating sensibly, keep exercising and keep a lid on the huge jar of 'stuff-this' gremlins who try and escape into your ear at weak moments!

Good luck 🏃🏃🏃