So I've had the couch to 5k installed on my phone for 4 weeks now and I have still yet to use it!
I'm the ultimate fitness avoider in recent years and I have become the fat guy that is conscious of others staring...
However this was not always the case and for many years I was very fit and healthy. Where did that person go and how did I get so big?!
I'm now 32yrs old and 18st. I also have my first child on the way... 7 weeks to be precise. My goal had been to not be a fat dad and to promote a long and healthy lifestyle to my daughter when she arrives.
Now to some of you this may seem like enough of a kick up the backside to make changes and I thought that too but here I am, gaining weight and making excuses as my lovely girlfriend produces a miracle.
So Im here for that little bit of a push... I don't know if anyone will read this or if anyone has been in a similar position to where I am now. If you have what advice can you offer?
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DaddyInTraining
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I can't offer much advise wise but I felt the same as u , worried that people would stare but did nothing about it just kept gaining but I finally decided enough is enough my daughter is now 8 and it's taken me until now to realise if I don't do something then health problems will start kicking in and maybe I won't be around as long as I'd like! so last week I joined the gym and since then I've been non stop and do u know what I am absolutely loving it, no changes on the scales yet but mentally I'm in a much better place already! And I ran on the treadmill, something that terrified me. No one looked , no one cared and it felt great. I'm on run 2 tomorrow and I'm ready to go, u can do it! Brave that first hurdle and then just enjoy!!! Good luck!!
I used to worry about people seeing me so went out night running. This program has helped me so much that now I might venture out in the day! I’m on week 7. You have 7 weeks. In that time you could be up to 25 minute runs, although even if you repeat a week or so, you’ll be further than you ever dreamed! C25k works and it only takes approximately 3x 30 mins a week! I challenge you to do run 1 tomorrow, no excuses. I’ve made a new friend on here who reminds me of you. He might offer you some more advice and encouragement: slower-steve.
I was feeling like this not long ago. The last several years I was tired, lazy and stressed. The scale was creeping up. Then some injuries, surgery and recovery from surgery left me even worse off. After a few months of recovery, and thinking about my upcoming 40th birthday and chronic health issues that will likely get worse as I age, I knew I wanted and needed to make a change. I was afraid that if I didn't make a change now, I probably never would, and I didn't want to live the rest of my life tired, lazy, stressed and sick.
I really dug deep and found determination in myself. Just do it. Nobody can make you eat healthy or exercise. You need to change your mind set from negativity (continuing down your path, not changing, getting worse) to positivity (developing a healthy lifestyle, reaching your goals - you CAN absolutely change your life around.)
Just go for it. What do you have to lose? Make a plan and stick to it. Set small, achievable goals. C25K is a great place to start as 30 minutes three times a week is a small time commitment. I found that once I started running, it was easier to eat healthy because I wanted to fuel my body the right way.
I started running at the end of January, barely able to stumble my way through the first set of runs. Yesterday I just did my first 30 minutes of non-stop running! The sense of accomplishment I feel is incredible. And it is a really nice change when I bump into people I know, or meeting up with friends, and they ask you what you've been up to, or how life is, and instead of complaining, I can tell them all about my running journey, what I've accomplished, and what my goals are. It makes for much better conversation, and I don't have to be embarrassed because I've been doing nothing.
Also, be patient with yourself. It takes time to undo years of bad habits. We get easily discouraged if we don't see results right away. I read somewhere that it takes around 3 weeks to form new habits. If you really put your mind to it, you can do anything for 3 weeks. Once it becomes part of your routine, you'll begin to enjoy it and crave the exercise and healthier foods.
Sorry I've rambled on. Good luck. You can do this!
Welcome to the forum! The very fact that you are posting this means that you have the necessary within you to accomplish what you say. The thing is to change your mindset - the rest will follow.
Be your own best friend, be cruel to be kind and tell yourself firmly that 'yesterday, you said tomorrow' as you push yourself out of the door. That is the hardest part of running. Do the same for the contents of the fridge and the choice of beverage at the pub. Procrastination is your worst enemy -to do something about anything it is here and now that matters, so deal with one day at a time and tap yourself copiously on the back every evening when you have ticked all the boxes you set yourself, be it exercise or balanced eating. In three months time, you can either still be saying that you will do it tomorrow, or you can be showing your daughter how much weight her daddy has lost and getting a beautiful baby-sized smile in return Now get cracking, and keep us posted
Thank you all for your words of encouragement. I had not even considered night running or breaking down little daily goals however small. I got so fixated on the big goals and in turn they scare me.
My challenge today is no chocolate/biscuits etc at work and W1R1 tonight! I will make the changes both mentally and physically and today is the day they begin.
Its great to hear others have been where I am now and have come through that mental barrier. Sometimes I make excuses that work was tough or I'm tired... But I still find time to watch TV at night.
W1R1 tonight... No excuses.
I will update later on how I feel... Thank you all again
Oh also I’d advise you set your running days each week and don’t deviate unless you have to. Mine are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and I do them then whatever the weather!
You just have to get out of the front door. That's the hardest bit. I found that I worried less and less about people seeing me run as I got into the programme. You will feel so great about yourself if you can do this. Good luck !
Check this post out... and then take the advice on board. The benefits of this physical and mental and to your lifestyle are amazing. But...motivation wise... you are the only one who can do it... you are the runner.
But, also.... the good news is, we will be right here beside you. Advising, encouraging, sympathising, empathising, and giving the odd shove if necessary.
Follow this... and link it with a healthy eating regime, ( Check the Michael Mosley Sugar free eating plan out..you can tweak it as we do) ... take it slowly and steadily... do not push too hard... just progress gently.
Each run makes you stronger, fitter, and you will feel toned and leaner and keener.
Keep posting every run... we will be waiting for your reports.
"Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible and soon, you will be doing the impossible. "
Your girlfriend, your new child will thank you for this... but the person who will benefit most... guess who? You
PS
I really hope you got out I was the one whispering slow and steady in your ear
You don't need "motivation" - you need discipline and a formed "habit". We all have formed habits - some good and many are bad. Coffee first thing in the morning is a formed habit - possibly not a good one. The habit that you need to form is to put on your gear and shoes and get your body out the front door first thing in the morning. At first you will need self discipline to do this - until the habit forms. After you get out the front door, you can do whatever you feel like - walk , run/walk, jog, C25K, etc. Whatever it is, you are not allowed to come back inside the house for 30 minutes!!! Try it - and you will see!!
Listening to all you have said, my suggestion would be to keep it simple.
You are about to become a father with all the financial and time implications that involves. Or involves if you are going to evidence the respect for the mother of your child that you clearly want to. Which to my mind means that grand gestures involving near full time programmes of exercise, hefty financial commitments and hours spent on social media are not appropriate.
You also clearly want to do the C25K programme. People are right that in and of itself it doesn't burn the calories needed for weight loss but you are acquiring a tool to help you do that and a tool to help you with the motivation for all the other elements you'll need to put in place.
So do C25K. I think you may need almost to trick yourself into getting started:
go today,
wearing anything (a bit less than you think you need, being a little bit chilly to start with will encourage you to keep moving and you'll warm up) Trainers on your feet would be good if you have them
somewhere fairly flat and ideally not pavement or tarmac as those are a bit harder on the body but you may not have that option and plenty of people do well on it anyway.
focussing on that one session (please don't fuss with playlists... if you think you might, use the podcast instead)
'just giving it a go'
keep it really slow, the walk as well as the run if that's what you need to recover from the run section ready for the next one. Remember it is a running movement and a walking movement... and about completing the session rather than how far or how fast.
if you struggle in a run section, take smaller steps, if you are near the end of a run section and think you can't go on, run on the spot for those last few seconds
if you stop running in a run section, walk the rest of the podcast, don't have a breather and start again. You'll have a clear target of runs to match or beat next time out.
and you may well find that if your little one takes her time, you have graduated... or you'll be near enough that those early full on days don't derail you completely.
Hi I’m Steve I am currently 44 years old and 21st so yes I know how you feel. “DIABETES” now this is a word that should give you the kick you need, I have it because I’m overweight please don’t be like me. This forum is awesome, the guys and gals here will give you all the advice you need. Start the couch to 5k, it will be hard at first (I was breathing out of my arse for the first 30 seconds) but this is not a 9 week training program it’s your own journey and if it takes you a year to reach your goal of 5k then so be it. I am on the 5 minute runs at the moment and I’m struggling with that but I will get there (no one has weaker will power than me). There is a lot of experience here so use it, ask questions, follow a few people (on here, not like a stalker lol) get to know their stories and apply them to your own.
Plan ahead. It’s Thursday today. In the next 4 days, when would be most convenient to fit in a run? Where would you go? Have you got the stuff you need? What’s the weather forecast? Then commit to that day.
I am 20 years older than you and have spent none of those years exercising. I’m 16st but only 5ft8. I’ve now done the second run of week 2. Once you start you will love it. The programme starts really gently.
And if you don’t run this week, don’t beat yourself up. Walk for 30 mins instead. But running it would be better!
All I can say is that I was the same. App on my phone with good intentions but didn’t actually do anything with it. I was clearing my phone of apps I didn’t use and thought of deleting it but instead thought ‘why not?’ Hence why I’m here.
I’m a 6 foot overweight female so totally understand where you are coming from about being stared at. I’ve planned my route to get the ‘public’ part of my run (aka Street part) to happen at the beginning of my run so beetroot face will only be seen by dog walkers, other runners and cyclists. I’ve just completed week 1 run 2 so if you fancy it why don’t we become ‘virtual running’ buddies?
You can do this - the hardest part for me was getting out in the open and now that’s done once, run 2 was quite enjoyable!
Awesome that you're here and that you're getting into the mindset to do something for yourself, and your family! While being the fit guy you used to be might be the end goal, focusing on something that requires so much time, energy and planning at this stage of life when you're about to be a dad might be a bit much, and you may become discouraged more easily than if you set smaller goals. If you make being active the goal and are able to let go of ideals like weight, ability, etc, you may find it more of an enjoyable process. Don't go too hard on yourself from the get-go, the program assumes you can briskly walk 30 minutes so perhaps try to get out doing that every other day to start if it's not already something you do?
A great part about walking/running is that with the proper stroller (sorry I'm Canadian, think you call it a pram?) you can take baby along right from birth - which would give mum a lovely and much needed break or allow her to come along once she's recovered and ready to get active herself. Just make sure you check the manual for the stroller - some can be used with the car seat for jogging right from birth, whereas if the baby is going directly into the stroller you may need to wait until she is older.
Not much in the way of advice except you can do this and what better reason than for your family as in 7 weeks time you will have your own little family X
You have to commit to yourself first and your little family will benefit from that. 7 weeks. Gosh your life is about to change massively. This is the perfect time to try and do this for yourself.
You need this and you know it deep down. Those little gremlins of doubt and fear are holding you back and feeding you excuses you know are just bogus. Either give yourself a big hug and tell yourself you're making changes for good... or if you prefer.... just take a deep breath and get out there. Week 1 isn't hard, what's hard is making it out the door.
You have a lot of changes coming into your life. Part of the reluctance will be based on throwing even more changes into the mix. However if it's a decision you make you're back in the driving seat and taking control again. That's a start.
That was me .. I signed up for a charity 5K event 4-5 months ahead .. imagine you and the pushchair completing a 5K event, how proud would you, partner and baby be.. good luck
of course you can ...my daughter ran with her new baby in a buggy and completed some buggy runs. I am so proud of her being a wonderful healthy role model to her girls, my grand daughters.
Do it! I'd procrastinated for years about running and finally started last October just after my 49th birthday when my 15 year old daughter asked if I'd go with her. We went twice and she lost interest, so I started C25K and never looked back.
I finished C25K in January and running has become one of my favourite things, bringing me improved fitness, new friends and new goals in life. I just wish I'd started years ago!
I have a dog who has to be walked twice a day. No excuses. At least 45 minutes per walk. I hate exercise, but my dog is my motivation. Husband goes to work while I work from home, so weekday mornings, I HAVE to take him out. Most evenings as well.
As a result, in the past 1.5 years, I have graduated from 'Oh, I'm so tired after a 1mile walk!' to 3-5mile walks easily.
If you had told me 6 months ago that I'd be running, I'd have laughed in your face. Dog changed that. I started because I was out with the dog anyway. If I'm walking, I might as well try running a bit. Yesterday, I ran for 35 minutes... very, very slowly (like 4.5mph slowly), but still!
Now, I'm not saying you should get a dog, but maybe a find a buddy to do this with? If you are accountable to someone, you are more likely to do it. You'll keep each other motivated, and it's easier when you have someone else doing it with you.
I have a dog already but I tend to walk him with my girlfriend and because she is pregnant we don't run off together but perhaps I could take him out alone once in a while... Running with my dog will feel more like fun than exercise... Good call!
However, you could probably start while you're walking the dog with your girlfriend. The first couple of weeks are very short runs, so you'll only be running for a minute at a time. And, if you are just starting out, you'd want to be very slow anyway. You can run with her while she walks.
Of course, if you can find the motivation to go out with the dog alone, that's great too!
I also liked GoogleMe's idea of tricking yourself with 'just giving it a go'. That's kinda how I quit smoking! 'Just checking how long I can go without a smoke... It's not like I'm quitting!'.
It really is about 'let me do this first minute, this first step', and then seeing how far you can take it. I still do it that way. I know I can run for at least 20 minutes, and yet, I always start out thinking I won't be able to do it. So I tell myself to just start and see how long I can go. Sometimes, my body gives up in 5 minutes and that's okay. Other times, I go on running.
I guess the idea is also not to let the last run affect you. It's all about today, this run, now. So I couldn't do more than 30 seconds the last time. Let's see how much I can do today.
Well, that's how I do it, anyway! Good luck to you, and congratulations!
Getting out of the door is the hardest bit! However, I think in about 9 weeks time, you’ll looking to find a bit of me-space and what better than a planned run! 😉Its only 30 minutes.
Good luck and trust the programme! You CAN do this, just open the door and plug those earphones in!
There is lots of great advice and encouragement here for you to drawer on! I’m 20yrs older and quite a bit heavier and like you had the app on the phone for ages, possibly a year or more. But then a chance conversation at work and now the two of us are 5 weeks in! Trust the plan, it does work and I thought I was going to pass out on run 1 but now I’m running 2 x 8mins and almost ready to tackle 20mins non stop!!
If you’d have asked me before I started this journey that I could have achieved this then I would have laughed in your face and said no way! But here I am.
I’m using this as a springboard to be healthier and more active, the couch is really missing me! But I am determined to stay the course and have even got my 13yr old son now involved to keep me company and help us both along the way.
So get yourself out there and make a start, the first one was the worst but then every session you complete leaves you with a feeling of achievement that is amazing!!
We started in the cold and snow, I can’t wait till we are running for 30mins in the sun and warmth!!
This is only my first post on these boards but I probably come here every day and am inspired by everyone’s story and experiences, as I was by yours.
So be determined, make a start and see where it takes you!
Having hit a few bumps in the road I struggled to get out the door and yet again did nothing.
However, this morning I read all of your comments again and realised that I am just being ridiculous and put on my running shoes, grabbed the dog lead and off we went.
I have just returned from W1R1 and I feel more energetic and alive than I have in years!
I loved it and so did Dexter... My furry friend.
I felt like I could have completed a few more intervals but I remembered what people had commented and didn't want to run before I could walk... So to speak.
Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and helping complete the hardest run I will ever do... The first!
Wasn't sure how to upload a pic so I have done so on a new post. I intend to upload a screen shot of each activity so I can see my progress as can other participants
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Now get cracking, and keep us posted 
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