Fat bird stays fat 🤷‍♀️

[Vintage61]

Fallen madly in love with running and honestly believe it will change my life. But curious as to why I haven’t lost weight. My diet is not exemplary but not bad either and my exercise has now gone through the roof. Anyone else experienced same? 🙆🏼‍♀️

[Lins2019]

Have you measured yourself? You are probably losing inches. X

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Lins2019]

I feel it it my clothes. But I’m very overweight, if I stay this weight and condense down I’m gonna go through the floorboards! 😳🤣

[Lins2019 in reply to Vintage61]

It will come off. I do slimmingworld and my consultant says it can take 6 weeks to show weight loss if you start exercising as your body goes into panic mode and holds onto the fat. Keep at it

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Lins2019]

Thank you. I’ve dieted on and off for ever and it always goes back on. Getting harder as I get older too. So hoping I can combine eating better and moving more to good effect.

[Fatgirlslim19 Graduate]

Me too... I've seen several people say they didn't lose anything during C25K but once they start the longer runs they lose weight. Up to W4 I didn't lose anything, but was getting more toned. Since then I've changed my diet and have lost weight and toned up at the same time.

I think we have to watch what we eat to shift the pounds! But the good thing is you can already see/feel the difference, so you know it's doing something!x

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Fatgirlslim19]

Thank you. I know I have to be better at eating but have made lots of changes over the years and still want to enjoy food

[Fatgirlslim19 Graduate in reply to Vintage61]

Absolutely! If you're not enjoying it then you won't be able to do it forever. Small changes add up and in the mean time you're fitter than you've been for a long time and LOVING the process of it! X

[Couchpotato2 Graduate]

You’ll notice more bidy shape difference after graduation when you start consolidating as at the moment the amount of exercise is still quite small (despite it not feeling that way). Glad you love it, that’s the main thing, you are getting much fitter

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Couchpotato2]

Thank you. I’m just about to start week 7 and feel amazing.

[Couchpotato2 Graduate in reply to Vintage61]

That’s exactly it! So pleased you are liking it

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Well done, once you are doing the longer runs 3x per week and being mindful of what you are actually eating you can see a difference but maybe not so much on the scales you will notice your body shape changing also . 😊

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Buddy34]

Thx. I’m already starting to want to eat better to be able to run better so that’s a good change I think. It’s all good!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Had a read of the early replies... seems you’re smaller... that’s great. Muscles are building 😀, fat is being burned 😀, weight is staying the same 🤔. This is pretty normal... and it won’t last, running doesn’t build muscles forever, Sir Mo doesn’t look like a body builder!

Weight is one factor to health, but fitness is probably bigger... keep on running and when the muscle build tails off, and you’re running further you will see the results on the scales too.

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

That’s really helpful. Thank you

[philevans68 Graduate]

I started eating better at the same time I started C25K and have so far lost just under 1.5 stone. I have also stopped drinking booze, which was a big weakness of mine. I think the main thing is that I feel so much more healthy. I don't get out of breath of the stairs etc. Keep it up and you'll get where you want to be. Just imagine trying to run for 25 minutes 6 weeks ago!

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to philevans68]

I know!! There are so many benefits to this, it’s also been great for my mental health too. Onwards and upwards! 🏃🏻‍♀️👍🏻🏃🏻‍♀️

[LittleSallyRacket Graduate]

If you feel the difference in how your clothes fit, the chances are that you're losing fat but building muscle at the same time - muscle's heavier than fat (ie, a pound of fat is about three times the volume of a pound of muscle). So you've probably lost a bit of fat and gained a bit of muscle. This is a good thing - the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn as you move. While people don't tend to think of running as a muscle building exercise, if you're overweight (as I am!) then you probably will build a bit of leg muscle because your legs are working pretty hard to carry you around as you run. So you're probably losing fat, despite what the scales are telling you. I've been exercising with a trainer and doing C 2 5K for a few weeks and I've only lost about 4lbs which previously I wouldn't even have noticed, but my jeans are now really loose around the middle and my legs are noticeably more toned. And according to the trainer's body fat gadget, my body fat percentage has dropped and my muscle percentage has gone up.

However, it can be surprisingly easy when you're exercising to inadvertently 'eat back' the calories you've burned - exercise gives you an appetite, after all! According to various apps etc I've tried, I burn about 250 calories from my Week 3 runs, and that's only about as many calories as a couple of slices of unbuttered bread. I tend to make a point of running either just before lunch or just before dinner because otherwise, I'm tempted to snack after running. Also, I now take a bottle of water when I run as I find staying hydrated makes me less hungry when I get back home.

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to LittleSallyRacket]

That’s a great help, thank you

[Algernon_Moncrieff]

There are some great answers here and all pretty much on the button. From my experience losing weight on the C25K has only been linked to some form of calorie intake reduction, as someone else has posted the early runs don’t really burn off huge amounts of calories. If you don’t change the diet then there is a risk of over compensating for the run you’ve just done such as “I’ve just burned 250 calories so I can have a choccie biscuit with my tea”.

That said for weight loss alone, especially if you get the bug, if you move beyond C25K and move onto 10k running plans and end up running 45-60 mins each time, then from my experience the weight loss is much more dramatic.

Doing C25K makes you feel good, feel healthier, gives you a sense of achievement and a boost to confidence, hearing Michael Johnson on the app describe you as a runner is not something I’d thought I would ever hear.....

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Algernon_Moncrieff]

Thank you

[Hidden]

Fat turns to muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat. Keep going you’re doing amazing!

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thx. But if all this fat turns to muscle I’m going to essentially be the Hulk! 🤣🤢

[Hidden in reply to Vintage61]

You need to take your measurements. Some people even take a before starting exercise photo and then one once they’ve been doing it for a while. Scales aren’t always the best thing and can sometimes make you feel like you’re not even achieving anything when actually you’re doing great and your body is changing for the better.

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I agree. I will do that for sure. In past when dieting and doing exercise classes together I ignored the scales at the point when weight seemed static and inches were dropping. Despite my questions I am concentrating on running and enjoying the achievement and sense of satisfaction. That’s something to build the rest on. I’m 58 on Thursday and if you’d told me even a few weeks ago I’d be having running shoes for a present I would have proper lollled 💕🏃🏻‍♀️💕

[Hidden in reply to Vintage61]

😊 that’s just super! Running is great. I feel like it makes you feel great both mentally and physically. You will be buying that Lycra In no time at all! 😂

Yeah the c25k is a great thing to accomplish. Most of us didn’t have a clue how to be a runner before we started. Now we just love it!

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Lycra already ticked ✅ 👍🏻

[Hidden in reply to Vintage61]

👊🏻 welcome to the Lycra club! 😎😂 that’s why I go out early for a run. Don’t want people to be in awe of me in Lycra.

[Vintage61 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Me too, wouldn’t want anyone to lose their breakfast! 🤣

[Hidden in reply to Vintage61]

😂