Weight Loss ?

[Jean75]

Hi Everyone,

I am on medication that has helped me put on nearly 2 Stone in a year. It is medically proven to be one for weight gain especially around the abdominal area !! I’ve never been this heavy. Am I likely to lose on couch-5K ? I haven't yet....I’m on WK 6 Run 2...any advice ?

Thank you 😊

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As stated in the guide to the plan, C25k is not a weight loss programme and a forty minute workout is never going to burn a significant number of calories enough to affect weight.

That said you will lose inches as you tone up and if you go on to run longer durations then weight loss may well follow.

Many have had great success combining C25k with calorie control methods, such as MyFitnessPal, recording impressive weight losses.

Regardless, it is better to be fat and fit than fat and unfit.

[Jean75 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Yes that’s the headspace I am trying to get into. It’s just difficult but will keep at it thank you 😊 I think I need to start recording my food intake too. My Dr has suggested a high protein diet so might give that a try

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Jean75]

For weight loss calorie intake has to be less than calorie burn.

[Jean75 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Ok I am going to study the statistics on my Fitbit and see where I am at

[GoogleMe Graduate]

IannodaTruffe is absolutely right that the runs, even when you are at the full 30 minutes will not in themselves burn many calories. I am lucky if my devices record 200 burned.

However, the combined effect of the impact on metabolism and the sense of empowerment and at least not 'eating your exercise calories' may well have a small positive impact... and that is leaving aside any boredom or low mood eating that may be going on which of course could be helped by regular running.

I lost my 'bustle' doing C25K and went from 'obese' BMI to overweight. It took another 18 months, calorie control and continued (slow but distance extending running) to get to a healthy BMI (20kgs in total lost) What you probably don't want to hear is that the abdominal fat proved much more intractable (and if I had been looking at a tape measure rather than the scales I would have been much less happy).

My dog Google suddenly went blind and then mostly deaf in mid-2019 and isn't able to come out with me (we have always run together) which has been massively demotivating - still running but not as much. The graph is not pretty I can tell you and I am not eating more. I have work to do! (Meanwhile my only previous weight loss effort was back when I was too ill to run or exercise generally so it was all about the intake and that was hard hard work and meant I had to be continually focused on the project)

So, as @IannodaTruffe says, being fitter is always worthwhile whether you lose weight or not... the consumption has to be attended to, but I believe the running does help, if not necessarily via a direct 'running burns calories' way for everyone.

[Jean75 in reply to GoogleMe]

Thank you so much for your reply. I’m sorry about google. Rufus is my right hand man and a bit of a boost of confidence when I’m out there as I’m very self conscious. Just had a disaster of a run but won’t let it put me off.

It sounds like you have achieved a lot so well done to you ! I’ve never had an issue with weight like this before and it’s proving difficult but if it’s keeping me sane and letting me sleep being slim isn’t everything.

Thank you again for your reply it means a lot and good luck to you and google 🐶

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Jean75]

We could do with a lot more research on these otherwise useful drugs that put weight on people - there are such a lot of them - and how to get it off (if possible)