I am a 18 stone, 5ft 10 bloke who has never run before, and am doing this for weight loss and general fitness. Seems to be working for me so far, but this morning I really struggled with the second 10 minute run. I finished it, but felt like I might be sick as I ran.
Any tips?
In what way did you struggle? Were you out of breath? Was it the legs ? Stomach?
I felt like I lost my rhythm a bit, and put of breath certainly. Stomach and legs felt fine though, and I got to the end albeit it was a struggle for sure.
OK ... being out of breath (and feeling sick at the end) is a sure sign that you were going too fast.
Ideally you should going at what we call a conversational or 'chatty' pace - it feels very easy and your breathing is very comfortable and you end your run (session) feeling like you easily carry on if you had to. THAT is the secret sauce. Better to think 'jogging' than 'running' which for a lot of beginners has connotations of speed and a certain effort.
Slow down and you'll be absolutely fine. It becomes very important at this stage as you say goodbye to the walking breaks.
That's great, I will do that. The next run is 25 mins and I will do it on Friday morning.
Many thanks for the help.
We used to have a marvellous contributor on here who gave the brilliant advice that you should be able to say 'I can get to the end of this sentence in just one breath' when you were running. If you can't you need to slow down.
Another piece of advice that helped me, especially in the early days, is to smile and say 'I feel great, I've got this!' This will lift your mood immediately, though be careful nobody else can hear you when you say it as it may worry them 
(I'm lucky that way, I run in empty fields lol)
Good luck and remember, muscle weighs more than fat!
that’s the bit I struggle with - Losing 4 stone from a diet man and power walking in the park 6k 3 days a week I felt fit but the weather turned in October and I joined the gym - I do all my running on the treadmill and I’m building my stamina more than anything but In all the time Iv been on the journey Iv never gained weight - since joining the gym Iv gained 4 lbs 😢 I know it’s muscle but my psycho head wants to give up and drop the pounds HELP anyone x
haha sorry typo * diet plan there was no man involved lol 😆
Wow Blonde60 , losing 4 stones is quite an achievement!
Since starting C25K my weight has barely changed (I could do with losing about a stone at least) but my body shape is different. I don't wobble as much. More than that, though, is the confidence I've gained in my body, switching focus from what it looks like to what it can do.
So, for example, instead of looking at my legs (previously my most disliked bit) and seeing short lumpy things I am now in awe that they can run for 10km with barely a pause.
Pay attention to how your body is changing, to how toned you are, maybe the waist of your clothes is a bit looser?
You've made so many positive changes don't get discouraged now! It could just be that with this miserable winter weather the lure of stodge and chocolate has wormed its way into what you eat and come summer you'll be back on the salad and the excess weight will just go away. At least with your history of weight loss you know exactly what will work for you if you decide to diet again. In the meantime just enjoy your increased fitness and give yourself a pat on the back.
thank you and I agree with everything you have said : I will get back on plan and stop the nibbles that creep in too - Iv not changed what I eat for along time but did add some extra protein ( peanut butter and yoghurt ) I’m feeling better this week as managed to run for longer - gone back to week 5 and today ran for 30 mins with only 2 short walking breaks 😊
Hey Blonde60 (and WilberJohn )
Well done on dropping 4 stone - that's very impressive. You've done mostly by changing your nutrition yes?
Many people who start C25K for weight-loss don't realise how few calories are burnt doing 3x 30 minutes a week of moderate cardio , whether that's running, cycling, elliptical, rowing, swimming, dancing, power walking etc etc - it really isn't very much - in fact ... compared to a 'normal' diet, it's barely significant. This is why many experts say that for weight-loss, exercise doesn't work for most people . It's only when you start reaching 60 minutes per session and doing that 3-4 times a week that the calorie burn *starts* to become significant.
What this means is that nutrition is the overwhelming contributor (80-90%) to weight-loss . You've stated yourself that you've lost 4 stone through dieting.
And now you've discovered that you've put on a measly measly 4 lbs ... try and put that in perspective ... 4lbs compared to your 4 STONE loss... Try and see that now you've hit a plateau where the decrease in weight has slowed, that now things get a bit bumpy. It's great that you're going to the gym - you're trying something different and that's brilliant.
My advice for weight-loss through exercise would be to try weight-lifting ... It's the most time-efficient way to burn calories and you even burn them after you've stopped. But guess what ... you may need to eat differently to fuel properly . It could mean having to make further changes to your nutrition.
Ultimately it comes back to what goes into your mouth - that's the crux of it.
You're doing all the right things! KEEP AT IT and DON'T GIVE UP.
NEVER GIVE UP!
You’ve already had some great advice! Since you’ve joined us a way through your journey, you’ve missed out on our standard warnings about week 6. What you’ve described is so, so common. It catches many people out after the highs of week 5! You are certainly not alone. The main thing to remember next time is to slow down.
It sounds like you’re doing absolutely brilliantly and you don’t need to let this know you off course. Those sorts of runs honestly happen to us all, and especially runners doing the first two runs of week 6! Enjoy some recovery time and take the next run extra steadily.
It’s worth a skim through the programme guide for some extra hints and tips. Come back with any questions and updates.
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Really good luck to you for Friday! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
Many thanks, truly!!
Well done you on getting out there. Did you eat before your run?. If not just find a pace that’s comfortable with and keep going
I didn't. I always run first thing in the morning, before I turn my computer on etc. I generally eat about an hour after the run.
Sounds like we're very similar. I'm 51 and when I started last September I was 17 stone!! What everyone has said about slowing down is the best advice I've had. As soon as I slowed down I found the runs easier and more enjoyable.
With regards to weight loss, I can only tell you what I found. For the first 6 weeks it dropped off as my body adjusted to the exercise. After that I flatlined. I also made the mistake of thinking the exercise would negate bad diet choices and the weight started creeping on again. You can't outrun a bad diet!! My wife is a gym nut who lost over 5 stone and went from a size 16 to a six and in the process became a bit of an expert on nutrition. I got her to put a plan together for me, which I've never eaten so much with and the weight started coming off again, I'm now 2 stone down. It's basically high protein low carbs. I eat 4 times a day, which involves a bit of prepping, but is really simple. It's protein with every meal, lots of chicken, fish and eggs and then lots of leafy veg. I work shifts and I find it cheaper than nipping to the garage for a pasty or the local mcdonalds, which was my usual go to.
Good luck with everything, getting fitter and having more energy is the best feeling in the world!!!
I am watching what I eat pretty carefully, focussed on low saturated fat foods really. I love veg and fruit and meat/fish. Will try to leave put some of the pasta/carbs as well
It's difficult!!! But trying to keep away from processed food and sugar and upping the protein and lowering the carbs really works!!!
Things I've learnt over the last three years!
At the beginning of 2020 (lockdown!) I was 68 years old and just over 20st. When the vet checked my arthritic dog he said "she could lose a couple of kilos". So, being a responsible dog owner I reduced her weight by 2.4kg and took her back. "She doesn't need her meds any more". That was the wake-up I needed.
Just weighed in today, and I'm down 6 stone. For the first six months or so I followed a programme called "Noom" which advocates slow sustainable weight loss. At about 4 stone down somehow C25K popped into my consciousness and I thought, well why not? I did the early part almost in secret, but followed the programme diligently and graduated on time. By then I was close to 6 stone down.
Then, coming up to two years ago I saw a social media post about a ladies' squash group. Again I thought "why not? I loved it at university 45 years ago. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!".
I'm never going to win any prizes (except maybe the "best loser" plate, and that was frankly a stitch up!) but I do love it. I love the social aspect of playing sport, which was an unexpected bonus, but I also love just being active and healthy.
The sports club has a small gym and I started working with a personal trainer about four months ago - lots of weight training, but also just building general fitness. I've just gone back to Noom to get rid of another 3 stone: slowly but surely...
The result is a new me. And crucially I haven't rebounded (which is what's happened in the past when I've lost lots of weight). I don't think I'd be here were it not for C25K showing me that actually I really could take charge of my own fitness. So stick with it and the very best of luck!
I found your post and ALL the replies so inspiring. I need to start anything, I'm not dieting, not walking and certainly not running. But reading this was a breath of fresh air: you guys are all so inspiring, encouraging, positive...... what do I have to lose in getting started? I used to love running, and now I've let that all go.... how do I find how to get started, week zero that is?
Honestly, I felt like that. I just decided on January 2nd, with a hangover, "enough is enough". I am now almost at the end of W6 of the C25K and I feel infinitely more positive. I am about 26 pounds lighter, but loads fitter. Tomorrow, all being well, I will run for 25 mins without stopping. At the start, even 60 seconds was murder!!
I can see and feel the results now.
Hi ClaireFrog
Can you walk comfortably for 30mins? Do you have any specific issues that should be checked before you begin?
Download the C25k app, read the links for new runners given on here…. and put on your trainers. Warm up well before you go out, do the 5 min warm up walk and then off you go. The trainer talks you through the run and you will enjoy the after flow when you have done it.
If you want to have more information and support from the great team on this forum, you could start a post with a title asking for any advice before week1run1 and I’m sure you’ll get some good advice, links and suggestions.
So, I did W6R3 this morning. I slowed down at about 16 minutes because I was flagging and then again at about 22 minutes, just to make sure I finished. I ran 3.58km in 25 minutes.
Feel great that I could finish it, at all, frankly.
Week 6 run 2 
Week 6 Run 2
Week 6 Run 2
Week 6 Run 2
Week 6 run 2 ✅ 
