Couch 2 5k has me doing more exercise than ever before.

[Gazter]

My first post.. Just give a brief summary of where i started and where i now am.

Seven weeks ago i weighed in at a staggering 304 lbs. I've always been big, but recently that has ballooned.

I decided to do something about it. I joined Slimming World. But changing your diet is only half of the equation (well, its probably about 75% of the equation, but lets not quibble). In the past I used to cycle everywhere. I was fat but i could cycle up the steepest hill and comfortably cycle for as long as i felt i wanted to (usually not that far), but i would go to work and back and cover about seven or eight miles a day.

Since i got a car, about a decade ago that stopped completely. I essentially did no planned exercise following that.

A week into Slimming World i made the other decision i wanted to exercise more, i came across Couch 2 5 k on the net, it seemed a safe way for someone of my weight to build up their fitness and actually run.

It has been so hard. I have just finished day 2 of week 6. I thought it would be easier having completed the dreaded 20 minutes at the end of week 5, but alas not. It was hard, hard, hard.

But there we go, i completed the entire two sets of runs at 7kmph. That might not seem a high speed for some, but considering the amount of effort it needs to propel my frame forward, it wasnt too bad.

So how have things gone? Well. Today i will weigh in at Slimming World, but i have had a quick sneak, and its official, i have lost two stone, and sneaking up to thirty pounds in total.

I just wish it got easier. The run seems to go like this. I start off, its ok for thirty seconds, and then the lower pain in my legs starts slowly. It grows and grows until about five minutes and doesnt really get worse, but i can feel fatigue building up in my legs.

I just push through it, but it is soooo hard.

Anyway, thought i would share that with you all.

[BTX4 Graduate]

Thanks for sharing and WELL DONE!!!!

I'm sure that the support you will get on this forum will help you achieve your goals. Over 2 stone in 7 weeks is great and I'm sure that the SW and excercise together will make sure that you will keep losing.

It is hard. Even those of us who are a stone overweight find it so. Also you are not alone in struggling with week 6. It should be easy after the dreaded 20 mins but it isn't.

Where is the pain in your legs? If you think you have shin splints then you should seek advice and maybe go on a cross trainer for a while until they recover?

Keep going - you are doing so well!

[Lunebucket Graduate]

Congratulations on starting the journey to a new you! It sounds like you are doing fine on both the C25K and the SW plans. It will get easier with time I'm sure.

I can vouch for both plans that you are following. Last year I lost 5 stone with Slimming World which gave me the confidence to do C25K this year. I only wish I'd heard of C25K sooner.

Keep going. You've already achieved so much and should be very proud

[Tapira Graduate]

Oh I'm with Lunebucket - I wish I had got to C25K sooner - I'd shed 3.5 stones before I started - but it has helped me shift about half a stone more over the last 6 weeks when I had started to plateau. I think more about 'getting fit' and less about 'being fat' now.

Well done you and keep up the good work.

[cattery Graduate]

Wow well done you. I hope you are so proud of yourself. I am about 4 1/2 stone overweight and I can feel every pound of it thumping up and down when I run, so I know you are making a huge effort to get yourself going. I hope you will continue and soon you will really reap the rewards of all your hard work. It is your life you will save and your quality of life will improve massively. Good luck

[gypsydepp Graduate]

Hi Gazter

Loads of people find week 6 tricky.

You've done so well so far.

Some runs are harder than others and to be honest none of them are easy, but at least you're well on the way with both sw and c25k.

try and picture yourself in maybe 10 weeks time....how much weight will you have lost...and how much fitter you will be!

Let us know how you're doing :):)

[mrslazy Graduate]

Wow, you have done so well, I hope I can do what you have done so far. Well done for the diet too, well on the way to feeling great.

[Gazter Graduate]

Thanks all. i am 29 1/2 pounds lighter than i was seven weeks ago, official weigh in

I started used compression socks about third day into C25K they seemed to help with the beginning of shin and calf pains, I also moved to some better running trainers.

The pain in my legs is the kind you get when you all of a sudden try to jog. Bottom of the calves and bottom of the shins is where the pain is. I presumed everyone gets this, its the kind of pain you would get in your arms if you tried to lift heavy weights and you are not used to it.

[Mirella Graduate]

Hi

Well done on your losses. This time last year I weighted exactly the same as you but am now 168 lbs with another 30lbs still to lose and my quality of life has changed beyond belief.

I did W6R3 this morning and its soooo much easier than R2. I didn't think I would make R3 having struggled with R1&2 each being worse than the one before but I just got into a rhythm and stuck to it.

Have you had gait analysis to check you are running in the correct type of shoes? Also you can get extra cushioning inserts for your shoes. You need to be really careful to avoid damaging your joints.

Good luck for R3, I promise its better than 2.

[Malcy Graduate]

Loved your post Gazter. Like you and many others on the forum I started the programme to help with weight loss but now the two sides are of equal value - feeling better by being fitter and lighter has changed be from a boring, fat old git to, well, just an old git who bores everyone about how great it is to run and lose weight. I don't care - and I don't think anyone on the programme should. Stick in there and feel good. But yes, get a good pair of shoes and if the shin problem is pain rather than discomfort, best get it checked out. Keep up the goo work on both counts.