7 months ago I embarked on the C25K plan with one goal in mind I needed to lose at least a stone. I had been using the gym 3 times per week for many years with no significant weight loss.I was then told about running which I feel really stretches me compared to my gym sessions.I am now running approx 7km in 47mins twice weekly (B210K plan) plus a spin and body pump class.
Today I got on the scales for the first time since May when I finished my 9 wk C25K plan.I had lost no weight and can't even say my muscle mass had increased to explain this.My measurements are also the same.
I am so fed up as I thought I would be burning off all the excess fat whilst running as my stamina has improved so much.I really didn't want to go down another dieting route as I find them so hard to maintain.
Any advice much appreciated
Written by
vengadriver
Graduate
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Maybe go check with your doctor to see if you can find out about the muscle mass? I would have thought you'd be a lot more muscle than flab with all that regular exercise.
If all the exercise really isn't helping then it seems like a bit of diet improvement (if your diet isn't already healthy) is going to have to be the way to go. If you're self-disciplined enough to get through the jogs, you can get through a bit of dieting Try having set meal times that you try and stick too, and if you must grab a snack go for an orange or a banana. Let us know how you go. Good luck x.
so sorry you feel this way. please dont give up running, especially if you are enjoying it. I have had a similar story. I got back into running recently after a house move took over, followed by kids off on summer break & now that Im back into it I hadnt lost any weight at all. for me it is simply because I have been rewarding myself with more calories than I needed. I felt as if I had "earnt" that cream cake, bar of chocolate, packet of biscuits! when in fact Id only really earnt a couple of extra pieces of toast.
Im using bootsdiets online & finding it so easy to use. 3lbs lost in 2 weeks & not feeling bloated anymore. I had been using myfitnesspal.com but found that very confusing.
it sounds as if you are very active so if you havent upped your calories like I did, perhaps your weight staying the same is muscle gain. did you measure yourself before your started 7months ago? are your clothes still the same size?
& by the way, well done on the b210k plan. 7k is brilliant, let alone running for 47mins
I lost weight with tescodiets.com, before I found C25K, their on line diets plans are very flexible, and at the outset you state how much exercise your doing and calorie allowances take that into account. Check out my success story here
I use myfitnesspal to track food and exercise. I can do on my pc or on the phone app so find it easy. A magic wand would be better, but I don't know where to find one.
I hate diets too, they make me feel like stuffing myself with food more than I would normally want to!
However I think there is truth in the idea that we think we are doing all this work so we reward ourselves or we feel we need the extra "energy". I think you do have to be careful where you get it from.
My husband pointed out that a bottle of juice that he was drinking yesterday was in itself 200 calories! It wasn't that exciting, hardly worth however many minutes of running.
Personally I'm happier with my body since I started running, even though there has not been much actual weight or inch loss. Don't get too hung up on the numbers.
Oh I am sorry you are feeling this way! Running is so good for so many aspects of our health and bodies. I have lost inches off my thighs and bottom (had lots of inches to lose and still plenty to go)!
To lose one pound of fat they say you should burn off an additional 3500 cals or so over and above your normal energy expenditure (or cut down that number of cals, or a combination of the two).
Here is a link that gives a rough idea of how many cals you burn at different paces and depending on your weight.
You are doing average of 11 minute miles if you do 7k in 47 mins so depending on your current weight you can see roughly how many cals you are using on your runs.
I think lots of people who start running eat a bit more?
All I can suggest is track/write down EVERYTHING you eat and drink to see if there is anything you can cut down on or make better choices and try and vary your running sessions a bit.
I started C25k a year and a half ago to help boost my weight loss...I'm terrible at diets and don't actually eat all that badly, but needed to loose nearly 3.5 stone. It's gone in starts and stops but so far I've lost 25 pounds so another 23 to go!
The sad part is, but I must be honest and I've been afraid to say this on here as I worry it will put some people off the programme, is that I have lost the majority of my weight when I have had to take a break from running, although not all. But that is not runnings fault! I think when I run I am too concious of 'fueling' my run that I don't loose or gain any weight at all.
I have been writing down my weight almost every Monday this year and when I take a break from running and feel 'unhealthy' for not being able to excerise the diet kicks in.
You would expected though with the 3 extra running sessions a week that there would be some form on weightloss unless you have also being 'fueling' yourself up for your runs?
1) If you are active, being overweight matters less
2) I'd suggest more interval training. I lost weight in the first part of C25K and then more or less stuck (and no change in measurements although I think I lost some 'bustle'. The last few weeks I've been doing intervals (Speed, Pyramid 180) and it has started to move in the right direction again.
3) I find thinking about stones very demoralising, so I only look at kilos.
Thank you all for your tips and advice they were all most uplifting
I have downloaded myfitnesspal to have a look at my daily calorie intake and may weigh some of my portion sizes too as they suggested my daily calorie intake is only 1260 calories.I do consider myself a healthy eater and do not eat any convenience foods.As I will be using the gym more and running outside less during the winter months I will try some serious interval training on the treadmill.I wish I didn't worry about my "weight" so much as I know I'm a pretty fit person who wears size 14 clothes but have always got that "obese bmi" buzzing around my head
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Try having set meal times that you try and stick too, and if you must grab a snack go for an orange or a banana. Let us know how you go. Good luck x.
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