Diary of a Fat Bloke Running - Week 6

[Sedge]

It's finally all starting to come together!.....

As I have mentioned on previous blogs, I am following a C25k app on my phone, not the NHS one....at the time I thought this would be easier, only to discover in week 4(?) that it crams everything into 8 weeks...not 9...

Today I ran my last interval based run....it's just running, running and running from this point forward. In 6 sessions I will be able to run for 35 minutes, I'm not feeling the most confident that I can achieve that, but the plan has worked for me so far....so I've gotta trust it.

I started this journey on 26th August, I had a 10 day injury lay off, and due to my size have added extra rest days. On 1st August I weighed 21st 6lb, on Tuesday I weighed 18st 12lb, my goal was to be at 18st and be able to waddle 5km by Christmas, I'm well on track, and no waddling....only running.

Today's run was 5min warm up, 15 run 3 walk 5 run 5 cool down, and today I broke the 7 minute per km barrier (inc the walking)...and I felt fantastic pretty much all the way through.

My mind started wandering during my run today, I'm 34 years old, was thin as a rake until I hit 18, I've steadily got bigger and bigger, there have been a few false dawns, trips to slimming world and weight watchers, but they are just gimmicks. Slimming World for example, one day you could eat as much meat as you wanted, the next as many carbs regardless of calories....that's not a way of life, you won't keep doing that everyday..... Calorie counting is the only way, actually learning what it means if you over eat, what you would need to do to burn it off..... I've lost 34lb and I still eat crap from time to time inc pizzas and kebabs, huge roasts, but I count it, and ensure everyday isn't like that....it's a simple equation.

Once again, if anyone on the chunky side is looking at this forum, to decide whether this is for them, it is, your body is amazing, it will cope, just take your time and listen to it. Understand that if you are morbidly obese like I was, that it will take longer for your muscles to repair, but imagine how strong they are going to be, in little over 9 weeks I've got thighs like Stuart Pearce! Get out there, do it....

See you at the finish line....

[procrastinator]

wow! Well done. It is really inspiring to hear your achievements. I'm only on week 3, but this gives me more motivation to keep going ahead to those longer runs.

all the best

x

[swanscot Graduate]

Brilliant to hear you're doing so well with the running and the weight loss.

I didn't start running as a means to loose weight as I'm only a little heavier than I wish (but still within the normal weight bmi band), but I am much more conscious of calories now. It really struck home last Friday morning when I'd done a long run and my Garmin running watch told me I'd spent 1125 calories (it's know it's not that accurate), but as Matt mentions in his blog it's all calories 'in the bank'. After my run that morning I went to a cafe to wait for my husband who was meeting me there and I tucked into my big plate of breakfast food. I knew I had worked for it that morning. But the thing that struck me was previously I may have ordered that anyway - without any expenditure of calories, so it's no wonder I'd been slowly, but gradually putting on the pounds.

[smhall Graduate]

Well done and well said!!

The program is one tool for success...but it is YOU that does the running and provides the commitment!! You are an inspiration and motivation for all!!

Keep Running!!!

Steve

[Samla]

Marvellous news, well done!! S x

[mattaitch Graduate]

That's excellent progress and I second everything you say about calories. There's no big secret to losing weight, but the trick is to make the change. I am sure that I would still be losing weight with just calorie counting, but with C25K I get "double points", as now that I can burn ~1000 calories in one session I get both the reward of the run and the bun (new saying: "the stickier the run, the stickier the bun"). The weirdiest thing is that I don't crave food like I used to as to paraphrase "nothing tastes as good as a run feels" and my old self is physically sickened that I can write that

[Chewy]

I love your blogs Sedge, I love the honesty. You're doing a tremendous job and I hope you achieve your goals.

[ange123 Graduate]

I love this..."Once again, if anyone on the chunky side is looking at this forum, to decide whether this is for them, it is, your body is amazing, it will cope, just take your time and listen to it."

So true.

I spent so long putting off starting exercise because I had no faith in my own body. I'm not particularly overweight but I was always rubbish at school sports which knocked my confidence massively. And then I developed a heavy smoking habit so I was convinced my lungs were ruined and there was no point in even trying to run. After quitting smoking for a year I finally thought I'd give it a go and, just like you say, I'm totally amazed with how my body can cope and improve so quickly.

Well done on your progress so far!