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May be a freak of nature (Read 311 times)

Patti75


    Started the C25K program haven't run in ohh lets say about 20 years. I tend to gain muscle mass really fast for some odd reason which is why I think I may be a freak of nature. After day 2 of the C2K5 I got on the treadmill just to see how far I could go. Well after 2 miles I thought it best to stop and not over do it.  Now running outside is a bit more difficult but I can still run a 2 mile on low to medium terrain with ease.

    I work shift work so I get home at 430 in the am take the dog out for a 2 mile walk and or jog. Then after I get up do some house work put the kids down for a nap and do another 2 miles on the treadmill.

    Problem is I'm 5ft10 and 200 pds would love to see a healthy weight of 160 something. But since I have started running I'm gaining weight. What should I do on my days off from running and how many days off do I have to take.

    I was a runner in school and now remember why I loved it so much. It comes very naturally to me problem is other then running I have no idea what I should be doing with running to lose weight.

    Alrighty you fitness buffs lay it on my my muffin top is outta control

    CanadianMeg


    #RunEveryDay

      Are you eating more since you started running again?

      Half Fanatic #9292. 

      Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

        Short term weight change can be a change in water retention.  A couple of two mile runs will not change your muscle mass enough to measure.

          I'm by no means an authority on this board. But here are a few things that have helped me.

           

          I have found that in order to lose weight with easy running I need to run for at least 45 minutes. Anything less doesn't do much in terms of weight loss. I also noticed that when I run I have a harder time controlling what I'm eating. Especially those food binges.

          A couple of eating things that have worked for me. Is using Greek Yogurt for my snacks between meals. It is filling and pretty low fat. Granted I don't love the taste.

           

          When possible I try to run later in the day. That way I don't spend the whole day hungry, I just have to control my eating for a few hours before bed.

           

          Anyway that is just me. Everyone is different. And I'm still struggling with the weight myself. But I feel I am making some progress. Good luck to you with the running and the weight loss.

          Fall  2013 Goals: Doable sub 22:00 5k; Challenging Sub 21:00 5k; Unlikely Sub 20:00 5k.

          Philliefan33


            Congratulations on your decision to start running again.  C25K is a good program to help keep you from doing too much too soon and ending up injured.

             

            Losing weight is a simple math formula.  You have to burn more calories than you consume.  To lose one pound of body weight, you need a calorie deficit of about 3500 calories.

             

            Simple formula...but doing it is the hard part.  The sad truth is that when you are just beginning to run, the calories burned are not enough to cause noticeable weight loss.  A good estimate of net calories burned per mile is 0.63 x weight.  So your 2-mile run burned about 250 calories.  If you "reward" yourself with a couple of cookies or some ice cream...you can very quickly undo all that hard work.

             

            To lose weight, you need to control what you eat.  And I don't mean a vague "I will try to eat better", but an honest assessment of the calories you consume.  I lost 20 pounds in 2011 by counting calories.  There was no forbidden food, but I had a daily maximum calorie allowance with a plan to lose a pound per week.  I learned to make better food choices -- for example, a cup of grapes is a good snack and still left me some calories for later, but a candy bar in the afternoon meant a hungry evening.  If I ate too many calories in my afternoon snack, I was left with a meager dinner even after my run.

             

            At the same time I was counting calories, I learned to run by doing C25K.  At first the calories burned while running (like you, a couple of miles at a time) just helped me get from a 250-calorie dinner (hard to do) to a 450-calorie dinner (still small but doable).  As my mileage increased, the payoff was more palpable -- a four mile run almost burns off my lunch.  A ten-mile long run on Saturday = "get out of my way I'm headed for the refrigerator!"  Now that I am at my goal weight and running about 30 miles/week I don't have to count calories anymore, but the good habits regarding food choices are (usually) still there.

             

            Treat the two things as separate for a while.  To lose weight, pay attention to what and how much you are eating.  To get back into running, go through the C25K.  The two will merge when your running mileage burns significant calories, and that is a wonderful feeling.  (Just be aware of the cruel trick of weight loss....as you lose weight, your net calorie burn per mile goes down Angry)