Starting to shape up but where do I go from here?

Hi all, I've signed up to get some advice on my running. 

I started running regularly on my home treadmill as I want to lose my belly! I'm 32 in good health but just enjoy eating the wrong stuff and haven't exercised enoughover the last few years, usual excuses and reasons! 

In addition to my running, I'm also currently using Herbalife - I know it divides opinion but it works for me and my lifestyle, with a nutrition shake for breakfast and lunch, with a normal early evening meal. I have fruit mid-morning and mid-afternoon and don't eat in the night anymore.

This so far is basically my exercise which I do four times per week - I would like to know what methods are best for weight loss. I am not fussed about improving endurance at moment, I just want to get into shape first and foremost. 

5 min fast walk warm-up
25 min normal paced jog
1 min fast walk followed by 2 min fast run on maxium speed X 5
5 min fast walk warm-down

I've done this for around three weeks now and am looking to modfiy this to make it more suitable for my aim. i,e, less jogging/more sprints etc? 

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks.image

Comments

  • Hundreds of starter 'plans' for budding runners i.e. Couch to 5k, etc. 

    I lost 5 stone in just over a year and hardly changed what I ate. I was eating all the right stuff, plently of fruit, veg, no high fat stuff or junk food. Once a week I would have a takeaway - either Pizza or Fish & Chips, etc.

    So why did I put weight on? Calories in vs Calories out!! No other reason apart from eating too much, not the wrong things

    I was eating about 3000-4000 calories a day, doing little or no exercise, with a sedentary job. The pounds went on over a couple of years - slowly, so you don't notice. Until your small clothes go to a large!

    I now measure my calories and my exercise calories burnt - using a HRM, and MyFitnessPal. 

    Back to a small, sub 2 hour half Marathons (just) and at 57yrs old feeling great.

    So, yes you can do it. Just read the labels for your typical days food and you might be surprised how many calories goes into your body a day - as a recent TV program highlighted!

     

  • I don't get the Herballife stuff, why not just exercise and eat healthily.

    You want a lifestyle change not a quick fix.

    Suggest you go back to eating sensibly, got for the C25k mentioned above, at which point you will get the bug and continue running.

    I am 5 foot 5, weighted 14 st 4 and after 5 months had lost 2 stone doing it the correct way. From doing 100 meters and being tired I have done a 57 mins 10km and entered for a Half Marathon.

    I am loving it.

    Anyway those are my thoughts.

  • I agree with above, the couch-to-5k program has kickstarted loads of beginniners so it must work and keep people motivated.

    I don't really agree with the Herballife either, as I think it's better to learn how to manage your diet properly in the long run. Plus your dietry needs will change as you incorporate more exercise into your life.

    If yo've only been running for three weeks, then my advice would be to take it slow as you'll risk injury by doing too much too soon.

    Congratulations on getting started though!

  • I have got into shape via the C25K and worked up to 10k now in a series of steps. Started it to keep the weight off that I had lost and manage the depression I battle with. It has been amazing as it allowed me to believe I could do it by setting achievable goals. Couldn't recommend it enough! weightwatchers helped me to loose my excess weight and my running now helps me to maintain it, but it worked because it educated me about calories and when I realised how far I had to run to burn off a choc bar etc it made me re-assess what I was eating.

     

  • Snap weight watchers and running lost 6 stone



    80% diet at least the exercise is awesome for toning but without controlling the calories going in you won't see the results.



    Sorry. Didn't answer the original question.



    Couch to 5 k is great then there are plans to extend that to 10k or couch start with a couch to 10k. Also some fine planning a run and booking it gives you a target to aim for.



    There are also free timed 5k parkruns all over the country each Saturday morning.



    The net is full of plans, you just need to decide what you want to do.



    To put this in some context, running a marathon might burn off say 2600-3200 calories. (Just a ballpark figure) and you need to loose around 3500 calories to loose 1lb.



    So running alone just isn't enough without controlling what goes in your body. But, you should notice your body looking skinnier with the running.
Sign In or Register to comment.