Wow, I actually ran.......

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Wow, I actually ran.......
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Mon, 10-03-2005 - 4:59pm

last night. On a weekend. ON A SUNDAY! I'm doing the Couch-to-5k runner's guide. I figure, it's a way to get me running, it's not CONSTANT running, and well, it'll build up my endurance, fast, w/o me feeling like I've failed. It's a 6-week guide. So far, I'm on week 3, but then again, I'm also doing "each week" for two weeks. I'm taking it slow.

My goal, is basically to run 4 days a week, if not more. I really want to lose the weight, and the more I think about it, the more I really want this, for health reasons alone.

So, this is my plan. I work out (run/walk for 20 mins), I do some weights, I have been cutting back on my calories (mostly dinner).

this is basically for me to get used to things. I figure, 30 mins total of run/walk is HUGE compared to, um, doing nothing. lol. So that should help get my butt in gear.

However, I also want to lose a lot in the next 3 months. Preferbly about 25lbs. It's not all that I need to lose, but it's a HUGE start and if I can start of 2006 at that weight, I'd be sooooo happy.

My question. What can I do, to ensure I lose at least 20lbs? I've lost 2lbs so far, in the past couple of weeks. I am measuring myself, more so than weighing, but still weighing. And I'll be taking measurements every other week for the first 1.5 months, then every week until the new year. I'll obviously slow down the closer I get, but still, it's just the way my spreadsheet is made up.

What can I do? Breakfast is cereal and 1% milk, snack is carrots or peanuts, lunch is either a sandwich, or going out (need to make better choices here), and dinner is basically a slim fast (gratefully, i'm not normally hungry by dinner time anyways). I'm run/walking for those 20 mins (5warmup/5cooldown, so 30 total). Should I up that later? about when? I started on 8 Mintues in the Morning, which is weights. although, i've been doing them AFTER my workout, cuz i'm not waking up early enough (working out keeps me up later, which then means, i wake up later).

Okay, so do tell, what can i do? more so? less?

ETA: I'm not going to incorporate anything more right now, but I figure, over the next, 10 weeks, I can incorporate whatever you guys suggest. :) SLOWLY. Trying to make this a habit. not just a one time deal.




Edited 10/3/2005 5:26 pm ET ET by inkeddogmom

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 5:05pm

"I'm doing the Couch-to-5k runner's guide."


Tell me more about this. This is something I might like to try.

Gretchen


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 5:27pm

This is great Cher-- and yes, like Gretchen, I want to know more about this 'program' you're on!


As far as losing the weight-- I don't think there is a "this will work" for you plan...if there were we'd all be on it, lol! I think it's a 'game' (putting it in a positive light here) we have to play with ourselves. See where we are going; how we are doing; etc...in relation to where you want to go. From what you write you are doing it all- though I would be cautious of taking IN enough calories, though you don't mention how many you are taking in on average.


Again, let us know about the couch to 5K thing- and good luck with this!!!!

~IslandGirl


Moderation IS Key


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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 5:35pm

Huh, I thought it was 6 weeks, maybe I cut mine down to 6 weeks, but it's really 9 weeks. Here's a link: http://www.coolrunning.com/cgi-bin/moxiebin/bm_tools.cgi?print=181;s=2_3;site=1

Basically, what it does, is it helps you build your cardio up. It's mostly like this.

run 1.5 min, walk 1.5 min, repeat for 20 mins.
next week. run 1.5 mins, walk 1.5 mins, run 3 mins, walk 3 mins, repeat for 20 mins
next week. run 3 minss, walk 1.5 mins, run 5 mins, walk 2.5 mins. repeat for 20 mins.

i say, it builds up your cardio, because it's MUCH harder to stop running and allowing your heart rate fall to a walk, and then start running again, THAN it is to keep running constantly.

I'm on the 3rd week. The second set of 3 minute run is KILLER! lol. I was going to move onto the next week, but said, I'm not finishing the full 3 minutes the second time around and i'm dying, so until I feel okay with it....i'll keep doing this. so i'll prolly stick to this until the end of this week.

BTW. It really does work. Cuz I did it, before I was going to run my first 5k, and I hadn't ever ran 3.2 miles before in my life, nor was i exercising much prior to this. Oh, and I lost ONLY 5 lbs, HOWEVER, i lost about 1.5 sizes. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 5:44pm

I just posted the couch-to-5k thing. The thing I love about it, is that it is for the true beginner, and well, if you don't have a run deadline, you can work your way up the weeks, slowly. Like I said, I'm doig week 3, for the second week now. although granted, i only ran it two other times, in the past two weeks. LOL.

Oh, as for incoming calories, I think breakfast is about 300, dinner is the 150. then i eat carrots and peanuts. i'm sure the peanuts have a lot, but at least the fat is healthy stuff, more so than other junk. my lunches. i'm sure can range easily from 500 to over 1500. Depending on what I eat. It's my largest meal. i'm trying to calculate just my sandwich alone.....maybe 700? and then sometimes i eat chips, instead of my carrots with it. so add on another 150? so, i think i'm good. maybe. lol.

btw. i HATE running with a passion, however, it's the only thing that seems to do the job, the fastest.

i should track how many calories i'm taking in, but cutting down on dinner, i'm sure, is at least cutting out 500+ calories. so, that's a plus. cuz i'm sure i'm normally packing on at least 2000-2500+. i eat a lot of junk. oh yeah. cut out the junk food and am going to clean out the cupboards of the chips.

w/o K in the "house", I don't tend to eat as much junk/sweets, as when he is there.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 5:58pm

Thanks for posting the link! I do think I remember you doing this before now that I see the site.


I've been kind of doing this. I started out running 1 minute walking 4 minutes. Then moved up to running 2 minutes and walking 3. I do this for 45 to 60 minutes. I found once I got started, particularly if I had some good tunes to listen too, I hated to stop. I've been off for almost 3 weeks now. I'm hoping it's easy to pick up were I left off at. Just felt great t hat I was actually running. Never thought I'd be able to do that.

Gretchen


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 6:08pm

I think that getting rid of the 'junk' is key. It seems you can have a high calorie count with 'good foods' and still stay in control, but add in any 'junk' and things start to spiral out of control!


I agree with running/walking (cardio); it's #1 in my books!


Keep up the great work Cher-

~IslandGirl


Moderation IS Key


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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 6:29pm

Be forewarned, I forget what the ratio is, but for every week off of running, I think it takes 2 to get back to where you were.

From coolrunning.com "You can, however, take up to a week off without losing any ground. Three or four days of rest can even improve your performance. But after a week, you will quickly start to lose your edge -- a lot faster than it took you to build it up. You can lose as much as half of your aerobic fitness in just two or three weeks."

it says, not to push yourself for distance/time, and start off slow again. so good luck.
btw, www.coolrunning.com is a cool website, check it out if you like to run. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 6:34pm

oh yeah, lots of junk food. i still crave it, but i have been eating those 100 calorie crisp thingy's instead. they seem to do the trick. I seem to be eating a lot of peanuts and peanut butter, but at least it's semi-healthy. lol.

i'm TRYING! lol. but then, this was the first true week of eating better, but not really exercising (did it once last week, hope to do it at least 3 more times this week).

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 6:41pm

Congrats on taking up running.

~Kiervin~

Co-author of:  MONSTER'S INK HORROR ANTHOLOGY By Cyber-Pulp Press

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 7:02pm

okay, the food thing. first, i LOVE carbs, but obviously, don't run THAT much. I also found out, if I could THINK and RUN, I'd probably like it more, but since I'm doing a lot of thinking.....and TRYING to run, I've come to find out, well, I can't think and run at the same time. Seriously, and Steffy laughed her ass off about this....I would start veering towards one-side of the treadmill, if I got too deep in my thoughts. lol. can you imagine me on the road? i'd get ran over. lol.

oh, but the food, there is NO WAY i could do what you're doing. wow! I give you credit that's great what you're doing. unfortunately, i love my burgers and junk food too much. i limit it, but mostly what i eat, is well, not that great (but working on it). one thing first. starting off slow. with running AND eating.

and since i am on a treadmill, it's supposedly softer than asphalt, so I'm doing well. So far, I don't even really have to stretch, which says to me, that i'm warming up and cooling down perfectly. And trust me, when i walk, its set to 3.4 and when i run 4.4, so i'm going really slow. lol. trust me, i'm not built for running.

i always compare myself to an Alaskan Malamute (whereas my xbf was the Siberian Husky). Malamutes are built for pulling, more so than running. whereas huskies, are built more for running than pulling. Meaning, huskies can run and run and run. Malamutes, they can run, but they're not built for it. they're built for strength. so that's me. i can prolly outlift most women, but can't outrun most ppl. lol.

so trust me, running is NOT my thing however, i can bulk up and probably bench 100lbs :) if not more. I used to be able to bench my weight (when I WEIGHED 100bls. lol)

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