Since I'm single again, and trying to feel better with myself (hence the stopping smoking), I am thinking about trying the NHS's C25K thingy
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/get-running-with-couch-to-5k.aspx
Anyone tried it and managed to lose a bit of weight? (I've just taken a pic of me naked and was not impressed :( )
Tried it, didnt like it.
Did my own version.
5k is quite a long way for a beginer to walk, never mind aim to run.
I started with the much easier target of running a mile.
Using a treadmill, I started running at 6mph, walking at 3mph for a minute each, and played with speed and time. I can run a mile at 8mph now, or could before christmas
Get yourself to Sweat Shop and get a pair of trainers that work for you.
All that said, dieting is easier, running for an hour burns 700 calories.
A pound of fat contains 3500
I haven't done that programe myself but I recently bought a treadmill.
Even though I've always eaten a healthy balanced diet my metabolism is damn right awful so I thought I'd get one to try speed things up. Regardless of walking I do during the day whilst out and about, I aim to do atleast 3k on the treadmill everyday.
A healthy balanced diet and even just walking for an hour everyday will help you shift some weight. If you can, try to cut down on carbs at tea time as well as they store energy which at that time of day is harder for your body to burn off.
First things first cut out carbs. Oh and if you snack then that has to go to. If you do these 2 things you will find the weight will come off. No carbs allows your body to burn fat. When you eat carbs your body burns that so never attacks your fat. Losing the weight will not tone your body but the exercise will do that. Start with what you are comfortable at then week after week steadily increase your work rate. Once you notice the weight go then hopefully your brain becomes tuned to what you are doing and it's not as difficult to maintain. Healthy mind and body!
I know people say eat healthy... I would love to but I can't
It's hard when all you have is a microwave, fridge and a toaster and on £20 for food / week
I've never smoked, but I'd imagine that stopping smoking is bound to make you want to eat more aswell, which doesn't help either.
If you don't mind me asking, what do you usually eat on an average day?
SophieM wrote:
I've never smoked, but I'd imagine that stopping smoking is bound to make you want to eat more aswell, which doesn't help either.
If you don't mind me asking, what do you usually eat on an average day?
Beans on toast, or if I'm really lucky a £1 ready meal from iceland. Hence the stopping smoking, I can increase my budget to £2 a day
Hmmmm, beans on toast definitely isn't that good for you. If it really is that much of a struggle money wise and you can't change much of your diet then you could try these:
If you eat white bread, definitely change it to brown or half in half - it may have slightly more carbs in it but its more nutritional, lower in sugar and contains more fibre. If you have butter or margerine on your toast then try it without. Why not cut down to half the amounth of beans - or more - and have a couple of egg whites as well, I've been told egg whites don't really contain anything so they're great.
With the ready meals, do Iceland do any 'lighter' less fatty ready meal options? Only asking because most of the normal ones are loaded with carbs, fats, salt and sugar - all of which is absolutely terrible when trying to loose weight.
You should also try and get some of your 5 a day in! If not within your main meals then for snacks throughout the day. Bananas are very cheap, but I would advise not to eat more than 3 or 4 a week, some apples are also fairly reasonably priced, the same with carrots. Even if you can only afford to have a couple portions of your 5 a day each day will make a difference. (80g = 1 portion). I don't suppose you have an Aldi or Lidl near by? They're really good with fruit and veg prices.
Definitely start going for daily walks though! Start with half an hour a day or every other day and gradually build it up to an hour if you have the time. Seriously, I've found that with excercise or weight loss programmes I've tried to follow in the past never work because I don't like being told what to do and when. You're better off making changes to suit your personal life.
You will find cooking your own meals and using fresh fruit and veg will not make your food spend more expensive. Lidl or aldi are very cheap plus home bargain shops. I disagree with Sophie about bread. It's amazing how many carbs a slice of bread contains and if anything bread should be the first to go!
Cooking your own meals will allow you to cut out all the bad for you extras that ready meals include. These are not good!
If you snack then stop because that's the extra your body can't burn off but if your head is not helping then you have no chance I'm afraid. Willpower is the key!
Hard with a microwave though, very hard. Can you microwave bacon?
Value cooking bacon and value noodles was a big part of my diet for a while.
I'd say ignore the fat/carb thing, your body is perfectly capable of turning carbs in to fat and fats in to carbs. Calories are what matter.
Well in that case why don't you just eat cabbage soup. If you want to lose weight and correctly and keep it off then you need to do it the correct way. Bacon and noodles aren't a heathy diet. Any nutritionist will point you in the correct way. Calorie counting does not work because invariably low calorie products cost more money. Balanced food wins every time. Stick to meals at meal time and don't eat late at night when your body is ready for shutting down. A diet should be enjoyable without feeling hungry or getting bored of taste. When people think salad they immediately think 'same taste'. I love salad, beetroot, radish, peppers, gherkin, tomatoe, celery list goes on, all have different flavour. Add white meat, boiled egg and even fish. Lovely meal followed by a fresh fruit cocktail. Plenty of protein. Vitamins etc. nothing bad for you and easy for your body to process. Best advice it to reasearch losing weight and choose what you could do but for it to stay off you need to do it the correct healthy way!
You don't need a cooker for salad, tinned sardines, get cooked chicken at end of day from super markets at very cheap price. They will keep a couple of days in fridge.
Had a peak at this and think it looks a good plan. When I was fifteen, I could do 5k in 28 minutes, needless to say, 20 years later, I'd struggle to even finish the distance haha.
Obviously having a park locally would help, as would being able to do it in the morning - because once you have worked all day... you really need willpower :)
Also, running with a friend helps - tried a few years back at Highbury Fields (a pretty short but up/down lap around the park) and we'd try to do 4 laps but if it got too much just walk a lap and then go again. And sometimes if really tired I'd just follow her (a bit like a pace-maker) and when she got tired she'd follow me - and it does work, a lot is in the mind :)
Might take up this plan when it gets a bit warmer, it's nicer to run outside, and a lot cheaper than the gym- but go for it!
As for diet, that is a different issue, but you will feel better once you start running : Good luck buddy
YES!!! I've done the couch to 5k and I owe so much to it!
I sound like a bloody cheesy TV advert but honestly it's awesome. I did it for the same reason as you. I hated the gym and wasn't even sure I liked running. The first week is by far the hardest but the progess you make is astounding. I remember on my fifth week smiling the whole way around my route as I realised it's the furthest Ive ever ever ever ran before and it felt amazing.
I didn't see a difference in my actual weight (firmly stuck to 10stone) but my clothes told me I was loosing fat. My cardio is up and my general mental wellbeing. I feel much happier.
I ran alone to begin with as I felt a bit silly with friends and wanted to concentrate on the programme. But after the course I complied a running playlist and because I run the exact route every other day, I know where I should be in relation to the song playing. Sometimes I'm fast, sometimes I'm slow.
Some tips -
- have a look online for running tips and injuries. Foot placement can really help. Toe to heel down rather than heel to toe.
- Always tell someone your exact route and dont wear both your earphones at once. You cant hear traffic, people or dangers including dogs.
- Wear a high vis vest at night. I got mine from poundland.
- Go for a wee before you go out!!!!
- I never took water with me as I dont feel you need it but once you're hitting the 4-5k, put ice cubes in your water bottle
- Buy a sports bra coz your boobs will feel the pain.
- Everyone drones on about good shoes but I couldnt afford any at the time so i just wore my old trainers and after consulting with my doctor he said that for the 5k distance its okay. Once I upped to 10k i went to sports soccer and paid £28 for the arch supported running shoes. They do proper fittings and take your foot curve and weight placement into account using heat sensors.
- If you get through this, take some weights out with you. I ran with two water bottles for arm weights and sometimes wear a rucksack (strap in tight). I also own a camelbak water so that's a good weight too.
Congratulations for doing this. You won't regret it. And bravo to the NHS.
Obviously I know bread is awful for you, whichever type of bread you eat. Any starchy / sugary carbs are bad for you, I was just saying that because bread is so cheap if someone really can't afford to buy loads of nutritional fruit and veg then changing to brown would be slightly better...
The only time I purposely eat carbs is for my breakfast, which I have quite late. And for me, dinner usually consists of either chicken, quorn chicken or fish, and a load of fresh veg. I steer clear from red meats as much as possible, as white meats and fish are better. Bacon is also probably one of the worst meats you can eat, absolutely loaded with fats and other crap you don't want to putting into your body. I avoid all starchy carbs as much as I can, pasta, rice, noodles, bread, potatos, etc barely pass my lips anymore and I feel so much healthier.
A low carb, high protein diet with loads of fruit and veg combined with regular excercise is bound to make you lose weight, and make you feel a lot healthier.
Ms HKM wrote:
- Buy a sports bra coz your boobs will feel the pain.
You mean moobs 
I'm a guy
Anyway thanks for the diet advice, stuff to think about there.
Going to start the running a week on friday, but going to ask the stop smoking people 1st (crap in lungs etc)
Haha okay so you dont need a bra!
The stop smoking people will support your decision to run. It will help!
It will take around 8weeks to clear the lungs of crap and longer to repair damage done as you will probably know. If you are overweight also with a bad diet my advise would be to start very slowly. Your heart and lungs will be under tremendous pressure. Walks that get brisker will help in the first instance. Try this in a good open space away from heavy traffic and preferably early morning or late night when things are a little fresher. You should exercise to the point where you have a slight increase resperation and heartbeat. If you start to feel dizzy or sick then you have overdone things a little. Slow right down if this happens to normalise things. Week on week you should notice improvement. Now no-one has a magic wand to make all this a quick process and the first month is going to be painful. Your legs will probably be sore and your chest will be tight. This is the point where 90% of people give up. This is where you will need to look within yourself and push on. Willpower is the key. Once you get past that point it becomes incredibly easy especially when you start to notice the results. Good luck and keep strong