Running with LoseIt - 3/4/2019 - Running while Obese

This is a weekly post for the Runners of LoseIt. Runners of all levels are welcome here. Someone who is thinking about starting running can post questions or ask advice. Another planning to run a 50K ultra can share their training and prep. Everything in-between related to running is welcome here.

This thread is mostly about sharing what you did last week, what you plan to do going forward, and getting advice or support. Finish a week of C25K? Planning to start? Post away.

In addition to update, victory, and questions, I also ramble on about something or another, this week...

Running While Obese

I've been obese for the three years I've been running. I dipped very briefly into a sub-30 BMI but I did not stay there more than a few weeks. As a result, I've been running my 2500+ miles while at a BMI over 30.

Here's some of the things that has helped me.

Goals

I generally am not worried about speed. I tend to work to build and maintain endurance. My main goals with running are --.

1) Being able to run for a 60 minute workout. Not only running for an hour but recover from it to run again the next day.

2) I really enjoy long runs, 7.5-10 miles. 90-120 minutes. I like working on this long form endurance and enjoy that weekly run to push up how long I can keep going.

Intervals: Building Up Slowly

I waited until I was at the end of my weight loss until I started actually running. I could have started sooner but I honestly did not even think of running until I threw it in to my exercise mix on a whim.

While losing from 355lbs to a low of 218lbs, I mostly walked as exercise. I did some intense treadmill incline stuff. Some elliptical. Some cycling. A little strength work with an all-in-one cable machine. Mostly it was just steps. I walked so much I think it accounted for close to 20% of my weight loss.

I did not strength train for long. It made me hungry and worked against me eating at a deficit.

I ran more than a few minutes for the first time around 225lbs. It was horrible, horrible, terrible, the worst. So, I did it again.

I used intervals like C25K to build up my running. 2 minutes of running, recover, 2 more, recover, 1 more. Each session I added another minute or two somehow. Once I could do 10 minutes straight I concentrated on the long first interval, then did 1-2 shorter duration runs to follow. I built up to a 20 minute straight run in about 4 weeks. A little faster than C25K. I got to 30-35 minutes in about 6 weeks. I did this mostly outside, very little treadmill. At that point I started to have knee discomfort.

Adding in Cross Training kept me running

I stopped running when I hit a 30-35 minute run. More less finished C25K and felt injured.

I just so happened to start doing strength training at this time. With running not working out, I filled the tine by starting up free weights and StrongLifts 5x5.

This proved to a fix to my knee issues. I noticed that my knee was sore from various hard hikes and even elliptical sessions. I was just more body aware.

But as I worked on my squats, deadlifts my legs strengthened over all. I worked out imbalances I had developed by being sedentary and sitting too much for a few decades. In particular deadlifts woke up my hips, hamstring, and glutes.

After about 3 months of strength work I ramped up running again and felt better. To assist both running and strength work I stretch regularly (10-15 minutes most days) . Particularly my quads, hip flexors, IT band, and lower back. I work a stretch session into each of my strength workouts and then do couch stretch, hip flexor stretches regularly (mostly on my train ride into work and/or post run).

Endurance over Speed

I still got injured. I ran a 10K fast.

I had been pushing my speed and endurance during my first year running. I was kicking out a 9 minute stand alone mile. I did a sub-60 minute 10K (9:39/mile). I built up endurance to run a hilly 2:18 half marathon.

I had my first 10K of the year and hit it running fast. It was rolling terrain. A good mile of it was on stone covered crappy road. Then some steep hills, coming out of those into the flat end I cranked it up. Well, the roadway was severely crowned. I ran two miles hard, with my left leg 6-7" lower than my right. As I came to an aid station my right glute cramped hard. I had never felt anything like that ever. It got very tight and fought me the last 2 slow slogging miles. I crossed the finish line and immediately started hobbling.

I had chosen speed over safety. When I hit that crowned pavement I should have slowed down. The result, hip adductor (groin) strain/tear and four months of no running.

Going Forward

After that I resolved that I liked running so much I wasn't going to risk injury. I took the focus off speed and resolved to log regular miles at an easy pace.

I still do hills and long 3-5% grade treadmill sessions. Oregon is hilly. I also do fast finish runs. Do 45 minutes easy then ramp up the speed at the end to run harder while tired. Trains me to suck it up on those hard race days.

Good Shoes

I run in good comfy running shoes that fit me great. I replace then regularly, at about 400-600 miles.

I have plantar issues from before I ran. They crop up from time to time. I run using SuperFeet blue insoles. These things are not cheap, but they last longer than running shoes. The blue is enough support for me. While using them I've never had an issue. Unfortunately, I convinced myself I didn't need them anymore... and within a few months my plantar tendon was sore all the time.

Running Attire

As a 230lb 6' guy, the key thing I need are good boxer briefs. They need to stay put so I buy form fitting but not tight stuff. Non-cotton is best for anything over an hour. Everything else I wear is cheap and comfy. C9 stuff from the clearance rack at Target. Old Navy Active on sale/clearance. Base layer stuff from Costco. I rarely am running in more than $30 of clothes.

I do own a great pair of Phenom Nike 3/4 Running pants. Purchased from the employee store off the clearance rack. $48, originally $120. They just aren't necessary. I enjoy running in my $4 Old Navy 7" Inseam Shorts just as much.

Chafe Relief

I use Gold Bond Friction Defense. Stuff is roll on and cheap. Does not stain. Works through torrents of sweat for hours. Mainly for my nipples, but I put also where my heart rate chest strap runs over my ribs and any spot on my thighs or waist that might be getting rubbed at the time.

Weekly Check-in

How is your week going? Getting your miles/kms in? Did you just finish a week if C25K? Just do your first run? Training for a race? Let us know!

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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2C3FBUx

Is walking too much hampering weight loss?

Hey Everyone,

34/M/185-190 lbs.

I've been struggling to get off the last 10-15 pounds. I think it could be from a number of different things but I'm curious if I'm simply doing too much.

I work from home and use a walking treadmill almost everyday. 3 mph for 5 hours which is just at the low end to get the heart rate up. I also suspect that the 3 mph is a bit higher as when I go to the gym, 3.5 mpg seems <= 3 mph at home. In addition to walking I lift 4 days a week and run 3 miles 3 days a week. I'm in great shape health wise but I have that little tire around the stomach that won't go away.

Here is what I'm thinking....

1. I'm going too fast. I should drop it down to 2.5 mph so it won't be so stressful on the body

2. Lower the time I walk. 5 hours burns a ton of calories but I could be throwing my body off from the stress

3. I'm doing fine but it's the diet. 3 is definitely a factor but when I do the math, I'm burning about 1.5k calories a day from walking alone. I can eat half a pizza everyday for 1 meal and I should still be losing weight. I do have wonderful home cooked meals every night and sometimes I suspect it gets near 2k calories. Even so, I'm probably eating 1-1.5k calories throughout the day. That would put me at around 1500 calories a day which should be plenty for dropping weight.

4. I could simply have a low metabolism. There was a time when I was poor (unemployed and studying for a new career) and on an extreme calorie deficit of 1200 total a day. I'm guessing this could have destroyed my metabolism and I simply need less than a normal person.

Anyway, any insight would be great. I'm obviously dealing with many factors but I'd like to target one area first. This is where y'all can help.

Thank!

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Monday, 04 March 2019? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2IP2oct

Best ways to get into resistance training?

I just went onto a major binge this last week and feel like absolute trash. I've been mainly doing cardio exercises and some weight lifting for exercise, yet have been reading about resistance training. Apparently its better for weight loss.

Over last year and a bit I've lost like 25kg+ yet then gain then lose several kgs. I still need to lose a lot of weight. Where I am my workplace provides a free gym and usually at work I'm on my feet most of the time, however its usually on my days off I fuck up.

I've never been diagnosed but I don't doubt I have some type of binge eating disorder, especially now that I'm getting therapy for childhood trauma where afterwards I go into grazing sessions.

When I get back to work I really need to get back into routine. Generally I work morning shifts from 130am to 11am yet I was getting up at roughly 11:30pm/12am to exercise for an hour before work. Cardio I'm fine with, lower body exercises I'm fine with, but upper body exercises like push ups, pull ups, etc really hurt my arms/shoulders which I need to function normally for work. When my shoulders and arms get sore I have to move like a robot to lift things. Meanwhile I cannot for the life of me perform squats properly.

I wanted to attend the gym classes yet I'm usuallu sleeping or working when they're on. I'm also starting studying for the year so I have even less time to do stuff. I'm aiming for atleast 1 hour of exercise before or after work.

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NSV - I think I’m breaking ground in kicking my sugar addiction

So, basically my story is a common one. Last year I lost 50 lbs out of 100 on strict keto, calorie counting, and intermittent fasting. I dropped off early because I hated how controlled it was and I hated not being able to be “normal” like my thin friends and needing a special diet.

Predictably, I gained it all back. So about 2 months ago I had a break through:

My boyfriend is a flight attendant and he steals plane nips and gives a bunch to me. I left them on a shelf (about 15 of them) and they had collected dust after like 2 weeks. Well, I was cleaning one day and I thought to myself, “Man, imagine being an alcoholic? Those people wouldn’t be able to let these just gather dust like this.” And then it hit me — I’m f***ing addicted to sugar.

I wouldn’t be able to let a cake or pie sit and gather dust like my friends would. And thinking back, this really is my downfall. I don’t eat often and I don’t eat a lot, but when I do eat, I choose these fatty, sugary meals that can easily gather 1,000-2,000 calories in a sitting.

With my last diet run, I was able to get in the habit of liking coffee with just cream, instead of a crap ton of sugar. Now, I can’t have coffee with any sugar since it’s gross to me now. So, I figured I would just get in the habit of not having sugar for everything else (and being able to eat sugary things without going on a rampage) and then the weight loss will follow.

Well, I am proud to say that two months later a pack of muddy buddies and a bottle of soda had gone bad in my car after 2 weeks. I was able to look at these and go “meh” for two whole weeks and I’m very proud because for most of my life I impulsively finished food and ate even more.

I’ve lost about 15 pounds so far which is good, but I’m not really concerned with the numbers until I can nail down these habits. Once I’ve established eating healthy without feeling unusual or constrained I will start making more changes to further my weight loss.

And I feel so much better. I used to have nausea problems and headaches, but after switching how I ate I just feel so much better, and that’s what’s driving me now. Having a few bites of something sugary now triggers my satiety and I’m able to put it down, knowing that it’s not really good and will only make me sick and miserable if I continued further.

I’ll add that I’m a student that works full time, and eating healthy and wholesomely has impacted me there too. I feel clearer, more energized, and I sleep and wake up easier as well. It’s really really nice.

Addressing your eating habits as a form of addiction and impulse really really helps, and I hope this helps someone too!

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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2C43HhZ

[Daily Directory] Find your quests for the day here! - Monday, 04 March 2019

Welcome adventurer! Whether you're new on this quest or are towards the end of your journey there should be something below for you.

Daily journal.

• [Q&A] "I have a question."
• [Day 1] "I am starting my weight loss journey."
• [SV/NSV] "I have an accomplishment to share."
• [24hr Pledge] "Today I am going to..."

Interested in some side quests?

• [Motivation Monday] Share some motivation, get some motivation.
• [Tantrum Tuesday] Need to vent? People getting on your nerves?
• [Weigh-In Wednesday]
• [Track with Me Thursday] Did we just become best friends?!
• [Free Talk Friday] What's on your mind?

Community bulletin board!

• [Running with Loseit] Run with losers. Avoid arrows.
• [Maintenance Monday] Lost it? Work on keeping it.
• [Wecipe Wednesday] Swap and discuss recipies!

If you are new to the sub, click here for our posting guidelines

---

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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2TnHJk0

20lbs down, 40 more to go! How to keep things going smoothly?

So I've been overweight for the past 6 years or so. I started to pack on the pounds when my depression got bad and as a result went from around 130 pounds to 195. I, F 5'2", have been struggling to lose weight and went through the hell of losing and regaining the same 5lbs over and over again.

When 2019 started I finally decided I'd had enough of this crap and I've since dropped 20lbs. I have 40 more to go until I hit a healthy goal weight and I'm worried about slipping back into old habits and gaining weight back.

For those of you who have, or are currently, losing weight in similar amounts, what helped you stay on course? Soda is a major issue for me as I crave it constantly. I can't feasibly keep it out of the house as my family buys it in bulk, so are there any alternatives to soda or ways that I can combat those intense cravings?

Any tips are greatly appreciated, and I would love to hear about your journeys in weight loss! Thank you so much in advance.

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