Mini-GoalsEven if you're not at goal yet, this is the place to share your successes and achievements along the way! Success can be measured in many ways besides the scales. Tell us about your triumphs, including Non Scale Victories
It happened a few days before Halloween- I was so depressed I couldn't move.. I was STUCK in bed and angrier because of it. With the help of my girlfriend, I got up [she rolled me out of bed, literally, and told me to get moving]. SO I did. I'm I was 238 pounds and got winded climbing the stairs to my bedroom, but I put on shoes and went outside. I ran until I couldn't, then walked a block, then jogged until I couldn't anymore, then walked another block [for 1.8 miles]. When I got home, though sore, I felt so elated that I decided that THIS was how I WANTED to lose weight. Jogging.
Since the first of November I jog 3-5 times a week- sometimes alternating running and jogging and walking every other blocks and other days just going as far as my chubby legs will go [which is normally two blocks past the first side stich and shin splint]. I will go despite rain or wind or depression, I will just put on shoes and go in whatever I am wearing plus my hoodie to hide the identity of the chubby girl running at night.
MY GOAL: I want to be able to jog the entire 1.8 miles, without stopping, by November 30th. I WILL DO IT!
UPDATE - As of Nov. 15 I jogged half of my goal without stopping and weigh 228 pounds. I tummy feels firmer, but I am wondering about the skin on my stomach. Like most plus gals I have two stomach rolls, and like breasts, it hurts them to run. I wonder, is there anything I can do to help? Is there anything like a sports bra for bellies?
That is super! Good for you! And I agree with you... have to do it whether it is hot, cold, rainy, whatever I get... and regardless of how I "feel" about it! I am so proud of you for getting "enough" of being overweight... sounds as if you have the determination to go for it and succeed! Hope you keep posting as that too really helps to have an encouraging support group.
^___^ I love this website, and I love the people here. Thank you everyone. Everything is going okay, I am having an issue with... I think they are called: Shin splits. My shins hurt terribly towards the end and after I run, they'll hurt for several hours, and if I push too hard they just kill. I don't want to be slowed down, but I don't want to hurt myself, does anyone know how to stop it from happening or stretch your shins? I can't seem to find a shin strech anywhere. LoL.
You're going to have to find an alternate form of cardio for a while. Shin splints is an overuse injury, and the treatment is rest. In the meantime, go to a running store and get some serious cushioning shoes.
I used to get shin splints in a bad way - until someone pointed out that I was landing on almost the tips of my toes when I was jogging! I had always thought that heel-to-toe was bad and would cause injuries. But I learned the right way to "roll" my foot from back to front when it lands, and my shin splints calmed way down.
I also noticed that if I don't do some really good stretches before I jog, or if I don't stretch AFTER I jog, that my shins will hurt for a good long while as well. Not so much during the jog but afterward.
I don't know if you stretch or land on your feet correctly - have you ever looked into either possible cause?
You're doing fantastic! One of the biggest ways to help with shin splints is to stretch your calf muscles - they tend to be strong than those in the front of your leg, and so pull your foot back a bit, putting strain on the muscles in front. Try making sure you're stretching your calves really well. Also, try running on something other than sidewalk/pavement. I find it a little easier to run on the sidewalk, because there's less resistence, but it's far harder on your legs than running on dirt - maybe just run on the grass beside the sidewalk for now!
And don't get too discouraged - taking it slowly, and building up your body's strength over time is definitely healthier than throwing your body into something it hasn't done for a long time and isn't physically prepared for. If you go slow and build up your time steadily, you'll be jogging the whole way home in no time!
1: Stand on one foot on a stair/step, facing upstairs. Hold on to the stair rail for balance. Let the heel of the foot you're standing on hang below the edge of the step, so that the heel is lower than your toes. Now lift yourself, still on the one foot, onto tiptoes. Then lower yourself back down to starting position.
2. Tap your toes-- heel on the floor, front of the foot goes up and down.
Also, you really should be wearing proper running shoes. Running in shoes without enough support or cushioning could be contributing to your shin splints. (Actually, running in inadequate shoes can cause shin splints even without muscle imbalance issues.)
As for the belly jiggle, you might like compression shorts. They're the ones that look like what bicyclists wear, and they keep jiggly parts from jiggling as much.
The shin splints are better! Four days ago I bought an awesome pair of running shoes with neon-purple shocks (unnecessary fact)! I tried them out after two days of rest and to my relief... only light shin splints! However, here is where the bad update comes... Three days ago we had a surprise snow storm and I am now snowed in days short of my goal. I tried a little bit of brisk walking today, but slipped asap... then did it again on my way home. I'm trying to not take this as a defeat, as I am a vehicle-less person and cannot make it to a treadmill, I've come a ways already. I can jog over a mile without stopping, found great shoes, good tips, and the swelling around my shin has almost totally disappeared. Thanks Erinket for the rap on the head about rest, others have told me that, but like a knucklehead I turned a deaf ear- the snow has given them the time I probably wouldn't have.
*Snow.Snow.Go.Away. -_- I hate snow*
I'll think of a new goal... and I'll want to have a couple new routes instead of the straight stretch of pavement. Maybe a school track or a baseball field! I'll incorporate the ideas you've all given me! Thanks for the support, I am always in need of a nudge and a hug.
As another note... I tried bike shorts and the waist part of panty hoes. To my embarrassment it was suggested that I go to a maternity store and purchase a belly bra that pregnant women use to support their stomachs. -_-
Hitting the Ground Running
I WILL DO IT!
