Does anyone Jog???
 

Hey,
Check out the Cool Runners thread down in the exercise area. We have actually discussed that this month. There is a Couch to 5 K program that some people use. Working up cardio stamina, leg strength, and joint endurance can help you on your journey. I think YP1, HeatherAngel, and LisaMarie all started running at similar weights (I apologize if I am misremembering). I know that for me, running is vital to weight loss. I started out by walking and incorporating short spurts of running (literally I would run the straight side of a track and walk the curve).

See ya in the Cool Runners thread!

Jogging works really, really well for me too. One thing I would recommend-- buy a brand new pair of sneakers (and replace them frequently-- on the order of every 3 months if you are running daily) and you'll be much happier for it.

I do (I call it running because it sounds better to me.) I started doing it at my highest weight. I've never had any knee problems or soreness from it (this is not a guarantee, of course.) I did what midwife did - when I was starting out I ran down the street as far as I could, walked a bit to recover, ran a bit, etc.

I do caution you to wear good shoes, though. When I first started I only had shoes that were worn out along the outside edges, and that did cause me some knee soreness, but new shoes fixed that right up. They are a good investment.

Ditto what the others said: good shoes are essential. If you have a specialty store where they can analyze your gait, take advantage of it! Good shoes will help you avoid injury.

I started recently at 232. With the right shoes you should be okay. The first week is a bit of a surprise (I had new muscles sore I never even knew were used to run!)

You might want to take it really slow and alternate jogging with walking (try 30seconds running first with 4.5 walking) then in a few weeks try 1 minute jogging with 4 walking) If you follow a c25k program you'll likely have to repeat weeks but thats perfectly ok.

Most importantly listen to your body!

-muse (who's upto 1.25 jogging and 3.75 walking) :)

I started jogging last fall and it quickly became my favorite form of exercise. I started much like the others did, alternating between walking and jogging a block at the time. I added a block to the jogging part as I built up my stamina. Ditto on the good shoes too. Do start out slow and warm up/cool down with a brisk walk and/or stretches.

Yes, I do and it has been absolutely crucial to my continued weight loss. I haven't plateaued yet and I attribute that 100% to starting to run. It's a funny thing, too, because it gets addicting after awhile (it really sucks at first though, stick with it). It gets incredibly easier as you lose weight, it really does, and I think it is the most efficient way to lose weight. I started running to lose weight, and now I am motivated to continue losing weight to hopefully continue to improve my running. What a vicious circle.

Hey there! I also started running (or learning to run really:P) at my heaviest weight. I did a "learn to run" program at the Running Room. I don't know if you have that where you are, but I highly recommend it! It's a 10 week program, you start walking 1 min running 1 min X 10 and then by the end you run 5 K. It conditions you so gradually that you don't risk injury or knee problems. The dude who came up with this program (and started up the Running Room stores as well I think) wrote a book, which also has training schedules in it plus a bunch of other good info. You might try to find it in the library or wherever. (Running-start to finish John Stanton) If you can't find the book, just PM me if you're interested in the beginner's training schedule and I'll type it up for you!

I started the Couch to 5K program when I was 292. I use the conservative C25K from beginnertriathlete.com but there are others available. I just felt that at my weight when I started that I really needed to take it slow. The only problem I have had has been with heel spurs but it was short-term and not so bad that I couldn't run. I am currently running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute alternating for 30 minutes total with an additional warm up and cool down period. I also started with new running shoes. So, it can be done just listen to your body.

Good Luck!

Does everyone feel that running TONES the body? or do you feel it just burns the fat off? Also..I read alot where people say they LOVE running? Does it give you extra energy boost? Or do you love that it is easier and quicker form of exercise?

I've had stress fractures a few times & Plantar Fasciitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis) once. So my general dr., the podiatrist & the trainer I met with to get the basic layout of the gym have all agreed that I should wait until I'm 180 to start jogging. I'm still working on it (lower impact exercise like ellipticals, walking, etc. in the meantime).

I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from a higher intensity exercise. And anyone of any size can be prone to injury if they dive into a new exercise program too quickly. But those of us in the 100 or more to lose category are probably even more vulnerable, because of the weight put on bones, joints, etc. I'd start slow and/or run it by a dr.

One of my stress fractures happened because I started jogging without preparing my body properly for it. I had to wear a soft shoe cast for about a month and then my activity was still limited for a bit after that. I lost the motivation to exercise & gained even more weight. And eventually, I wound up at my all time high of 250. I'd hate to see anyone else have that kind of setback. Please be mindful of avoiding injury.

I started the couch to 5K plan at coolrunning.com when I was in the 250's. I had to repeat the weeks many times over. Right now I up to doing 8 min jog, 5 min walk, 8 min jog. Next step is jog 20 min straight with no walking break.

Yes, but I can only seem to jog for .12 of a mile at a time! I walk on the treadmill at 3.7 mph and throw in spurts of jogging here and there to make it 3 miles.

I agree with most everything. I call it running even though some people walk faster than I run. :-) I like the way it sounds better than jogging.

I don't know if it tones or energizes or if it's just the simple fact that when you've been overweight a long time it feels POWERFUL!

The first time I tried to run for a minute I wasn't sure if I was going to live. I thought I might wet my pants, my insides felt "jumbled" and my feet and legs sort of seized up. Now I run/walk thirty minutes. I was up to 1.5 run/1.5 walk before Christmas, but started over today after a break and I do 1 minute run/2 minutes walking.

Get good shoes. Give yourself time to build up strength. But run.

I don't run, my knees are shot to ****.

I like to run all 220 pounds of me. I started when I was around 260 believe it or not and I've gotten so much better at it. Distance is good, but doing sprinting intervals is best for burning fat plus it keeps your body guessing. Have you ever seen a sprinters body??? Think Florence Griffith Joyner, her body was AMAZING!!! Distance runners are thin, but IMHO sprinters have great bodys b/c while sprinting you're also apparently building muscle.

I've just recently started running - I strained a muscle in my arm and I had to park my bike temporarily. I kinda like it - all you really need is shoes. :D

Make sure you warm up with a 5 minute brisk walk and a cool down walk after, tho. :cb:

I wanted to see if I could run. So I was walking on my tredmill one day and I decided to run. HHHAAAA!!! I ran for 30 seconds at 5 mph and I thought I was going to die. It didnt hurt my body but I could barely breath. So if anyone can give me advice on how to work myself up to being able to run for longer than 30 seconds it would be great. THanks

I actually just started this weekend because I kept seeing the people on TBL, even those larger than me, running on the treadmills. I have good running shoes and live near a beach so I went and walk/jogged on the beach (figuring it would be easier on the knees) -- about 2-3 minutes walking to 30 seconds jogging. I have to say that each time I try jogging I LOVE it. It was my major form of exercise in college and I felt so good back then.

I appreciate hearing all your stories. They gie me hope that I can keep doing this.

Thank you so much everyone for your help and support, you all are GREAT!!! I am excited to start this journey in my life.

I work in a resort and the only way out for the employees is through the basement. Well needless to say its 3 flights of stairs and at the top of that it is a straight incline up in the weather. So I have always huffed and puffed on my way out. Sunday I made a commitment to be healthy, so I ran up them stairs and up the mountain, (I call it), I got to the top and did the Rocky thing when I got to the top. I was so proud of myself!!!

I see the key item for this journey is good shoes. I will have to get that all mine are a few years old and broken...gotta work on that. I will take a look at some of those programs and let you all know my progress.

Thanks Again!!! :D

dek6,
Check out coolrunning.com, there is a couch to 5K program that tells you how to work up to running 3 miles at a time. It goes week by week, running 3 days a week with intervals on walking and jogging. I had to repeat weeks many times but now I can run 8 minutes at time without trouble. Good luck :)

YES! Running is GREAT! I'm at 223, and I'm training for a marathon! And trust me, if I can run, then pretty much anyone can... A few tips:

1) Make sure you have good shoes. Many running related injuries (to knees, hips, ankles, etc) come from running in old or inappropriate shoes. There are stores available to do a gait analysis (don't worry, you can actually walk for this, rather than run, if you need to), and the salespeople there are usually very informed and can help you choose a shoe that provide the support that the rest of your body requires.

2) Start small. The first day I began running, I couldn't even run 100 yards! But slowly, I began to notice that I could run farther and farther. Eventually, I was running several miles without ever needing a walk break. Lots of times it seems like people give running a try, but then they quit because they are frustrated and think that they "can't do it". In reality, you just have to have realistic expectations of yourself. Start out trying the walk/run technique (Walk 2 minutes, then run 1, then repeat). Then adjust as necessary. The key is to allow yourself time to recover, and you'll be able to cover a lot more miles. I have some great book recommendations for runners, if you're interested.

3) Start small. Many injuries come from starting out too quickly. Allow your body the time it needs to get used to this idea of "running". If you go out on your first day and try to run 5 miles, I'd be willing to bet you won't try running again because A) it'll be the worst 5 miles of your life, and B) you'll be so sore you can't move. Of course, this varies person to person, but for most people, when running is new, it takes a little while to work into it. Just do it a little bit at a time.

4) If you're like me, you'll need a really good sports bra. Because running is a "high impact" sport, there's a lot of bouncing in the chest-al section that go along with it. I have been lucky and have found a couple of sports bras that work well at Dick's Sporting Goods. They're made by Champion. I just try to find the most supportive ones that I can. One of these days, though, I plan to buy one by CRX. They are fantastic, and I would love to have one, but I can't seem to fit into their largest size yet. Oh well, give me another 6 months and I'll be there.

5) Don't worry about speed. My "run" is slower than some people walk. It's more of a shuffle, really. But it works for me. And I've noticed that I've gotten faster over the months without really even trying. So, just get out there and move, at whatever speed you like.

6) Finally, try not to worry about how everyone else on the trail looks. When I first began, I felt painfully aware that i was the fattest person out there running. But running folks are usually very friendly. Never once has anyone made fun of me or laughed at me for trying. In fact, it's been just the opposite. Because I'm heavy, people seem more supportive. Many times, I've had complete strangers shout to me on the trail "Keep it up!" or "You're doing great!" Complete strangers! It's actually a very supportive network of people; runners are intimidating, but once you're out there with them, you become one of them. :)


That's pretty much it! Good luck to you! Running is really great. After a great run (even a short one) I always feel strong and liberated and healthy... You can do it! Check out my weblog, as well... It's mostly about running, with a few little humorous tales of my life thrown in for seasoning: slowgirlrunning.blogspot.com

I do want to at the gym, but I am scared too for a couple reason, 1, how I look running, and 2 I am afraid I might break the maching ( as silly as that sounds )

For sports bras in larger sizes, I've found Just My Size to be a good source for them:

http://www.jms.com

BORNTOFLY- OMG I am so glad that there is someone out there that feels the same way I did. I have a tredmill at my house now so the only ones that can laugh at me are my cats and my dog. BUt when I used to go to the Y I would want to try running so bad. Every time I would be in my car on my way to the gym and I would think. OK. Today you are going to try it. You are going to get on the tredmill and you are going to run. Well everyday I would get on the tredmill and I would chicken out. I was terrified of how I would look, that I would look like an idiot if I could only run for like 10 seconds. And the biggest thing was the noise the machine would make. It made a loud thumping sound every time I took a step. HOW LOUD WOULD IT BE IF MY FAT BUTT WAS RUNNING!!!!!!!!
So No I dont think it sounds silly. I am right there with you.....

Dek...I did the EXACT same thing yesterday on the treadmill! It was nuts!
I cannot believe how long 30 seconds can feel!

I threw in those 30 second bursts maybe 5 times during my 30 minutes on the treadmill. The thing I noticed, was that adding these bursts of running, kept my heartrate high for the rest of the workout, even though I had gone back to walking! Is this normal, runner's?

Way to go!!!
:hug:
Linda

Last time I dieted I stuck to a strict exercise regimin. Every other day I would take a long walk (I just mapped it and it turns out it was a 2.8 mile walk!!!) I walked fast paced and every other street I'd say "Ok, let's run up to that next street" and then go back to walking. I lost a lot of weight and it was easier on me b/c I have bad knees and huge breasts that move a LOT for running--- so the little spurts were manageable!

It turns out a couple years later I was signed up for a free gym membership and I was talking to a personal trainer about how I lost a lot of weight before and I explained my "running thing"... she said, actually, it's a LOT better to do it my way b/c it spikes the heartrate and that's the best thing for metabolism and burning fat. go figure!

Yes - your heart rate will stay up. I have a friend who's a doctor and he says those intervals are GREAT for your heart and your arteries. Blows out the gunk. Highly medical terms, I know, but he's like that. He says that people who walk and walk and walk don't get the results they want because they don't continue to increase speed, incline, etc. and their heart rates don't go up like they used to.

I don't know about y'all, but it's going to be a very VERY long time until running doesn't get my heart rate up!

I"m glad i'm not alone in feeling like that. I usually go about 3.2 mph and that is a fast walk for me, I'm hoping that once I lose a little more weight I won't look so strange, or I could try just jogging around the block too, once the weather warms up, that wouldn't scare me as much bc I wouldn't be in such close proxsimities (sp) :)

:lol: Traci.....me too!!

There's already been lots of great advice in this thread, so I won't repeat it. I'll just say this:

If I can go from being a person who can't run for 30 seconds to being a person who coaches running and can run for 2 hours and 30 minutes straight (that's how long my half marathon took), then anyone can run. I'm taking a break from running now because I'm pregnant and the doctor advised walking instead, but I really really miss it! It was very hard for me at first (I started at around 250 pounds), so I did a program like the couch-to-5k one (basically my own version of that). If you incorporate short running intervals into your walks and gradually increase them, you'll get to the point where you're running miles and miles every week and absolutely loving it. Just don't worry about speed for a long, long time.

Lisa?? Do you attribute most of your weight loss because of the running? Did you notice a huge weightloss when you began? I have been stuck for four month now..currently trying South Beach..but would really like to start running, to see if it helps with the weightloss?? I want to get preggo too!!!

I attribute my weight loss to both running and counting calories (well...I counted Weight Watchers points, but it's basically the same). If you just run and you still eat too much, you probably won't lose weight (obviously). So running helps, but so would any other exercise you choose. Running does burn tons of calories, though, because it's more intense than many other exercise options. Also, it appears to be highly addictive!

As for the pregnancy, I attribute that to my weight loss. I tried to conceive for years, went on Clomid, etc. Clomid didn't work. I had problems with ovulation, and I seriously didn't relate it to my weight. I'm not sure why I didn't -- I just assumed my weight made me generally unhealthy but didn't actually affect my ovulation. I certainly wish my doctor had set me straight on that or I had figured it out on my own, because I may have been motivated to lose the weight earlier. I don't blame the doctor for it, but I do wish I'd seen things differently a long time ago. I'm not saying overweight people can't get pregnant -- I'm just saying that my particular ovaries didn't work when I was obese! I don't think it's a coincidence that after trying to conceive for YEARS, I met my weight loss goal in one month and got pregnant the next. My body was finally healthy enough to ovulate (and to carry a baby). Now that I've made that connection, I always like to make sure everyone else understands it, even though it may not apply to everyone.

Someone I work with is a runner (I'm a jogger) and she ran throughout her whole pregnancy. In fact, when she was around 32-34 weeks, she did a 5K. I jokingly asked someone else in the office if he beat her and he said yes, but only by 5 seconds! :) She is very dedicated and runs everyday. From what I have heard from other friends as well, they said that any activity that you would normally do for exercise when you are not pregnant should be safe to do when you are pregnant (considering this isn't anything that might actually cause harm to the baby - getting thrown around or falling like in some martial arts, etc). Maybe you should talk to your doctor about it again. Was it your OB/GYN that said that to you?

I believe that doctors and midwives *generally* advise against sports where a bad fall could happen. That would include downhill skiing, my guess would be running and ice skating as well, and probably a few others. I'm sure it depends on the level of risk a particular woman carries.

most exercise IS safe, however...as long as you check it out with your healthcare provider first. :)

After hoping for a baby for sooo long...I would not be doing anything to risk my precious baby.

Maybe Midwife could chime in here???

I'm SO happy for you, Lisa!!! And also very jealous :lol:

:hug:
Linda

Wow! I know you are on cloud nine then..if you have been ttc for years, as I have. I was told by my RE at my first visit everything you are speaking of. I had already lost 50 pounds at that point..so he just encouraged me to keep going. I am six months now with my cycles being normal range of 25-29 days. When I got to 265 they normalized?? It really is funny how the body works..because I know when I hit 280 that is when I started immediately having irregular cycles, thus indicating I was NOT ovulating. I hope with me cutting the carbs that it will only be a matter of time before it happens for me too!

Goal for me now is to get to 2 4 9 and start Walk/Running. I think I can do it! CONGRATULATIONS Lisa!!!! May you have a long, healthy NINE months!!!!:D

I started jogging around 245lbs and it is a pretty good but short story. One day, I was feeling so bad about myself and thought life at the rate I was going wasn't worth living. I piled on some clothing and took of running down the road crying. I went about .4miles then walked fast and jogged and walked and jogged and walked (about 1.5miles) until I returned home exhausted. The next day I had the worst shin splints and abdominal muscle pains I've ever had... however, I found a love for jogging at night.