Wow, I feel that jolt of excitement, as yesterday I decided to start jogging. For now I am only jogging about 1 minutes intervals and walking about 3, repeating a few times, and all that is within my normal frame of hiking about 40 minutes. Basically I've decided to 'run between the rows' of the vineyard I walk past everyday on my 45 minute hike with Doggo. I plan on walk/jog intervals, gradually increasing over the weeks, my actual jog time to 15 or 20 minutes maximum, just to get that insurance of full cardio workout. Are there many of you who have experienced the weight to move off a lot faster due to starting running ?

It didn't make my weight loss take off, but I still LOVE it. I just like being someone who can run for 3 miles (and counting) straight.

I don't know why, maybe it's because I work harder at jogging/running or something, but YES. Running has in the past been really great for maintenance and loss for me. When I started, I dropped those stubborn last 5 pounds almost immediately without changing anything else. I've gained about 12 pounds or so in the last few months and incidentally, I wasn't running at all. the scale didn't start to move again (in the right direction) until I started running again. And for me it doesn't take much- I am having to start out doing intervals at 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking to build my endurance again (I'm up to about 7 minutes without stopping on the treadmill).

All I know is I never ever ever want to get out of running shape again.

YES! I've been walking for 2+ years, normally 60 minutes a day, 7 days a week, but my weight wouldn't go lower than 170, which led to massive frustration, and weight gain when I'd fall off the "diet" wagon, even though I continued to walk. I started the C25K interval program in October 2008, and since then I've lost 25 pounds. I think upping the intensity of my cardio by doing intervals is responsible for this loss.

Wow Dixie, this is *just* the post I needed to read. I've been hiking for about 3 years, pretty consistantly, averaging 45-60 minutes, almost daily (new puppy was huge incentive to get out), however, I *still*had been gaining weight gradually, depending ofcourse, how much I was slacking on the average. Now, after today's hike with run intervals , I feel better than I have in years, and I just know that is going to be the shifting factor to losing. I just know it.

It certainly kept the weight loss going for me. I think a lot of the good I got out of running in intervals (besides the fact that I learned that I really love to do it) was that it was different, and my body still hasn't gotten used to it. So my body has to work harder to keep going. And that's a good thing!

I started running short distances in early November, and worked my way to a 5K within a couple of weeks. I've lost about 20 pounds in the two intervening months, so yes, I think it has definitely helped me to lose weight faster. Of course, I also started weight lifting around the same time, and I know for a fact that I've added a couple of pounds of muscle (which increases your metabolism), so there's a confounding factor.

I will say, though, that running has done wonders not only for my cardiovascular fitness, but also my stress level. In fact, I've found that if I go more than a couple of days without running I start to feel a little "off." And if that's not reason enough to stick with running... two words: sexy legs.

Good luck to you!

Drina, that is SO encouraging , thanks !!!