NEWBIE Jogging Question : )

  • Okay,

    Started jogging 3 miles on the treadmill now as of last week. Got in 12 miles...OOOOH! LOL Well, I have never jogged in one session for 3 miles without stopping before and see I can do it now (been exercising off and on for years so guess my endurance is showing?!) but some days trying to get that 3 miles is MUCH harder and I don't know why. I walk for at least 5 minutes and sometimes more to warm up my muscles.

    Also, since this is pretty much a vigorous and high intensity type of workout (for me) I would have thought maybe the scale would have gone down just a fraction...not asking for poundage here (haven't been at it that long just a week). I am 124.4 and want to lose about 10 pounds and do know they say the last 10 is the hardest to lose I am 45 so have age and metabolism working against me.

    What are your thoughts? Thinking the weight may start coming off in about a month I hope. And as far as my diet, I do eat pretty healthy, no fried foods and watch the carbs. Nope not dieting but just eating pretty good.

    Is this normal?

    Please and thank you.
  • my weight loss slowed wayyyyyy down on the scale once I started running....partly because it made me much hungrier....BUT my body itself has gotten smaller, tighter, more toned even if the scale doesn't change....

    some days I also experience that feeling where it's much HARDER to run than previous times....i'm not sure why really but I try to push through it....I make myself a deal, if i'm still feeling like this halfway through my route, I give myself permission to stop running and walk the rest of the time

    do you really walk five miles to warm up?? for me that would be a lot of "use" of my legs that I could be running with....I typically walk for just a little bit before I run, quarter mile or less, but I also do run/walk intervals due to asthma and also boredom at running long distances at one time

    and way to go on the running distance!!
  • OOPS! Meant to say I walk for 5 MINUTES not miles. : ) Sorry.
  • Hello!

    I am 57 and I can testify that after age 40 it takes longer for the weight to start to come off. It might take a couple of weeks. But once it starts, it will roll off steadily. I am talking about weight loss from lower calories.

    I am a fairly new jogger myself (a little over a year). I read that if you run hard, your body will try to retain water. This will mean the pounds don't fall off. But you will be replacing fat with muscle, so you will have smaller measurements and can wear smaller clothes.

    I don't run every day. I try to give my knees a break and do bike riding or swimming in between running days. And you are right... some days I float and some days I fizzle. If I don't even feel like starting I tell myself to just do five minutes and if I still feel the same way I can stop (but once I start I always keep going). When I'm near the end and fading, it helps me to start counting steps. I don't know why, but it does. I've had to do the counting trick in a 5K and it helps me keep going.

    Welcome to running!