okay! so the advice always given to me is to run at least half an hour every day to see fast results. I've tried but making myself go to the gym is work enough now having to run!! I cant do it. Ive started doing the elliptical in hopes that it will show results. Anyone have any advice for non runners???

Walk more. I found that made running easier. Or walk a little, jog a little. Start slow and build up.

I won't say that running makes you lose weight faster though. It made my weight much more volatile as I get water with sore muscles.

What I will say is that running is amazing at boosting your overall fitness and tightening everything up. It's like a full body workout for me.

I also alternate running one day with weight work the next. So I would not go to the gym and run on the same day.

As a 'non runner' myself, and a person who has lost considerable weight in the past...the key has never been the exercise for me. It has been the food/nutrition. If I'm eating too much, then I'm not going to lose weight, even if I ran 5 miles a day.

I lost the most weight when I was doing 45-60 minutes on the elliptical, lifting weights 2-3 times a week, and counting my calories like a crazy woman. The good thing about the elliptical is it didn't make me too hungry. Certain exercises make me hungrier than others, not sure if that happens to anyone else.

Now, if you want to become a runner, I would definitely recommend the C25K program that a lot of us are doing on here. Do a search for the thread supporting it and you will find a lot of other non runners becoming runners! It is pretty inspiring, but I also know that if you don't want to run even that may not be your cup of tea.

Best of luck to you! As long as you are moving more, and eating less, you will reach your goal!

I'm not really looking into running but if it were guaranteed better results may as well try. haha I was thinking I might start elliptical until I felt capable of running, right now my physical state is horrible !

I really haven't heard that running is the fastest way to lose weight? I know solid runners that don't lose weight--they just do it because they enjoy running--and use it to keep in shape. Really 95% of weight loss is how many calories you're consuming daily. With exercise it's calories in--versus calories out.

Do any aerobic activity that you like to do--something that gets your heart rate up for 20 minutes and go through a cool down period. That would also include an elliptical--(that's a good work-out). Myself I like Jazzercise because dancing is something I like to do--plus I like to socialize with others. I've tried running several times--and just never really liked it.

The one thing about exercise is you have to learn to enjoy it--and if you're having fun while you're doing it--it's a sure bet--that you're going to continue to do it.-- To be healthy--"eat less--move more."

sounds good then ! do you have any idea about pools? Ive been going to the pools a lot, but i read that it has to be consistent swimming to lose weight.

Swimming too is a great. I am not a swimmer--so I wouldn't be able to advise you on that. But it makes sense that to get your heart rate up and burn those calories that one would have to be consistent. If you're just starting an exercise program--go to the pool twice a week--then work up to 3 and then 4 times a week. Most people start an exercise program with this "gung-ho" attitude--starting out going way too much and too fast--and burn out a week later and never go back. As for me--if I wasn't wearing a mask and snorkel I would drown ha.ha.

The important thing to remember is it's really how many calories you're eating that determines weight loss. You can be an 8 hour a day hard exerciser--burning 1000 calories a day--but if you're eating an additional 1100 calories you're going to gain weight regardless of the exercise you do.

One instructor told me--after I was dripping with sweat after an 1 hour Jazzercise class--that all I needed to do was go out and eat a small donut--and that would wipe out what I just did in class.

Exercise is to get you physically fit. It's very beneficial to your heart--lungs-muscles-and mental attitude--but if you're not a serious calorie counter while your exercising--weight loss will be off of the table. Albeit--if you're watching your calories while you exercise--exercise will speed up your weight loss.

Do you have any advice on what I could use to watch my calories, I've tried but I can never do it daily, or I just lose track.

What he said, word for word. I have had the same experience.

And I love running now! (This time last year I couldn't walk 10 feet without heavy breathing and making sure I wouldn't have to go much further. Now I can run 2 miles at a time, can't even believe it. If you want to run, do the Couch to 5k. It changed my life!)

I use myfitnesspal.com plus I track it all by hand in a journal. It makes it more real to me to have it in my handwriting, esp. if I consider going off plan. I don't want to write anything "bad" so I don't eat anything bad!

You can look up a chart on the internet as to what you weigh--or want to weigh to see how many calories you need in a day to get there.

I am not really a calorie counter--but what I do--is I have dramatically cut my portion sizes. If I go to a restaurant for lunch--I'll eat 1/2 and then take the rest home for dinner. I finally eat breakfast now-a-days something I never did--and that is Special K (small bowl) or Oatmeal and I'll eat a morning and afternoon snack--not necessarily carrots and celery sticks either. Sometimes I will actually eat 1 small snickers candy bar--or small dark chocolate--especially if I plan on exercising that day. I won't keep these items in my house--if I want one--I make myself go out and buy just 1 candy bar. Over the years I have lost my appetite for potato chips and potato's--so I am able to keep those in the house--as my husband likes them. For dinner I typically eat a little meat with a vegi or salad. I have this weird craving for a hamburger--(without bread) just the paddy and spinach for dinner?

My problem with weight has always been bread--so I have cut way back on that--and no more second helpings of anything. I don't restrict my diet to certain foods--if I want chocolate cake--I'll eat it--but again I will cut that back to 1/4 the size I used to eat. Soda--I drink diet. Another trick is to use a small plate when you're dishing up your food. If you're fast fooding it--take your order off of the kids menu.

Hope that helps.

nice job maybe ill be trying that out later on!

thank you! bread and pasta are my weakness for daily food as well haha but yeah i think ill cut portions!

I've lost quite a bit of weight just by cutting down on my portion size and eating much less bread. You can actually convince yourself you no longer like bread and pasta. What I did was write down 10 to 20 times "I don't like potato's--or chips"--and it's funny--but it worked for me. I guess it's a little self-hypnotism. That's how I stopped smoking 30+ years ago also.

wow! really? after how much time do you see a difference by writing it down?