Are you doing all the recommended supplements? One of the things I had issues with when I first started exercising was the need to up my salt intake. Basically, exercise generates sweat. Sweat is largely salt. Taking us off processed foods mean the salt level plummets anyway, plus the potassium counters it and leaves you very low salt level. I know that I get muscle cramps, headaches, lightheadedness and dizziness when my sodium is too low. Luckily, I am a salt junkie and my food looks like it was in a snow storm, so I can counter the low level pretty quickly. I also cut out the potassium supplement on days when I know my sodium is under 500. I have SparkPeople's food tracker set to show me sodium intake and keep an eye on it.

Doh. I completely forgot about the electrolyte balance. What is your sodium/potassium intake like? Do you track it on the packets? The body actually has a regulatory mechanism to balance electrolytes naturally, but if you are drinking more than the minimum 64oz water, you could be leeching even more sodium out of your system and it's struggling.

I hope your doc can get to the bottom of it all. No diet is worth feeling crap for, and it'll still be here once you regain good health. Hope the appointment goes well and you get the answers you need.

Thanks. I am taking the supplements. I have never missed a day in 7 months so I am very consistent with those. I am drinking a gallon of water a day (with lemon) - I am thinking this might be too much as I don't drink coffee, tea, etc so I don't have to compensate for any other beverages that I am consuming, but I have drank a gallon since day 1 so not sure after 5 months why this would be problematic but it certainly could be a contributing factor. I, like you, love to salt my food so not sure about the sodium - Strangely, I don't feel better after lunch and dinner when my plates look like what you describe. I have had periodic leg and feet cramps this year so there might be something up with the potassium - hopefully, the testing today will provide insight on all of this as I really would like to lose a bit more, but most importantly, turn myself back into the strong, active individual I have been especially with Spring around the corner. I was a professional athlete so this is killing me to feel weak, have very little energy and be told that I will stop weight loss if I weight train.

But, I am not using it as an excuse - I will get answers and fix this - in the meantime, I continue to strictly follow p1 and have just accommodated how I currently feel with reduced activity load.

Amanda -- WOOHOO on the 5k!!! I have been away and checking in very irregularly, but so impressed with your running that race and even more impressed with you and DD continuing on through these long runs in the program! Great job, girls! I just could not make myself face that 20-minute run so then just stopped getting on the treadmill and went to cardio classes instead. Am getting myself back on the darn machine today, though still debating where I should restart. DD -- smart to cover the treadmill display, but I don't think I can tear my eyes away from the timer and laps. I just wish winter would go away -- would be so much nicer to be outside. Looking forward to catching up on all the posts I've missed and getting back on the running train….

Go back to the last comfortable week you had and restart from there. Honestly, doing the first big run of the week (regardless if it is run 1 or run 3) is a mental hurdle, not a physical one. Overcoming the brain thinking "this is too much, I can't do it" is hard work, but you have to keep talking yourself into it. So far I've done the 25 minute runs twice and failed to do them twice, so I'm repeating Week 7 until all three runs are completed. For me, it's the only way to beat the negative demon that is stopping me from increasing the run duration. Brain needs to be more disciplined and I'll die trying rather than quit now.

EDIT: Cruised an easy 25 min run today (I guess the 5K mentality helped!) and did an extra 3 minutes after a walk break. Kept telling myself "if you can manage a 5K, you can do 25 mins of running, don't be a wuss!".

On a less positive note .. this week I am up 2.3 lbs, but down 2% body fat, so I don't know whether to be frustrated and annoyed at the weight "stall" (I'm not calling it a gain because I know the fat has gone and muscle has increased) or pleased that the body fat is going down and happy that the lean mass increase is preventing my metabolism from dropping. Such a freaking conundrum. Oh well .... LOL

PS Hubby's two birthday meals (Mexican restaurant - small portions but so divinely cooked and rich) kinda derailed me this week, so hoping for better things next week. I didn't break my diet for my birthday, but his .... isn't it typical? Noticed that my hydration level is up, too, so maybe some sodium bloat - which isn't a bad thing given that my sodium is always lower than recommended and, hopefully, it'll stop the cramping that I've been getting on non-run days.

Let's have a good week, ladies. We need to get ourselves psyched into the longer intervals, and pumped up for the final week's long challenge. We CAN do it.

Amanda -- you're such an inspirational leader Bummer re the scale, but of course it's FANTASTIC news that your body fat percentage keeps dropping and that you're working on getting your metabolism to speed up. I understand the frustration though. But how awesome is the feeling of accomplishment as you work through and complete those long runs?!

So, I did indeed get back on the wagon today. Intended to jump back in at W5D2 (right BEFORE the big, scary run), which has two 8-minute stretches. But good news was that maybe I did not have the huge setback I thought I would as a result of not running for the past couple of weeks. I ran the 8-minute stretch and then felt like I could comfortable keep going (had great music), so I ran on for another 8 minutes … 16 minutes in a row. I was shocked. That's almost 20! I then walked for 3 and ran for 3, alternating until I ran out of time. Felt really good the whole time. So … maybe will try the big, scary W5D3 later this week. You're right about it being in my head. My head can be pretty stubborn though. Thanks for the encouragement

Awesome job, Mimi. 16 minutes is so close to the 20, that I'm sure you will have no problem with D3. See, I knew you could do it. The brain is truly the obstacle on these long runs, not the body. It will knuckle down eventually, but man does it take some persuasion at first. Sometimes distraction helps, other times you just have to bribe it to keep going with "just to the next lap".

Good to read you're finding the longer intervals easier, and way to push passed the mental block

Great job getting back on the wagon and that's awesome that you found the run good despite the couple weeks hiatus. It sounds like you are definitely ready for the 20min run Can't wait to read of your successful W5D3

Keep going everyone, the program works and it can be done. And as it's been stated before; repeat days or weeks if you have to, but you can do this!

I completed week 6!! I didn't find the run too bad at all physically, and I was a little worried because I played a hard game of soccer last night but my only struggle was with my brain. I think it's because I am indoors on my treadmill staring at the blank wall in front of me. I might have to try throwing a DVD on again though I preferred the music during the shorter intervals. I don't think I could read, I get sick reading in the car and I'm sure that this would have a similar effect, plus I am sure I would constantly lose my place. Maybe an audio book would be good once I am just running 5k

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good week on the program. Keep running and have a great weekend!

Fantastic, DD!!! You are on such a roll with this program! I also wondered about an audiobook. When I was just walking on the treadmill last year (after a back injury), I listened to Tina Fey's hilarious book and then Mindy Kaling's -- literally LOLing while getting my exercise in. Not sure if I could do a book while running, but let me know if it works for you.

So, I've been following all the discussion on other threads advising against doing just cardio and focusing instead on strength training. I know this and have known it all along, but somehow that stubborn brain of mine just can't push my body into actually doing something regularly on my own. Need to find a class or program or some set plan to work out those muscles….

Nicely done, DD. I have been considering downloading spoken books for the ipod - that way I get several sessions from one. No real concentration required for those either, no bobbing up and down while trying to focus on text.

Have you considered getting some low weight dumbbells? I have a set of 5's, 8's, 10's and 15's and do a mixture of lifts, curls, bends, twists and squats. I hit most muscle groups in 3 sets of 15 reps. Arms I tend to stick to 5s otherwise the overhead stuff kills my workout before I'm done. Waist and legs get the 10s and 15s (except for curtsey lunges where I stick to 5s so I can keep breathing!).

The great thing about dumbbells is that you can watch tv while you're doing your workout (once you get your "form" right you will go by feel rather than by watching yourself in a mirror). My three cats love to workout with me, they sit on the dumbbells I put down between top/body sets. It's cute.

Good idea -- I have dumbbells in 3, 5 and 8. Should dust them off!

Checking in...

Still here. Had a gain of 2 the first week I started this so I stopped per my coach till I got that off.....next week down 3 so I started up again this week. Flat for a week the a .5 gain on Tuesday.. But inches down both weeks and % of body fat and lean mass are heading in the right direction. Started day one of week 2 and as intimidating as that 1.30 minute run was, I did it just fine.

I like that it is 3 days a week and I can set the days. Some mornings it works out and some it does not lol....

I keep reading for inspiration. I will try to be here more...

That's great Sue, like you said in the daily chat, it's not always about the lbs I hope you get below your 210 next WI!

I am checking in. Week 4 is done. It felt good. I am going to continue to push forward as long as I can do it without too much stress. My body seems to recover from the exercise very quickly and I still have lots of energy for the rest of my day. Otherwise, I would scale back.

I am losing weight while running. My last three weigh ins have been good for what I normally do. The -.2 four weeks ago - that was all my fault with going out of town and knocking myself out of ketosis. I am also losing significant inches in my hips, waist and thighs this month.

It's C25K week 5 for me this week. I have high hopes for a low carb cruise and my 20 minute run on board ship on Friday. Keep moving forward!

Sounds like you are both cruising along with the running - way to go! I found I lost fairly consistently in the first 5 weeks. It was only when the longer interval runs came along that the loss ground to a halt. My concern is that I need to front-load the carbs to avoid the body burning muscle to fuel the longer run period. Here's my thinking:-

We're going to be walking for 5 mins, running for 20 (25,28,30 in successive weeks) and walking for 5. This means a minimum of 30 mins moving without taking in additional food (and some of us can't drink water while moving, even) so we need enough caloric intake BEFORE exercise to ensure that the blood sugar level never drops low enough for body to need to convert muscle to glucose (gluconeogenesis). Refueling after the workout will not stop that process from happening.

So far I have been lucky enough to avoid muscle loss - but I'm not sure how much of that is luck rather than planning. There are definitely days when I am lighter on carbs/protein going into the run and I can certainly feel the difference once I finish.

This week has been a bit of a dead loss for me with C25k. Sick cat needing the vet three successive days, medical appointments for myself and hubby and just lacking the willpower to do the run. Will probably pick up again on Thursday or Friday with the Week 8 Day 1 and take it from there. I know I can run 25 minutes when I can tame my brain, so it's really just a matter of increasing the time. Getting bored with running circles in the gym but it's windy and cold outside.

Hope you ladies have a good week, with nice losses of weight and/or body fat, and that the running goes smoothly!