2016 Running Project

[Fit_bitNewbie]

Hi all this is my first post so please be gentle with me. I am looking to loose some weight as middle age spread has set in and im not too happy with that in myself. I used to play a lot of football but gave that up fairly early and as a result over many years I have put on about 3 stone and now my fitness levels, that were once very good, are now just a distant memory. 

So this is it, 2016 is going to be the one for me. Ive started running just over a 2 weeks ago. I attempted a 2mile run (confusing my self with memories of what i once was) and had to stop 3 times and quite frankly it felt horrible. Now I am running every other day and i'm now able to complete this two mile run without stopping. The last run I did I genuinely was soooooo excited when I got back as it actually felt comfortable and i was able to enjoy the run and watch the world go about its business. I had my tunes on and it felt like wow im back. 

I have tried to change my eating and be healthier with my choices but also have one treat day, maybe that one can of coke. I have also bought the Aria Scales as i want to watch my body change not just physically, but i want to see my weight come down along with my fat percentage. I have only been running now for about 2 weeks so any advice would be appreciated. I want to get this weight off and then start adding some shape, that would be the icing on the cake. There is so much information out there its a bit confusing where to start. My primary goal at the moment is weight loss and as such I want to eat and exercise in a wat to achieve this. I have seen many products related to weight loss and even meal replacements shakes but dont know if these are the way to go or wether just exercising alone will be good enough.

Some imediate questions I have is how often should i increase my distances as i want to increase them so I can start burning some serious calories. 

Is every other day for about 20mins enough for now and what should I aim for

Any advice or links to websites that people have found helpfull particularly regarding to meal prepping would be appreciated

I think i might be onto a good thing here 

[bdaniels04]

You should never increase your distance by more than 10% from week to week.
Adding any more than 10% will increase your risk for injury. I would focus
on getting your tempo down first, then worry about adding distance.

[emili]

@Fit_bitNewbie- welcome and settle in for a bunch of advice. some of it will cancel each other out so be prepared for that. If you want to lose weight, you have to apply math. less in- more out. whether you do it through diet alone or combo of diet and movement- that's up to you, but you have to start with knowing how many calories you can eat per day to lose weight. This will involve figuring out your BMR and then putting a deficit on that number. The deficit will depend on how aggressive you want to be and how comfy you will be at that number. then you need to figure out what those calories will look like so you can meal plan and not make snap decisions which lead to poor choices. you need ensure you cover all the needs- carb, nutrient, fat and protein. Then you factor in movement. do you make that your deficit or do you add those calories back into your allowance- all questions you want to answer. Now as far as the movement- cardio is the fastest way to burn calories. but cardio also breaks down muscle if not supplemented with strength training. ideally you do both so you lose calories and your muscle makes you look leaner and tighter even though you may not weigh significantly less. everyone has opinions about distance and time. slow and steady vs high impact. tomato, tomato. we all react different and you have to experiment to see which way burns more calories. when I started running, I did not increase miles right away, I went for running the fastest mile I could. for me, the faster I run the more I burn. this is great since I can burn loads without spending an hour doing it. I can run for 30 minutes and go lift something with the rest of my time. in summary, you have to read and you have to experiment- that's the only way you will know what works for you. But please, please, please stay away from the gimmicks, miracle drinks and diets guaranteed to work in 32 seconds. Good luck, Best- E

[emili]

and check out this guy. He is not for everyone, but he offers good advice on how to figure out what to eat and when to move: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/

[Fit_bitNewbie]

wow thanks for the quick replies. I will defo take on board the comments made. Sounds like some experimentation is also needed to learn about my specific needs. 

Thanks again

[Deksam]

Hi Newbie

I know how it is to "get off the couch" with ideas of what you once were. When I first started up again it had only been 6 months and I was surprised at how far I'd fallen behind.

Now to get to the point.  Most importantly - more than anything your fitbit can tell you, your main weapon here is diet.  How deep do you want to go with diet?  If you're trying to get the weight off, staying active is great -- but staying active in the right way is even more important.  Here are a few quick tips that may help you.

1) Fitbit is only a tool (and sometimes a wonky and confusing one). Track what you can, but don't rely on it for everything.  Sometimes the steps will be off, sometimes the heart rate will be off, sometimes the calories will be off.  Use it as a guideline, but keep the real information - such as your calorie counts - in your mind so no matter what fitbit says you make sure you hit your goals.

2) Diet is important, and there are plenty of diets out there. Many of them show great results - IF you follow them.  Will you cut carbs down to 50 grams a day? (you generally lose a lot if you're a carb fiend). Will you cut out sugar and processed foods?  Will you generally stick to a low caloric intake (such as below 1500 calories).  Pick what works best for you and stick to it.

3) Dieting doesn't have to be hard, but maintaining will be.  You can drop weight fast. It may be grueling, but you can.  Thats why juice fasting is so popular. You drop weight fast, but when they pick up real food again, they slowly regain it.  Moderation is key, so find a diet you're willing to stick to - and keep your cheat day(s) - just be aware.

4) Lastly, when exercising, don't overexert yourself.  You don't NEED to.  Keep your heart rate in the "fat burning" zone -- you can look up what that is for you online, there are plenty of calculators.  Don't run that 2 miles pushing and huffing it if you're way over that zone. You'll just burn muscle at extended ratios instead of prolonging the fat burn.  Keep it locked in, even if you feel its kind of a slow pace, and you'll burn much more, more quickly.

Hope that helps.