To think I'm too fat for C25K?

[Omzlas]

I'm fat. I was a chubby child and that's always stayed. As an adult, I'm been a size 16 but never thinner and I'm now way above that. I did manage to lose 4 stone in 2017 but I was miserable for 9 months and I've piled it all back on now (it was for a close family member's wedding)

I've read a lot about C25K, as well as watching YouTube videos etc but I have a sense of trepidation. I can't even run for a bus without needing oxygen, will I really be able to do it?? Should I work on my overall fitness before starting C25K and see how that feels?

I don't want to run marathons, I want to be able to keep up with my kids and not leave them without a mother before the time they start secondary school is all, an overall baseline of 'reasonably fit' is fine for me

You can definitely do it OP I started it at 17 stone pre baby and post baby I'm around 14 stone and have just restarted it - you can do it!

Go for it, you're in no way too heavy, and you can definitely do it! If you're in Scotland (maybe England/Wales/NI too) there may be a JogScotland (or equivalent) beginner group, for people who want to start running. I started off with C25K 3 years ago, and really struggled with the first few weeks. I ran my first marathon last month. Give it a go, and don't worry about what everyone else is doing, you do you!

It'll depend on your biomechanics. You put a lot of weight through knees & hips running, with lots of reps.

The Swedish Exercise Prescription handbook recommend walking & strength training before running, if I remember correctly. And this is sensible as it promotes stability in the joints.

A fair proportion of running injuries are overuse, so work up to distance carefully. Most fit people can ramp up distance fairly soon but untrained & heavier, take your time.

This thread has given me so much confidence. I'm tall and a size 18 but I weigh an embarrassing 115kg I can walk miles but I have H cup boobs so never thought of running. But I have an amazing sports bra so fuck it I'm going to try!

But I have an amazing sports bra so fuck it I'm going to try!

Yay! You can do it too.

The best thing about running is how quickly your body learns to do it. I've run a mile or two here and there and i'm currently doing a couch to 30 mins programme with a local running club. I think as long as you can walk ok, then you can start c25k.

My advice is to go Sssllloooowww! I'm trying to keep my heart rate from going too high while i'm building up. I figure that once i'm running for 30mins without too much trouble, then I can start trying to do some faster intervals.

I'm not sure i'll ever love running, but I am proud of myself for doing it, it's good to be outside, you can do it whenever suits you and it's a good chance to catch up on some Podcasts!

A year ago I started a group course called 0-35 which is basically C25K by any other name. I was/am a size 16.

It started with stuff like run for 30 seconds, walk for 2 minutes and then we had twon "homework" runs to do during the week. We gradually built it up to running non-stop for 35 minutes. I was by far the slowest in the group and I apologised for it constantly but no one cared!

On Sunday I ran in a proper 10K race with 13,000 other people and finished in an hour and 20 minutes.

So, the moral of my story is if I can do it, anyone can do it!

I did it and I couldn’t run for 5 seconds and was 15 stone when I started. Not any more. 😄

You can definitely do it!

It builds you up so incrementally that you won’t even realise you are progressing until suddenly you’re doing something that three weeks previously would have seemed inconceivable.

I am the voice of experience, believe me - when I started C25K I was a size 22, totally sedentary, couldn’t run to save my life. I now regularly run 5ks and am doing a half marathon in a few months.

You will be astonished at the progress you make, and it will change your life!

Losing weight is 80% diet 20% exercise so they say.. So don't expect c25k to make you lose loads - not being negative, I'm very overweight and have completed c25k. I would definitely say go for it though, for the health benefits and the mental health benefits it is fantastic!! Just take it 🐌🐌 🐌 and you'll be fine. Have a look on healthunlocked c25k forum for encouragement 👍

You were probably miserable because you put too much pressure on yourself to lose a huge amount of weight in a short space of time. I’m imagining you did so through a strict diet which is bound to make most people feel pretty miserable. You need to overhaul your entire lifestyle in order to keep the weight off and not feel so down whilst losing the weight.

Anyway, you’re not too fat for it. No one is too fat to exercise.

You absolutely definitely can do it! If any run on the program feels too hard or you don't feel ready for the next step simply repeat your last one.

Also please join Run Mummy Run on Facebook - it's an incredibly supportive inclusive group, no matter what stage you are at you'll find help and encouragement

You can do it - anyone can. Start slow, follow the plan, get yourself down to your local Parkrun and see how you feel. You can walk / run at the back with the tail runner if you like. Everyone is so friendly and it’s very inclusive.

Maybe even Google your local running club and see if they do beginners sessions - ours does.

Good luck! You’ll catch the running bug

Go for it. I was determined to start running again - having not ran for 15 years and now a size 18. I started last week and I am repeating week 1 again. As I want to do each week comfortably before moving on. Hoping to shed some pounds and get fitter.
Have a goal too. By August I’ll be running at the local park run.

The first time I did C25K I did it with walking different speeds. I power walked the "runs". I was about 17st.

I'm now 12.5st, my normal walking pace is what I classed as power walking before, and I'm on week 5 of C25K, running this time.

As pp said, losing weight is 80% diet. I do exercise for my fitness, not my weight loss.

Just get up and start walking. You don't need to beat Paula Radcliffe. You only need to do better than you did yesterday.

I hated running. Couldn't run for a minute. Now I regularly do 10K races. I'm not amazing. But it's something that was very hard for me and it definitely improved my fitness. You get better very quickly. Just go 3 times a week and aim to get further than last time.

YABU. I completely it earlier this year and I weigh 19 stone

You can do it OP

Why not just give it a go?! 🤷🏻‍♀️

I

I could run 5k at 18.5 stone so it’s definitely doable!

I've done couch to 5k with both a running club, and with the app. What put me off was Other People Telling Me What To Do. Telling me to run when I want to rest; telling me to rest when I don't want to. I've got on much better by aiming for virtual running challenges on a second hand running machine, in the privacy of my garage. I appreciate I'm fortunate to be able to do that, and that not everyone has the space/money. It has worked for me though. I managed 67 miles last month.

Well I'm 19 stone and I've just joined a couch to 5k group and I'm going running tonight! I don't care if people judge me or if I'm slow- this is my journey and I'm lapping the people on the couch

Oh, but get decent running shoes. Go to a running shop, get your gait assessed, and get them fitted properly.

You can totally do it! If you're struggling you can always repeat a week. Expect it to be a bit thankless at first but by the end you might even start enjoying it!

I’ve done it and I’m a size 28

By then end I wasn’t quite doing 5km but I was running fir 45 mins without stopping.

The key is to run slower than you think you need to

You can definitely do it and the first time you come back from a run in the rain I promise you you will feel like a fucking SUPERHERO QUEEN.