Starting my running journey whilst morbidly obese

[Frustratedandworried]

Today I start my running journey in an attempt to become healthier and set a better example to my kids.

Start weight: 239lb
Current weight: 222lb
Height 5ft 4

I am super unfit, I pant and sweat walking up stairs, and currently cant run at all so its going to be quite the journey.

Today I walked the 5k route I intend to be able to run at some point. It was a steady paced walk, I sweated lots and it took me an hour I came home and cried then realised its 5k more than I did yesterday so pace shouldnt matter!

If anyone else wants to join me and start walking / jogging / running please say hello and keep me company

Oh my goodness what a great start! Did you seriously walk the whole 5km? That’s actually a bloody long way so you should be proud!

I’ve done the couch to 5km and truly the best advice I had was pace doesn’t matter. You might even run slower than you walk (really) but it doesn’t matter just keep going.

I was hugely overweight when I started and now am a size 14 and run 3 times a week about 20km a week. It’s brilliant and great exercise. I was super slow when I started but just keep going!

Thank you for posting this. I am feeling motivated. I have put on a lot of weight and feel like I have no motivation. Everything feels hard dragging this huge body around.
I used to run years ago and loved it but felt fed up like there was no point doing it because I was so slow etc. Thank you for motivating me.
I will get my trainers on and get out there today 😍

Hello
Well done you for trying..
I down loaded the couch to 5 k over the weekend, haven’t run anywhere, trying to think of a flat stretch of quiet space to start on, and ill drive to it as well !
Don’t know if ill actually use the C25k app as dont have head phones for my phone
I’m a bit taller than you and a bit heavier, went shopping yesterday and have come to the dreadful conclusion that i need to get down to a size 16 in order to access even some of the high st, low end designer clothing, I’m a fat 18 ( probably more but don’t buy really fitted clothing)
So i am very possibly bigger than that...
Ill try and join you, good luck

Awesome, well done OP! Seriously impressive. Wishing you (and every joining you!) all the best of this journey

That's a brilliant start and an hour is not slow at all, I'm a runner and it takes me an hour to walk 5K

You should be really proud of that start!

Good for you OP. I am very unfit and have had the Couch to 5K app on my phone for ages, but the time to get started never seems right. You are inspiring me to go for it.

I started at at just over 261lb I was size 26 and 5ft 3, one lady runner used to always shout encouragement at me when she saw me.

I done C25K, I repeated at couple of weeks, I ran the 5K and was so proud. Haven’t stopped since. I’m now a size 12, I run, cycle and was the best thing I done.

You go girl, just be warned you’ll end up buying tonnes of running trainers haha! I have far too many pairs, also sports bra, get one of those bad boys

I've just finished c25k. I was 280lb when I started and 260lb now. It is brilliant to see the improvement- keep going and enjoy it! Every time you lace up your trainers and go out it is another time you aren't sitting on the sofa staying the weight you are.
Well done!!!

Well done! I started the couch to 5k app at about your starting weight.
I still get extremely red and sweaty but I done it, the change in my fitness level is amazing.
You've got this.

You walked 5k? You should be punching the air, not crying! Who gives a shit how long it takes you to do it, the point is that you did it.

Well done, keep it up. You should be proud of yourself.

Well done. 😀

I started running at the start of lockdown, everyday I would run/walk 5km with DP. It was great we would do the first 3km together and then she speed ahead and I would meet her at home. But when she went back to work we stopped and i hate going on my own, but i really miss it.

I couldn't run for more than 20 seconds when I started, but after a few days I could control my breathing and run alot further, but i walk faster than I run. I was doing 5k in 47 mins- which for me was amazing.

Wow fair play OP! Good luck to you. I'm currently pregnant but would love to lose some weight after and get fitter and I find you an inspiration! Can only hope I get the same motivation as you have x

That sounds great. If you don't normally do much walking, maybe try a couple of weeks of walking the 5k route before you start doing couch to 5k. Don't forget rest days are important too. Good luck.

Well done for starting, it’s the hardest part.

To give to some perspective, I’ve volunteered at my local Parkrun many times and the last ones usually come in around 50-55 minutes. And we’re considered a fast one because it’s flat. An hour walking is very respectable. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Keep going.

222lb is 15st 12

I've just looked back on my journey and at that weight (I'm same height as you) I decided to challenge myself to walk 100 miles in the month. That's about a 5km walk every day.

● One month later - I started C25K - doing a "run" every day instead of the 5km walk)
● Two months later - I finished C25K
● Three months later - my first 10km run
● Four months later - First sub 35m 5k and first non-stop 10km
● Six months later - First 10 mile / 16km run
Seven months later - First half marathon

(And 8 1/2 stone weight loss: BMI43 to 24 in 9 months)

Yes, good for you for getting this far. Walking can be great exercise in itself.

If you can afford it recommend a heartrate tracker, eg fitbit, to help you to get into a good ‘zone’ when exercising. Also motivating.

Over 6 months+ I walked, then gently jogged/walked, walking whenever heart rate got too high or was struggling, then eventually progressed to jogging v slowly most of the time. I can now jog 12k or so with only a v few walking breaks! Am still super slow, but that doesn’t matter.

I read a meme saying that even what feels like a bad exercise session is ‘still lapping everyone on the couch’. Amended this thought to ‘lapping myself on the couch’

I was talking about running to a pretty athletic friend the other day and they said "5k is always further than I think!"

Was nice solidarity as I assumed they found it easy.

I started couch to 5k at a similar weight to you and now I can run for 40 mins! Keep going!

Gosh I wasnt expecting anyone to care about my post so this is a massive boost

I am now feeling happy i did the 5k (5.89 I just checked on the app I used) ..and motivated to keep going! You guys can hold me accountable

I shall look at heart rate trackers too ...I have a Samsung watch but never sure how to actually use it either than to tell me the time and my daily steps

Well done op, I'm not overweight at all but didn't exercise I started couch to 5k 10 weeks ago

To be honest I found the first two weeks tough even running for 2 minute was hard then things really improved

I'm currently running 25 mins continuous at a very slow pace but I'm doing it and it's getting easier every time today I really noticed my breathing had changed

My plan is to slowly up it so next time I will run 27 minutes then 30 then I will work on my pace

Congratulations!

I used to see an older lady on my daily commute - before lockdown. She started about a year or so ago. She was mainly walking at the beginning but now I see her and she is jogging most of the time these days. She has lost loads of weight. I always want to tell her how much I admire her - but it is a noisy road and she would probably think I was a weirdo!

But if you are the lady who runs near the canal in Woking - I think you are amazing!

Well done! That's brilliant! You've inspired me to get back into it and dust off my very underused running trainers!

Start Weight: 255 pounds
Current Weight: 255 pounds
Height: 5ft, 3.5 inches

Hey OP! Ok, I’ll join you! We have similar-ish starting weights and heights (but you are ahead of me!), so it will be nice to do it together (albeit ‘virtually-distanced!’ 🤣) as we’ll sympathise with each other.

I’ve never done it before, but downloaded the app and pulled out my walking gear.

Full disclosure - I’m going to need to repeat LOTS of weeks and start by mainly walking it, as I am super unfit. I’ll report back! Good luck with your next session!

It's going to great having support from each other! I'm not doing C25K officially but I guess my plan loosely follows them in that I'll be doing the walk / run / walk method.

This week looks like this

Monday - 5k walk
Wed - 5k walk
Fri - 5k walk with 2 places were I'm going to jog gently / shuffle along ( they are flat short stretches) just to see how it feels

See how that goes and then decide on next weeks plan but should be able to increase my jogging slightly as the weeks go on.

Im also drinking lots of water ( spend most of my time in a state of dehydration due to sensory issues) and attempting to eat better