Any runners out there, has it helped you loose much weight?

[itsMYmummy]

The story so far, i've lost over five stone over the past couple of years due to healthy eating and excercise. The weight loss has taken me from a size 24, to 12-14. The weight loss has slowed down to almost a complete stand still and i'm finding this demotivating. I know i need to speed up the excercise and was hoping if running would help me? The thing is i'd need to buy a good sportsbra for 36F bust ! These don't come cheap and don't want to invest if runnings not going to do the job.
I'm attending my sisters wedding at the end of august as matron of honour, my DH is best man, and its on our wedding anniversary. Back in the same church with my dc's!!!!!! I got married in a size 24 gown and while i felt beautiful I was ashamed. I want to make sure I look and feel amazing so any hints or tips are valued.

BUMP

I'm not a runner but have also lost 5 stone in the last year. I do exercise classes at my local centre about 3/4 times a week and that really helps. Body Attack uses 900 calories(or so the instructor tells us) and it's good fun. I also bought some dvds to do at home bth I prefer doing it with a class.

Fantastic, well done you. What kind of exercise have you done up to now?

Running will definitely help lose weight, but IMO you need to run for at least 40 mins 3 or 4 times a week. I started running to lose the stubborn last half stone, which I did, so although it wasn't a lot of weight, I hadn't been able to shift it any other way.

What I have noticed, is the way everything has toned up, not just my legs, which are in better shape now than when I was a teenager, but also my arms and I even have abs!

Thanks, did think about excercise classes at gym but it does'nt fit in with lifestyle at the mo, i've currently been doing excercise dvds at home or doing 20 miles on excercise bike at home 3-4 times per week. I suppose I could cut out more food/calories but I wanted this to be a whole lifestyle change and if it feels like a 'diet' I'll rebel! many congrats on weight loss by the way!

I dropped two dress sizes by running - from a 14 to a 10. It gets rid of the wobbly bits I find, makes everythign firm.

You will burn 100 calories per mile. I found 18 to 20 miles a week did the trick. Once I dropped below 12 miles or did less than 3 sessions a week, it stopped being effect.

I would like to start running, I'm sure it must help, but how do you find the time for 3-4 40 minute runs a week?? I have been busy and on my feet today from 7 am to 9.30pm almost without stopping, but never lose weight!

Well done both of you for losing so much weight!

OH! pepwor firm arms sound sooo good, no more bingo wings. Yes live very near to a big common and dc's have a jogger so I can run for as long as I can manage without collapse!

Do you know what- I am going to go out running over the weekend! I looked at signing up for a 10k despite never being a runner, but you lot have inspired me and it will only do me good, so thank you all- just the push I needed( althhough I don't think I'll sign up just run along the old railway line for a bit!)

Wow - old crock I don't think I'd find time to run if I was on my feet for 14 + hours a day, but once you get the bug it's amazing how you can squeeze a run in.

I run with a club (highly recommended for motivation on wet/cold/dark evenings) on Tues and Thurs. At 7:15pm, so I'm out of the door as soon as DS's are in bed (DH is at home).

Then on Sat, we go swimming as a family. DH takes boys in the car and I run to meet them there, quick shower and into the pool.

On Sundays, I fit in a longer run, when the boys are at tennis lessons. DH takes them and he will sit in the bar with the paper while they play (he sees this as a huge treat, bless). I leave the house at the same time as them, and aim to get there just before the lesson finishes, have a shower at the tennis club, then by 10am we're ready for the rest of the day.

I can see how the high of running is addictive. This is going to sound really cheesy but when i excercise i get a kick out of imagining myself dissapearing. Except i'm not !!!!

Congratulations on losing 5 stone. That's fantastic. Running can be a great way of losing weight and of toning up. If you run a lot, it can even firm up your tummy. Why don't you see if you can find a 5k race in a few months time and have that as a goal. The race for life events are a good way to start. They are women only, for a good cause (Cancer Research) and because lots of people of all standards do them, you know that you aren't going to be the last over the finish line.

Neolara, thanks thats a really good idea, and it would give me a goal to work towards. Also the added benefit of raising money for a good cause.

definitely

I went from a 14 to a 10-12 because of running

my tips:

1. buy a book about running for women
2. go with a friend if you can
3. get an ipod shuffle and put some really fun music on
4. get decent trainers and bra
5. start slowly and when you can run for 20 minutes, enter a 5K race such as race for life to motivate you (like neolara says) - then a 10K then who knows!!

you will never look back and you will look fab!

wow, well done on all that weight loss!

is treadmill running as effective as outdoors? and more stories of how you all fit it in would be great. I sometimes manage 15-25 a week, but if I can't get to the gym when ds in nursery, I do so much less. need to do it in the am or evening, I reckon...

Wow that's impressive perpetualworrier! Trouble is dd1 isn't one for an early bedtime and isn't keen on me going out beforehand... So it would mean running after 9pm when I usually feel tired and anyway there's often some task to be done around the house. As my name suggests, I feel a bit beyond it!!

Gosh, well done for losing so much weight!

I have about 4 stone to lose, and decided to do the Paris half marathon to try to lose some weight. I did it last month, very slowly, but completed it. Unfortunately, for me, I only lost a kilo in all the months I trained for it . My doctor is now investigating me for an underactive thyroid.

But I am pretty convinced I am the exception! Despite not losing weight, I really enjoyed the training, and I intend to keep the running up. Hope you enjoy.

(Best bra for big boobs is the Berlei shock absorber)

Thanks everyone for the advice, I feel very motivated! Yes bluesky, I want to invest in a berlei shock absorber.

How do I fit it in?

Well, I figure I have to have a shower once a day, so I just run for the 40 or 50 mins BEFORE my shower. I'd probably only spend that time arsing about tidying, sorting laundry etc. DH just has to do his bit on my running evenings.

Also, once I could run for an hour, I joined a running club, so go out with them at 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Clubs are good because you will discover people there who are about the same speed as you and live near you. that way you gain lots of lovely running partners for weekend stuff too.

Yep. Best way I've found to lose weight. I've dieted and I've been to the gym religiously, I've been to step classes, done yoga. And either they were fun but didn't help me lose weight, or I lose weight but was miserable. I love running and the weight is falling off me. Well perhaps not weight as I rarely weigh myself, but inches. I started running more seriously and regularly in about September and since then I've gone from a size 13 to a size 11. No dieting at all.

I might have to start doing some weights though as my upper body doesn't get much of a workout.