I'm confused & don't know what to do - advice appreciated

mancunianpoodle

I'm based in UK and on 25th Sept I go to Canada to visit family for two weeks. Back 10th October.

But I'm itching to get going on getting fit.

I've already lost 3 stone from modifying my eating habits, now it's time to feel the burn!! and tone up and get fit.

Thing is, I don't know what to do.

1. c25k - I've downloaded the podcasts, but I've never had much success with trying to run in the past

2. Slim in 6 - I ordered this yesterday. Now regretting it a bit after reading mediocre reviews. Thinking of sending it back.

3. P90X - I had a look on team beachbody at some of the success stories and there were women who were as big as me who did it and looked great afterwards.

I'm 247lbs (17 stone 9lbs) and 5 ft 6.5 inches.

I am very unfit as due to illness I haven't been able to do much, but am raring to go now.

The advantage of C25K is that I could just take a pair of trainers and my run kit to Canada with me.

It would be harder to take fitness DVDs with me as I don't know what room my relatives would have in their homes for me to work out.

I'm frustrated. It just always seem the way that when my motivation is at it's highest there's something in its way.

Don't get me wrong I'm really looking forward to going to Canada... but do you know what I mean?

I want to get fit!!!!

Any advice on what programme to follow would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks,

Charlotte

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Do C25K while you're in Canada....it will give you 2 weeks to try it out, get your feet wet and get you used to the regular activity. From there, when you get home, just pick something and start it. Go to an intensity that you can handle with your level of fitness, but also don't use that as an excuse to wimp out. Find something you like and that challenges you and just ride it out. The great thing with all of those videos is that you can do one, then try another and then try another. It's not a one or nothing type of thing. Just get out there and do it!

You got this!

celadontea

I would take both. If you find that your knees are too sore to run or it's too late or that the dvd's become more convenient with your situation I would do those. I just started c25k and on Week 2 , Day 1 find that I might need to stretch this out a little more than I first had hoped in order for my body to rest as it needs to. I've been doing DVD's on the rest days.

mbajrami

I have NEVER been a runner but had great success with C25K. Don't focus too much on your pace/speed, focus on your endurance. The rest will come.

MickeyBoo

Honestly, I don't think you need to have a specific program to exercise, if anything a program becomes an excuse not to exercise when you can't fit it in around your lifestyle or events. Keep it simple, walking, gym membership, pool membership if you're dealing with injuries.

Why not just start walking, incorporating jogging on the downhill sections if you're up to it, if not then work towards it. A simple way to boost your exercise is to set a time and a route and then try to better your time each session. Find different routes and mix it up. You don't have to worry about what you're going to take with you to do in Canada because all you need is walking shoes and some decent music, get out and explore the area each day and enjoy yourself.

When you come home you can work towards setting some goals and changing things up, but if you start small then its easier to keep with it than starting big and feeling disappointment when it doesn't all go to plan.

seilidhe

I'd go with the C25K option... or... I'd just find time to walk. Walking is always good. You can start working up to faster paces as a "preparation" for C25k when you get back home. If you haven't done much physical yet, it's possible walking might be a good way to start and it's not as hard on your knees as running/jogging.

Don't get me wrong, I'm slowly working on C25k myself, but I just think walking is a good way to start out.

DanaHerro

Ok, at 5'6" and 247, just MOVE. It doesn't matter WHAT you do. If you eat with a caloric deficit, even if you don't do ANY exercise, the weight is going to come off of you. If you add exercise on top of that, it's going to FLY off.

I started at 216 and 5'6", so 30 lbs lighter, but obese is obese babes....
The first 30 lbs? OMG they FLEW off - seriously...I averaged 1.5-2 lbs per week. And I started with just figuring out my TDEE and eating 20% below that. And I made sure that I MOVED 20 minutes every day. Sometimes that was just walking around the neighborhood, sometimes it was playing with my kids outside, etc.

I didn't start any gym or running reigme until I was about 3-4 weeks in and already down about 8 pounds.
Honestly, I hate the C25K because running is SO mental for me. If I stop to add a walk break, I lose momentum...
So when I trained, I just had a goal to run as LONG as I possibly could and then when I had to stop, I walked the rest until I got to 2 miles. I added 1/10 of a mile of running to that each day... It did NOT take long before I could run a mile easily and then I went 1.1, 1.2 etc...

After being able to so 1.5 without stopping to walk, going to 2 miles was SUPER easy...and then I increased 1/4 mile each week so I did 2.25, 2.5, then 3.1

You don't need a program at 5'6" and 247. You just need to stop eating as much and start moving more GENERICALLY

PROMISE!!!

LoosingMyLast15

Don't get me wrong I'm really looking forward to going to Canada... but do you know what I mean?

I want to get fit!!!!

Thanks,

Charlotte

Well c25k is probably the best way to enjoy all the sights of canada. put on your sneakers and get outside. take advantage of this time. you're on vacation- go for a run. how often do you get a chance to try out a new program in a different country. there's just something about running in a different country/city that makes you a bit happier/faster/more energized. heck i live in VA and when i visited friends in FL i couldn't wait to go for a run mainly because i was going to be on the gulf coast which i had never been to the gulf coast of FL before and well just the thought of running along the gulf coast energized me. stop worrying about a "program" and just get outside.

honestly as for a program - following the most logical one - eat healthy and exercise.

have a great time and make sure you get outside. go for a walk, go for a run, it doesn't matter just as long as you're moving!

NancyN795

I'm pretty sure that DVDs that work in machines sold for use in the US don't work in the UK. I don't know for sure, but it's more likely that Canadian DVD players are compatible with US machines than with UK machines - so if you want to take DVDs with you, check on that first.

1meh

Why not just start walking, incorporating jogging on the downhill sections if you're up to it, if not then work towards it. A simple way to boost your exercise is to set a time and a route and then try to better your time each session. Find different routes and mix it up. You don't have to worry about what you're going to take with you to do in Canada because all you need is walking shoes and some decent music, get out and explore the area each day and enjoy yourself.

^this

wild_wild_life

Honestly, I don't think you need to have a specific program to exercise, if anything a program becomes an excuse not to exercise when you can't fit it in around your lifestyle or events. Keep it simple, walking, gym membership, pool membership if you're dealing with injuries.

Why not just start walking, incorporating jogging on the downhill sections if you're up to it, if not then work towards it. A simple way to boost your exercise is to set a time and a route and then try to better your time each session. Find different routes and mix it up. You don't have to worry about what you're going to take with you to do in Canada because all you need is walking shoes and some decent music, get out and explore the area each day and enjoy yourself.

When you come home you can work towards setting some goals and changing things up, but if you start small then its easier to keep with it than starting big and feeling disappointment when it doesn't all go to plan.

Totally agree with this. Walk. Do walk/run intervals, maybe 10-20 sec of jogging at a time at first. That's how I started running. Unless you're actually training for a 5k, a training plan isn't necessary. Just get out there and do what feels right.

mancunianpoodle

Thanks for all your tips and advice.

I think I will start out with a walk/run and move on from there. When I get home I'll give the Slim in 6 a go.

Thanks again ))

DMicheleC

Definitely the C25K, start by walking a good 20 minutes, when you can do this comfortably then go onto the first week of C25K. You will burn calories and the weight will come off, also you will tone up. I have been doing the C25K and am on week 6, I have lost weight but also I have toned up my body. Hope this helps and enjoy Canada. :bigsmile: