RUNNERS BODY FAT 20% UNREALISTIC???

anacsitham5

I met my weight goal and then slacked off on my walking, which I was doing every day. My weight has held steady but I need to get my body fat percentage down. My body fat % is at 27% which I am happy with, since I started at 39% in January, but I want to get down to 20% and train for a 5K. Is this realistic???

I want to get the hard core walking (5 mph +) in place so it's second nature and then work on up to the 5K that is being held next August. If I start training now, I should be ready by then (??) and in doing so, it should help me meet my body fat goal which I want to hit by December 2011.

Suggestions or comments??

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I'm at 13%, for a woman the floor for athletic is 14%, I'm at essential.

BerryH

Congratulations on your progress! Body fat percentage is no barrier to running at all, and there's nothing to stop you starting something like C25K now and keeping up the run/walk throughout winter. With your super-fast walking and throwing in some running, you'll be torching fat faster than ever!

Here's the C25K programme:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Here are my beginner's running tips:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936

Good luck!

martinh78

Well done on getting your body fat down so much! Do you think that was mostly due to diet or exercise or both? I'm on a really low fat diet and exercising so hope to get my body fat down by 10%. Not sure the "quickest" way to do this.

Regarding running, try doing a search for C25K or Couch to 5K. It's a training programme that quite a few here recommend. I did my first one today and hate running, but reckon the programme would work (I follow a similar one for rowing and that is working).

jalysons

You should easily be able to run a 5K by next August and truthfully much sooner. Check our runnersworld.com. They have many beginning training programs.

fteale

My BF is about 25%, which is higher than I would like. I run a lot, and do a lot of other training as well. I think if you are female it's pretty hard to get it down. Mine used to be 14% when I was 22, but I was very underweight.

luvbwfc

You could be ready to do a 5K a month from now, so next August should be no prob. I have BF% at 37 and weigh 240 pounds and I regularly do 5 miles in about 50 mins

rocketpants

I would say going from not running to a 5k is very dooable in about 60 days. In order to get there you are going to have to push yourself hard, and it will be uncomforable. You can make amazing strides in cardio improvement as a first time runner. I would highly recomend the Couch to 5K plan as a great way to start running.

As long as you pay attention to your diet loosing 7% body fat in a year is very realistic. Remember 7% of your current weight is a lot fewer pounds than 10% of your starting weight was.

runningathena

Your goals are doable. You could start a 5K program now, no problem. I'm training for my second marathon and have run 6 half marathons this year and my body fat is probably around 24%. I've been running for almost 5 years - body fat really isn't an issue! I know women who are larger than me who run marathons on a regular basis. There's a beginners forum on runnersworld.com with lots of really nice and helpful people (and also some snarky people, but that's true for just about every Internet forum in the universe). Good luck!

SueInAz

I know 5K sounds like a scary amount, but it's actually really not very far. I started running in April (I've NEVER been a runner, ever!) and I do 5K a few times a week now. Check out the Couch to 5K program available on the web. I started with that but decided to continue running in intervals. I currently run 3 or 4 minutes and walk for one and 5K takes me about 36 minutes or so. I'm working my way up to my first race, a 10K, in late October.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I'm at 13%, for a woman the floor for athletic is 14%, I'm at essential.

I didn't understand the question, sorry. As long as you train for it, you can do a 5 K at any bf%, just start training and getting your endurance together. You don't have to be a low bf% to run a 5K, and just because you're at a low bf% doesn't necessarily mean you can just automatically run a 5K.