So you want to start running

I want to start running and due to working hours i plan to go out at 8am for 30 mins, i will do the couch to 5k.
My question is when and what do i eat before a run? I know not to go out on empty but then again not after a bowl of porridge.
My hubby suggested fruit and yogurt at 7am, run at 8am then home and have an omelette afterwards.
This question actually relates to all exercise, when and what to eat.

For 30 minutes of exercise, you don't usually *need* to eat anything. In general eating is all individual preference. Some people do just fine eating a fair bit of food and others don't.

And it depends a lot on what the rest of your day looks like. I often eat a large lunch and usually go out after work and exercise for an hour or so without eating anything between lunch and exercise - and then I eat immediately afterwards. Sometimes I'll have a small snack of whatever, but in general I prefer a mostly empty stomach.

If I've got a long run and I haven't eaten in a while (like say a morning run when my last meal was dinner at 7) I'll eat a granola bar or a piece of toast, give it maybe 10-15 minutes to settle, and then head out.

It also depends on what exactly you're going out to do - but as a beginner anything you probably won't be doing anything taxing enough that you need to worry too much about eating the 'perfect' pre-workout food. Use this time to experiment with what works for you.


So the short answer is - "It depends." Fruit and yogurt is perfectly fine if you enjoy that sort of thing and if it doesn't upset your stomach when you are working out. Some people might not like filling their stomach with a lot of cold stuff right before exercise and others do just fine with it.

(Oh and um - be aware that coffee is a diuretic. And running tends to get things moving along in that area too. So some people find that coffee needs to be a good hour before they start running so they can get in a potty break BEFORE they leave the house)

Can you start running at 250+lbs or should a person wait till more weight is lost?

I'd also like to add that I hear from a lot of people who think that they are too fat to run. They try it, it's hard, and they think that the reason is due to weight. It's not, running is just hard when you start. There is no way around it. The advice from OP is universal, because the issues are universal. Slow down, be patient, it WILL get easier.

When I started a year and a half ago, I weighed about 70lbs more than I do now. Since then, I have gone from agonizing through the 30 second intervals in a C25K program to my planned run today, which is about 13 miles. They won't be 13 miles that I struggle through, either. There will be times, of course (stupid hills), but most of it I will thoroughly enjoy. It really does get easier. Just stick with it and make it through the first few weeks. Don't add too much too soon (guilty). The running has made to my cardiovascular health is amazing. My blood pressure at my last checkup was around 107/67, not too shabby for a woman who still weighs over 200 lbs. Even better, I've found an activity that I dearly love and makes me feel alive.

Suggestions for base layer & layering for running in the winter? I have access to a treadmill when it's icy, but I want to be outside this winter as much as possible. Is Under Armour brand a must, or what other brands would runners who experience all 4 seasons recommend? I know I'll need to invest in good gear to be safe; just trying to explore all of my options. Thanks!!!