Running for weight loss?

Zumbafitness101
Zumbafitness101 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Over the summer, I started running with this app called Running for Weight Loss. It has longer periods of walking, shorter periods of running, and very short periods of sprinting. It wanted me to run 3 days a week. Unfortunately, due to work and now school, that is difficult, but I managed to fit in at least 2 sessions a week. I have been running for at least 12 weeks, and I don't feel as if I am getting better at it. I have a Garmin vivofit and a heart rate monitor, and I feel like I am not improving. My light running always takes me up to a heart rate of 150-180 bpm , and sprinting brings me up to about 190-193 bpm. I street run, so it isn't flat ground. I am also watching what I eat (with some cheating), and try to keep my calorie intake at about 1700, and when I excersice, I try not to eat those calories back. Can anyone suggest something, I feel like I'm not getting anywhere.

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Not getting anywhere with the running or the weight loss?

    How long have you been keeping calories at 1700?
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
    Just run.

    Seriously. I dunno about the app but just running alone (maybe check out the C25K) will help. Work yourself up to it. I also have a Garmin Vivofit. :)
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Getting anywhere weight wise? Or fitness wise?
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Start with cutting some of those exercise calories out. If you can't cut them all together, then just eat back half. Chances are that you are eating more than you think, so this could all be in the error space. If nothing changes when you stop eating back exercise calories, then you really have to look at your diary and see what is going on with how much you're eating.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    WBB55 wrote: »
    Getting anywhere weight wise? Or fitness wise?
    This is the key question. If your weight isn't moving, it's for one reason only, you are eating too much in respect to how much you burn per day. If you feel like you are not improving in your running, try a different running program. As mentioned above, c25k is a great beginner running program.

  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    When you write that you're not getting anywhere, do you mean that your running hasn't improved, you haven't lost the weight you expected, or both?

    I'm not familiar with the app you mention, but if you're running only twice a week, your progress will be slow. Three times a week is the right balance between regular stress and sufficient recovery time. I wouldn't worry about heart rate: record it, but don't use it as a training target. Instead, use the "talk test": most of your running should be done at a pace that still allows you to speak in complete sentences. If you can't, slow down. Beginning runners should sprint rarely, and not all out. I am fond of the Couch to 5K program as a way for beginning runners to improve without injury.

    When I was a grad student, with lots of coursework and other responsibilities, I still managed to find 4 hours a week for exercise. You can do it if you make it a priority.

    And if your problem is that you're not losing the weight you expected, keep in mind that weight is lost mostly in the kitchen, not the gym. Two short workouts a week makes very little difference. In 2012, I bicycled 40 miles a week and gained 10 pounds. I lost weight the following year by ensuring that I ate less than I expended.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I ran for weight loss, now I run for being fit, feeling good and not to feel like a slug everyday..

    I use Garmin Vivosmart and Garmins soft strap HRM and it like my third arm.. keeps me in check with calories and my fitness and weight lifting..

    So yes, run. I chose to eat only a portion of my exercise calories as all measurements/devices used to calculate calorie burns are estimates...
  • advisingwench
    advisingwench Posts: 53 Member
    devilwhiterose wrote: »
    Just run.

    Seriously. I dunno about the app but just running alone (maybe check out the C25K) will help. Work yourself up to it. I also have a Garmin Vivofit. :)

    I used C25K to start running last summer, quit for the winter and then picked it back up in May of this year. I honestly didn't feel like I was improving any until I started running/walking based on my heart rate rather than following an app.

    What I did was this... I'd start with a walking warm up, then run until my HR hit 140 BPM. At that point I'd slow to a walk and keep that up until my HR was back down to 130, then I'd run again. I did that for my entire run and eventually there was more running than walking. Now I can run several miles at a slow and easy pace and my HR averages in the low 130s. I've also seen improvement in my RHR, which has gone from 65 bpm to 55 over the last few months.

    Maybe try that?
  • TracyeS4
    TracyeS4 Posts: 746 Member
    If you are interested in improving your running, I highly recommend the C25K. I also could not commit to 3-5 days/week. I just got out there as often as I could and completed the next timed session. Some weeks it was 3 times, some weeks it was 2. But I went from not being able to run for more than 15 seconds without dying to being able to run for over an hour (after I completed the C210K). Since you have been doing some running, you can even skip a few days of the program. I hope that helps!
  • Zumbafitness101
    Zumbafitness101 Posts: 5 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Not getting anywhere with the running or the weight loss?

    How long have you been keeping calories at 1700?

    Since July/August.

    And my weight really hasn't done much, but I understand it won't really drop, because running also builds muscle, so I'm not expecting s huge weight drop. Not that I need it, I'm just running to get in better shape. But I feel like my running isn't going anywhere. It's so easy for me to just run myself into the ground with little effort.

  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
    advisingwench wrote: »
    devilwhiterose wrote: »
    Just run.

    Seriously. I dunno about the app but just running alone (maybe check out the C25K) will help. Work yourself up to it. I also have a Garmin Vivofit. :)

    I used C25K to start running last summer, quit for the winter and then picked it back up in May of this year. I honestly didn't feel like I was improving any until I started running/walking based on my heart rate rather than following an app.

    What I did was this... I'd start with a walking warm up, then run until my HR hit 140 BPM. At that point I'd slow to a walk and keep that up until my HR was back down to 130, then I'd run again. I did that for my entire run and eventually there was more running than walking. Now I can run several miles at a slow and easy pace and my HR averages in the low 130s. I've also seen improvement in my RHR, which has gone from 65 bpm to 55 over the last few months.

    Maybe try that?

    THIS is a GREAT idea :)
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Zumbafitness101 wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Not getting anywhere with the running or the weight loss?

    How long have you been keeping calories at 1700?

    Since July/August.

    And my weight really hasn't done much, but I understand it won't really drop, because running also builds muscle, so I'm not expecting s huge weight drop. Not that I need it, I'm just running to get in better shape. But I feel like my running isn't going anywhere. It's so easy for me to just run myself into the ground with little effort.
    I'm not gonna lie: I hate running. I got a C210K app mostly to burn calories, but I figured the cardio wouldn't hurt. But I don't like it.

    I went from thinking a five minute run was only for emergencies... dire emergencies... to running six miles. I run five and a half miles three times a week. My resting heart rate has gone from 62-65 to 48-53.

    I'm not sure what you mean by your running not going anywhere -- different people want different things -- but, personally, I'd recommend something like C25K and worrying more about the times than the distance. After that, maybe worry about pace. That may be completely useless info to you depending on where you are now, but it worked far beyond what I've considered possible for me.

    I'm now using an interval app to try to improve my pace but, for my purposes, 10 minute miles will be good enough.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »

    I'm now using an interval app to try to improve my pace but, for my purposes, 10 minute miles will be good enough.

    What app are you using? Once I am done with my half...my next running goal is to cut down my pace.
    I'm using IntervalTimer on my iPhone. It may not be what someone at your level would want -- it's sort of aimed at HIIT -- but I've got it set up to use the low intensity time as my jogging, the high intensity part as "sprinting" :neutral: , and the rest period part as my walking.

  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
    When i started running I just listened to high energy songs. Songs that just pump you up. It always pushes me to keep going or go faster.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    If you are just starting out the C25K or C210k programs are fantastic!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • lmlilly
    lmlilly Posts: 22 Member
    2x a week for 12 weeks really isn't that much. I run 20 minutes a day / 5 days a week and it took me more than 6 months to see good progress. And sometimes you don't notice your progress until you get much better. Just keep running.
  • Zumbafitness101
    Zumbafitness101 Posts: 5 Member
    michelle7673 wrote: »
    advisingwench wrote: »
    devilwhiterose wrote: »
    Just run.

    Seriously. I dunno about the app but just running alone (maybe check out the C25K) will help. Work yourself up to it. I also have a Garmin Vivofit. :)

    I used C25K to start running last summer, quit for the winter and then picked it back up in May of this year. I honestly didn't feel like I was improving any until I started running/walking based on my heart rate rather than following an app.

    What I did was this... I'd start with a walking warm up, then run until my HR hit 140 BPM. At that point I'd slow to a walk and keep that up until my HR was back down to 130, then I'd run again. I did that for my entire run and eventually there was more running than walking. Now I can run several miles at a slow and easy pace and my HR averages in the low 130s. I've also seen improvement in my RHR, which has gone from 65 bpm to 55 over the last few months.

    Maybe try that?

    THIS is a GREAT idea :)

    This is a really good idea! Thank you!
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    This is how I improved my running...
    I slowly worked myself up to running 30 minutes without stopping, it meant running slow, but I kept adding more minutes running vs. walking. Once I was consistently "running" for 30 minutes at a time I worked on improving my speed/pace. With much skepticism, I decided to try HIIT intervals. So 2-3 days a week I did 30 min interval runs. Google 30 min HIIT treadmill workouts- there are plenty to choose from. Amazingly, it worked wonders. I went from struggling to maintain a 9:30-10min mile pace, to running 8:20 minute miles fairly easily.

    It's good to work in a longer, slower run at least once a week. I'm not exactly sure why, but I've heard it from multiple sources.
  • MamaMollyT
    MamaMollyT Posts: 197 Member
    If you want to progress with running you need to do it consistently at least three times a week. Even if it's just one mile. Consistency builds strength and its cumulative over weeks, months and years. Be consistent for a few months and you will see progress. Set a long term goal by picking a race to run in several months. Start with a 5k.
  • jayjay_90
    jayjay_90 Posts: 83 Member
    I don't know if this will help you at all but, I started running again this summer and decided to really make a commitment to it. I use RunKeeper, and they have some free running plans. I used the one the builds you up for a 5k, which I imagine is very similar to the Couch to 5k one mentioned above. Anyways, I went out every other day as the app told me to, followed it pretty much to a tee all summer long. This past Sunday I ran a 10k - double my original goal.

    While I was training, it took me quite a while to get to a point where I felt like I was improving - I really relied on the app to show me the data, like how my average time was getting better and better by the week, my distance getting farther etc. Even now sometimes I go out for a quick 30 minutes and depending on the day I might feel kinda crappy and almost slow, but then I finish and I'm like "Oh, I guess I wasn't going that slow, I did 6k...". My point is, perhaps using a running app like RunKeeper will help you see the changes even if you don't necessarily feel it when you go out right now.

    Regardless - KEEP RUNNING. You are improving, and you will continue to improve, but only if you keep at it!
  • GillianLF
    GillianLF Posts: 410 Member
    advisingwench wrote: »
    devilwhiterose wrote: »
    Just run.

    Seriously. I dunno about the app but just running alone (maybe check out the C25K) will help. Work yourself up to it. I also have a Garmin Vivofit. :)

    I used C25K to start running last summer, quit for the winter and then picked it back up in May of this year. I honestly didn't feel like I was improving any until I started running/walking based on my heart rate rather than following an app.

    What I did was this... I'd start with a walking warm up, then run until my HR hit 140 BPM. At that point I'd slow to a walk and keep that up until my HR was back down to 130, then I'd run again. I did that for my entire run and eventually there was more running than walking. Now I can run several miles at a slow and easy pace and my HR averages in the low 130s. I've also seen improvement in my RHR, which has gone from 65 bpm to 55 over the last few months.

    Maybe try that?

    Great idea! I have a garmin with a HRM and am getting back into running. I've been doing the c25k but its not working for me as well as it once did. I might try it just on heart rate alone.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories