Why can't I Run? What to do ?

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Replies

  • JennieMaeK
    JennieMaeK Posts: 474 Member
    As others have mentioned, you can slowly build up to running with a walk/run program. Couch to 5k has been mentioned a few times. I used it last year when my starting weight was 238.6 lbs. It took me about 13 weeks to complete the 8 week program as I had to repeat a couple of weeks and once even went back a week. Another great program is Zombies, Run 5k. It is bit less structured than C25K and has a zombie apocalypse story line that goes with it. I personally use the regular Zombies, Run app for all my runs now.
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    edited February 2016
    OP. You walk 12+ miles a day. Keep doing what you're doing. You don't have to run a single step if you don't want to. And really, why would you run 3 miles when you have time to walk 12?

    I lost all my weight doing almost exactly this. Just make sure you have good shoes because they'll wear out quickly.

    Seriously, you exercise more than most of the responders. The weight will come off. If you change your mind at some point about running, then trot a little on these mega walks. Then trot more. Or don't.

    This is wonderful advice :)

    Eat well and walk to victory!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you really burn 1800 cals plus have a bmr of 2300 and are sedentary then you can eat up to 4560 cals without gaining weight. To lose 2 lbs/week you should be eating 3560 (as you should be eating most of the cals back that you burn from exercise) Or set your goal to maintain, and let your walking create your deficit.

    That said, I doubt you are burning 1800/day from walking alone (how long does it take you to walk 12 miles, or is that added up throughout the day?) if throughout the day you should not log it as exercise but rather change your activity level to active or very active. Aslo if you are not losing 5-6 lbs/week (based on your deficit of 3000ish/day (4500-1500 ) then you are either not burning as much as you think, or eating more than you think (most likely both)

    Do you weight your food with a scale? how are you calculating cals burned from exercise.

    I would suggest couch to 5K if you still want to run.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    srslybritt wrote: »
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Can you tell us exactly what disqualifies walking as cardio/aerobic activity?

    If his heart rate is not elevated then by definition it would not be cardio, as cardio increases cardiac work (heart beats faster to pump more blood/oxygen to muscles)
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    erickirb wrote: »
    srslybritt wrote: »
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Can you tell us exactly what disqualifies walking as cardio/aerobic activity?

    If his heart rate is not elevated then by definition it would not be cardio, as cardio increases cardiac work (heart beats faster to pump more blood/oxygen to muscles)

    As someone who has gone for walks at 250 lbs...yea, it can get your heart rate going 0.0
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    If I walk a mile in 20 minutes I burn around 120 cals.
    If I run a mile in 10 minutes I burn around 140 cals, and then I burn around 9 cals standing around waiting for the I that walked to get there.

    But as folks advised, ease into running. Try something like Couch to 5k (C25K), or if you have a smartphone I loved using the Zombies, Run! 5k Training -- It is an interactive story, and you have a reason for running.
  • AamirKhan2016
    AamirKhan2016 Posts: 91 Member
    OP. You walk 12+ miles a day. Keep doing what you're doing. You don't have to run a single step if you don't want to. And really, why would you run 3 miles when you have time to walk 12?

    I lost all my weight doing almost exactly this. Just make sure you have good shoes because they'll wear out quickly.

    Seriously, you exercise more than most of the responders. The weight will come off. If you change your mind at some point about running, then trot a little on these mega walks. Then trot more. Or don't.

    You made my day :p an hour ago i checkd my weight it is 244 lb. I lost 33 Pounds in 3 to 4 months but sometimes i eat too much when i am with my burger friends :smiley: in these 4 months there were some vacations there i ate 10000 calories in 2 days :'( i repeated this every month for 2 to 3 days i ate alot and then i came back to my diet+ walking routine.
    Actually when i see people running i dont feel good and some people say to me that walking is for old people. I feel like i cant do it
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
    I have wanted to run for years but just don't have the stamina or leg strength to run. I highly recommend the Zen Labs C25k app, its awesome and I also recommend doing low impact workout videos that concentrate on cardio & lower body. I've been doing one for the last 3 weeks and last night I ran on the treadmill. it wasn't a fast run and I had to do intervals of 2 minutes running /2 minutes walking but I wasn't in pain afterwards like I used to be and my hips aren't aching this morning like they would be in the past. It really does take time for some of us. Be patient.
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    OP. You walk 12+ miles a day. Keep doing what you're doing. You don't have to run a single step if you don't want to. And really, why would you run 3 miles when you have time to walk 12?

    I lost all my weight doing almost exactly this. Just make sure you have good shoes because they'll wear out quickly.

    Seriously, you exercise more than most of the responders. The weight will come off. If you change your mind at some point about running, then trot a little on these mega walks. Then trot more. Or don't.

    You made my day :p an hour ago i checkd my weight it is 244 lb. I lost 33 Pounds in 3 to 4 months but sometimes i eat too much when i am with my burger friends :smiley: in these 4 months there were some vacations there i ate 10000 calories in 2 days :'( i repeated this every month for 2 to 3 days i ate alot and then i came back to my diet+ walking routine.
    Actually when i see people running i dont feel good and some people say to me that walking is for old people. I feel like i cant do it

    "my burger friends"....that's hilarious
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    I walk daily 12+ miles at 3.7mph.
    Current Weight: 249 lb

    But i can't run my legs hurt my whole body hurts while running? So i walk for losing weight

    Is walking this enough for me to lose weight?

    Try running at 4.0, or at 4.2 remember running is a bit faster then a walking motion.
  • AamirKhan2016
    AamirKhan2016 Posts: 91 Member
    erickirb wrote: »
    If you really burn 1800 cals plus have a bmr of 2300 and are sedentary then you can eat up to 4560 cals without gaining weight. To lose 2 lbs/week you should be eating 3560 (as you should be eating most of the cals back that you burn from exercise) Or set your goal to maintain, and let your walking create your deficit.

    That said, I doubt you are burning 1800/day from walking alone (how long does it take you to walk 12 miles, or is that added up throughout the day?) if throughout the day you should not log it as exercise but rather change your activity level to active or very active. Aslo if you are not losing 5-6 lbs/week (based on your deficit of 3000ish/day (4500-1500 ) then you are either not burning as much as you think, or eating more than you think (most likely both)

    Do you weight your food with a scale? how are you calculating cals burned from exercise.

    I would suggest couch to 5K if you still want to run.

    this snap will give you a good idea about how active I am.
    have a look. This is my routine for 5-6 days in a week
    mzs5ls9x8au1.png

  • andrewbadera
    andrewbadera Posts: 14 Member
    I run. I currently weigh 249ish. I ran 5Ks last year at 265ish. Get over it. Take an ibuprofen. Start slow, you'll get there. But seriously, get over it. No excuses aside from actual injuries/disabilities/illness.
  • dialtone75
    dialtone75 Posts: 5 Member
    kristafb wrote: »
    I have wanted to run for years but just don't have the stamina or leg strength to run. I highly recommend the Zen Labs C25k app, its awesome and I also recommend doing low impact workout videos that concentrate on cardio & lower body. I've been doing one for the last 3 weeks and last night I ran on the treadmill. it wasn't a fast run and I had to do intervals of 2 minutes running /2 minutes walking but I wasn't in pain afterwards like I used to be and my hips aren't aching this morning like they would be in the past. It really does take time for some of us. Be patient.

    I would like to also endorse the C25k app. I am 40 and haven't run since boot camp for the Air Force 22 years ago. I used the Couch to 5k program and just completed my first 5k last weekend. I honestly never imagined I would be able to. But just like anything, small changes made this dream a reality.
  • HonestBuddha
    HonestBuddha Posts: 23 Member
    Running isn't for everyone. There are plenty of medical reasons why people shouldn't run. If it is hurting then I would avoid it and keep up the walking and strength training. Just because you aren't able to run without pain doesn't mean you aren't working hard. And you definitely don't want to injure yourself. I can't run because I have 9 herniated discs in my back, it would leave me in way too much pain. So I am satisfied to do what I can and build up my strength and try to lose weight. Would it be cool to be one of the runners? Sure. But at the cost of injury, no way!
  • granturismo
    granturismo Posts: 232 Member
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Bad advice

    How about some good advice
  • granturismo
    granturismo Posts: 232 Member
    ...
    Actually when i see people running i dont feel good and some people say to me that walking is for old people. I feel like i cant do it

    I see plenty of younger people walking for exercise.

    If you feel that you want to run, there's plenty of advice above on starting c25k. I completed it aged 47, having never ran for longer than 5 minutes in my life.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    OP - yes walking can be enough. I say keep doing what you're doing. Because the difference in calorie burn running/walking miles is really nothing. So could you go from not running to running 12 miles a day? Probably not.

    That said, the thing no one has said, is you probably need to slow down when you start running. Start very slow. Something like Couch to 5k (c25k) is very useful. There are apps, but you don't need to get an app you can just use a timer. Most people think they have to 'run' when they start running. You should be jogging almost as slow as you possibly can. Speed will come later.

    But there will be problems with running, it isn't a miracle-cure calorie burner. It MIGHT increase your appetite because you aren't used to it. It also might make you more sore and less likely to cover the same distance you usually do. Let's say you walk jog for 1.5 miles 3 days a week, which would be a good place to start at. Well, if you didn't then go walking another 10.5 miles on the same days you ran, you'd be burning less calories than you were while just walking. So I'd either stick to walking, or make sure you can do both.

    1800 calories for 12 miles makes sense, but that'll drop a bit as you lose weight, closer to 1200 calories. If I were you, I'd keep doing what you are doing. That is a monster amount of calories to burn. Maybe you could start something else, like weight lifting, you will see changes in your appearance.
  • If you WANT to run, try running short spurts. I started with 2 miles, I ran 100 yards, walked 300 yards, ran 100 yards, walked 300 yards, etc. I was originally running about 1/2 mile and walking the rest. Worked my way up to mostly running and have done several 5ks and 1 10k.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    edited February 2016
    Walking can help you lose weight. In fact, it's the cornerstone of my parent's exercise regimens that helps them lose / maintain weight in retirement.

    The challenge is that "walking", as a general concept, is difficult to treat uniformly. While people tend to associate jogging / running with dedicated exercise regimen, walking can be anywhere from a dedicated regimen to something done to burn some more calories (parking farther from the door), down to a very casual, not-measured means of going from point A to point B.

    That you've figured out how fast you're going tells me you view it more like part of a fitness regimen. On top of that, the speed you report is no joke when it comes to walking. My warm-up walks are usually at 3 mph and 4 mph (which you're pretty close to) is usually where people start to transition from walking to jogging.

    For transitioning into jogging, I know people have been saying similar things regarding slowly adding in jogging / running, so this will sound repetitive. But as an example of how to transition from walking to jogging, the program I used to get back into running started with walking for 30 minutes. Then it started doing intervals like "jog 1 minute and walk 4" for 4 sets. Over time the jog intervals became longer and sets dropped to intervals like "run 7 minutes and walk 3" for 2 sets, etc. After a while, I was jogging / running for the whole 30 minutes.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    As others have said, weight loss is about calories, not exercise. However, if you want to run...this is an excellent place to start:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running/p1
  • jellebeandesigns
    jellebeandesigns Posts: 347 Member
    edited February 2016
    I'm a long distance runner and if I didn't eat back my calories I would starve. You need food, good clean food to lose weight. Eventually you may be able to run, maybe you won't. Both are okay. Lift weights and I suggest something like the healthyhappyfreeplan.com style clean eating meal plan
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    erickirb wrote: »
    srslybritt wrote: »
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Can you tell us exactly what disqualifies walking as cardio/aerobic activity?

    If his heart rate is not elevated then by definition it would not be cardio, as cardio increases cardiac work (heart beats faster to pump more blood/oxygen to muscles)

    As someone who has gone for walks at 250 lbs...yea, it can get your heart rate going 0.0

    That is why I qualified it with "if..."
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    edited February 2016
    erickirb wrote: »
    srslybritt wrote: »
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Can you tell us exactly what disqualifies walking as cardio/aerobic activity?

    If his heart rate is not elevated then by definition it would not be cardio, as cardio increases cardiac work (heart beats faster to pump more blood/oxygen to muscles)

    I'm aware of the definition of cardio. Why are we assuming his heart rate isn't elevated? You should probably read the response I addressed directly to the OP. I want the person I responded to to validate their claim that walking will not help you lose weight.

    ETA: I'll rephrase my last sentence. I want him to validate his claim that walking isn't enough to lose weight. I want to know if the inference is supposed to be that walking =/= cardio.
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    srslybritt wrote: »
    erickirb wrote: »
    srslybritt wrote: »
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Can you tell us exactly what disqualifies walking as cardio/aerobic activity?

    If his heart rate is not elevated then by definition it would not be cardio, as cardio increases cardiac work (heart beats faster to pump more blood/oxygen to muscles)

    I'm aware of the definition of cardio. Why are we assuming his heart rate isn't elevated? You should probably read the response I addressed directly to the OP. I want the person I responded to to validate their claim that walking will not help you lose weight.

    ETA: I'll rephrase my last sentence. I want him to validate his claim that walking isn't enough to lose weight. I want to know if the inference is supposed to be that walking =/= cardio.

    He did say right after that you have to count calories, so I think you could deduce that he wasn't saying walking =/= cardio.

    Walking ISN'T enough to lose weight...you can walk all day, and if you eat too many calories, you won't lose anything.
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
    Choose any exercise you want as like as you're tracking. You do not have to RUN to lose weight. The important thing is calories in/calories out. Are you using MFP to set appropriate weight loss goals (View Guided Setup), track your food honestly/accurately, and track your exercise? If so, you will lose weight. If walking is boring, try different forms of exercise until you find ones you like. Mix it up as needed!
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    edited February 2016
    srslybritt wrote: »
    erickirb wrote: »
    srslybritt wrote: »
    Br3ntG wrote: »
    No, walking isn't enough to lose weight. You need to eat at a calorie deficit and even better, don't eat back the calories you burn through exercise. What has worked for me is finding out my BMR and eating 250-500 cal under that.

    Can you tell us exactly what disqualifies walking as cardio/aerobic activity?

    If his heart rate is not elevated then by definition it would not be cardio, as cardio increases cardiac work (heart beats faster to pump more blood/oxygen to muscles)

    I'm aware of the definition of cardio. Why are we assuming his heart rate isn't elevated? You should probably read the response I addressed directly to the OP. I want the person I responded to to validate their claim that walking will not help you lose weight.

    ETA: I'll rephrase my last sentence. I want him to validate his claim that walking isn't enough to lose weight. I want to know if the inference is supposed to be that walking =/= cardio.

    He did say right after that you have to count calories, so I think you could deduce that he wasn't saying walking =/= cardio.

    Walking ISN'T enough to lose weight...you can walk all day, and if you eat too many calories, you won't lose anything.

    Once again, thank you for defining something I didn't ask for. I am aware of all of that.

    He did, however, suggest eating below your BMR, which is the amount of energy consumed if a person is entirely inactive (like sleeping) 24 hours a day. If a person is maintaining a calorie deficit of their TDEE (NOT BMR) -20%, that is the relied upon method by many fitness professionals to lose weight.

    So forgive me for failing to ascertain that one piece of bad advice was automatically tied to the other.

    The OP was also asking if he could rely upon walking, as opposed to running, for exercise. The question was centered around intensity, so I viewed the response through that lens.
  • Gomez2357
    Gomez2357 Posts: 1 Member
    OP:
    1) Make sure your shoes are providing enough support - get insole inserts if necessary
    2) Strength training on alternate days will break up your monotony; plus lean muscle burns more calories at rest than non-lean muscle
    3) Eat less than you burn. If you have a fitness tracker, use it to get a rough estimate of the calories you're burning. Use MFP to track your caloric intake and your macros (carbs, fat, protein, etc.) - try to align your diet with the macros MFP suggests. Complex carbs are better than simple carbs (but they all add up).
    4) Set small goals along the way to your desired weight - celebrate each success
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