c25k confusion...

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Ok imvery confused and at this point a tiny discouraged... My fiancee and I have been doing the couch to 5K program for 1 month straight and today was our monthly weight in. we've been eating ok and doing well on the program and when we weighed in, He gained 2 pounds and i lost only 3.... Umm.... WHY? its been 1 month of diet and exersice.... when will it come off already. we both look fantastic, but i thought we both lost a bunch of weight.

What is the cause of this do you think? because Im still loving the program, but i thought id see more weight loss... discouraging bc we are trying so damn hard and waited a whole month to see disappointment. :brokenheart:

Replies

  • exacerbe
    exacerbe Posts: 447 Member
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    Could be a number of reasons:

    -Stress
    -Diet
    -Not eating enough calories to make up for the running.
    -Eating too many calories
    -Poor sleep
    -Not drinking enough water.

    I can't give you a definite answer but keep at it! Don't get discouraged -- if you already look great then don't worry about losing weight... focus on improving your health. Exercise is great for you and your heart.. who cares about weight loss (in your situation).

    I'm training for a 10k and I haven't really fluctuated in weight but I feel great.
  • lindsyrox
    lindsyrox Posts: 257 Member
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    If you've gone from not running to running regularly it could very easily be muscle mass gain. Also, without knowing how many calories you're eating its hard to say if that has anything to do w/ not losing. I know when I started running I didn't cut my calories much and i saw no loss, it wasn't until i started keeping them around 1200-1500 that I started losing. I know you're supposed to eat what you burn, but if you are burning a ton I wouldn't eat a ton to make up for it, just keep it reasonable.
  • lindsyrox
    lindsyrox Posts: 257 Member
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    One more thing, the trainer I met with told me as far as losing weight goes its all about what you eat and keeping your calories under control, the exercise is just a bonus and not the key to losing. So focus on the food for losing, but also don't give up on the running :)
  • stephmn
    stephmn Posts: 18
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    Whatever you do - don't quit!! What you're doing is healthy for you - even if you're not seeing the pounds melt off like you hoped they would.

    There's really no way to know why it's happening. But I can say that I noticed very little weight loss when I didn the C25K program. Here are some things to check:
    1. Make sure that you are eating enough calories and your body doesn't think it's in starvation mode.
    2. Try increasing the intensity of the run portion of your training - even if it's just in spurts. Sprint a block of your 5 minute run, then go back to regular pace. This will boost your HR and burn more cals.
    3. Think about adding some strength training to your training. Muscles burn more calories than fat - so add a good upper and lower body work out a couple days a week.
    4. Don't forget to drink plenty of water!! :)

    DON'T GIVE UP! Running your first 5K is so rewarding. I ran my first last October and have done one a month since April this year!
  • kpwb
    kpwb Posts: 14 Member
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    I agree that food is the key. A trainer told me that someone with a perfect diet can get away without much exercise but no amount of exercise can make up for a poor diet. Also, if you are looking and feeling great don't stress the scale!
  • nursespoony87
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    Ok imvery confused and at this point a tiny discouraged... My fiancee and I have been doing the couch to 5K program for 1 month straight and today was our monthly weight in. we've been eating ok and doing well on the program and when we weighed in, He gained 2 pounds and i lost only 3.... Umm.... WHY? its been 1 month of diet and exersice.... when will it come off already. we both look fantastic, but i thought we both lost a bunch of weight.

    What is the cause of this do you think? because Im still loving the program, but i thought id see more weight loss... discouraging bc we are trying so damn hard and waited a whole month to see disappointment. :brokenheart:

    Definitely don't let this discourage you or keep you from continuing on. I can understand why it's so frustrating, though.

    Are you drinking enough water? You should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces. Make sure you take your water bottle with you. Cut out soda, coffee, etc. I only drink water now and absolutely nothing else except 100% juice (cranberry juice) and 1 cup of non-fat milk in the morning. It will increase weight loss.

    How many calories are you taking in per day? MFP helps you keep track of this (although my girlfriend does a pretty good job of cracking that whip -- haha). If you're eating 1,800 calories per day, you should be burning more than that. Make sure you fuel your body before AND after you workout. I've found that eating oatmeal with a little bit of brown sugar and a banana or yogurt is a great and small meal before working out. It digests quickly and it basically tells your body, "Hey! I have some energy now! What are we going to do now?" If your blood sugar seems to drop within 15-20 minutes of working out, make sure you take a protein bar or something very small to keep you going. A lot of people think that eating something at the gym is horrible. Umm no. Your body needs energy otherwise you're going to end up on the floor because you've exhausted your sources of energy and BOOM... Your blood sugar will drop drastically (not everyone is like this).

    Umm... I think that's all I can tell you. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm only offering what I've found to be helpful for me. I wish you both the best of luck and do keep us posted on your progress! Now, go drink a bottle of water! ;)
  • kellogsmscott
    kellogsmscott Posts: 67 Member
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    hmmm ok a couple of things spring to mind..

    1. have you measured yourself, combining exercise and weight loss means you may not necessarily lose weight but end up with more muscle, less fat.

    2. Are you eating back your calories? Also i was told by my fitness mate that 80% of weight loss is food, and only 10% is fitness, which is why i am fit, yet fat...

    3. HOW are you running? The only reason i say this is when i used to be a bit of a gym bunny i used to really go for it during the jogging part of my programme but it turned out i wasn't in a "fat burning zone". I ended up strapping on a heart rate moniotr and it turned out for me to lose weight i pretty much had to do "the daddy shuffle" kinda walk.

    Regardless, are you feeling a difference? You were so excited about today, don't be discouraged. The number is just that, a number. If you are feeling better in your skin, noticing diferences, then.. well thats half the battle

    Keep going xxx
  • Bearface115
    Bearface115 Posts: 574 Member
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    HAHA i drink alottts of water and No i havent measured myself which i should have, bc i see inches taken off me. i still love the program and my diet is more good than bad. i had to sacrifice alot of HUGE temptations bc i thought i would have gain if i did. so its good that i behaved, but still... BLAH! Next months weight in will be bigger and better... i hope