Ok then hello all. A returning runner looking for the latest thoughts.

Primarily, running for my personal pleasure and for fitness.

In the interim since I last ran, I have gathered a lot of me in fact there is 18 and a half stones of me now. I want to be down to a reasonable weight quickly but not so quick that I get injured and or fed up of running. Also, I have a big muscle bulk as a residual from my days ( many moons since) as a racing cyclist. I am fully well aware that exercise alone will not reduce my bulk. I would also like to say that when I was last running I got down to my apparently correct weight. This was around 12 stones. Fraankly everyone thought I was auditioning for a role in a holocaust movie. I really did look ill.

If it helps I'm 6'1" tall and have as I said a very big physique.

All help gratefully received. I intend to see how I go and then maybe enter something or other next year.

Cheers
Bear

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My P.B.is P.

Start off slow, don't push yourself too hard, just go for a 20 min jog trying to keep on your toes. Get some good supportive shoes and then increase the distance by a minute every few days or so.

Your fitness will come back fairly fast.

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It's a funny little world ain't it?! :eek:

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Run for one mile – note down the time – give this initial time a name. For the sake of argument lets call it a PB…. Next time out try to beat your PB. And don’t forget to let everyone know what your PB is …and be sure to ask other runners what their PB is…

To be honest, I would try losing some of the weight through non weight bearing exercises before you do any road running, or you may damage your knees. I'm 6" 1' too and used to weigh close to 17 stone, and I lost 4 stone through diet and cycling before I took up running. I lost the final 1.5 stone through running and have maintained that weight. I once tried running when I was 17 stone and I could feel the pressure on my knees, which wasn't good. I guess you could try some slow running and see how you feel, but if you get any niggles in your knee don't push it. You really don't want to do any permanent damage.

Hi brumbear.

I'm afraid there's an awful lot of me, too. Mind you, there's over a stone less of me thatn there was back in January, so this running thing is definitely good for helping shrinkage.

That said, JBBury speaks a lot of sense. My legs have taken a hell of a pounding because of my excess weight and I'm pretty sure it's directly contributed to my current injury, so do make sure you take it easy. Listen to your body and make sure you take it easy and rest it plenty. Maybe intersperse the runs with some cycling - it'll help your overall fitness and burn some calories without being too hard on your legs.

Apologies if I'm teaching grandmother to suck egss, in which case ignore me, but have you already started making changes to your diet to help with weight loss? If not, then I'd try doing it at the same time as starting to exercise more. I know these things are not the same for everyone, and I've heard it said many times that you shouldn't make too many changes at once as you'll find it harder to keep them going, but I disagree. I find it much much easier to eat healthily when I'm exercising, and I know a lot of people feel the same. Don't make the mistake I made to start with, though - make sure you're still eating enough to fuel your exercise - it would seem that running is so much harder when you don't have the energy to keep your legs going

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My get up and go has got up and gone...
Found it - it was hiding at the bottom of a puddle down by the stream - splish

Now you get the idea. You were nearly humorous there for a second. Keep trying.

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My P.B.is P.

Thanks, this is sound advice. However, what I have started doing first off is "nordic walking". Now that really does put a load on the joints. No probs so far other than the scallywags asking where my skis are.

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My P.B.is P.

Thanks for your words of encouragement.

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My P.B.is P.

Your BMI is 34.2 which is obove 30 which, in theory makes you obese. However, I am not keen on the BMI scale as it doesn't take into account muscle mass. As you may be aware muscle tissue is heavier than fat. I inform my clients that it's not what they weigh or how they look but how they feel. Be sensible with your weight loss and try something low impact (swimming or cycling) then progress on to running. And good luck

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swim, cycle, run, sit down and have a cuppa

As you say you have a large build and you are tall brum, I bet you carry it better than others would at that weight

Have you tried WW (don't know what counts as advertising here) I lost a stone with it a few years ago and I've kept it off by using it to maintain my weight. And you can still have pizza on it

I'll go along with most of the advice dished out here. My secret weapon for shedding my initial load was setting the treadmill on maximum gradient and walking as fast as I could without breaking into a jog (that way, it saves the knees). Alternatively you need to find a large hill and thumb a lift down each time (going down again does all the damage to the knees you avoided on the way up )

Really? I agree the BMI scale doesn't account for athletes or people with a large muscle mass (I believe the BMI scale renders Johnny Wilkinson Obese?) - but I'd say there were plenty of medical indicators of health that are far more accurate than going on how the person feels... Especially concerning people who just don't see themselves as being 'that fat'.

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www.richardsimkiss.co.uk

My OH is classed as mega obese, but there is no fat on him, just 20 years of weight training.

Yes, really

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swim, cycle, run, sit down and have a cuppa

Without wanting to sound argumentative, but you would honestly advise the likes of Johnny Vegas (to use him as a well known example) that's he's fine and dandy because he loves life and feels good?

Personally I'd tell him his lifestyle is killing him.

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