Butterthebean

Glad everyone is adding miles today. I'm taking the day off from running today. After 6 straight days of running I need it. But tomorrow morning will be an early morning trail scramble of at least 5 miles. Then Saturday I'm running in a 10K race with my niece Meagan who was a participant in this years Boston Marathon. She hasn't run an organized race since that dreadful day. So several members of the family are driving out to participate in this event with her.

Ouch....jeezus. Be careful. Glad to have you on board.

I see no reason why you can't. Several others here have done it. I started c25k a year ago when I was still 300 lbs. Now I've run 2 half marathons and several 10Ks.

Howdy vets. As some of you know, I'm going back to school to get my degree. After being out of school 27 years, going back is like facing every worst nightmare I ever had. It's scary. But the belief in myself I have now after losing all my weight is making me realize all things are possible....even college algebra (gulp). My wife is a PHD and has worked in academics all her life...mostly in university settings and now for a medical school. She has 15 years of higher education compared to the 2 I'm about to undertake, so she has a good bit of experience to lend me. She told me last night that no matter how much information I may have forgotten since high school, that my "natural obsessiveness" would carry me through. WTF? Me? Apparently...it took all that natural obsessiveness to lose the weight and get in shape like I did, and educate myself enough to be able to do so. According to her, I always had it, I just didn't know how to focus it on a given goal. And now that I do I can wield it any way I choose. Sound reasonable? Do any of y'all feel it took obsessiveness to get to your goal? And have you been able to redirect that same focus toward something else afterward?

No no. I'm still preparing to retake the SAT and my placement exams. I'll start some of my online prereqs after that but I was too late to get into this falls program so it will be next fall. Which is fine, that gives me time to save some money before i become a full time pauper.

I've come to realize that eating back your exercise calories is not that important in the early months. You're already at such a huge calorie deficit anyway. Of you feel ok and you have energy, you're eating fine. But as you get closer to maintenance it becomes much more important. Because at some point the body will try to metabolize muscle instead of fat for fuel. You don't want that. The farther along you get the more your body will resist burning it's depleted fat reserves in favor of muscle. This is what makes strength training so vital, to protect from muscle breakdown. But in order to grow muscle (or maintain) you must eat.

Congrats on starting c25k. It really turned me into a runner. I'm addicted now. Love it. I will say, c25k is meant to be done every other day, especially in the beginning. Those rest days in between are important....just as important as the running days, especially of you're that sore.

So um....what was the original topic again?

That's criminal.

I've been reading this thread and I find it very interesting. I will admit to being an everyday weigher....I don't mind. My weight loss stopped months ago just slightly north of goal, and I've been teetering 5-10 pounds back and forth ever since. No biggie, but I keep weighing everyday just to see if anything has changed. Most days it's the same, and sometimes I'm relieved by that knowing what I ate....and other days I'm surprised knowing I may have had a very long run and not eaten much. Other days it will inexplicably jump up 5 pounds over night....only to fall back down in a day or 2. But bottom line, I'm at a point where it doesn't really bother me whatever the number....but I keep doing it as part of my self accountability. In my past weight loss attempts, my regain was always coupled with an unwillingness to get on the scale. I'm trying to prevent that mistake from ever repeating itself.

Good job everybody. You are all doing great. Keep it up. I ran 4 hot miles today putting me at 31.5 total.

Why...are you making fish smoothies??? LOL

You're winter isn't as long as our summer.....but frankly...it's not the weather that bothers me the most.

I think you can do it....honestly...I think you can do more. The way you've broken it down...I don't think 300 is going to be enough of a challenge for you. Come on slacker....how many can you really give us?

Yes you can include all of that stuff...moving and breathing...that's the goal. And damn...I have that song on my running playlist...but shhhh...don't tell anyone.

Well then you are a machine....I most certainly am not. I'm going to do well to get 100. My typical average is probably closer to 70-80...so just trying to challenge myself to do more than I have before.

Fiddle, how many miles do you plan on running this month? 300? Can you sustain that for 30 days? Should you?

Ironic cause I'm making plans now to move away from Texas forever. I need a change.

You're in the 3 week stall. There's not much you can do about it. Just ride it out and keep doing the right things. Here's an interesting read about it.... http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html As for calories....at your stage I would think the real goal is to get in your Protein and Water...doubtful you'll have too much room left to eat excessive calories so my thoughts would be to not try to limit yourself to an arbitrary number. You're not on a diet. But from what I've seen, 600-800 is pretty typical. And as for carbs....I always aimed for about 30% of my calories.....but only after I was hitting my minimum protein requirements. So at 600 calories that would be 45 grams of carbs...preferably green veggies and no starches.

Well said...see, there is middle ground between all groups after all. I'm glad this thread got started. Exactly what I was hoping to convey. Great post. Damn...this may be the first time I've seen a moderation vs abstinence thread that didn't turn into a flame war right from the get go. A first for VST perhaps? It almost restores my faith in humanity.

Oh jeez. This thread is officially off the rails.

Thank goodness Texas doesn't require weight on the license. But when I was a kid my mom got pulled over and while the cop was asking her questions and writing the ticket, he asked her for her weight. When she later realized that information was no where on the ticket, she was pissed. She went to court and called that cop to the stand and read him the riot act. You had to know my mom....she was a cross between Courtney Love and Al Pacino....only less subtle. In the end the judge gave her a $50 fine and made the cop apologize.

Oh Cheri....yes to all of that.

I have a vitamix and I make green shakes all the time. Currently I'll put 2 big cups of kale, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup frozen mixed fruit and 2 scoops of protein powder. Makes a huge shake, very filling for me and about the only way I'll get in greens regularly.