Long time lurker here and taken part in a challenge or two. I wanted to post for those who are in a similar position to where I was this time last year and share some tips for anyone looking to exercise as well as diet.
So a bit of backstory: after coming back from university, I realised I was severely unhealthy and after jumping on the scales figured that 19st 12lbs wasn't a good weight for a 22 year old guy. Not only that, I couldn't even run upstairs without being out of breath, and kept having chest pains every so often once I'd eaten. I knew that if I didn't do something, I'd probably end up dead.
So I set an end goal - I wanted to run the half marathon that I'd watched so many times while at university (called the Great North Run), and I wanted to run it in 2018. I'd accepted it was a big ask, but decided that it was better than no end goal. After finishing yesterday in just under my 3 hour target, I wanted to share some things I found useful along the way (even if a lot of it has been said before). Also feel free to ask questions in the comments or PM me - I'd love to help other people achieve their goals!
On running:
- You can do it! - trust me, I never considered myself fit to run - even now I don't think of myself as a runner. But a positive outlook works wonders when you tell yourself you can do something, especially when you know that it will have a good result in the long run.
- Find a training plan and start small - A good training plan makes sure you're getting the right amount of exercise each week and that you're not going to over-exert yourself and risk injury. For me, I started with Couch to 5K, which has you run three time a week (rest days help build the muscle), and more importantly, starts small - in the beginning, the long walks and short jogs are a lifesaver!
- Don't be put off if you find it too hard - in whatever training plan you use, at some point, you might hit a wall. You might attempt a session and think "Nope, I can't do that. It's too hard." and that's okay - most people will hit this wall - the important thing is how you handle it. My advice in this scenario, rather than giving up or risking injury, is to repeat the previous week's training for a week or two, until you feel comfortable with that before moving on. If it still feels like too much, try knocking a couple of minutes of the exercises.
- Don't be put off if you're not running the distance - so you've got to the end of Couch to 5K, but you're still only running 3.5km and not sure you're cut out for it. Please, please, don't let it discourage you. Truth be told, I never actually achieved 5K during my Couch to 5K training - only 4.45km. It wasn't until I moved on that I ever ran over 5K, so don't be discourage if this happens to you.
- Don't worry about missing a week - if you're ill or injured, don't make things worse by running if you're not fit to. You can always pick back up where you left off when you're better. A lot of times when I had flu, I'd take a week off and often find improvements when I started running again, so it's better to do that than make things worse.
- Set some goals - the easiest way to stick to a plan is to have a goal at the end of it. You might want one big goal for a year's time and several smaller goals along the way, or you might want to achieve one goal first and then move on to another. It doesn't matter how you set them, as long as you're realistic about them. For me, I wanted to run a half marathon for charity in a year's time. Along the way, I set goals to run a 5K park run event and a 10K race in my home city, often a few week's after finishing a training plan.
- Get social - Sticking to training can be hard at times - especially in winter when it's rainy or snowy and the nights are dark. Finding a friend to run with is a good way to combat this - you can spur each other on and commit to a journey together - for me it was my mum. Alternatively, you can join a local running club - most places have a group that is beginner friendly and will welcome you, and it's a good way to find people with common interests and build a support network. See the RRCA if you live in the US, or RunTogether or UKA if you live in the UK. This subreddit also has its own running club too, so feel free to join.
- Join some events - mixing events into your training is a great way to get a change of scenery and have racing experience before your end goal. You'll often get a new running shirt and a medal too to add to your collection. In the UK, we have weekly ParkRun 5K events, as well as RunForAll and Great Run races that cover various distances. There's also virtual challenges like Race at your pace, where you provide evidence you've covered a certain distance and get a shirt and medal in the post.
- Buy some proper running shoes - if you can afford to, and want to commit to running, go to a local running/sports store and get fitted for running shoes. It will be pricey, but you'll have a pair of comfy shoes which are matched to how you run and will reduce injury.
- Track what you do - using an app like Strava, Endomondo or Nike Run Club is a great way to log your runs and track your journey over time. Most provide some kind of feedback during your runs of how far you've run and how long you have to go and what your current pace is (although don't worry about pacing if you're just starting out). My personal favourite was Nike Run Club, as its easy to use; doesn't contain annoying premium features or ads; and it has auto-pause if you stop during your training. Additionally, you might want to buy a fitness tracker like a Fitbit. They're not entirely necessary, they're good for logging weight loss and tracking how far you've walked each day. Most of them will automatically track exercise too.
- Stay safe - pretty obvious but, take care when you run. If you're running in the dark or fairly remote locations, keep in touch with people and try carry a phone in case of emergency.
On dieting:
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Join a dieting group - The two most popular ones in the UK are Weight Watchers and Slimming World, although the core principles are the same. I chose to join Slimming World, as my local group meets on Mondays and that keeps my weekends in order (haha). On a serious note, getting weighed each week keeps your mind focussed. If you don't want to join a group and want to weigh yourself, set a time each week and make sure to use the same set of scales.
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Good food can be healthy too - a lot of the food you already love can be adapted to be healthy and fit in a diet plan. One of my favourite websites for looking recipes up is PinchOfNom, though several others also exist.
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Try not to overcompensate with food/set a treat night - it's easy to think that you've run all that way, so you can have a takeaway tonight or pizza and ice cream or whatever - and you should every once in a while, or dieting becomes boring, but doing it all the time will lead to overcompensation and not losing any weight. We'd combat this by having one meal on a certain day being off the diet plan - often Monday tea-time after weighing in, rather than multiple treats throughout the week.
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Keep pushing on - by this I mean, if one week you don't lose weight for no obvious reason, don't let it drag you down - bodies are weird in how they cope with dieting. Often I'd put on a pound a week or maintain for four weeks, and then on week 5 I'd drop 10lbs - it's weird. Please don't be discouraged if this happens to you.
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Don't let slip ups drag you down either - so you caved in and ate some chocolate or had a cheese toastie for lunch rather than a salad? That's fine, you're human, and I guarantee anyone who's been on any diet has done the same (myself included). Let it go and move on - don't beat yourself up about it. When I cave, I try remember how I feel immediately after eating whatever it was - often a mix of guilt for slipping up, and disatisfaction that what I'd just had wasn't as great as I remember it being, then I remind myself of that next time I go for some (unless its treat night then everything is mine!)
Phew, this post turned out to be longer than I expected it to be (sorry!). TL;DR I lost a lot of weight and trained for a half marathon in the space of a year - here's my advice for people looking to do the same!
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