Inspiration & Weight Loss

[Unregistered]

Hi Andy

Your website and writing is a big inspiration to me. You should be very proud. Your writing is excellent and I for one would buy it in a bookstore...try and get it published!

Now, I am finally entering the zone of feeling truly like a runner. I am recording my times and planing a 3rd 10k race soon. Here I sit in Paris on business and am commited to getting up early and running down the champs elysee in the freezing cold. I must be a runner!?

BUT...the weight is still a huge problem. I was 19.5 stone (ie: very big) and now I am down to between 17 stone and 17.7 stone. I am running, going to the gym and am fitter than at any time in my life BUT I cannot shift the weight. I had some new success when I cut out bread and really watched my food but now I am shockingly putting back on weight whilst also running 10k runs each week!

What I was going to ask you was ... has running worked for you in shifting your excess weight? I keep reading in your diary of beer and food sessions yet still you run lots. So is it working for keeping your weight down?

cheers
Robert

[El Gordo]

Hi Robert

Well done on the running - it sounds like you're making great progress.

I do have a writing project on the back burner though I read the Looniness of the Long Distance Runner a couple of weeks ago, and realised the bastard had nicked most of my ideas. But thanks for the compliment.

Weight? A thorny subject. I originally started running to lose some weight. I was about 243 pounds, and went down to 195 at the time I did the London marathon. This then crept, well OK, rocketed, up again to about 225. By the time Chicago came round it had gone down to about 205 but now it's crept up to somewhere around 215.

In other words, I've had trouble keeping my weight down too. It's a shame because there is no single thing that would help me to run better and a bit faster, than to lose another 20 pounds and keep it off.

I know exactly how to do it -- stop drinking alcohol, and reduce the amount of bread and potatoes I eat. Unfortunately these are my favourite things, so it's almost impossible. I need another way.

When I lost a lot of weight I drank very little, and was much more disciplined about what I ate. Typically I'd have a big breakfast then salad for lunch and some very light snack in the evening. It did the trick, but it was easier for me to regulate what I ate because I was working from home at the time. Being out of the house for most of the day now (or worse, being away from home completely) makes it much harder.

But the main thing that led me losing weight before was massive motivation. I really wanted to do the London marathon, and was quite scared that I wouldn't manage it which forced me to be quite disciplined. Once that was over I lost a lot of impetus.

In my case, I have to either rediscover that big motivation again, or I have to run/exercise more. An extra-marital affair might kill two birds with one stone....

But seriously, it might seem that I run a lot but I don't at all. The week just gone I ran 20 miles for the first time in ages. If I could run 25-30 miles a week I think it would make a difference. The main thing I've found is that there is a significant snowball effect that I need to exploit. And it's a snowball that can travel both up and down. When I'm running well (by my modest standards) it makes me feel better, which encourages me to eat better which helps reduce my weight, which helps my running, and so on. The opposite can happen too though. I stop running, I get lethargic, eat more, put on weight, don't feel like running. When that happens the cycle has to broken.

Perhaps it would help to set a slightly frightening goal. It's great that you're doing 10Ks, but how about trading up to a spring half marathon, with the possibility of an autumn marathon? That might help to concentrate your mind.

Remember that doing a lot of exercise doesn't necessarily reduce your weight. If you're doing a lot of gym work, you tend to increase your muscle which weighs even more than the fat it's replacing. Are you doing sit-ups? That's the other thing that seemed to help, though I've not done any recently.

Does anyone else have anything to add on this?

Cheers,

Andy

[Griff]

Hear, hear. Andy, you really do have a talent for the written word. Get it published!! (And I want a signed copy too!)

As for weight loss and running, my story is very similar to yours. Started running/dieting at 15st and got down to 12st after five months. But that was four years ago. Less dieting and getting back to old eating habits have forced my weight up to 13st1lb recently in spite of regular running. However, after a bit of a diet (and a bit of unwelcome stress) I've got down to 12st8lbs. So it's only a couple of weeks dieting to shed another 8 lbs and get back those "snake hips".

It's all a question of intake and output as Andy has expounded before with his "Bank Account" story.

[glaconman]

I can certainly reiterate what's been said.

I think there are definite watersheds; target weights that, when reached, begin to eliminate the discomfort that's initially associated with running.

Running at a moderate pace becomes easier and you can start to concentrate on different things other than just getting around.

I've only been at my 'fighting weight' once, and that was after a period of rapid weight loss due to a gastro illness. I felt like a gazelle. But it didn't last.

I'm not that overweight, but could probably do with losing another stone if I'm going to progress with this running lark.

How am I going to do this?

I'm going to stick to Mediterranean and Indian (vegetarian) food. Both offer a huge variety of good nosh, provide all the stuff for a healthy, balanced diet, whilst giving me a better chance of developing a leaner frame.

But more importantly I'm going to change my attitude towards pangs of hunger. All too often I crack at about 10:30 and eat my lunch, then have another one at 13:00. Or I casually trough a packet of biscuits. It's just a question of being more disciplined regarding what you eat and when.

A friend of mine managed to lose a stone recently in a relatively short period of time in order to improve his abilities as a climber (needless to say he wasn't exactly large to begin with). He did so by 'inviting hunger back into his life' and making it a normal part of his daily routine. Which it should be. He used to queue-up with me at various eateries during our lunch-hour just to get close to temptation, and then reject it.

I doubt if I've got his will-power. But I do know that if we ran 13 miles tomorrow he'd cross the line 15 minutes ahead of me.

[El Gordo]

That's a great story, Glaconman. "Inviting hunger back into his life". It appeals to the old hippy that's buried in me somewhere. I'm not surprised that your mate is a climber. They are cerebral people.

Cheers

Andy

[Good Egg]

It's a long time since I posted but I've been an avid reader all this time.

Anyway I just wanted to say yes, there should be some kind of running commentary book. I'd buy it. I like the writing style here. If I'm honest, I'd say it can be a little patchy but the recent stuff has been excellent. Found the Israel stuff fascinating, and the last couple of weeks have been absolutely classic.

[robertf]

Andy

Thanks for your words on this. Your weight situation is quite similar to mine. The key thing for me is to have the stars align between good bouts of exercise and diet. Then the weight comes off...but if I have a week (like recently) of great , frequent running
and poor diet then nothing happens.

I think you are spot on re: the "snowball effect"...the problem is at the moment for me I just do not have this going. ie: last week I had a superb 6 mile run. Felt great, for the day after hunger was in check. Full of energy to do more runs during the week but then busy work schedule and procrastination meant all good intentions came to nothing and I did not run at all for the next 5 days. Part of the problem too is that I am 'scared' of having a poor run ie: thinking that a 15mins run is a waste of time its only a couple of miles, too rushed, may not feel good about it etc.

I need to beat that.

The thing I really picked up from what you said is the goals for motivation. I really could not contemplate a half marathon...but then before I could not envisage doing a 10k...so maybe you are right I should set a huge goal like this for say Spring to focus my mind/training.

On your book idea...I read the Looniness book and enjoyed bbut I tell you there are not many books out there with really writing around running so there is definitely room for yours too. And the looniness book was so heavy on the humour I missed the more detailed comments/feelings about the actual runs and training itself. Go for it...try to get it published. I promise to buy 2 copies...hows that for an inventive!

thanks
Robert

[Antonio247]

Hello, everybody

I´m very glad lately because I´ve lost seven kilos since september 1st. I weighed 89 kilos and now I weigh 82. I´m 170cm tall. I intend to lose there or four more kilos.

I noticed last year that by running alone I didn´t lose weight, just one kilo in a year after running four days a week.
However, this year I decided to change my nutritional habits and decided to eat only fruit for breakfast. I feel with a lot of energy and If you feel hungry before lunch you can have as much fruit as you like. I had read something about it in the book "Fit for Life". The translation in Spanish was "La antidieta", ( the antidiet), which it really is since you can eat all you want although it must be healthy food. You don´t have to count calories and you soon notice that you need a smaller size, which is very rewarding.
I don´t have any biscuits, chocolate, soft drinks, alcohol or cake. I eat less bread than before, too.Lunch and dinner are the same I used to have before: a main dish, salad, yoghurt or some nuts. I don´t usually feel hungry now.If I am before lunch I have some more fruit. If I am between lunch and dinner, then I have some fruit or a yoghurt or even nuts. From time to time I can have something "forbidden" like a cake or a cup of chocolate and "churros", which I like a lot.

Well, good luck. I hope you all will reach your goals.
Greetings from Almería, Spain.

[El Gordo]

Robert - I know what you mean about being scared to have a bad run. I've dealt with this... intellectually, for want of a better word. I've come to celebrate the occasional appearance of bad runs, because it's only by the existence of the bad ones that we can really enjoy the good ones. It's not an original thought, but imagine if everything in the world was beautiful. How would we know? It's only because there are is so much ugliness about that we can identify beauty. If all our runs went really well, perhaps we wouldn't enjoy them so much. Having the occasional bad one allows us to truly appreciate the good ones. That's a bit philosophical, but it's the only way I can deal with things I don't like much.

It can be very easy to miss several days running like you describe. A few random thoughts:

- start to regard running as non-negotiable time. Think of a run as an essential part of your day (or of certain pre-decided days). We wouldn't say "I was going to have a shower this morning but I didn't have time", or "I was really hungry when I got home but I didn't have time to eat". We make time for things that we regard as essential.

- as long as running is thought of as some kind of treat, it's always likely to be cancelled. If you think of a run not as a treat but as your daily feel-good session, it becomes much harder to miss.

- you've said that when you miss several days in a row you feel you've undone your good work. I feel the same. So I just try to make sure it doesn't happen. If I missed a run yesterday, I know that it's even more important that I don't miss today's. The knowledge that I'll be squandering the investment makes me more detemined not to miss today's, even if that means getting up half an hour earlier.

- running makes me feel great. I don't let myself think of a run as some kind of obligation. Even though it's half an hour or 45 minutes out of my life, I know that it's gives a fantastic fillip to the day. So much so that I reckon I claw back that 45 minutes in any case, because my extra clear-headedness and enthusiasm makes me work better!

Do think about a half marathon. That's all. Just think about it. If you can run 6 miles you can learn to run 13. I'm sorry if this sounds like pressure being put on you. It's not. It's the opposite - it's the offer of a reward. When I did the London marathon, someone said to me something like "26 miles! That must be terrible!!" I had to explain to them that no, doing the marathon was not the ultimate self-punishment, it was actually the REWARD for putting in all those months of training and sacrifice, and all those frozen, wretched mornings. Today I was running in a race in front of hundreds of thousands of cheering people, knowing that they thought I was amazing and special. The moment when you turn right into Tower Bridge Road and feel the roar of thousands of flag-waving spectators is enough to make a grown man cry.

Give yourself more grief and inconvenience and anxiety about finding time for your runs, Robert. But all the time, look forward to pay-back time next spring (or whenever), when it all becomes worth it.

Take a look at http://www.halhigdon.com, and check out Hal's half marathon schedules for 'novice' runners. You'll be pleasantly surprised at just how do-able it is.

Andy

[El Gordo]

Antonio - fruit for breakfast is a good idea. I may try that, as I tend to eat far too much first thing. The only trouble with fruit is that it's not very comforting. I love apples, but I could eat a bagful when I'm hungry, and still not feel quite satisfied.

My weakness is bread. I just love good bread. Or even bad bread. I can happily chomp on dry bread at any time of day or night. It's not 'bad' food of course but it's bad news for dieters.

Andy

[Antonio247]

Hola, Andy
I´m very glad with your website. I´ve learnt a lot in just a week and I feel very comfortable here. I like the way you write very much and I´ve learnt about ruuning slower than your marathon pace as well as running without the watch in order to avoid the obsession with the time you´ve done before. I think it is good to run without the watch from time to time and enjoy your run. It is a sort of running with your mind feeling great. I´ve also had access to new websites. But, above all, I´ve had the chance to meet wonderful people who share the same hobby and besides I can practise my English and learn from all of you.

Well, as far as the topic related to the weight loss is concerned, I think that the best of the fruit breakfast is that you can eat as much as you like without having a feeling of being guilty as when you eat too much bread and jam or biscuits and chocolate cream. This morning, for instance, I had eight mandarins for breakfast at nine a.m. At about one I felt a bit hungry and I had 6 more before I prepared fish to have for lunch at two. I´ve been following a healthy way of eating for eight weeks- I don´t like the word diet- and I feel fine and thinner.

Are you still interested in coming to take part at Almería´s half marathon? It would be wonderful if you and any other forumites could come. I´ve read that you´re probably going to Wroclaw in Poland in April. I´d love to go too but the date is not good for me since I only have the weekend off. It it were at Easter I could go. I´ve never been to Eastern Europe and I´d like to see that part of the world. On that day, I expect to run Madrid marathon. I ran this marathon in 1988 and 1989 when I was younger and single. I managed to finish in 3 hours, 57 minutes in 1988 and 3 hours 46minutes in 1989. If this year I could do it under 5 hours I´d be very happy.

Well, have a good time and don´t forget to change the clocks tonight. Spring forward, fall back. You change the time in the UK today, don´t you?

Hasta la vista.
Antonio

[robertf]

Andy

Thanks for your words of advice, re: approach to a 'bad run'. I like your approach. I also thought what I will do is focus on 1 excellent run per week ...long (for me) run on Sunday. And then during the week anything I can do is a bonus...30mins is fine. As long as I do something a few times a week.

Can I ask you?...What is your ideal typical week in terms of frequency of runs and distance?

Re: the half marathon...I've considered your comments...I think you are definitely right. I should set a goal of doing a half marathon , I am going to go for it!! I'll look for one for Spring. And thanks for the link to the half marathon training plan. I'll take a good look at it.

thanks
Robert

[El Gordo]

Robert - my training regime is very up-and-down at the moment. I've had a very patchy year. Started off pretty well, but then I had two calf injuries, which kept me out for about 3 months in total. Late summer was better, and just recently has been pretty good.

At the moment I'm not training for anything in particular, so there's no great pattern, but I'm trying to run 4 or 5 times a week. I try to run 3 or 4 times during the week before work, and once or twice at the weekend. Just recently I've not been running great distances. My standard round-the-block early morning run is 3.5 miles, and I try to do something longer at the weekend - perhaps 5 or 6 miles (though I didn't this weekend just gone).

It's one of the good things about gearing up towards a particular race like a marathon or half marathon. You follow a training programme which provides motivation. If you have a chart on the wall or in a spreadsheet, telling you that you have to run certain distances on certain days, it provides some structure and discipline to what would otherwise be just a casual tendency to run.

All that said, if you've read any of the training logs here you'll be well aware that I frequently miss runs or have to curtail them for some reason, so I'm no saint. But without a training schedule to follow, I'm worse.

Great news about doing the half.

Cheers

Andy

[El Gordo]

Antonio - yes, we changed our clocks this weekend, so it's now lighter in the morning.

As the Americans say, I'll have to "take a raincheck" on Madrid/Almeria. I'll see how things go. Wroclaw is just an idea but I'd love to do it. Also on that day is the Padua marathon in Italy which people talk of highly.

I hope Spain doesn't run out of mandarins!

Keep in touch.

Andy