This is my first post.  I am currently a 6' male at 236 lbs at 40 years old.  Im down from 267 lbs from May.  Ive yo yoed a bit however im in a groove.  I actually weighed at one point just under 300 lbs.  I started riding a mountain bike in Feb and then transitioned to road biking in May and started to "run" a little.  My 5k running times were at just under 40 min.  However after 3 sprint tris, 2 dualathlons and Muddy Buddy race and 3 5k races, as I stated I am getting in a routine. The reason for the races is for motivation which I lack much of.  I need a reason there thats why I sign up for them. My motto is what I call "JFB"  (Just finish baby).  Getting back to thr primary reason for my post is that if I can do it anybody can.  My current times on my 5ks have dropped tremendously in the past 4 to 6 weeks all of a sudden.  Im posting low 25 to mid 26 minutes finishes,  Its coming together.  I was platueing at around 244 lbs forever so I looked at my caloric intake (I love food) and began to watch that much ckoser with the help of the Fitness Pal app on my phone.  It helped tremendously!  I ddint realized how much the little stuff added up.  I say all of this, get up get out, one step at a time, one day at a time!  If you fall off the wagon for a period, get back on.  Find something that works.  I personally didnt follow the C25k however its a proven plan.  I can gaurantee this,  IF YOU ARE OUT THERE DOING SOEMTHING, YOU ARE LAPPING THE ONES ON THE COUCH NO MATTER WHAT YOUR TIME IS.  My motto, JFB!

Brian Q

Hope everyone is doing well - i fell off the wagon last week  --  Business trip to Germany - I really like the black beer and jagersnitzel.  I back slide a bit and porpoised up above 225.  I had been below for couple of weeks but never cracked the 220 barrier. 

looking forward to thanksgiving tomorrow  --  cooking turkey on the Big Green Egg and doing local 5K.  Hope to be back into the swing of things and get weight back down.  goal is to crack 220 for Jan1.!

anyway as the dark days of winter approach - I find it harder to get my road work in.  something about getting out in the dark that I just don't like.

Well I'm new here...I've been on Weight Watchers since 10/1. I started at 252 and I'm down to 232. I do Turbo Jam 2-3 times a week but I wanted something more. My son is a Naval Sea Cadet and he's getting ready to go to boot camp and watching him do his PT, I got inspired. So I downloaded C25K and I'll be starting on Monday (need better shoes!).  I'm tired of being overweight, I feel more in control than I have in a long time.  I completely ruptured my right ACL in November 2010, but I've made a full recovery, a little worried about the knee swelling, but I played ice hockey after I had my surgery, hopefully it will be ok. 

Ok, well that's it for me. I'm going to continue my walks the rest of this week and get ready for my W1D1 workout on Monday. I'm a little scared but at the same time, I know I can do this. It will take all nine weeks, but I'm going to do this.  I might be sore, get blisters, rub my shoulders raw from bra straps, but if I want to get down to my goal weight, aerobics alone isn't going to do it and I want this. I want the medal at the end. I'm registering for the Suncoast Classic 5K that will take place on 3/2/13

Good for you - managed to get out couple of times this week  -- down side is wife is experimenting with new cake recipe!  Sometimes its tough when your married to a Cook book author...I am finding I have to force my self to get out in the dark - fortunately I have nice wide relatively well lit paths to waddle along.  I managed 5k yesterday after eating wifes Lamb/black bean chili....good thing I was not pushing it too hard. 

I still have my goal to make it below 220 for the new year.  either way I much better off than I was this time last year.

I'm so glad to see this group active!!
I'm 300 lbs even, 33 years old, and I am terrified of starting this program. I know, however, that if I don't start SOME sort of exercise, I'll be miserable with my body for forever. Not fair to myself, my partner, or my kids.

Currently, I live in Raleigh, NC. Made the decision to try C25K, because I want to run in The Color Run next November in Charlotte. I figure a year gives me time to build up a decent bit of stamina. ;-)

After reading the Tips for New Runners article, I've decided to start slow by walking tonight on my dinner break. I might not make 45 minutes. I might not make 30 minutes. I might not even make 20.. but I WILL start tonight. Soonest begun, right?

DKKNAEBEL - I don't know you, but you give me hope. I am proud of you, for whatever a stranger's pride is worth.

To all of you - don't ever stop being awesome, and thanks in advance for the support that I'm already seeing in posts.

So I am new to the board and new to running as a way to get into shape. I am 45YO and weigh in at 280lbs. I have been running now for about a year but I have to be honest, I have not run every week. I participated in a few 5Ks for the past year and certainly enjoy them. As a matter of fact, i am running in one this weekend in New Haven, Ct. I have a group of family and friends that typically run together. Well, not together but we wait at the finish for one another. I have run in some very well organized races and some not so much. However, I do it for myself. I am running about a roughly about a 12:27 pace. I did go out and buy some good running shoes and have replaced them already.I also went out and purchased some quality running gear,too. running shoes are very important. I am not an expert but I think you can hurt yourself without the proper shoe. Go to a dedicated running store and spend some real time trying many different shoes on and possibly inserts. I am running in a Asic Kayano 18.

My biggest problem is race disciplin. I ussually come out running too hard and faltered after that first mile or so. And my thrid mile is slow too. I do pick it for the last 10th though and finish with a 10:30 pace but I know I cannot keep that type of pace long. However , I want to finish strong. My next biggest problem is stretching. I mentally understand the need but never do a good job of stretching prior to running. I have picked up yoga at home but that just lets me know how unflexible I really am. Any suggestions on stretching, how do you motivate yourself to strech?

Well, good luck with your races this weekend.

Hey everyone, thanks for sharing everything, I've been catching up on everything here and have enjoyed reading it all. I saw a link to this thread in an email from Active and thought I would chime in to share my support and share my story, here's the short version! (kinda)

In March of 2008 I was 34 years old, 6'-0" and weighed 300lbs. I had a lot changing in my family life and decided I needed to make a change if I wanted to be around to see my teen age son grow up. Walking up any amount of stairs winded me and I knew I was in bad shape. I've always been a biger guy and even had a friend who swore to me I would be dead by 40.

I slowly started weight training, completed the C25k program and ran a Warrior Dash 5k mud run over a 5 month period and within a year and a half of running/weight training I was down to about 220lbs.

The only thing I changed about my diet is portion size. I'm a meat and potatoes guy, and don't like many veggies!

Fast forward another 2 and half years and now I keep finding other races/activities to do to motivate myself to stay active. I train in some form about 5-6 days a week I'm currently 200-205lbs and since that first 5k in April 2009, I have run 22 5k races, 3 10ks (incl 2 10k mud runs on a marine base!), 7 Aquathons (swim 800m/run 1mi/swim 800m), 2 2-mile pier to pier ocean swims, 3 Sprint Triathlons and recently a "Lazy Man" Ironman at my gym where in 6 days I swam 2.6mi, Biked 112mi and ran 26.2mi.

Last weekend I set my PR in a local 5k with a time of 24:18:00 and this year I hope to complete my first Half Marathon. Currently I'm running about 8miles at a time in about 01:15:00.

I've been as low as 198lbs but that was only for a couple days lol Breaking the 200lb is tough without changing my diet but I'm pretty happy where I'm at even though I wonder how much being under 200lbs would improve my race times?! I think my preferred weight would be about 190 but I know that's out of reach unless I change my diet and like I said, I love my food! haha

Thanks again everyone for sharing and good luck with all your goals! Its tough to find time (I workout/run/swim/bike) from 5am to 6:30am and on my lunch break but am always home in the evenings) but if you stick the C25k program and finish it, the results and discipline you gain are a huge motivator to keep up an active lifestlye!