Hello There:

I have recently taken on the venture of running my first 5k in about 3 weeks.  I have been training on my treadmill... running the 5k program on it.... and find myself quite exhausted in the middle of the day.  I have chaulked this up to the extra push, but am just wondering if there is anything different I should be doing as far as my diet and exercise program is concerned.  Is there anything that I should be making sure that I am doing or not doing?  This is my first venture at this sort of thing, but I figure if I am changing some of the life choices, why not give this a try....

Any suggestions?

Hi richiesbaby,

Congratulations on your recent venture of running a 5K and making some positive life changes!  It sounds like you're working very hard toward your goals and you should be very proud!! 

It isn't unusual to experience tiredness or have less energy than you typically would have when beginning any new weight loss or exercise program.  When you are stressing or taxing your body beyond what it is used to, and/or consuming less calories, it may take a little while for your body to catch up and adjust.  I would encourage you to make sure that you're getting plenty of sleep (7-8 hours per night), drinking plenty of water and also giving your body time to recover.  Train for the 5K 3-5 days per week and make sure that you're on a good training schedule.  There are many resources that lay out training programs when working toward a 5K, 10K, marathon, etc. that will guide you safely and effectively. 

Continue to work hard and stay committed to your goals!  Take it one day at a time and also make sure that you're incorporating a variety of exercises to keep your mind and body challenged.

Best of luck,

Kelli

 Hello Again~

I have another question for you.... actually I am not sure if it is for you or should be posted for the nutrition experts....

Since we last talked I have run the first of 3 5k's and was actually quite proud... I had set 3 goals for myself....1) Finish   2) try to run atleast a 15 min mile and 3) Don't be last!!!  I accomplished all 3!!! My time was 43.44....

Since my run, and experiencing how hard and different it is from running on my treadmill, I have stepped up my training, have tried to stay on the program, making sure that I am staying under in fat grams/calories and drinking water.

Here is the problem... I have not been able to lose weight.  (bouncing up and down between 184-181 for about 3 weeks)

My exercise routine is as follows:

6 days/week I run on the treadmill.... 1/2 mile at 5-5.5mph then the next 1/2 mile 6-7 mph then back down to 5mph until I reach 3.1 miles

I also do strength training every other day on my bowflex (curls, benchpress, leg press, etc) to work my upper body....

Do you have any suggestions/advise on what can be done to jumpstart my weightloss again?

Tammy

Hi richiesbaby, 

Congrats on your 5k's and accomplishing such an awesome feat!  You should be very proud!  It sounds like you're working very hard with your exercise and healthy eating plan. 

The fact that you haven't lost weight in the last few weeks certainly doesn't mean that you're not making progress, as the # number on the scale is only 1 barometer of your success! You very well may be losing inches (determined by using a cloth measuring tape) and fat mass (which you can use a specialized scale, like the Tanita that has a specialized feature that measures body composition) while maintaining/increasing lean muscle!  Although muscle doesn't "weigh" more than fat, it is more dense, which means you may be losing those inches while staying at the same weight.  The mere fact that you're including strength training into your weekly workout program is awesome, as it will allow you to maintain or slightly increase muscle mass while losing fat!  In that aspect, I encourage you to keep strength training 2-3 times per week. The alli website provides very helpful, animated demos for an effective full-body workout! 

As far as additional fitness advice, I would encourage you to include a variety of workouts into your exercise program.  Instead of just running on your treadmill 6x per week, include a Taebo video or The Firm!  Other great DVD's are P90X or Yoga Booty Ballet!  All of these incorporate higher intensity segments, some strengthening/toning and really challenge your body!  Any time that you can "confuse" your muscles, challenge them to perform at a different level or to do something different, that will help jump start your weight loss again! 

Lastly, add 2-3 minutes of higher intensity burst during your runs.  Do this by increasing the speed pretty significantly or the elevation.  When you cannot go any longer, return to your "normal" speed and recover.  

Best of luck and keep up the great work!

Your friend in fitness, 

Kelli