6 Month Transformation Ongoing thread

[tacoma34]

This. Thread. Is. Awesome.

I'm rooting for you and will follow along your journey!

[tennelson55]

Originally Posted by PensFan29

i'm not sure who told you you can't lose weight by lifting, but they are wrong. lifting builds muscle...the body burns more calories maintaining muscle than fat...therefore lifting burns calories. additionally, high rep sets at set intervals keep the heart rate working at a steady state which is ideal for longer term weight loss. if you lose the weight but don't have a body built underneath, then you haven't really done much except change a number.

it's not weight training OR cardio, it's finding the middle ground of both.

Lifting builds muscle, yes that's correct.
Not eating sufficient calories to build muscle = counter intuitive to building muscle.you're essentially building NOTHING by not eating enough calories to build the muscle to maintin muscle.
So you're planning to gain muscle while at the same time as losing fat. Just an FWI, you can't do that, at least at a productive rate. You're going to build muscle, but reduce your fat while not eating enough to build muscle, but burn off fat??? The body is going to say **** muscles, I need to take the energy I'm eating now and go straight to supplying daily activity/your body's functions. You're not building muscle, so you're not going to burn off additional calories with the "muscle you build" because there isn't muscle growing...

You do realie the OP wants to run a 5K in April, right? Shouldn't he train for running? I mean he even says he hates it, therefore he probably does it the least... I know I hate running to a certain point then it becomes boring and just something I have to do for a workout...

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

This is my mentality. For the last time I started going, I was focus don strictly cardio. It wasn't until I started focusing on weights that I noticed the weight dropping faster and building up a better endurance.

As for the amount of cardio I squeeze in, I have a sedentary job, so I try to walk on my breaks and then do at least 30 mins at the gym. The weather right now is pretty brutal so I'm trying to put it in as much as possible. I usually end up with 4-6 miles at the end of the day between everything.

once the weather gets better, the pup will be happy because we will be going on some extra long walks!

Do you run for cardio? I recommend running. #@#@#@#@, jogging does wonders. If you can run a 10 minute mile and do it for 30 minutes, good for you. Make it 9, make it 8, make it 7 and keep going. I think running is the devil as well, but it's honestly THE BEST caloric burning activity you can do. Walking doesn't do it because you're not exerting as much force as compared to running.

If you're looking to weight train do low reps and more weight.

As for the endurance piece, are you talking running? I can tell you for a fact that a person at 300 and then a person at 150 that the person who's 150 should beat out the person at 300. Some people can't run, but it's a choice and some people just don't want to push. The more you push the better your strength and endurance will become. I sadly don't see how your weight continued to go down when you starting focusing on weights. It's actually impossible. Cardio for the same amount as lifting will burn more calories and you're going anerobic. Lifting is the opposite. You're looking for more weight, short bursts and gain muscle/weight. Please ask a dietician about eating and gaining muscle. It will do you wonders.

[fordman]

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

as for the height, I'm 6-1.

And yea, I'll be putting in some extra work tomorrow for this, and probably Friday as well haha.

bacon wrapped filet mignon, bacon wrapped turkey, garlic steak, skirt steak, sausages, prosciutto, top round.....im already salivating thinking about it.

We are having a company lunch today but i passed on that because I'm eating myself into oblivion tonight. haha

walked about a mile on my break this morning in the cold. My legs are slowly getting feeling back.

WHOOOOAAAAA!!!!!!! Hold the train! NO RED MEATS! NO sodium laden meats such as sausage. Sodium makes you retain water. You can have bacon but maybe 3-4 slices per week and that's it. No Steak, No hamburger, NO ground beef, no luncheon meats or pre-packaged anything. They're all sodium laden preservatives.

You need to eat something at least every two hours. Something as in a banana and yogurt - 9am; salad with light dressing or (not with) lean cuisine/weight watcher under 300 calorie - 15+grams of protein-under 600mg of sodium frozen meal at 11am; cheese cubes and hard boiled egg without the yolk at 1pm; grapes/apple with yogurt at 3pm; Dinner - 2 grilled chicken fillets, small packet of unseasoned rice (not ramen noodle style stuff), california medley veggies with a small piece of deli fresh wheat bread at 5pm; go to gym, do whatever workout your comfortable with, then get you a protein bar with at least 20 grams of protein (gatorade makes one that tastes really good).

Next day, rinse & repeat. You can mix up the grilled chicken for grilled fish. Try turkey bacon. Use olive oil vs vegetable oil.

NO FAST FOOD! NO OLIVE GARDEN! NO RED LOBSTER! NO BUFFETS! NO CAFFEINE! ---->>>>NO SODA<<<<---- Limit your dairy, especially chocolate milk.

Dec 2015, I was 312lbs. Im down to 255 with this steady diet and exercise. You'll get there. It had taken you a long time to get to 311lbs, it will take a while to lose it! Everybody is different but high protein, low sodium is the way to go. You'll feel better, you'll look better. Your back, feet, knees & shoulders wont hurt anymore. Fewer headaches and your bathroom habits will change drastically.

Fordman

[Boo]

Originally Posted by tennelson55

Lifting builds muscle, yes that's correct.
Not eating sufficient calories to build muscle = counter intuitive to building muscle.you're essentially building NOTHING by not eating enough calories to build the muscle to maintin muscle.
So you're planning to gain muscle while at the same time as losing fat. Just an FWI, you can't do that, at least at a productive rate. You're going to build muscle, but reduce your fat while not eating enough to build muscle, but burn off fat??? The body is going to say **** muscles, I need to take the energy I'm eating now and go straight to supplying daily activity/your body's functions. You're not building muscle, so you're not going to burn off additional calories with the "muscle you build" because there isn't muscle growing...

You do realie the OP wants to run a 5K in April, right? Shouldn't he train for running? I mean he even says he hates it, therefore he probably does it the least... I know I hate running to a certain point then it becomes boring and just something I have to do for a workout...

Do you run for cardio? I recommend running. #@#@#@#@, jogging does wonders. If you can run a 10 minute mile and do it for 30 minutes, good for you. Make it 9, make it 8, make it 7 and keep going. I think running is the devil as well, but it's honestly THE BEST caloric burning activity you can do. Walking doesn't do it because you're not exerting as much force as compared to running.

If you're looking to weight train do low reps and more weight.

As for the endurance piece, are you talking running? I can tell you for a fact that a person at 300 and then a person at 150 that the person who's 150 should beat out the person at 300. Some people can't run, but it's a choice and some people just don't want to push. The more you push the better your strength and endurance will become. I sadly don't see how your weight continued to go down when you starting focusing on weights. It's actually impossible. Cardio for the same amount as lifting will burn more calories and you're going anerobic. Lifting is the opposite. You're looking for more weight, short bursts and gain muscle/weight. Please ask a dietician about eating and gaining muscle. It will do you wonders.

No offense but there isn't much training that needs to be done for a 5K. Yes if you want to hit a certain target, sure. But if he just wants to complete one, he could pretty much do it with no training. My wife did that a few months ago, never did sh*t but did a 5K. Was her time great (I think it was 34 minutes), not really. A person can walk a mile in 10-12 minutes...5K = 3 miles.

[ssbledsoe]

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

Day 2 Update...on day 3

I was dead last night after the gym so after i came home and showered and turned on the TV, I was out like a light. I don't know the last time I fell asleep before 10PM(usually its 1-2AM)

Did 30 Mins on the elliptical yesterday and went over 2 Miles and burned over 400 calories(though I don't trust machine calculations so maybe its more...maybe its less)

With a minute to go on the elliptical I was drained, but I saw I was at 1.84M on the distance, so I amped it up and made sure to hit the 2 Mile mark.

Once again I stayed away from food after 7PM and only had some water and my all but one of my sugars were under 150 for the day.

Positive: I'm using this as my first benchmark. I used to get way more than 2 miles in 30 mins, so as it gets easier and easier, I can clearly see how much more i can push myself and progress. Slowly adding more intervals speeding up.

Today's agenda:
Morning blood sugar was perfect at 113, so i'm starting the day off on a high note. other than that, today is going to be a quiet day. I am going to a Brazilian steakhouse with more than half of the fantasy league I run and this will be the first time a lot of these guys get a chance to meet each other, so thats exciting. I plan on walking on my breaks and lunch since I wont be able to make it to the gym tonight.

Hope everyone has a great day

Good luck fella! There are tons of people willing to cheer you on and support you here.

With regards to the bolded:
Make sure you get plenty of rest. Sleep deprivation is linked to obesity. It's hard to be motivated to hit the gym/get a work out in when you're dogass tired to begin with.

Congrats on the good sugar! Hard work pays off and you can expect that to become more of the norm.

[PensFan29]

Originally Posted by tennelson55

Lifting builds muscle, yes that's correct.
Not eating sufficient calories to build muscle = counter intuitive to building muscle.you're essentially building NOTHING by not eating enough calories to build the muscle to maintin muscle.
So you're planning to gain muscle while at the same time as losing fat. Just an FWI, you can't do that, at least at a productive rate. You're going to build muscle, but reduce your fat while not eating enough to build muscle, but burn off fat??? The body is going to say **** muscles, I need to take the energy I'm eating now and go straight to supplying daily activity/your body's functions. You're not building muscle, so you're not going to burn off additional calories with the "muscle you build" because there isn't muscle growing...

You do realie the OP wants to run a 5K in April, right? Shouldn't he train for running? I mean he even says he hates it, therefore he probably does it the least... I know I hate running to a certain point then it becomes boring and just something I have to do for a workout...

Do you run for cardio? I recommend running. #@#@#@#@, jogging does wonders. If you can run a 10 minute mile and do it for 30 minutes, good for you. Make it 9, make it 8, make it 7 and keep going. I think running is the devil as well, but it's honestly THE BEST caloric burning activity you can do. Walking doesn't do it because you're not exerting as much force as compared to running.

If you're looking to weight train do low reps and more weight.

As for the endurance piece, are you talking running? I can tell you for a fact that a person at 300 and then a person at 150 that the person who's 150 should beat out the person at 300. Some people can't run, but it's a choice and some people just don't want to push. The more you push the better your strength and endurance will become. I sadly don't see how your weight continued to go down when you starting focusing on weights. It's actually impossible. Cardio for the same amount as lifting will burn more calories and you're going anerobic. Lifting is the opposite. You're looking for more weight, short bursts and gain muscle/weight. Please ask a dietician about eating and gaining muscle. It will do you wonders.

Saying you can't build muscle and burn fat at a productive rate simultaneously just perpetuates internet misinformation...and there's already a lot of that in this thread.

I've done this personally. I am not gifted with one of those natural physiques that can just tack on muscle and be shredded lean. I worked out 5x a week and ate 3000 calories a day of clean food. I started at 20% BF and lowered myself to 14% in a matter of weeks. Now, anyone with knowledge on the subject knows that as body fat gets lower, it becomes more difficult to lose. I was also tracking lean body weight, which was going up (aka building muscle).

5k training can be done in less than a month. For someone weighing 300+lbs., it can be harmful to the body to begin running due to pressure on joints, ligaments, etc. So basic math tells me that losing some weight and gaining some strength will make that whole process not only easier, but far less detrimental to the body.

[ronaldo943]

Originally Posted by Boo

A person can walk a mile in 10-12 minutes...5K = 3 miles.

The average person can NOT walk a mile in 10-12 minutes. Walking a 10-12 minute mile is straight up hauling it.

[chrisfaceoff]

Before I get to day 4, I just want to say thank you to everyone who keeps saying encouraging words, both in this thread and through the PMs, I cant begin to say how much I appreciate it.

There was a lot fo talk in this thread about whats good, whats not, whats going to help and whats counterproductive. This is the struggle that I have always gone through reading articles online. You find one that you think is solid and you can relate to and then there is something out to disprove what the previous article says and so on and so on.

So i again want to reiterate my goals:

Most importantly I want to lose the weight. It all sits around the belly. when i have told people how much i weigh they are shocked it is as much as I say. Sometimes I feel like I look it, other times i don't. regardless of how i see myself on a particular day, I know I need to change several habits. Most importantly eating and workout routines.

I have some muscle, but when I say i want to gain muscle, I am not saying I want to bulk up to massive size by any means. I want to build up my core strength, that's probably the most simple way of putting it.

I want to take part in a 5K. I know I wont be at the point to run the entire thing, but at the same time I don't just want to walk it either. I could walk 3.1 miles, that's not an issue. I want to be able to jog it for a decent portion, because to me that will feel more rewarding when i say I completed it.

The last thing I want this thread to do is derail and turn into a giant argument. So hopefully we can all agree on that

Day 4:

Just started the day. yesterday I ate what i wanted to eat, but I also didn't eat myself into oblivion. I ate more than I should, but i still stopped earlier than I normally would have. it was a nice treat, but now its back to better choices.

Today's lunch will be a grilled chicken breast and some Kale chips.

I just finished up a small walk outside for about 3/4 a mile, and I should be out there for an afternoon walk as well as down the gm later. After I finish this post, i'm going to have a little snack and enjoy a 100 calorie pack of almonds.

right now my back starts barking on a walk, but I push through it. Anyone have any recommendations to how to prevent my back from getting so tight on my walks, I know it'll get easier with time but some times it gets so ridiculously tight that it almost makes me stop.

[Boo]

Originally Posted by ronaldo943

The average person can NOT walk a mile in 10-12 minutes. Walking a 10-12 minute mile is straight up hauling it.

Sorry, 15-17 minutes according to Google. Same still applies, you don't have to "train" for a 5k.

[kevinh1919]

Best of luck to you, sir!

[chrisfaceoff]

Holiday update:

Was under the weather mostly all weekend so I didn't get to the gym every day but still managed to get out for a while and walk the dog. Didn't go too crazy eating crap, but did have a little bit of chocolate and cookies, but other than that I stayed pretty clean.

Still a bit under the weather today, but I will be back in the gym getting in some weights and cardio this evening after work.

Shooting for 2.75 miles on the treadmill or elliptical tonight.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend

[Divino]

Best of luck to you! I've been a powerlifter for the past 15 years, so if you ever want any diet and/or lifting routine advice, let me know. I've had to go through quite a few different diets to get my weight down for weigh ins.

Good luck!

[sjorgen5]

Keep up the progress, and keep us updated...one day at a time, one step at a time!

[Boo]

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

Holiday update:

Was under the weather mostly all weekend so I didn't get to the gym every day but still managed to get out for a while and walk the dog. Didn't go too crazy eating crap, but did have a little bit of chocolate and cookies, but other than that I stayed pretty clean.

Still a bit under the weather today, but I will be back in the gym getting in some weights and cardio this evening after work.

Shooting for 2.75 miles on the treadmill or elliptical tonight.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend

Good job not overdoing the holiday foods. Keep it up!

[Dbacksbaseball]

Originally Posted by Boo

No offense but there isn't much training that needs to be done for a 5K. Yes if you want to hit a certain target, sure. But if he just wants to complete one, he could pretty much do it with no training. My wife did that a few months ago, never did sh*t but did a 5K. Was her time great (I think it was 34 minutes), not really. A person can walk a mile in 10-12 minutes...5K = 3 miles.

Sorry Boo, but I lol'd at this, a 30 minute 5k would put you in the top 35-40% of a standard 5k. Unless you have a bunch of Kenyans the winning times normally sit in the 21 minute range.

Edit-You corrected it, but still funny.

Good Luck OP, I yo-yo between 200-215 throughout the year. If you ever need advice or encouragement pm me. Weight loss is different for every single person so what works for some wont work for you and vice versa. Its all about figuring out what your body responds to.

[BGT Masters]

Originally Posted by tennelson55

Lifting builds muscle, yes that's correct.
Not eating sufficient calories to build muscle = counter intuitive to building muscle.you're essentially building NOTHING by not eating enough calories to build the muscle to maintin muscle.
So you're planning to gain muscle while at the same time as losing fat. Just an FWI, you can't do that, at least at a productive rate. You're going to build muscle, but reduce your fat while not eating enough to build muscle, but burn off fat??? The body is going to say **** muscles, I need to take the energy I'm eating now and go straight to supplying daily activity/your body's functions. You're not building muscle, so you're not going to burn off additional calories with the "muscle you build" because there isn't muscle growing...

You do realie the OP wants to run a 5K in April, right? Shouldn't he train for running? I mean he even says he hates it, therefore he probably does it the least... I know I hate running to a certain point then it becomes boring and just something I have to do for a workout...

Do you run for cardio? I recommend running. #@#@#@#@, jogging does wonders. If you can run a 10 minute mile and do it for 30 minutes, good for you. Make it 9, make it 8, make it 7 and keep going. I think running is the devil as well, but it's honestly THE BEST caloric burning activity you can do. Walking doesn't do it because you're not exerting as much force as compared to running.

If you're looking to weight train do low reps and more weight.

As for the endurance piece, are you talking running? I can tell you for a fact that a person at 300 and then a person at 150 that the person who's 150 should beat out the person at 300. Some people can't run, but it's a choice and some people just don't want to push. The more you push the better your strength and endurance will become. I sadly don't see how your weight continued to go down when you starting focusing on weights. It's actually impossible. Cardio for the same amount as lifting will burn more calories and you're going anerobic. Lifting is the opposite. You're looking for more weight, short bursts and gain muscle/weight. Please ask a dietician about eating and gaining muscle. It will do you wonders.

There is so much misinformation in this post don't bother taking it seriously.

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

Holiday update:

Was under the weather mostly all weekend so I didn't get to the gym every day but still managed to get out for a while and walk the dog. Didn't go too crazy eating crap, but did have a little bit of chocolate and cookies, but other than that I stayed pretty clean.

Still a bit under the weather today, but I will be back in the gym getting in some weights and cardio this evening after work.

Shooting for 2.75 miles on the treadmill or elliptical tonight.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend

Keep up the good work. We're all cheering for you.

[timber09]

I went through a similar journey myself a few years back and I can only offer you a couple pieces of advice that are what really helped me get through the harder days.


Slow and steady wins the race - challenge and push yourself to do more but understand that if you are so sore tomorrow that you can't move you are probably not gaining much. Once I got into my routine, I always wanted to keep in mind that what I was doing in the present was being done so that I could have another productive run/workout the following day.

Your body will respond. I hated running myself and walking the dog turned into a painful half mile run which turned into a mile, etc. I remember when I finally got down under a nine minute mile pace and how happy I was - two years later I ran a marathon.

Water and veggies - push them as much as you can. The more you workout, the more you will crave better foods. The cycle really does push you in the right direction if you keep going.

It's all personality so let what works for you rule the day. I know people that have to set strict calendars for their behavior - I personally couldn't do it that way so I went by feel. There are a million ways to do it, find yours and you'll find success.

Scale numbers do not necessarily give accurate feedback - there will be fluctuations of muscle, quick loss, slow loss, etc. The best feedback you can get is from the mirror. Trust me when I say that at some point you will stumble into the bathroom one morning for a leak and have to look twice at the body in the mirror.

Best of luck to you - stay the course! You will have bad days, you will have lazy days - know that and don't beat yourself up for them.

[Eckstein197]

Good luck to you as this journey continues! That's awesome you started when you did, you are going to be that much further ahead come the first when everyone makes their resolution to lose the weight. It also shows you are dedicated towards this goal.

I'm not a nutrition guru but as a college athlete/lifter, here's some advice. Most of this stuff has been said one way or another, but it's just my way of looking at things:

1. Push the water: at least a gallon a day, water helps so much with weight loss, it's impossible to say it all.
2. Eat a low carb breakfast: when I was cutting/losing weight to get back to a certain wrestling weight class, I always ate eggs. Eating some good protein/good fats is key to starting the day. You want your body to run off fat, not carbs. You want to turn your body into a fat burning machine
3. Keep up the lifting: yes you won't grow bodybuilder type muscles, but you'll be able to grow some lean muscle while dropping fat. It's called body recomposition. I've experienced it before, it certainly exists.
4. Motivation: post the number you wanna be at the end of everything on a wall you'll see in the morning. Make little goals as well, like drop this much weight in a week. You even said earlier you wanted some revenge on the ex, so write a little reminder that you wanna prove her wrong. Motivation is important
5. The scale doesnt tell the whole story: ALWAYS weigh yourself at the same time (roughly) everyday, preferably in the morning. Your body balances itself out as you sleep. If you weigh yourself at different parts of the day, it'll be different. Especially if you've drank more water than usual. I could step on the scale, it say 200, drink a bottle of water and step back on and it will say 201. So weight doesn't always tell the whole story.
6. Write everything down: MyFitnessPal is amazing and helped my dad lose almost 60 pounds. Track what you ate and be honest. Also have a journal and write down how you're feeling. Maybe one day you're sluggish, write it down. Knowing your body is important
7. Find your baseline: bodybuilding.com has a way for you to establish your calorie intake. It's pretty easy to find, just search on the website calorie intake. That will give you a baseline. And then say it's 2100 calories for maintenance, take 500 away and for a week you'll be in a deficit of 3500 which is a pound of fat. Don't be a slave to the diet though, enjoy yourself

The key is the calorie deficit, energy in and energy out.

You got this and you have a community of people right here backing you up.

Also let's stop arguing in this thread, it's a positivity thread.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to PM me.

[chrisfaceoff]

Its been a few days but I just wanted to update some stuff:

Gave Need Chapman the video he requested. I'm down about 5 pounds already, and that was with less gym activity than I had hoped for, but the weight and cardio is being amped up today.

My buddy who is a fitness freak wants to do the gym with me everyday because he said I was motivation for him to keep him hitting his goals as well. All his gym buddies flake out on him and it makes it hard for him, so he said it would be nice to be there with someone who wanted to be there as much as him. It will be beneficial for the both of us, which is encouraging.

Slipped up on the diet a bit on New years eve and yesterday for the Rose Bowl and ate a little later than I would have liked, and ate some pizza. I plan on making up for it with some additional walks and cardio throughout the day.

Now that the new year is in effect, I plan on updating this daily again.

Hope you all had a healthy and happy holiday, and good luck to those of you who are starting your own weight loss journey for 2017!

Chris

[chrisfaceoff]

Also I forgot to mention, I am not shaving now until I get to under 300 lbs.

I'm sitting at roughly 308 right now, so I have some work to do

[Soxrule111]

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

Also I forgot to mention, I am not shaving now until I get to under 300 lbs.

I'm sitting at roughly 308 right now, so I have some work to do

Do you grow a vicious beard like Fitzpatrick? Mines not horrible, but not Fitzpatrick like. But I shaved on New Years and plan on staying pretty clean this year lol.

As for the Slip ups, all to be expected. just don't make a habit of that, and keep pushing. Love the Updates, and Good Luck.

@Needchapmans Not sure if I said it earlier, but love the Gesture. True Class Act on Blowout.

[chrisfaceoff]

Originally Posted by Soxrule111

Do you grow a vicious beard like Fitzpatrick? Mines not horrible, but not Fitzpatrick like. But I shaved on New Years and plan on staying pretty clean this year lol.

As for the Slip ups, all to be expected. just don't make a habit of that, and keep pushing. Love the Updates, and Good Luck.

@Needchapmans Not sure if I said it earlier, but love the Gesture. True Class Act on Blowout.

Ha!

I wish. It grows quick, but its not as full as id like it to be.

Today's lunch is a protein bar and snacks were carrots and an apple. Dinner is fish.

[chrisfaceoff]

An update for everyone.


Doing the daily updates is a bit harder than I thought, so I'm only going to do them every few days, but don't think I'm not work every day, because I am

Weighed in at 303 last night, so I am getting close to that sub 300 goal. Pretty excited about that.

I also broke 12 minutes on my mile for the first time. My goal is under 10, so I have no idea how I'm going to shave another 2 minutes haha. I feel like I can go more physically, but I cant get a solid breathing pattern down, and I don't feel like I'm bringing in enough oxygen so I need to focus on that and chance that somehow. Hopefully that just comes in time.

I've been working hard with my friend down there who has been showing me a ton of different exercises to work on. it's so much better having a partner down there. Makes it less painful, but also helps you push yourself.

Today is a lighter day, but going to focus on cardio today. Hoping the weather warms up here soon so I can walk more at work, but its just way too bitter outside at the moment.

have a great day all!

[Divino]

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

An update for everyone.


Doing the daily updates is a bit harder than I thought, so I'm only going to do them every few days, but don't think I'm not work every day, because I am

Weighed in at 303 last night, so I am getting close to that sub 300 goal. Pretty excited about that.

I also broke 12 minutes on my mile for the first time. My goal is under 10, so I have no idea how I'm going to shave another 2 minutes haha. I feel like I can go more physically, but I cant get a solid breathing pattern down, and I don't feel like I'm bringing in enough oxygen so I need to focus on that and chance that somehow. Hopefully that just comes in time.

I've been working hard with my friend down there who has been showing me a ton of different exercises to work on. it's so much better having a partner down there. Makes it less painful, but also helps you push yourself.

Today is a lighter day, but going to focus on cardio today. Hoping the weather warms up here soon so I can walk more at work, but its just way too bitter outside at the moment.

have a great day all!

Good stuff! Keep your focus on the small goals, and don't get discouraged. Don't worry about shaving 2 minutes off your mile right now...just work on shaving off 5-10 seconds at a time. Your lungs will adapt, and breathing will slowly get better and better.

Congratulations!

[Pearce77]

Originally Posted by chrisfaceoff

I feel like I can go more physically, but I cant get a solid breathing pattern down, and I don't feel like I'm bringing in enough oxygen so I need to focus on that and chance that somehow. Hopefully that just comes in time.

Nice job and here's my advice on the breathing: I try to breathe with my running cadence thru my nose out my mouth for as long as I can. When I start sucking wind it's over and I can't go back to the controlled in nose out mouth. Have you tried the nasal strips to open your nasal passage? I did that for cross country and it worked for me.

This may be advanced but proper running form will help your efficiency breathing. Hands relaxed, 90 degrees and like you're going to put them in your pocket. Make your strides go forward not vertical - I see people bounce up and it's wasteful energy.