Diets Don't Work, so Let's Try Running/Walking

Back to the popular subject of weight loss, we have determined that diets don't work because we have to be ourselves because everyone else is taken.  The last time I checked, I am not Jenny Craig, or my name is not Adkins, and as cool a name as it would be, mine is also not South Beach.  So I know that if I try those diets they will work and I will lose weight, but I will gain it right back and then some as soon as I stop eating Jenny's food, or add carbohydrates back to my diet after eating meat and cheese like Adkins, and as soon as I quit the South Beach diet, my South Beach body will be back in the South Ditch.  So shall we move on to something that actually works?

Here is my validation that what I am saying will be successful.  I made a before/after picture of myself and am excited to try to inspire others to a healthy lifestyle.

I have spent the majority of my life overweight.  I have tried every diet, and every exercise program.  I have finally found what works and it is SO simple and will change your life.

The left side of the picture is the time that I made a major decision for myself and my health.  I was literally laying on the couch and bounced up and announced what I know now to be the most incorrect statement I may have ever made.  I said, "I have never seen a fat runner so I will start running."  My husband looked at me like I had an eye in the middle of my forehead because I had NEVER been a runner.  I never ran in high school, never ran period.  I am the embodiment of Elephants on Parade.  I am not light on my feet and not a graceful runner or graceful at anything.  That day, I got out and ran to my mailbox.  Now I can probably spit on my mailbox from my front porch.  So we are talking about a couple of hundred feet that I ran that first day.  I was winded, tired, and needed a two day rest after that first run, but two days later I ran to the stop sign at the end of the street.  This is how I got started.  Did what I could with what I had.  After gradually increasing my distance over time and with a day to rest in between, I built up.  Then I found the podcast that really got me moving.  Here is the link to the Couch to 5K program that I used.  It combines walking and running and gradually introduces your body to movement.  Remember, Eat less, move more.  That is the ticket.

I downloaded this podcast to my mp3 player and did it religiously.  It beeps in your ear and gives extra instruction along the way to help you stay motivated and on track.  It starts out with people who are not conditioned or in shape, and in 9 weeks, moves to being able to walk fast or run for 30 minutes without stopping.  It works!  Trust me, it does.  So this week's medicine is simple:  continue eating what you want but less of it, and add Couch to 5K to your ipod or MP3 and get moving!  Let's do week one this week!

I moved on from C25K to bridge to 10K then I trained for a half marathon and eventually ran a full marathon.  I am back to running for my health now, which we will discuss in a later blog post.

Here is the link to what I used.  http://www.djsteveboy.com/intervals.html

Here is your motivation, so grab a friend and let's get moving!  

Now this is a point to ponder.

Let's get some followers, and share my link on your facebook page and twitter.  I have one follower.  Folks, I am not going to continue blogging if I don't have followers.  I have a few who are telling me they are reading, but not a bunch.  Who is reading my blog?  and who is subscribed to it?  I would love to go viral with blogging and get some advertisers on here, but I have to have subscribers to do that.  I read a statistic that most blogs last 9 months unless they have subscribers and advertisements.

Here is another question for your to comment on:

What is your running/walking, fitness story?