TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted August 5, 2020 On 27/04/2020 at 12:22, SwindonCanary said: In my younger years I used to be a good runner, 65min Half marathon and 2:20:16 Marathon. I gave up competitive running due to compartment syndrome in my calf's. As I've always run, I turned to slow jogging and have done that for about 20 years, just to keep fit. but last year my daughter wanted to do the Swindon Half Marathon, So I trained and ran the race with her (just under 3 hours ! )Sometime later I looked on my athletics portal and found my rating had dropped, due to counting that half marathon ! I then decided to improve it, after the first six months I had to take breaks, due to injury in my calves. Looked on line and found I could run a certain way with compartment syndrome. I'm now improving and was first in my age group in the 3 races I raced before the lock down, really want to get racing again. Sorry for the long piece. Those are exceptional times. Elite club-running territory as a bare minimum if not doing well at regional level. Well done. I'm also naturally a slim sort, but my personal bests at those distances are nowhere near. 1h 43 for the half-marathon and 3h 46 for a full one. Been lucky in this lockdown, I just walked a fair bit and it doesn't seem like I've lost much, but could really use a parkrun to find out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted August 5, 2020 14 hours ago, Nuff Said said: I’m new to this thread and wondered if those more experienced at running or maybe just non-gym exercise would have any advice. I’m 54, intermittently active but in a desk job. Overall pretty unfit and a little overweight. For the last couple of years I’d managed to get into a fairly reliable routine of 2 or 3 gym visits a week and a mixture of cardio and resistance machines. I’d got up to 45 minutes cardio each visit, had lost a bit of weight and felt better for it. Obviously COVID has put paid to all that, so I reluctantly started running (I don’t enjoy it much!). I managed to get up to 3 or 4 runs a week for about 30 minutes but have twice pulled a muscle. Both times I waited a week, went out again and the same injury happened again, so clearly a week isn’t enough recovery time. So I’ve ended up being inactive for weeks at a time and when I do start again, it feels like I’m pretty much back to square one. Any sense of satisfaction I did get at being able to go a bit longer, or find it a bit easier, is lost. Am I missing something that could protect me against strains and sprains? Or is this just an occupational hazard? I did start pre and post-run stretches after the first problem - do I need to do more or different ones? Any advice gratefully received! If you're consistently pulling something, it might not be the advice you want to hear, but I'd strongly urge you to see a physio, especially as you've got the same injury twice. There's a fair chance you could have muscle imbalances due to previous injuries that make it a more vulnerable point. I had a problem for some years with my left hip as a side-effect of a litany of ankle ligament injuries in my left ankle. Essentially, in recovering my gait had subconsciously changed somewhat and I started favouring my right leg more, taking the load off the left. The problem was that it weakened all my left leg and particularly the hip flexors. Had a fair old Trendelenburg sign, according to my old physio. A more diligent warm-up could help. I'm quite lucky in that I don't tend to pull much, and also don't tend to warm-up - I'm one of those who just starts his long runs slow then looks to get a move on later on. But my main advice would actually be to see a physio first. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted August 9, 2020 Third post in a row looks a bit spammish, but I'm getting back on the wagon as a hobby runner (certainly not got the excellent times that @SwindonCanary mentioned). It was so hot in the gym on Friday that I jacked in my short intervals session, but today was meant to be a fairly tough one on the treadmill for me. As it turned out, I still had a lot in the tank, which was pleasing. There's a 10K race in Blackpool on Saturday night called Run The Lights. It might be a seizure hazard, it'll probably be windy, it'll probably be close to twenty degrees so far too warm for my liking, it'll definitely be an out-and-back slog along the Promenade and it'll probably reek of p-I-s-s. But it's a first race in six months so I'll be delighted. Even if I will be rusty as all hell. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,032 Posted August 10, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, TheGunnShow said: Third post in a row looks a bit spammish, but I'm getting back on the wagon as a hobby runner (certainly not got the excellent times that @SwindonCanary mentioned). It was so hot in the gym on Friday that I jacked in my short intervals session, but today was meant to be a fairly tough one on the treadmill for me. As it turned out, I still had a lot in the tank, which was pleasing. There's a 10K race in Blackpool on Saturday night called Run The Lights. It might be a seizure hazard, it'll probably be windy, it'll probably be close to twenty degrees so far too warm for my liking, it'll definitely be an out-and-back slog along the Promenade and it'll probably reek of p-I-s-s. But it's a first race in six months so I'll be delighted. Even if I will be rusty as all hell. Don't worry about multiple posts in here mate, we're all here to support each other! Good luck with the race, I'm really looking forward to building a bit more stamina up and getting back to at least where I was in May in terms of cardio fitness. I've had to take a week off due to my quad pull. Playing footy tonight so going to give it a proper stretch and hope for the best. Found it really difficult not being able to do any running etc this week. I have had the unbridled joy of a bit of tshirt shopping over last few days - I normally hate shopping, but when you're looking at Medium t-shirts for the first time in 10 years, down from XL 5 months ago, it gave me far more joy than it normally does! Edited August 10, 2020 by kick it off 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,032 Posted June 7, 2021 (edited) So between lockdowns and having a (second) baby, it's taken me from last August until now until now to get my backside into gear. Fortunately, I've been playing football twice a week most of that period (pending lockdowns obv) and being vaguely careful about what I eat, which helped me avoid piling it back on. Did put half a stone back on at one point but caught myself pretty quickly and lost a few lbs back off it. Weighed in last week and was 4.5 lbs heavier than the lightest I got to last year. Decided to go all out and get myself sorted now, and lose the last 10-14lbs I need to get rid of. Have been watching what I eat all week and have been to the gym 5 days in the last 6 in addition to my regular footy games. Smashing the cardio with 30 mins on treadmill or cross trainer followed by a 5 mile cycle and hitting the weights too. Never hit the gym with as much intensity and have broken the barrier of it being **** now, and am starting to enjoy it. Weighing in in the morning and hoping to have kicked 3 of those lbs off straight away. Not that worried about the scales though as I can already see the difference in the mirror, and obviously as I'm lifting weights, I'm going to put some back on as the fat is replaced by muscle. I've set myself a target of being where I want to be physically by September. How is everybody else getting on? Edited June 7, 2021 by kick it off Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 8,261 Posted June 7, 2021 Recently rejoined the gym after a bit of a struggle with some 'long covid' symptoms in Spring. Must say its one area where the covid restrictions make the experience better for a less confident gym goer like myself- timed slots and limited places means no danger of showing up and not being able to get on the equipment you want. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted June 7, 2021 Will have lost a bit of my fitness but I gave myself a calf injury a few weeks ago when refereeing two junior matches back to back. The good thing is that I'm still about the same weight, so ten-and-a-half stones. Need to get back to the point where I was hitting the gym in the early morning and then jumping out of there and on to work. Can't wait for parkrun to come back. A fast thrash of a 5K is a smashing way to start the weekend. With the bike I bought, I'd plan to cycle to one ten miles away (I live in Bolton, but much prefer the parkrun at Worsley Woods), get there 45 minutes beforehand, loosen up, race that hard, take a leisurely breakfast with a friend and cycle back home around noon or just after. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,032 Posted June 12, 2021 Sounds like a quality morning there TGS, and totally agree with King on the restrictions point. I tend to go quite late at night due to family and work commitments so there's nobody there anyway (my gym is 24/7) but on the few occasions I do get in earlier, the slots etc is useful. Had two days off so I'm looking to hit it hard tonight! Haven't weighed myself yet so not sure if I've lost anything but can see my body shape changing in the mirror so not too worried about what the scales say. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted September 26, 2021 Only shook off that calf knock three WEEKS ago. I suffered it in April. Well, did the Great Manchester Run today (the 10K). Was expecting to beat 48 minutes, hoping to beat 47 and would have been delighted to break 46. Started at 11:30 with a nice breeze on, which disappeared at half-way and then the sun came out. For me, someone who's fragile in anything above 15 degrees when running (this is the chap who rocked up to a half-marathon in Svalbard in bare knees and didn't give a damn about it), that wasn't good and I stopped very briefly on four occasions for short walks. Can't moan at the time though, off about 10 days training.Garmin Connect 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aggy 907 Posted September 27, 2021 15 hours ago, TheGunnShow said: Only shook off that calf knock three WEEKS ago. I suffered it in April. Well, did the Great Manchester Run today (the 10K). Was expecting to beat 48 minutes, hoping to beat 47 and would have been delighted to break 46. Started at 11:30 with a nice breeze on, which disappeared at half-way and then the sun came out. For me, someone who's fragile in anything above 15 degrees when running (this is the chap who rocked up to a half-marathon in Svalbard in bare knees and didn't give a damn about it), that wasn't good and I stopped very briefly on four occasions for short walks. Can't moan at the time though, off about 10 days training.Garmin Connect Good work, a good time if you’ve had some walks in there too. I’m very happy with 8 minute miles over anything much more than a 5k/3 mile run nowadays. Are you NW based or just came over for the run? Re gym slots etc. I’ve been going to gyms for years so not too worried about going at peak times, but have recently signed up with a personal-trainer-only gym - two or three people in there at most, and no more expensive than a normal personal trainer would be in a much busier gym. Worth a short six week course - fitness benefits yes but also really good for learning new lifts/building confidence using machines etc, and nailing your technique on ones you think you’ve been doing right all these years! I’ve got muscles aching I never knew existed. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted September 27, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, Aggy said: Good work, a good time if you’ve had some walks in there too. I’m very happy with 8 minute miles over anything much more than a 5k/3 mile run nowadays. Are you NW based or just came over for the run? Re gym slots etc. I’ve been going to gyms for years so not too worried about going at peak times, but have recently signed up with a personal-trainer-only gym - two or three people in there at most, and no more expensive than a normal personal trainer would be in a much busier gym. Worth a short six week course - fitness benefits yes but also really good for learning new lifts/building confidence using machines etc, and nailing your technique on ones you think you’ve been doing right all these years! I’ve got muscles aching I never knew existed. Bolton-based, so Manchester's local. In fact, I might rock up to that event at Media City on Thursday or the Power of 5K in Lancaster on Friday night. Done both of those before the pandemic caused crap to break loose, and indeed the Media City one was a 5K I did last month as my first race in a year. Power of 5K is similar to Podium 5K - a DEAD flat course on a cycle track designed for fast times. Was still creaking with the calf then, but did the 5K in 23 dead. Would expect to be ahead of that this time out. It does look like I work and train best when I do my training in the late afternoon. If I go to the gym first thing in the morning, I'm not too productive afterwards for a fair bit. As a self-employed guy, that's not a good state of affairs. At the same time, quality time away from the laptop screen and looking after health and fitness is a core plank of making life enjoyable anyway. So if I've managed to configure it so I'm in the gym nearly every day, the old speed and fitness will be back soon. Edited September 27, 2021 by TheGunnShow 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,032 Posted September 29, 2021 I've kept ploughing on since June and now down another stone or so. In 4lbs time I will have lost 4 stone!! I'm going to stop losing weight there though, I'm more than happy with the way I look now and can't believe the transformation! Significant amount of effort taken to get in shape, but I've found actually staying in shape is much easier than losing it in the first place. Diet has been transformed so much harder to get back into bad habits now! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SwindonCanary 456 Posted September 30, 2021 Update = I'm still running, and as I'm getting older I've hit the 'Masters' age group so don't look at the winner just those in my age group. Can't believe how slow I now run but I'm enjoying it ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted May 29, 2022 (edited) Bumping back up. Broke 45 minutes for a 10K three weeks ago when I did 44:25 in Blackpool (the only other time I broke 45 was back in 2012). Did my first half-marathon in 26 months in the friendly confines of the Spreewald in Germany, and did 1:45:38. Off to Norway on Wednesday, fly up to Svalbard on Thursday and have the second half-marathon of the year up on Spitsbergen. I did that in 1:58 three years ago, with the caveat I walked about four miles due to injury and severe headwinds (gained a fair chunk of time when it was straight behind, but it also caused the injury when a severe gust picked me up and I sprained my ankle in a pothole!). I think I lost about ten minutes in those conditions and would have done about 1:48 normally, so we'll see. Last stage is hard there though, it's on an unadopted, uphill gravel road called Burmahveien. Edited May 29, 2022 by TheGunnShow 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted May 30, 2022 Spitsbergen half-marathon on June 4th, Torshavn half-marathon on June 12th. It says something that Spitsbergen, with a route where most of the last three miles is a gently ascending gravel road so a bit less traction than tarmac, is still a somewhat easier course than Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. Did 1:58 in Spitsbergen in 2019 but walked a fair bit due to an injury and a shocking wind that can't have been far off hurricane force gusts. Wind's not expected to be too much this time, and I'm in far better shape right now, but the course has somewhat changed in the first half this time around and suspect it'll run about a minute slower. Torshavn gives you nowhere to hide - it's either up or down, and probably worst in an easterly wind as that climb back to Hvitanes on the way back is best described as grim. Did 1:49 there in 2018 but the conditions were perfect by Faroese standards, I don't think the conditions will be so easy this time around despite my somewhat better shape. They're both training runs for the Loch Ness Marathon at the start of October anyway. I knocked out 22km on the treadmill on Friday night in around 2:05 without trying too hard so I know I'm pretty ready. Throw in another trip to Åland in July for a 12km cross-country race as a slightly belated birthday treat to myself, my favourite half-marathon at the start of September, namely Praski in Warsaw, then Vilnius the week after and I should be pretty well raced-in for this mara. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted June 4, 2022 (edited) Well, Spitsbergen took place today. The weather the day before was perfect for running. About nine degrees, not much wind, and the sun was out. Today it was so goddamn blustery the polar bears probably thought "sod that all you can eat buffet of runners that comes around once a year, that has guards against us out on the course, we're hunting seals and whales instead". It was 30mph on my Garmin with very regular gusts. At that point, I knew the target of 1:48 wasn't happening unless we got lucky with the wind calming down late on. Got overtaken by about twenty runners who decided to fight the headwind going east and jogging, as I decided I was just going to powerwalk. Worked perfectly as I caught them all up during the next phase, and in fact hauled a few more in over that four mile stretch where the wind was actually behind. Unfortunately, in terrain and elevation terms, Spitsbergen bares its teeth late. S/ods Law determined we went up an unadopted gravel road, uphill, into a gale force headwind with less than three miles to go. Meh. Did 1:53. Came 23rd out of nearly 200 runners. This video on Instagram, produced by the organisers after finishing, makes the wind clear.https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeYx_1MjJWR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D&fbclid=IwAR25eb2zv_01GUFQMCkVOOfVrYSia0SZP4-b44KKdtjgYfM0tQPNNXXo1cc Edited June 4, 2022 by TheGunnShow 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted June 10, 2022 Off to Torshavn in the Faroe Islands tomorrow for another half-marathon on Sunday afternoon. Looks like another somewhat windy one. I suppose it's a westerly wind, but would have preferred a northerly one as that would have been fairly supportive down the second half as the course is a somewhat south-to-north and back route. At least it's not a southerly. That would have been a shocker. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted June 13, 2022 (edited) Haven't got a freaking clue where that running performance came from. I have ran Torshavn before, in 2018, and did 1:49:38 when not in peak condition. I knew I was in much better shape this time around, but the conditions were more blustery than the breezes that hit the course back then. Suspected I was in decent form and expected to knock three or so minutes off that time and, with a bit of luck from the wind perhaps, get under 1:45. Decided to powerwalk when it got windy/steep for my liking to conserve energy. Had one on the first climb as it was into the teeth of a westerly, to the bemusement of three other runners who'd gone with me. They then realised when I piled past them on the subsequent downhill that my madness had its method. Surprisingly on for a PB with 10K gone, but with three tough climbs to come, and not to mention heading into Kaldbakfjord INTO the wind. Didn't lose that much time, and then a stretch with the wind behind me, going downhill. Made up time, and also got my breath back. Nearly took out the whole of the worst climb on the run, the road away from Hvitanes and at 18km the PB was definitely on, but with one more climb to go coming out of Hoyvik. Most of the rest is a slight downhill, but after seven miles of going up or down (and either into a headwind or tailwind) you're often fighting to keep your legs under you. Cut a long story short, somehow I went 4:25, 4:23, 4:28, 4:28 on my last four kilometres and knocked over a minute off my personal best. 1:42:20 chip time in Torshavn, old PB was 1:43:33 on a far flatter, easier course in Warsaw in March 2019. Pretty damn stoked at that one. 😄 Edited June 13, 2022 by TheGunnShow 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mason 47 1,728 Posted July 14, 2022 Didn't realise this was still trundling along. TheGunnShow way out in front! I unfortunately got complacent in my progress and somewhat wandered off course. Joined a gym around March time, but finally got covid, bunch of injuries (I think is down to an imbalance in mobility) and an almost inconceiveable series of unfortunate events put paid to anything worthwhile there. Now focusing on a process-based approach and hope to be semi-respectable by the winter. (Running for over an hour, however, I think you guys can keep that!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted August 18, 2022 (edited) Bumping back up. Ellesmere Port 5K last night. A well-known fast, flat course that attracts a strong field. Good PB potential as if you're vaguely fast (or an average trundler like me) there's always someone your pace to chase / keep behind you. Couldn't fault my pacing. Put all kilometres within a nine-second stretch between 4:16 and 4:25. Missed out on a personal best by four seconds. Knew I was very slightly behind coming off the penultimate kilometre as the third kilometre is the slowest part of the course due to a 300m narrow path. Needed a 4:12 finishing kilometre to grab the PB, but couldn't find a finishing sprint. Ended up being a 4:16, and did 21:36. (PB dates from 2019, and is 21:33). Photo evidence from Mick Hall Photos, I'm in blue with the silver hairband. Edited August 18, 2022 by TheGunnShow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,032 Posted August 20, 2022 (edited) I put about a stone of what I lost back on over the last year. Had a horrific run of stuff going on, including a breakdown of a 10 year relationship and my new partner's mum passing away less than 4 months after a cancer diagnosis so im not being too hard on myself about it. Still lighter now than I was at 17 (and in about 16.5 of the 18 years since then!). Planning to smash it back off again in September once I've moved house. I reckon I can take the stone down in 6 weeks. Edited August 20, 2022 by kick it off Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted September 4, 2022 After two years where it didn't take place, my favourite half-marathon was on last night, namely Polmaraton Praski in Warsaw, Poland. Conditions were ideal unlike 2019, where we all nearly melted in a heatwave despite it being run at night. I was in decent fettle too having clocked up a 5K PB the previous week at a race in Lancaster (knocked 13 seconds off, down from 21:33 to 21:20), but hadn't done a run longer than 90 minutes in about six weeks. Well, the plan was to go with the 1:45 pacemakers then start gradually easing away in the second half. Well, I didn't do that. The pacemakers went out a bit fast with an opening 5K in around 24:25 and then I decided "heck, I'll go anyway". Was definitely on for a PB at the 12K mark but the legs began to stiffen at 15K, and were shot at 17K. Faded badly down the stretch but still came away with 1:44:10 and my fourth fastest run over that distance. Considering I ran that all wrong, and probably did far too much walking on the day of the race (walked to the race office to pick some gels and kit up, then walked across the river to take in a boat tour and walked back to my hotel, then walked to the race itself), deciding to ignore the pacemakers was a triumph of the Dunning-Kruger effect over reality, really. 🙂 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AJ 1,306 Posted September 6, 2022 If any of you are Dads and fancy adding Monday night football to your regimes, have you heard about Match of the Dads? It's a 5-a-side league who play at the FDC in Bowthorpe. £4 per match and they raise a lot of money for charity! https://www.matchofthedads.com/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy_Bones 444 Posted September 7, 2022 Decided I'd had enough of being the size of a small cow 6 months ago, changed my eating habits, started exercising and weight training, and pretty much cut out sugar from my diet full stop. I'm now down in weight from 24 and a half stone to 16 stone 3lbs, with another 10lbs to go to hit my target weight of 15.5 stone (98kg). My type 2 diabetes has also improved massively, with my last two blood test results showing I was maintaing my Hba1C levels in the normal range for those without any form of diabetes (38 mmol), and I've already been taken off half the medication for this in the process, so just the metformin to go really. Gone from a 52-54" waist to a 38", and t-shirts have dropped from a 5-6XL down to XL/2XL depending on brand. Pretty pleased with the changes to be honest, and looking forward to seeing what happens in the next 6 months! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GodlyOtsemobor 2,781 Posted September 7, 2022 (edited) I put on 3.5 stone during my chemotherapy treatment. (Weird for me as I always assumed you'd "waste away") So I hit my highest ever weight. Then after surgery to remove lymph nodes I had to stick to a diet of no more than 10g of fat a day for 6-8 weeks, a diet that I've struggled to kick and I still stick mainly to what I was eating then. I've subsequently dropped almost 5st (without exercise and minimal walking thanks to complications with my healing process(open wound etc) and I now weigh less than I have in the last 10 years at least - which is crazy to me because at 18-19 I was boxing and was obviously a healthy bodied individual, put on some podge as I quit the sport. And now I weigh less than when I was training regularly!! I'm going to have to make sure I eat abit more and try to force change in my diet again (which I'm struggling with) when I'm actually able to move around properly or else I really will be wasting away!! Edited September 7, 2022 by GodlyOtsemobor 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Raptor 1,423 Posted September 7, 2022 Good effort everyone. I hope you're on the mend now GodlyOtsemobor it doesn't sound like you've had much luck. Indy. That is a crazy amount of weight to lose! After three or four lazy years. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly for a couple of months and certainly feel better even tho I'm still a fair bit heavier than I'd like and that hasn't really changed. What I have noticed tho is that even tho I'm doing alot more exercise I've also got alot more energy so I guess I'm doing something right! The posts about running are sort of tempting me out of retirement - I was pretty keen for a few years and even did a couple of races abroad as an excuse to go on holiday. I got fed up with it in the end tho and stopped. I can pull a 5k out of the bag for an occasional park run but that's about it. I'll get back into it at some point. For the last few years I'd say I've been happy not getting a place in the London ballot even tho getting in would probably give me the motivation I need to start training properly again! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted September 8, 2022 On 07/09/2022 at 07:23, Indy_Bones said: Decided I'd had enough of being the size of a small cow 6 months ago, changed my eating habits, started exercising and weight training, and pretty much cut out sugar from my diet full stop. I'm now down in weight from 24 and a half stone to 16 stone 3lbs, with another 10lbs to go to hit my target weight of 15.5 stone (98kg). My type 2 diabetes has also improved massively, with my last two blood test results showing I was maintaing my Hba1C levels in the normal range for those without any form of diabetes (38 mmol), and I've already been taken off half the medication for this in the process, so just the metformin to go really. Gone from a 52-54" waist to a 38", and t-shirts have dropped from a 5-6XL down to XL/2XL depending on brand. Pretty pleased with the changes to be honest, and looking forward to seeing what happens in the next 6 months! Cutting out extra sugar, excess fat off meat, and switching from bread to oatcakes made all the difference with me. I'm still prone to scoffing lots of chocolate, but considering I drink ten or more cups of tea a day, and used to have two sugars in each one, that's a lot of empty calories removed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted September 8, 2022 20 hours ago, GodlyOtsemobor said: I put on 3.5 stone during my chemotherapy treatment. (Weird for me as I always assumed you'd "waste away") So I hit my highest ever weight. Then after surgery to remove lymph nodes I had to stick to a diet of no more than 10g of fat a day for 6-8 weeks, a diet that I've struggled to kick and I still stick mainly to what I was eating then. I've subsequently dropped almost 5st (without exercise and minimal walking thanks to complications with my healing process(open wound etc) and I now weigh less than I have in the last 10 years at least - which is crazy to me because at 18-19 I was boxing and was obviously a healthy bodied individual, put on some podge as I quit the sport. And now I weigh less than when I was training regularly!! I'm going to have to make sure I eat abit more and try to force change in my diet again (which I'm struggling with) when I'm actually able to move around properly or else I really will be wasting away!! Not sure if it could help, but I experimented with a fairly expensive nutrition shake called Purition for a bit. Think of it as a very upmarket version of Complan (which I think is underrated, but should never be made with water, it's far tastier and more sustaining when made with milk). Purition is bulked out with a lot of nuts and seeds (coconut features quite highly, I don't like the taste of that, so always put chocolate Nesquik in to hide it), then blitzed in a blender. When I'm at the back end of marathon training and doing 22-mile training runs I get hungry very quickly and going liquid is pretty much the only way I can get the calories in. Maybe that could help in your case? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy_Bones 444 Posted September 8, 2022 8 hours ago, TheGunnShow said: Cutting out extra sugar, excess fat off meat, and switching from bread to oatcakes made all the difference with me. I'm still prone to scoffing lots of chocolate, but considering I drink ten or more cups of tea a day, and used to have two sugars in each one, that's a lot of empty calories removed. Yep, bread is a thing of the past for me, haven't had any in months, with the closest thing to it being Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes as a snack now and again. I went from 3 sugars in my tea/coffee, to none and now only drink Black Coffee, Green Tea with Lemon and Water (instead of the 2ltr of 'Zero' sugar pop a day I was having). Chocolate is also pretty much gone, with the only thing vaguely close to it being a daily protein bar which satisfies my sweet tooth, but with virtually no sugar and 30g of protein to boot, it's an excellent substution for me. Funny how I'm now eating far less than I used to, but feel far less hungry throughout the day. Frustrated at myself for not doing this years ago, as if I'd realised it was genuinely going to be this straightforward, I'd have been in far better health a long time ago. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 6,899 Posted September 11, 2022 Another half-marathon in another country, indeed I'm typing from Vilnius, Lithuania. Hillier course, trickier underfoot terrain (old cobble in places, and it had rained pretty hard this morning, so slippery, wet old cobble - not ideal in a pair of Adidas Adizeros) than Praski in Warsaw the week before. Did 1:44:10 chip time in the flat, friendly terrain of Warsaw. Was a mere two seconds slower on chip time here. Consistent, I guess! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites