Running on a Treadmill and Giving Up Booze Helped Me Lose 30 Pounds

Treadmill running to lose 30 pounds

Bignai/Shutterstock.com

By Simon Gould

I’m a male and I went from 185 pounds to 155. I didn’t intend to lose weight but I was making myself unhealthy and miserable so I thought I’d join a gym. I was drinking too much alcohol, I wasn’t eating well and I led a very sedentary lifestyle. Something had to be done, I was 41 and I felt I needed to look after myself to help me live longer and feel better.

My diet

I was drinking beer on a daily basis and beer contains a lot of calories. My stomach and body were getting used to it and those calories went on my weight. I had a beer belly and when I had a drink I often ate more even when I wasn’t hungry. Terms like keto diet, low carb diet, and intermittent fasting were never part of my lifestyle. But, when I stopped drinking and felt alive and invigorated in the mornings.

I started eating breakfast which is something I never did as I was always hungover and didn’t get up early enough. I started eating just 3 meals per day which were fresh food, meats, and vegetables. I didn’t eat any more than that apart from when I started burning a lot of calories per day then I would add a protein bar.

The gym

I was and am still struggling for money so it needed to be a cheaper gym. I wanted one that was local and one that I didn’t need to drive to. I have an Anytime Fitness 15 minutes walk away and it’s a center of town gym so it doesn’t have a pool, steam room or sauna but had everything else I needed.

I have run outside and I’ve run on treadmills. I have run in one of the most beautiful parks in the country which I enjoyed but I’m still just as happy as running inside on a treadmill. Obviously there are reasons why I enjoy it and rather than write it all here, I have described the advantages of treadmill running through that link.

My progress

I’m starting from nothing as I hadn’t exercised for over 5+ years. So I had no level of fitness and I was just running on a treadmill. I bought the gear I needed and began. I know what my speed used to be on the treadmill but that was my early 30’s. I couldn’t match that pace anymore. I created a webpage that tells you how fast you should run on a treadmill.

So onto the progress, remember I’m 41 years old, male and 185 pounds to begin with. This is the first 3 weeks:

Start weight: 185 pounds
Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
15*5*5*5*5*25
210*10*10*10*10*50
312*15*15*15*15*1h 12
New weight: 174 pounds

These were walk/run workouts and the total amount of time spent running is shown, I had to practise with the pace quite a lot and settled with jogging/running 5.3 mph or 8.5 kph. After these 3 weeks I went down to 174 pounds, again this will be due to giving up beer as well. It is when I went onto this weight that I thought I may as well weigh myself regularly and keep track of my progress.

Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
411*17*18*201h 06
5232525251h 38
630303030302h 30
New weight: 169 pounds

After these 3 weeks I weighed 169 pounds. As you can see the walk/run workouts ended where you don’t see the *. The numbers show I’m building up my level of fitness and am able to run for 30 minutes at a time after just 6 weeks. I was very much listening to my body as far as rising the minutes ran per week. I was happy with the progress.

Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
735353535352h 55
840403030503h 10
93030602h 00
New weight: 167 pounds

My weight is 167 pounds after 3 weeks of running which was harder and I only lost 2 pounds. I was starting to extend a long run on 1 day of the week. When I used to run many years ago they would always recommend variety in your runs, so I chose a long run. They make you feel great with a runner’s high. I chose 60 minutes because that’s what the treadmill goes up to.

Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
104040602h 20
1140601h 40
1240601h 40
New weight: 165 pounds
Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
13
143030
1540401h 20
New weight: 164 pounds

As you can see I didn’t get much done and it shows in the weight: 164 pounds. I started drinking again and I can’t go running on a hangover and they last all day. I suppose I should be grateful I didn’t gain weight. One good thing though I just managed the odd run to keep the fitness level going. But weight loss wasn’t happening so something needed to be done.

Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
16404040603h 00
17606040606060606h 40
1860606060605h 00
New weight: 159 pounds

I stopped drinking again and after these 3 weeks I weighed 159 pounds. I started enjoying the longer runs and I found I was getting a real runner’s high. I felt so good after doing the 60 minute runs that I wanted to do them everyday. So I thought, why not? So I did them everyday and felt better than ever. I had read of runners doing “streaks” where they run everyday and now I was one of them. It was still on a treadmill though.

Total Running Time (Minutes)
WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
19606040606040606h 20
20604060606060606h 40
216060606060606h 00
New weight: 155 pounds!

Here is where I weigh 155 pounds I have lost a total of 30 pounds so far but it won’t end there. I have looked at health tables and my weight is now healthy, at 185 I was over weight. I feel absolutely fantastic and I look so much better. Everyone is commenting on the weight loss and I’m really pleased.

I’ve lost inches around my waist so an old suit now fits me but a lot of new clothes don’t. I’ll have to replace the wardrobe but that’s a good thing really. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures, I could show you one of how I look now but the before picture would have been the best to show how far I’ve come.

Today

I still continue to run 60 minutes every time I do but I can’t do it every day anymore. I think it’s my age really as the body can’t do what it used to, my left ankle doesn’t like it. Instead, I run on alternate days (on a treadmill of course) and I use an exercise bike on the other days for an hour. I bought a heart rate monitor so I can make the intensity the same and still get that good feeling.

I’m 42 now and it’s only been 6 or so weeks since I weighed that 155 pounds. I still hop on the scales and I’ve lost a few more pounds but I think I’ve pleated. This doesn’t bother me at all as I wasn’t exercising to lose weight in the first place. I did it to be healthier as I am in my 40s and I’ve succeeded, I think now I just need to carry on exercising. I made high-protein food part of my lifestyle, too. Once in a while, I allow myself to have cheat days.

Final thoughts

I had a lot of advantages over an absolute beginner. I had exercised before so I knew what to expect and I knew how to run for longer times gradually. This doesn’t mean a total beginner can’t get good results as well. I have written a couch to 5k on a treadmill to help those get running for 30 minutes in 9 weeks.

My experience in running means the hardest thing was actually giving up alcohol. I’d let that creep up on me and it then had a big part of my life. I still struggle a bit today on that score but every day get’s easier. When beginning just do what you can because as you build up, no matter how slow that may be, your fitness and general health improve more as every day goes by.

Thinking of buying a treadmill? Here’s my favorite, I always recommend it when asked.

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