Yep. NY state, even as progressive as the state can be it always grabs attention. People are amazed at how good I am at taking care of my kids and usually put gender into the equation while doing so. Even when we lived in NYC it seemed weird to people.
Your cardiovascular health will improve, but it's very easy to not lose weight when running is something that burns less Calories than many people think.
Ehh, 5 miles (at the average pace of 10min/mile) burns 776 calories for 200lbs. That's an entire large McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder meal with calories to spare.
My training plan varies between 3 and 6 miles a day, which I do at a ten minute mile. I am definitely potato shaped. I'm not the fastest, but I do it day after day.
theres different kinds of fit and shape is just one of them.