Query any runners out there

thomasr1

Hi folks just wonder if any runners out there experience the same as me. I've cut my calorie count to 800 to 1000 per day. Lost about a stone I'm very active do insanity for an hour per day and I will run 6 miles 3 times a week while doing strength work in the gym for the other two. At the weekends I will do a longish run maybe 15-20 miles Sunday is rest day. My weight always drops 2 pounds after my longish run but stays pretty consistent the rest of the week. Is the weight loss just water retention or is my body using up stored fat for energy on the longer runs. Any advice
Thanks

TavistockToad

Why are you only eating 800-1000 calories?

Sued0nim

800 -1000 is too low as a base before exercise

Unless you're eating back all your exercise calories that MFP gives you because it overestimates so much it might make up the difference

Seriously - fuel your body properly or you will crash and burn !

As an aside - weight loss isn't linear, it's fits and starts - I would assume you would dehydrate on a long run like that - but really you should be weighing at one point a week - always under the same circumstances eg first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom and nekkid is my preference

Edie30

TavistockToad wrote: »

Why are you only eating 800-1000 calories?

This? Was this a typo?

snowanisan

The rough rule of thumb I use is that a mile running burns about 100 calories. On that basis you're burning about 2000 calories on your long run. Fat comes about 7.7 calories per gram so if you were to metabolise only fat (unlikely) you would burn about 260g (1/2 lb) of fat. That's not sufficient to explain 2 lb of weight loss. On the other hand I lose around 500 ml of fluids per hour running, which would give me a weight loss of around 1 litre in two hours (about what I'd take for a 13 mile run easy pace) which is about 2 lb.
As others have suggest if 800-1000 calories is your total intake per day that seems too low to be sustainable.

terbusha

With that amount of work, 800-1000 calories/day is BY FAR WAY TOO LITTLE. You seriously need to up your calorie intake. It's for sure not healthy. Please watch this YouTube video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

glevinso

I would pass out. When I am running 50 mile weeks if I am not eating 3000/day I lose weight, and in a bad way.

thomasr1

Thanks for replying I will up my calorie intake to the minimum threshold and monitor the results. I weigh myself everyday under the the same circumstances straight out of the shower. Thanks for the video link ( human body is a clever bit of kit) . It's something I've noticed over the years that the weight loss after a biggish run is always the same doesn't matter if it's a 20 mile training run or a 50 mile race. I know there have been various studies done with regard to running in a almost fasted state tricks the body into using fat for fuel quicker.