Is running hindering my fat loss?!

LaurenAOK

midwesterner85 wrote: »

As far as sodium goes, a lot of users forget that increasing potassium intake will help balance out a high sodium intake, provided you are drinking enough water. In fact, there was a study I read in a peer-reviewed academic journal (I'd have to go back and find it to cite, and I can't do that right now) that expands research on high sodium intakes. Prior studies had concluded that high sodium intakes in adults increased risk of heart disease. The new study finds that it is less about sodium intake as it is about the ratio of potassium to sodium. In other words, if you have high sodium intake, increase your potassium intake to balance it out. Doing so should also decrease water retention caused by sodium.

I think I've seen that study cited here on MFP before, too. I do great with the water intake, but I should start eating more bananas!

stealthq

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

Being hypothyroid and on T3/T4 supplementation, I find it hard to believe that exercise can cause the endocrine system to malfunction like that. Some forms of hypothyroidism are an auto-immune disease and some are genetic. Mine runs in my family.

Auto-immune diseases are genetic - they are passed down through the HLA genes on chromosome 6.

OP, I agree with several others who suggest a blood test to either confirm or rule out your concern about a thyroid issue. After that, make a decision about whether you want to focus on marathon training or if you want to focus on weight loss. Don't try to multi-task this.

That's news to numerous autoimmune disease researchers out there. Lupus is not always associated with HLA mutations, for example. It was with a couple of families that had multiple members with lupus, but it doesn't hold up when applied to the general population. The most recent research into the molecular mechanisms of lupus seem to bear this out since they are not related to HLA at all, but to disruption in autophagy in certain types of cells.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

stealthq wrote: »

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

Being hypothyroid and on T3/T4 supplementation, I find it hard to believe that exercise can cause the endocrine system to malfunction like that. Some forms of hypothyroidism are an auto-immune disease and some are genetic. Mine runs in my family.

Auto-immune diseases are genetic - they are passed down through the HLA genes on chromosome 6.

OP, I agree with several others who suggest a blood test to either confirm or rule out your concern about a thyroid issue. After that, make a decision about whether you want to focus on marathon training or if you want to focus on weight loss. Don't try to multi-task this.

That's news to numerous autoimmune disease researchers out there. Lupus is not always associated with HLA mutations, for example. It was with a couple of families that had multiple members with lupus, but it doesn't hold up when applied to the general population. The most recent research into the molecular mechanisms of lupus seem to bear this out since they are not related to HLA at all, but to disruption in autophagy in certain types of cells.

I doubt it is news to any geneticist, but it is probable that some researchers (particularly those looking at it from a medical perspective) have little or no knowledge of the impact of genes on function or dysfuction of our immune responses.

Also, keep in mind that I am not talking about mutations... that gets us into a different topic altogether. Let's not add another variable because then things get complicated. FWIW, I don't disagree with you if the subject is HLA mutations. Mutations are not the subject, though.

RiseHigher

Alright, I'm a certified running coach and I have been running for about 27 years. I'm currently putting in 100+ miles a week (well I've started to taper so this week will just be 92-94), so really there's no "too much" - elites run around 140-150/week. Anyway, earlier this year I had two non-running injuries as well as pneumonia that stopped me from exercising. I traveled to Asia, and not speaking Mandarin had pretty much no control (or even knowledge of lol) what I was eating a lot of the time, and I also was already in my off-season weight so I had a relative lot to lose this year.

First of all it's not advisable to try to lose weight with extensive endurance training. You have contrasting goals - trying to get your body to store energy for long distances yet burn it to lose weight. It's really best to lose 0.5-1 lb a week if doing so. Your body needs those calories to rebuild.

Second, I had the same problem as you for years. I used to wear a Bodymedia FIT and track like crazy and swear up and down I was doing everything right. Well, I was, but everyone's body burns calories at a different rate. I was trusting a device or a calculator versus the real world results that my body was telling me was right.

I stopped exercising at one point due to a foot injury and lost about 15 lbs. I cut calories to 1200 a day since I couldn't workout and the weight came off. I realized all that time I had just been eating to much.

When I started exercising again my weight loss again stalled. I was in the same predicament as you until I realized that the trackers were overestimating what I burned running. I find MFP WAY overestimates esp as I have a small frame. Fitbit comes closer. The more miles you put in as well, the more this overestimation can be significant.

The point is you have to eat at a certain calorie level and see if you are losing. If not after 3-4 weeks, adjust your calories down a bit and then see. If you are losing outside of running and not with running your calories per mile are most likely too high. I have lost about 17-18 lbs so far this season. Yes, I am frequently hungry (not starving) and yes, it does affect my performance but that's the tradeoff. You can't really have both.

Listen to what your body is telling you and how it responds. No calculator or device is going to be as accurate as your body's metabolism and the results on the scale, if you are tracking both bodyfat and weight.

Also, I lose weight when I stop running but that's not really that good. It happened before with the foot injury, and recently I was bitten by a dog and had to stop running for two weeks. I lost about 5 lbs. I used to wonder why but then when looking at bodyfat I saw it was all water weight (scale showed lean mass but I knew this was not the case due to the speed I lost it, and step on scales count water as lean mass). When you train for a marathon your body stores more and more carbs to use on long runs. With carbs it stores a lot of water. When I started running again it was not fun, I was slow and it was because the carb storage was lost. As I've built it back the past couple weeks, some of the water weight has come back and I'm able to run fast again. Also as others have said your body needs fluids to repair the muscles, and often your electrolytes can be off due to dehydration, etc. Water can make you look "puffier" too than you actually are.

Finally, I find losing weight when not running as much easier because running makes a person more hungry. Also, when you add in a lot of cardio studies have shown people tend to move less the rest of the day in everyday activity, and this can also have a significant effect on calories burned. When running 100+ I can guarantee you this is true. LOL.

And remember any restaurant food has a lot of sodium in general even when billed as healthy. If I even eat at Subway I can blow up due to the sodium/water retention. My diet is very boring, I eat similarly and cleanly each day, but it works.

snikkins

A couple of things:

@lemurcat12: Congrats on your half IronMan! I've been toying with the idea of doing one, so I'm super impressed that you did it! You're awesome!

OP: I've managed to lose weight during training for half marathons, but also seem to maintain for marathon training. For me, I get lazier about logging. Sure, I tell myself that I'm not and it really is only a few days per month, but I think it makes a difference. It's subconscious for me. I guess I feel that I have earned a little more wiggle room! Ha!

I do agree with the notion of eating more if you're not at the place you'd like to be for runs. I know that sounds awful, but you'll make a great Princess Jasmine anyway! :flowerforyou:

stealthq

midwesterner85 wrote: »

stealthq wrote: »

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Psychgrrl wrote: »

Being hypothyroid and on T3/T4 supplementation, I find it hard to believe that exercise can cause the endocrine system to malfunction like that. Some forms of hypothyroidism are an auto-immune disease and some are genetic. Mine runs in my family.

Auto-immune diseases are genetic - they are passed down through the HLA genes on chromosome 6.

OP, I agree with several others who suggest a blood test to either confirm or rule out your concern about a thyroid issue. After that, make a decision about whether you want to focus on marathon training or if you want to focus on weight loss. Don't try to multi-task this.

That's news to numerous autoimmune disease researchers out there. Lupus is not always associated with HLA mutations, for example. It was with a couple of families that had multiple members with lupus, but it doesn't hold up when applied to the general population. The most recent research into the molecular mechanisms of lupus seem to bear this out since they are not related to HLA at all, but to disruption in autophagy in certain types of cells.

I doubt it is news to any geneticist, but it is probable that some researchers (particularly those looking at it from a medical perspective) have little or no knowledge of the impact of genes on function or dysfuction of our immune responses.

Also, keep in mind that I am not talking about mutations... that gets us into a different topic altogether. Let's not add another variable because then things get complicated. FWIW, I don't disagree with you if the subject is HLA mutations. Mutations are not the subject, though.

Not wanting to get into a back and forth, but just fyi, the main group I work with are immunologists. They're not primarily looking at things from a clinical perspective, they're doing basic research including genetics, biochemistry, etc. The conclusion that everything is stemming from HLA is not holding with certain autoimmune diseases, lupus being a good example. If it did, certain members of this group could have packed their bags and gone home a long time ago.

No doubt HLA is a contributing factor in some, maybe even a majority of autoimmune cases who knows. But not all. I'll also mention that a contributing factor is not necessarily a 'cause', either.