10k training but haven't lost weight

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited September 2015
    katiezi wrote: »
    I've been training for a 10k since mid august. I haven't lost any weight. In fact it feel like I've gained weight although I haven't really tracked my weight, I've been trying to focus on my endurance. I eat healthy run 3 days a week and do arm, leg, and ab exercises on my between days. I take about 2 days off. I'm to the point where I'm running about 5 1/2 miles every other day but haven't lost any weight? What am I doing incorrectly?

    training for endurance events and exercising in general isn't going to necessarily translate to losing weight because it doesn't necessarily translate to you being in a deficit of energy which is what is required for weight loss.

    when i was in my weight loss stage, i actually did far better with lighter exercise because it was easier to control calories...when i'm actually training or otherwise really going hard with my fitness, i'm hungry and my body wants that energy to optimize performance and recovery. when i'm actively training for a cycling event, i actually have to watch things pretty closely because i will tend to gain a few pounds due to being ravenous pretty much all of the time.

    i would also add that in general, people tend to have this notion that if they are killing it on the fitness side then they should pretty much be able to eat whatever and be fine...i see this all of the time in the gym...people have the fitness part down, but their body's never change because they can't acknowledge the fact that they can't out exercise their over eating and/or otherwise crappy diets.
  • GillianLF
    GillianLF Posts: 410 Member
    @kkenseth I was eating back all of my calories until this week. I'm probably eating back half now so I will see if that makes a difference. Thanks!
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    What's really funny is that people (friends, relatives, colleagues) who ask me about my weight loss absolutely insist that I must have done it with exercise. They simply will not accept explanations like "oh, I just cut back on what I ate" or "I counted calories". They'll find out that I'm running and say things like "oh, that explains it, it must be the running, then". They can accept that as an answer -- even though it's totally wrong -- but in their minds, you can't lose weight simply through diet. They don't seem to understand that cardio doesn't lead to weight loss. But hey.

    Absolutely this.

    I always say "I'm counting calories using an app". They're never happy with that answer.

    As soon as they find out that I run, the running is the whole reason I've lost weight. I try to tell them "I started running 6 months before i started losing weight. The weight didn't start coming off until I restricted my calories", but it goes in one ear and out the other.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    What's really funny is that people (friends, relatives, colleagues) who ask me about my weight loss absolutely insist that I must have done it with exercise. They simply will not accept explanations like "oh, I just cut back on what I ate" or "I counted calories". They'll find out that I'm running and say things like "oh, that explains it, it must be the running, then". They can accept that as an answer -- even though it's totally wrong -- but in their minds, you can't lose weight simply through diet. They don't seem to understand that cardio doesn't lead to weight loss. But hey.

    Absolutely this.

    I always say "I'm counting calories using an app". They're never happy with that answer.

    As soon as they find out that I run, the running is the whole reason I've lost weight. I try to tell them "I started running 6 months before i started losing weight. The weight didn't start coming off until I restricted my calories", but it goes in one ear and out the other.

    "Wow, you lost a lot of weight! You look great!"
    "Thanks."
    "How did you do it?"
    "I just ate less food."
    "No, but really? Did you cut out gluten? Carbs?"
    "Those things don't work. Really, I just ate less."
    "Really, though, you look great, how did you do it? Did you join a gym?"
    "No."
    "You run though, right? I mean, I saw your pictures on Facebook from the race you ran."
    "Yeah, I'm running a bit , but that's really not how --"
    "Running is really great! I should take up running. Maybe I'll lose these extra 20 pounds."
    "Seriously, the running had nothing to do with it --"
    "Well, good for you. Keep running. It's obviously working."
    "I -- oh, never mind. Thanks."
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    What's really funny is that people (friends, relatives, colleagues) who ask me about my weight loss absolutely insist that I must have done it with exercise. They simply will not accept explanations like "oh, I just cut back on what I ate" or "I counted calories". They'll find out that I'm running and say things like "oh, that explains it, it must be the running, then". They can accept that as an answer -- even though it's totally wrong -- but in their minds, you can't lose weight simply through diet. They don't seem to understand that cardio doesn't lead to weight loss. But hey.

    Absolutely this.

    I always say "I'm counting calories using an app". They're never happy with that answer.

    As soon as they find out that I run, the running is the whole reason I've lost weight. I try to tell them "I started running 6 months before i started losing weight. The weight didn't start coming off until I restricted my calories", but it goes in one ear and out the other.

    "Wow, you lost a lot of weight! You look great!"
    "Thanks."
    "How did you do it?"
    "I just ate less food."
    "No, but really? Did you cut out gluten? Carbs?"
    "Those things don't work. Really, I just ate less."
    "Really, though, you look great, how did you do it? Did you join a gym?"
    "No."
    "You run though, right? I mean, I saw your pictures on Facebook from the race you ran."
    "Yeah, I'm running a bit , but that's really not how --"
    "Running is really great! I should take up running. Maybe I'll lose these extra 20 pounds."
    "Seriously, the running had nothing to do with it --"
    "Well, good for you. Keep running. It's obviously working."
    "I -- oh, never mind. Thanks."

    LOL

    If they can continue to think it's hard and exhausting then they have an excuse to avoid it. Selective hearing.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    What's really funny is that people (friends, relatives, colleagues) who ask me about my weight loss absolutely insist that I must have done it with exercise. They simply will not accept explanations like "oh, I just cut back on what I ate" or "I counted calories". They'll find out that I'm running and say things like "oh, that explains it, it must be the running, then". They can accept that as an answer -- even though it's totally wrong -- but in their minds, you can't lose weight simply through diet. They don't seem to understand that cardio doesn't lead to weight loss. But hey.

    Absolutely this.

    I always say "I'm counting calories using an app". They're never happy with that answer.

    As soon as they find out that I run, the running is the whole reason I've lost weight. I try to tell them "I started running 6 months before i started losing weight. The weight didn't start coming off until I restricted my calories", but it goes in one ear and out the other.

    "Wow, you lost a lot of weight! You look great!"
    "Thanks."
    "How did you do it?"
    "I just ate less food."
    "No, but really? Did you cut out gluten? Carbs?"
    "Those things don't work. Really, I just ate less."
    "Really, though, you look great, how did you do it? Did you join a gym?"
    "No."
    "You run though, right? I mean, I saw your pictures on Facebook from the race you ran."
    "Yeah, I'm running a bit , but that's really not how --"
    "Running is really great! I should take up running. Maybe I'll lose these extra 20 pounds."
    "Seriously, the running had nothing to do with it --"
    "Well, good for you. Keep running. It's obviously working."
    "I -- oh, never mind. Thanks."

    :D Yup
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    katiezi wrote: »
    I've been training for a 10k since mid august. I haven't lost any weight. In fact it feel like I've gained weight although I haven't really tracked my weight, I've been trying to focus on my endurance. I eat healthy run 3 days a week and do arm, leg, and ab exercises on my between days. I take about 2 days off. I'm to the point where I'm running about 5 1/2 miles every other day but haven't lost any weight? What am I doing incorrectly?

    training for endurance events and exercising in general isn't going to necessarily translate to losing weight because it doesn't necessarily translate to you being in a deficit of energy which is what is required for weight loss.

    when i was in my weight loss stage, i actually did far better with lighter exercise because it was easier to control calories...when i'm actually training or otherwise really going hard with my fitness, i'm hungry and my body wants that energy to optimize performance and recovery. when i'm actively training for a cycling event, i actually have to watch things pretty closely because i will tend to gain a few pounds due to being ravenous pretty much all of the time.

    i would also add that in general, people tend to have this notion that if they are killing it on the fitness side then they should pretty much be able to eat whatever and be fine...i see this all of the time in the gym...people have the fitness part down, but their body's never change because they can't acknowledge the fact that they can't out exercise their over eating and/or otherwise crappy diets.

    I absolutely agree with this. Endurance events require substantial amounts of energy (ie caloric intake). I generally recommend avoiding combining training for such an event with weight loss goals.
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
    I had to combine 5K training with a caloric reduction to see any weight loss. The problem with running is that it really doesn't burn as many calories as you think it does. It takes me a full 35-40 mins to run a 5K and that's technically a slow jog for fitter people. You'd think you've worked really hard but you really haven't.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    krithsai wrote: »
    I had to combine 5K training with a caloric reduction to see any weight loss. The problem with running is that it really doesn't burn as many calories as you think it does. It takes me a full 35-40 mins to run a 5K and that's technically a slow jog for fitter people. You'd think you've worked really hard but you really haven't.

    Yeah, and then after you do it, you fool yourself into thinking you can have a burger and huge plate of fries, followed by ice cream.

    Not that this ever happened to me personally. *Twiddles thumbs, looks around innocently, whistles.*
  • kittykarin
    kittykarin Posts: 104 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    katiezi wrote: »
    I've been training for a 10k since mid august. I haven't lost any weight. In fact it feel like I've gained weight although I haven't really tracked my weight, I've been trying to focus on my endurance. I eat healthy run 3 days a week and do arm, leg, and ab exercises on my between days. I take about 2 days off. I'm to the point where I'm running about 5 1/2 miles every other day but haven't lost any weight? What am I doing incorrectly?

    training for endurance events and exercising in general isn't going to necessarily translate to losing weight because it doesn't necessarily translate to you being in a deficit of energy which is what is required for weight loss.

    when i was in my weight loss stage, i actually did far better with lighter exercise because it was easier to control calories...when i'm actually training or otherwise really going hard with my fitness, i'm hungry and my body wants that energy to optimize performance and recovery. when i'm actively training for a cycling event, i actually have to watch things pretty closely because i will tend to gain a few pounds due to being ravenous pretty much all of the time.

    i would also add that in general, people tend to have this notion that if they are killing it on the fitness side then they should pretty much be able to eat whatever and be fine...i see this all of the time in the gym...people have the fitness part down, but their body's never change because they can't acknowledge the fact that they can't out exercise their over eating and/or otherwise crappy diets.

    So on point! I lost much faster before I began running and training for 5k and 10k races. When I am running and pushing myself to meet goals, I am eating a little more to have the energy to push me through the workouts. However, I am still losing weight and to me, it is worth the slower pace. I feel so much better about my body and feel leaner and healthier than if I just cut calories (I think the saying goes, Dieting makes you look good in clothes but exercise makes you look good naked, something like that). I also really like running and challenging myself on every run to go a little faster or further. The accomplishment is great. Keep up with your running and you will get where you want to be if you track your calories.

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