Is it a good idea to run while trying to gain?

angierosas43

Hey everyone im new here but have been tracking by keeping a food diary for a while let me explain..im currently VERY underweight. About 73 pounds with a height of 5'0(20 years old by the way) and before anyone says to talk to my doctor or a dietitian. Well..long story short.. I had WAY too many problems with my doctor that i had to discontinue going with him and currently in on a long waiting list for a new doctor I was recommended. I also can't afford a dietitian or nutritionist right now either so I'm hoping in the meantime to atleast get a few general suggestions/opinions on my situation and how to go about it. I lost weight due to being ill for almost a month and my appetite was non-existent so it was very hard to eat, I hate force feeding myself if I'm not hungry. Now I feel alot better but now I have the problem of being underweight, I want to gain some weight but since I'm also a long distance runner I want to be able to run as well. Would that be a good idea considering the weight I'm at? I mean, I wouldn't be burning alot of calories on my runs anyway since I'm very underweight so should I continue running and just increase my intake slowly but surely? I appreciate any and all suggestions or opinions thanks again

Forgot to add I run about an hour(sometimes less) to 1 hour and a half 5 days a week. Just for a better idea on how much I run

kimb00p

If you're already running, throwing in some extra food would be a push in the right direction.

ecjim

I would stop the long distance running & look into a weight program like Starting Strength, that way when you gain some weight there will be some muscle there too. If you miss running try some sprints 100 yards - the 400 meters race is run as a sprint. - Eat protien - meat, eggs, cheese etc & carbs -potatoes, rice. use olive oil & butter eat some nuts & avacadoes -don't be afraid of putting on some fat - you can gain 30 lbs& still be slim. seriously replace a lot of that running with weight lifting & eat - Eastcoast Jim

rybo

You can run, just make sure you eat enough to compensate.

stanmann571

I'd suggest you back off to 30-45 minutes a day at least until you hit your target weight.

Also, try eating denser food as suggested above, Nuts, cheeses, guac/avocado

lporter229

I am a distance runner with Crohn's disease, so I have encountered a similar problem in the past. I have talked to my doctor about it and he told me that he saw no need for me to quit running entirely, but I have had to back down on how much I was running because my body just simply could not support the nutritional requirements. He also recommended the Carnation Instant breakfast drinks for nutrition and I found them to be very helpful. I would blend a packet with a banana, peanut butter and milk and sometimes avocado. It was calorie and nutrient dense and my body was able to handle it. If you are finding it difficult to eat enough to compensate for your calorie burn from running, something similar might be helpful. As suggested above, look for calorie dense foods and make sure you get enough protein as well.

pondee629

Isn't weight gain just like weight loss but reversed. Calories in/calories out. Doesn't make a difference how the calories go out, just their relationship to those going in. Calories in>Calories out=gain. Calories in<Calories out= loss. If you burn a total of 1,000 during the day but eat 1,500 you'll gain.

TavistockToad

If you can't fuel the exercise, don't do it.

PAV8888

At age 20 the adult BMI tables would apply and at 14.3 your current weight is alarming and life threatening.

Your question about running is so far out of whack when your life is in danger that I do not know where to start other than to suspect that you may be using activity to generate a caloric deficit.

Information from google is not enough to substitute for a real doctor and team with experience with patients who are low weight and in need of re-feeding. Blood tests and monitoring for heart problems are probably really good ideas.

I would think that any deliberate activity beyond a short (less than half an hour a day in TOTAL) walk is contra-indicated when you're trying to increase your weight to the "I am no longer in mortal danger" level.

Your body is currently too depleted to be exercising and it needs the resources you are spending on activity in order to repair itself. Osteoporosis and long term hormonal problems are currently on their way and that's just for starters for someone who sounds like she has been operating in female triad (which is based on energy availability) territory for a while now.

As to whether the situation is actually serious...

BMI of 15.0 to 18.4, the risk of death was increased 47%
for cardiovascular disease the risk was greater only for those with BMI below 18.5
In the "other causes" category, …, and for BMI of 15.0 to 18.4 the risk was elevated by 84%
https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/obesity/23681

You are at 14.3.

I urge you to contact ANY doctor (the option always exists of going there with an accompanying family member or friend to help you navigate and deal with health providers and social agencies) and/or your area hospital emergency department.

You may also want to have a quick look through this: https://everythingedrecovery.com/2015/05/05/refeeding-syndrome/ though it sounds that you are likely not in danger given that you have been eating 1300 calories regularly these past few weeks.

To your question in the other thread it appears that the most prudent answer would be to cut all exercise till you are under regular medical care, and to add to what you're eating an ensure plus (or a whole milk milkshake with some nut butter, or the equivalent calories) every 2 to 3 days! Since doing so will have you at 2000K calories within a week (1300+ ~355 + ~355), you can then keep adding food as fast as you can after that, till you're regularly eating closer to 3000 than to 2500 calories a day and gaining weight straight till you hit a bmi of > 20 (or whichever BMI your doctor might suggest).

At that point of time *and assuming your hormone and brain chemical levels have normalized by then* you can take a deep breath and start thinking about things such as body composition and exercise in conjunction with normal eating.

You don't need to "reverse diet" which is an attempt to gain the minimum amount of weight while maximizing the amount of calories eaten... you need to gain the maximum amount of weight for the calories you're eating and you need to normalize your whole hormonal system which is all whacked out because of lack of fat.

I am very uncomfortable writing this as my sources are entirely self referenced and I suspect you really could use a knowledgeable specialist to help you navigate your situation. Obviously follow any medical advice you receive. But stop thinking that you can afford to wait till tomorrow and stop spending calories on activities such as exercise that are currently hindering your health instead of helping you improve it.

Your biggest health problem right now IS your (lack of) weight and any situation that is helping bring it about.

lporter229

lporter229 wrote: »

I am a distance runner with Crohn's disease, so I have encountered a similar problem in the past. I have talked to my doctor about it and he told me that he saw no need for me to quit running entirely, but I have had to back down on how much I was running because my body just simply could not support the nutritional requirements. He also recommended the Carnation Instant breakfast drinks for nutrition and I found them to be very helpful. I would blend a packet with a banana, peanut butter and milk and sometimes avocado. It was calorie and nutrient dense and my body was able to handle it. If you are finding it difficult to eat enough to compensate for your calorie burn from running, something similar might be helpful. As suggested above, look for calorie dense foods and make sure you get enough protein as well.

After reading through many of the responses, I feel the need to retract the this portion of my post as it applies to you, OP. At the time, I don't think I recognized just how much underweight you are. I agree that at 73 pounds, you should definitely not be running until you are able to reach a more adequate weight. Running in your current condition will likely do more harm than good. I am not sure of the nature of your illness, but if gaining weight is still an issue for you, I agree that you need to be under the care of a doctor. Wishing you the best.

NorthCascades

TavistockToad wrote: »

If you can't fuel the exercise, don't do it.

I can't believe somebody woo'd this. Oh well, not everybody likes good advice to be given. Uh oh, you should wear a seatbelt too.

Peanut butter is a great way to get extra calories.

jjpptt2

Running does not prevent you from gaining... so I'll echo what some others have said - run if you want to, but make sure you eat appropriately to compensate for the running.

But bigger picture, I can't help but wonder if there's something bigger here that needs priority attention.