Competitive female distance runner

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jsmnmrshll9848
jsmnmrshll9848 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a competitive female distance runner. I run around 35-40 miles each week. I'm somewhere between 5'3" and 5'4", and I currently weigh 110-112 pounds; however, at the beginning of the summer I was 106-108. I honestly can't tell if this weight gain has been muscle or fat or both. I have been doing some more strength training, so it could be muscle, but I don't know how to tell. Anyways, I was wondering if it would improve my athletic performance if I lose some weight, and if so, how much? I know I'm not overweight, but I also know that I can always improve myself. Also, how could I lose weight while maintaining good nutrition and not feeling hungry all the time?

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  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You can't really tell which it is unless you had a reliable BF test done at your old weight and again at your new weight. Reliable means bod pod or dexa scan, not BIA or BF scales. It's pretty hard for a female and a runner to gain 6-8 lbs muscle in 2 months. Has the gain this summer made your performance more difficult? If so, losing would likely make it easier. Lighter is usually better for runners (within reason). Set MFP to lose no more than .5 lb per week and maybe even a smaller deficit so you don't impinge on your performance. Make sure every calorie is packed with nutrition, minimal alcohol and junk food to keep your nutrition high. It's a delicate balancing act.
  • jsmnmrshll9848
    jsmnmrshll9848 Posts: 2 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    I am a competitive female distance runner. I run around 35-40 miles each week. I'm somewhere between 5'3" and 5'4", and I currently weigh 110-112 pounds; however, at the beginning of the summer I was 106-108. I honestly can't tell if this weight gain has been muscle or fat or both. I have been doing some more strength training, so it could be muscle, but I don't know how to tell. Anyways, I was wondering if it would improve my athletic performance if I lose some weight, and if so, how much? I know I'm not overweight, but I also know that I can always improve myself. Also, how could I lose weight while maintaining good nutrition and not feeling hungry all the time?

    What does your trainer think?

    I don't have a trainer, just a coach, but I don't really feel comfortable discussing it with my coach.
  • Vladimirnapkin
    Vladimirnapkin Posts: 299 Member
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    If you are paying your coach, they should be able to work with you on this.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    I am a competitive female distance runner. I run around 35-40 miles each week. I'm somewhere between 5'3" and 5'4", and I currently weigh 110-112 pounds; however, at the beginning of the summer I was 106-108. I honestly can't tell if this weight gain has been muscle or fat or both. I have been doing some more strength training, so it could be muscle, but I don't know how to tell. Anyways, I was wondering if it would improve my athletic performance if I lose some weight, and if so, how much? I know I'm not overweight, but I also know that I can always improve myself. Also, how could I lose weight while maintaining good nutrition and not feeling hungry all the time?

    What does your trainer think?

    I don't have a trainer, just a coach, but I don't really feel comfortable discussing it with my coach.
    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    I am a competitive female distance runner. I run around 35-40 miles each week. I'm somewhere between 5'3" and 5'4", and I currently weigh 110-112 pounds; however, at the beginning of the summer I was 106-108. I honestly can't tell if this weight gain has been muscle or fat or both. I have been doing some more strength training, so it could be muscle, but I don't know how to tell. Anyways, I was wondering if it would improve my athletic performance if I lose some weight, and if so, how much? I know I'm not overweight, but I also know that I can always improve myself. Also, how could I lose weight while maintaining good nutrition and not feeling hungry all the time?

    What does your trainer think?

    I don't have a trainer, just a coach, but I don't really feel comfortable discussing it with my coach.

    Maybe I’m missing something, but this kind of thing is exactly why I have a coach. If you don’t feel comfortable talking with yours, can you change to a coach you’re comfortable with? I can’t imagine having a coach I didn’t feel comfortable talking with about managing my training and weight goals and the best approaches to make that happen within my individual strengths/weaknesses and tolerances. That’s kind of why I hired him.

    This. A coach should be able to either answer these questions for you or refer you to another professional who can. Since you're competitive, I'd strongly encourage consulting a professional rather than looking for answers on the internet.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    jsmnmrshll9848 wrote: »
    I am a competitive female distance runner. I run around 35-40 miles each week. I'm somewhere between 5'3" and 5'4", and I currently weigh 110-112 pounds; however, at the beginning of the summer I was 106-108. I honestly can't tell if this weight gain has been muscle or fat or both. I have been doing some more strength training, so it could be muscle, but I don't know how to tell. Anyways, I was wondering if it would improve my athletic performance if I lose some weight, and if so, how much? I know I'm not overweight, but I also know that I can always improve myself. Also, how could I lose weight while maintaining good nutrition and not feeling hungry all the time?

    What does your trainer think?

    I don't have a trainer, just a coach, but I don't really feel comfortable discussing it with my coach.

    This strikes me as a red flag. Is there a reason why you can't talk about it with your coach?

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