Long term runner can't lose weight

bozzasean

Ive been running about 8 years.
Upto marathons and still can't shift the excess weight.
I would love to be lighter to help with it.
I am eating under calorie as a rule.
Any suggestions

L1zardQueen

How many calories do you eat on average per day? How many exercise calories do you burn a day? How do you calculate those exercise calories? What is your height, weight, and age? What is your goal weight?

sijomial

Maybe you are eating more than you think (very common).
Maybe your calorie goal is simply too high.
Maybe your running isn't burning as many calories as you think.
(As your diary is private hard to give more than "maybes".)

But yes you can lose weight. The simplest way is just to drop your calorie goal little by little and don't change anything else using consistency and your long term weight trend as your guide.

emmamcgarity

How long have you been tracking your calorie intake?

quiksylver296

Are you weighing and logging everything you eat? No skipping, cheating or forgetting? If no, start there.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1

apullum

Running does not cause weight loss. A consistent calorie deficit causes weight loss, and being athletic does not ensure a calorie deficit. If you are not losing weight in a month of trying, then you are not in a calorie deficit. You can ensure a calorie deficit by weighing and logging ALL food, consistently staying within your MFP calorie goal.

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bozzasean

emmamcgarity wrote: »

How long have you been tracking your calorie intake?

Been trying to track everything for most of last year. Came off over the start of winter but back with a bang as I want to get light for a long race in may

mbaker566

if you aren't losing weight, you aren't eating at a deficit. the above posted chart is a good flow chart to figure out your sticking point. typically, bad measuring habits leads to eating more than thought

bozzasean

apullum wrote: »

Running does not cause weight loss. A consistent calorie deficit causes weight loss, and being athletic does not ensure a calorie deficit. If you are not losing weight in a month of trying, then you are not in a calorie deficit. You can ensure a calorie deficit by weighing and logging ALL food, consistently staying within your MFP calorie goal.

I'll be counting every crumb 🙂

bozzasean

L1zardQueen wrote: »

How many calories do you eat on average per day? How many exercise calories do you burn a day? How do you calculate those exercise calories? What is your height, weight, and age? What is your goal weight?

I tend to eat 1800 calories.
I track my exercise on strava that is attached here.
I'm 5'9
45 and 14 and a half stone, big frame but want to lose 2st or 28lbs

bozzasean

mbaker566 wrote: »

if you aren't losing weight, you aren't eating at a deficit. the above posted chart is a good flow chart to figure out your sticking point. typically, bad measuring habits leads to eating more than thought

Thanks. It looks a good chart. I'm pretty sure I'm accurate with measurements. But I'm trying the more meals with less fat and calories method, rather than 1 one off larger meals

quiksylver296

Did you see the part about a food scale?

tuckerrj

For the longest time I struggled because I couldn't lose weight on (what I thought was) 1,500 calories a day. Then I got a good digital scale and a set of measuring cups and spoons. After diligently measuring EVERYTHING that went in my mouth that had calories, VIOLA! The weight started coming off. Obviously my "estimating" abilities were sorely lacking. So I guess my advise/input is this, most folks can't "kind of" track their calories and expect consistent weight loss.

apullum

bozzasean wrote: »

mbaker566 wrote: »

if you aren't losing weight, you aren't eating at a deficit. the above posted chart is a good flow chart to figure out your sticking point. typically, bad measuring habits leads to eating more than thought

Thanks. It looks a good chart. I'm pretty sure I'm accurate with measurements. But I'm trying the more meals with less fat and calories method, rather than 1 one off larger meals

Dietary fat is irrelevant to fat loss or gain. Fat loss is 100% caused by consistently being in a calorie deficit, regardless of what macros those calories come from. There is no need to restrict fat unless you have a medical reason to do so, and your body needs a minimum amount of fat for health.

Meal timing is also irrelevant to fat loss. It does not matter how many meals you eat. All that matters for fat loss is consistently being in a calorie deficit.

sijomial

bozzasean wrote: »

L1zardQueen wrote: »

How many calories do you eat on average per day? How many exercise calories do you burn a day? How do you calculate those exercise calories? What is your height, weight, and age? What is your goal weight?

I tend to eat 1800 calories.
I track my exercise on strava that is attached here.
I'm 5'9
45 and 14 and a half stone, big frame but want to lose 2st or 28lbs

I just logged a walk on Strava.
It estimated a ludicrous 538 calories for 3.5 miles whereas the true net calories for me are more like 179.

Net calories for running on level ground is approximately bodyweight in pounds X distance in miles X efficiency ratio of 0.63 - so at 203lbs you are roughly burning 128cals a mile.

Beware Strava estimates gross calories and not just the extra calories you burned because you ran for that time period (net calories).

mbaker566

bozzasean wrote: »

mbaker566 wrote: »

if you aren't losing weight, you aren't eating at a deficit. the above posted chart is a good flow chart to figure out your sticking point. typically, bad measuring habits leads to eating more than thought

Thanks. It looks a good chart. I'm pretty sure I'm accurate with measurements. But I'm trying the more meals with less fat and calories method, rather than 1 one off larger meals

play around what what you eat. i found higher overall dietary fat helps me feel full longer and satisfied. other people feel protien does that for them.

i also am a grazer, never really eating a "meal" unless we are going out to eat.

however you decide to do it, staying under your calorie goal while accurately measuring your food is the only way to lose weight