Running, Dieting, Not losing...
ameliarose31
Posts: 6 Member
I've been on the C25k program for 7 weeks now and I'm running at least 3 times a week, plus doing a lot of remodeling work on our house several evenings a week. I'm watching my calories, eating more fruits/veggies/healthy proteins, etc.
It's been almost a month now, and I haven't dropped a single pound, still at 138, but I'd like to be under 130 (I'm only 5'2", but I historically have more muscle weight because that's what I weighed in high school when I was in shape and healthy).
Definitely losing motivation.
It's been almost a month now, and I haven't dropped a single pound, still at 138, but I'd like to be under 130 (I'm only 5'2", but I historically have more muscle weight because that's what I weighed in high school when I was in shape and healthy).
Definitely losing motivation.
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Replies
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Open your diary.0
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This. $20 says OP isn't eating enough.Open your diary.0 -
+1 on opening your diary.
What makes you think running will make you lose weight?
You're 7 weeks new into running. If anything it would have made you gain a little due to water retention/being human/etc...0 -
That and I've read a few times that just running, all the time, you'll plateau. I used to go to the gym and only run and/or do the elliptical and kept wondering why I wasn't losing any weight. Quite frankly, it takes a little more than that. Start picking up some weights, you'll see definition and start losing weight.0
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Also keep in mind that your body has changed since you were in high school, and it may not be possible for you to get back down to that same weight.0
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That and I've read a few times that just running, all the time, you'll plateau. I used to go to the gym and only run and/or do the elliptical and kept wondering why I wasn't losing any weight. Quite frankly, it takes a little more than that. Start picking up some weights, you'll see definition and start losing weight.
:huh: :huh:0 -
Try some sprints in your running (Speed work), it's similar to HIIT and you will work harder. Try a longer distance, try some uphill work. Mix it up. And always always make sure you're measuring/weighing your food and sticking to your calorie goal. Also, make sure you are eating enough to fuel your run in the first place and watch your iron levels as these can deplete through exercise, which can in turn make you tired and slow down.0
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Are you actually accurately weighing a logging your food?0
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It's so hard for me to watch replies on threads like this. Because I wish I had the answers for the OP, because then it would solve problems for me too.
I weigh (using grams) and log everything I eat. And yes, if it goes in my mouth, I log it.
I workout 5-6 days a week. Most of it cardio/running as I train for races (currently just a 10K). Anywhere from 40 min-90 min (longer on the long run days when it's for half marathons)
I do strength, heavy, two nights a week, both upper and lower body.
I alternate fartleks with hill training every other week.
I wear an HRM.
I deduct the amount that I'd have burned not working for that period of time from the calories my HRM tells me I've burned before entering them in my log.
I've done the cook every meal from scratch, eat as clean as possible route.
I've done the easy on the stress version where I cook my dinners but will eat frozen meals for lunch with breakfasts jumping back and forth.
I've done cheat meals.
I've done cheat days.
I've done lower carb.
I've done carb re-feeds.
I've tried working out on an empty stomach.
I've tried working out after eating (after waiting a bit for food to settle/digest).
I've done 1200 net calories.
I've done 1400 net calories.
I've done 1600 net calories.
I've done 1700 net calories.
I've given all of them fair shakes, no less than two months before changing any changes.
But yet I never lose weight while I'm running. I usually gain when I'm running. And I'm female, and not bulking, so it's not muscle. My clothes fit tighter and the scale goes up.
Then once I stop running, I lose weight again. The race I'm running at the end of this month is actually my last for at least six months, simply because I need to not be running for awhile to try to get off some of the weight I've gained while running so much for so many races the past couple of years.
So I feel for the OP, and, like I said, I wish I had the answers. But all I have is empathy. Well that, at least I don't have the automatic expectation that it's something she's doing wrong either.
I hope you find your solution OP!1 -
^^^THIS! I'm so with you on this. the more/harder I exercise and better I eat, the more I gain. It's ridiculous and frustrating, and I wish I had an answer.0
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One word - INTENSITY - ramp it up. If JUST running isn't doing it well guess what - DO WORK do more harder - what speed are you running at? 7.5mph? Or 4.5mph? How INTENSE you workout dictates a lot about your fat burn. Toss in proper eating habits clean foods and ENOUGH foods.0
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^^^THIS! I'm so with you on this. the more/harder I exercise and better I eat, the more I gain. It's ridiculous and frustrating, and I wish I had an answer.
Seriously. If anyone ever had an actual answer for why it happens, I would pay them money. But I'm a details/data freak, so I track every single thing down to the smallest details. I have a spreadsheet that tracks calories consumed, workout calories, net calories, weight, macros, etc. I have charts, graphs, trendlines, and more. All of them show me that I lose weight when I don't regularly workout, or at least don't run, and that I lose when I just eat within my calories and possibly do the occasional, light, workout.
My best loss trend was when I didn't work out at all, ate a nutrition bar for breakfast, a frozen meal for lunch, a mix of processed and fresh snacks, and cooked dinner each night while keeping my macros around 50-55% carbs and an even split between fat and protein for whatever remained. Definitely not inspiring to keep working out at all.
Sadly, the main reason I continue to work out is because it helps with some chronic shoulder and knee pain that I have. The working out keeps it from hurting all the time. I just haven't been able to find a balance with just enough exercise to keep the pain at bay but not so much that it stops the weight loss.One word - INTENSITY - ramp it up. If JUST running isn't doing it well guess what - DO WORK do more harder - what speed are you running at? 7.5mph? Or 4.5mph? How INTENSE you workout dictates a lot about your fat burn. Toss in proper eating habits clean foods and ENOUGH foods.
Personally, I run 5mph on my easy runs and typically about 6mph on my "training runs". Then I tend to run at about 6.5 mph during the actual races.
My speed intervals alternate between walking at 3.5mph and running at 9mph. My hill intervals alternate between 0-15 incline on the treadmill.
I lift heavy, typically no more than 8 clean reps per set, sometimes as few as 2-3 reps if I've just increased the weight.
And, as stated above, I've done the "as clean as possible" eating. For almost a year I cooked every meal from scratch and my snacks were all fresh veggies that I'd cut each night to bring with me to work. I was probably close to 90/10 on clean eating to processed eating. During that time I was netting about 1700 calories a day.
Still never lost weight until I got past the race I was training for, cut calories down to 1450 a day and stopped working out. In fact, I gained 15 pounds (not muscle) during that year. I did five races, two of them half marathons over the course of that year and coached two people through the Couch to 5K program. But the only time I lost weight was when I wasn't working out.0 -
I opened my diary, didn't know i had it on private so thanks for the suggestion.
I was 133 at my lowest last December (lost about 25, then gained back about 8, now back on track). That was with a 1200 goal plus exercise. So I know I should be capable of losing at least a few more. I try to fluctuate caloric intake so my metabolism doesn't get comfortable by cutting lots of calories or not cutting enough. I'm pretty good about logging everday. Once I finish the C25k program I plan on alternating 1-2 long distance/week, 1 interval training day, and returning to the kickboxing class I did last fall that helped me lose weight originally.
I also weigh daily, not because I expect daily results, but more to keep myself accountable (If I think, man I will have to pay for 3 slices of pizza tomorrow on the scale, then I will only eat 1 instead).0 -
you're not eating nearly enough just to live. you're eating way way way to little to be a runner.
Try at least getting to 1200 calories a day, net for a week. See the green "300 extra calories a day" try to eat em all and see what happens.0 -
Also keep in mind that your body has changed since you were in high school, and it may not be possible for you to get back down to that same weight.
What? Say it ain't so! :flowerforyou:
Auddii's right, though...I know very few people that are the same body type/weight now that they were in high school. This was kind of a hard pill for me to swallow, but I eventually got it down, LOL...0 -
Are you drinking enough water? I am also in week 7 of C25K and I noticed on running days if I don't drink at least 12 glasses of water I retain water. Also, I think you should add some strength training.0
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There’s a Jessica in every gym. Spotting them is easy. They’re the women who run for an hour or more every day on the treadmill, setting new distance and/or time goals every week and month. Maybe they’re just interested in their treadmill workouts, maybe they’re training for their fifth fund-raising marathon, or maybe they’re even competing against runners in Finland via some Nike device. Doesn’t matter to me, because years of seeing my friend on the treadmill has exposed the results, which I’m not going to sugarcoat:
She’s still fat. Actually, she’s gotten fatter.
Her metabolism had slowed to a snail’s pace, and the fat was accumulating. This was her body rebelling. When Jessica asked for my advice, I told her to do two things: To schedule a second test for two weeks later, and to stop all the goddamned running until then.
Read for the rest: http://athlete.io/5343/why-women-should-not-run/0 -
I hate to be a horses butt, but weight loss is all math. If you have a calorie deficit you lose weight. Even if you put your body in "Starvation Mode" you still can't maintain or gain weight with a big calorie deficit. If that were true no-one would starve to death.
When I just looked at the diary most days were blank or incomplete.
Flame away.0 -
I'm having the same problem.. Don't loose any weight and I'm training 6 times a week..0
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The diary looked pretty well filled out to me....
Don't know... are you missing logging something obvious - alcohol or fizzy drinks?0 -
This. $20 says OP isn't eating enough.Open your diary.
called it.
not eating enough.
OP: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
go there. fill it out.0 -
There’s a Jessica in every gym. Spotting them is easy. They’re the women who run for an hour or more every day on the treadmill, setting new distance and/or time goals every week and month. Maybe they’re just interested in their treadmill workouts, maybe they’re training for their fifth fund-raising marathon, or maybe they’re even competing against runners in Finland via some Nike device. Doesn’t matter to me, because years of seeing my friend on the treadmill has exposed the results, which I’m not going to sugarcoat:
She’s still fat. Actually, she’s gotten fatter.
Her metabolism had slowed to a snail’s pace, and the fat was accumulating. This was her body rebelling. When Jessica asked for my advice, I told her to do two things: To schedule a second test for two weeks later, and to stop all the goddamned running until then.
Read for the rest: http://athlete.io/5343/why-women-should-not-run/
Yea, I see lots of fat runners and triathletes.0 -
I hate to be a horses butt, but weight loss is all math. If you have a calorie deficit you lose weight. Even if you put your body in "Starvation Mode" you still can't maintain or gain weight with a big calorie deficit. If that were true no-one would starve to death.
When I just looked at the diary most days were blank or incomplete.
Flame away.
Nah, man, she just has to eat more, bro!
Seriously, it is physically impossible to maintain your weight while on a long-term caloric deficit. If you're maintaining when you think you should be losing, you're either underestimating your caloric intake, or you're overestimating your exercise calories or TDEE. I realize it is frustrating to go through this and think you're doing everything right and still not lose weight, but there is simply no way that the laws of thermodynamics seize to apply inside your body.0 -
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/case-against-cardio/#axzz2cinIepOZ
I ran long distances for almost two years. For more than half of it, I didn't count calories, and the above info described me to a T. When I started counting calories, I was always miserably hungry, even when I had eaten at maintenance cals for the day.
When I ditched the processed grains and sugars, I started losing more and feeling a lot better. I also run much less now as well.
Best Wishes.0 -
The diary looked pretty well filled out to me....
Don't know... are you missing logging something obvious - alcohol or fizzy drinks?
If you go back a few days, to the weekend there is barely anything filled out.0 -
The diary looked pretty well filled out to me....
I just went looked at the last week and found three days (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) where she didn't log...0 -
Quick question, have you tried scaling back on your running and doing more slow moving (walking, hiking, etc)?But yet I never lose weight while I'm running
Just curious. I know you've tried lots of things and that's frustrating as hell.0 -
There’s a Jessica in every gym. Spotting them is easy. They’re the women who run for an hour or more every day on the treadmill, setting new distance and/or time goals every week and month. Maybe they’re just interested in their treadmill workouts, maybe they’re training for their fifth fund-raising marathon, or maybe they’re even competing against runners in Finland via some Nike device. Doesn’t matter to me, because years of seeing my friend on the treadmill has exposed the results, which I’m not going to sugarcoat:
She’s still fat. Actually, she’s gotten fatter.
Her metabolism had slowed to a snail’s pace, and the fat was accumulating. This was her body rebelling. When Jessica asked for my advice, I told her to do two things: To schedule a second test for two weeks later, and to stop all the goddamned running until then.
Read for the rest: http://athlete.io/5343/why-women-should-not-run/
What a crock.......0 -
billsica AND trogalicious - Last time I had my RMI checked professionally, I had a VERY low metabolism (around 1080), and that's when I was in high school swimming competitively 5 days a week and eating my heart out. I'm a little reluctant to rely on being able to cut calories unless I have a deficit AND i'm working out. Plus I have a desk job, so unless I work out, I'm not burning much more calories than my RMI anyways.
bmckinneybc - I do admit I'm bad at this because I'm afraid of water retention. But I am trying to up this (1.5-2 L a day) and I also drink herbal teas about once a day. We will see if this helps.
Hildy_J - not usually missing anything. I'm pretty crazy about measuring things now because I know I get myself in trouble if I don't. I don't drink any sugar drinks, mainly water, coffee, and tea. And I only have alcoholic drinks once every couple weeks because I know that's not going to help me (plus if when I look at the calories it makes me feel like I just wasted half a days food on one drink).
In general, I spread meals out some (I don't eat "lunch", I eat parts of my lunch all day long). I've also started doing way more grains and fibers than I used to. To estimate my burned calories after exercise, I use whatever fitness pal says, but I don't necessarily RELY on that number. running 25 mins and walking 10 is somewhere between 250-350 calories at my understanding.0 -
billsica AND trogalicious - Last time I had my RMI checked professionally, I had a VERY low metabolism (around 1080), and that's when I was in high school swimming competitively 5 days a week and eating my heart out. I'm a little reluctant to rely on being able to cut calories unless I have a deficit AND i'm working out. Plus I have a desk job, so unless I work out, I'm not burning much more calories than my RMI anyways.
1. you're not in high school now.
2. metabolism changes.
3. If you're burning more than your resting metabolism, you're gonna have a bad time.
Here's a thought. Stop running until you figure out what you need to eat to maintain. Once you have a good grasp on that, then consider running with a HRM and eat some of those back. If you're not losing right now you're either at too much of a deficit, or not enough. With what you're eating, I seriously doubt it's "not enough of a deficit."0
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