Running again

cskalaj

I'm feeling really frustrated and discouraged and confused...

About two years ago, I was running 3.5 miles, 4 days per week, and though I was still overweight, I was pretty happy with my weight.

Last year around this time, I was getting fed up with running and used a pulled glut and trying to get pregnant as an excuse to stop running and switch back to using the elliptical (though my HRM said I was burning the same calories because I added time to make up for it). At the same time, I stopped taking birth control (I'm one of those weirdos who actually loses weight on BC) and started gaining weight. Then I had a miscarriage and put on even more weight. Mind you, I didn't make any major changes to my diet and I was supposedly still burning the same calories, but there I was, 20 pounds more than when I'd started.

About a month ago, I got annoyed at not ovulating despite not running, (I was afraid of over-working my body), I was depressed that I had to try on 5 outfits before I found one that didn't add 20 years to my physique, and I wanted to lose some pounds to help increase my changes of getting pregnant, so I took up running again.

So far, I have yet to lose a pound (in fact, I'm up 1.5!) and, oddly, even though I'm 20 pounds heavier than I was before and I'm running the same distance, it seems much easier than it was before. I DID change my speed from 5.6 to 5.5 so that I could build back up slowly, but would .1mph really make that much of a difference? Also, how can I not be losing weight??

I feel so helpless and paralyzed. I am not a perfect eater by any stretch, but I wasn't 20 pounds ago, either. I even went the Lent period without sweets (even though I'm not Catholic, haha!) to see if it would help, but the scale didn't budge. What can I do to get the scale moving and my body working? Is it possible that I developed some kind of hormonal mess over the last year that would do this?

weird_me2

I am not a perfect eater by any stretch

I'd start with this statement. Without seeing your diary, I would have to say that you have the same problem as most people on here do when they aren't losing - you are eating more than you think. Try logging everything accurately - weigh your food, make sure you choose the correct database entries, and make sure you log EVERYTHING, even if you have a "bad" day.

Other than that, my guess is that your HRM overcalculated your burn on the elliptical. The elliptical, depending on the resistance, can require a lot less leg effort than running can. Add in the fact that you are likely moving your upper body more (holding on to the handles) and you will see an elevated heart rate with a decreased energy output.

Your running may be easier now for any number of reasons. It sounds like you worked on your endurance on the treadmill, so that can help as well as just being more mentally in to it can help. Speed can make a difference, too, even just .1 mph. Work on your food portion of things and keep up your running and see where you go from there. It does sound like you have some hormonal things going on, too, but being as accurate as possible with the intake can help you see if they are a factor in your weight or not.

cskalaj

When I say I'm not a perfect eater, I mean I don't always eat the best foods (yes, I know the argument about not being "bad" foods) I DO log everything and stay within calories (or maybe give myself a 100 calorie lead-way, but this is exactly what I did 20 pounds ago). And I always used the elliptical on the highest setting.

That's what's so mind-numbingly confusing about all of this. I annoy myself and others with how I log everything! It's almost embarrassing....