Running causing weight gain?

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  • runner359
    runner359 Posts: 90 Member
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    Maybe get tested for thyroid issues. Its not all about calories in calories out. Sometimes there is more to it.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Maybe get tested for thyroid issues. Its not all about calories in calories out sometimes more to it.
    A thyroid issue would just mean fewer calories out than expected, right?
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    a 5 or 10k is not considered "long distance" running.

    more calories in than burned = weight gain.

    end of story

    for newbies 10k was big deal. :)
  • madimurrell12
    madimurrell12 Posts: 29
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    Can I just say that I NEVER lose weight when running. Ever. Also I seem to look less toned. My dietitian and doctor both said that it's that long distance running seems to break down muscle and you hold more fat reserves because your body is going into fight or flight mode, it doesn't know if you're running from danger. I am no expert or trying to say I am an expert, just saying my experience and what I have been told, you can take it with a grain of salt if you'd prefer.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Maybe get tested for thyroid issues. Its not all about calories in calories out sometimes more to it.
    A thyroid issue would just mean fewer calories out than expected, right?
    No. I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and I lost just like everybody else—by eating at a deficit.

    According to the NIH, a healthy weight for a 5'7" woman is 121–153:
    https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    I've read a case study on a woman training for a marathon that actually put on weight while eating at a deficit. When tested, her RMR was depressed. Distance running is one of those things that causes high stress in our bodies. Couple that with a large calorie deficit, and the body reacts to that stress. Stress produces cortisol, and according to some researchers, that causes weight gain.

    He's logging 50 miles a week. Good exercise, but hardly "high stress" training.

    But I also do 4 hard swim workouts a week and hard bike workouts. And my running includes one above race pace interval workout a week

    Still doesn't sound particularly high stress. OTOH, as a another poster noted, everyone's body has a different idea of "high stress".

    What you're basically doing is training for a middle-distance triathlon (what we used to call a "tinman", not sure if that term is still used). Personally, I think that the cross-training involved is very beneficial, as you aren't just pounding the crap out of one set of muscles.

    OTOH, if your goal is to simply be the best 10K runner you can be, then the cross-training is probably hurting you slightly -- you're putting on upper body muscle from the swimming, and your quads are going to be bigger than a typical runner. However, simply from a health perspective, I think what you're doing (other than the too-low calorie intake), is excellent. Depends on your goals.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    My dietitian and doctor both said that it's that long distance running seems to break down muscle and you hold more fat reserves because your body is going into fight or flight mode.

    Huh...

    Sustained training of any kind without adequate fuelling will cause difficulties, but that's not the preserve of running, it's about inadequate calorie intake and macro balance.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Hello all! I am a distnace runner who is training for the 5K/10K distance.

    What are your times for these?
    I have upped my mileage from 35 miles a week to about 45-50 miles a week along with core, swimming, and biking a few days ever week.

    How are you tracking your calorie expenditure, and what do you define as a hard session for these?

    What sort of sessions do you do, you identify 5-7 miles per day, what's the combination of LSR, tempo, interval and recovery session?
    I eat ~1500 cal. a day

    Net or gross?
    Unfortunatley, I gained weight!!!!

    As others are saying if you're in calorie deficit you'll lose weight, if you're in surplus you'll gain weight. There is a subtlety around period, again as noted upthread the sudden increase in training may lead to glycogen uplift/ water retention, and that can sustain over a number of weeks.

    By adding swimming and cycling, assuming these are additions, you will be developing different muscle groups than those that you develop when only running. Two months isn't long, but you may be seeing a rebalancing of body composition. Despite what all the lifting zealots would claim running, swimming and cycling will all help with retention of lean mass, just not to the same extent as when lifting.

    I'd suggest observing other things; bodyfat percentage, physical measurements, clothing fit etc.

    But you're correct, you're probably slightly over racing weight, while cross training is very complementary it can have a moderately adverse effect on performance.

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