Training like an athlete VS trying to lose weight

wewon

Are they mutually exclusive or go hand-in-hand?

I decided that the best way to get back into shape was to give myself a goal, so I decided to train for a 1/2 marathon.

I run about 5 days a week and life weight 3 days (I do short 1.6 mile runs on weight lifting days).

I filled out my goals on MFP and recieved a goal for my caloric intake and expected amount of exercise on a daily/weekly basis.

As I get closer to the race day I find that I'm blowing my caloric burn out of the water, after my long run on Saturday I may have burned double what I was expecting for the week.

So now I'm trying to keep up in calories just to avoid the starvation mode.

My stop gap solution: I went to my goals and reduced the amount of weight that I wanted to lose. Things are still high, but a little more in line.

After the event, when my weekly milage is not constantly increasing, I imagine that the numbers and expectations should start to fall in line.

jmhigg1020

Good point - love the perspective! I think I'll borrow it... Good luck!

Newfiedan

I adopted the same mentality after week one and I consistently blew the numbers away, I ate more than ever and I dropped fat like it was butter melting off my body, the answer is to feed to succeed I learned that from a fellow member early on here. I know you have the right mentality and you will have great success. Keep at it, According to cals alone I should have lost no more than a pound a week but I consistently dropped 1.4-1.8 pounds a week doing exactly that.

AggieCass09

I also train for half marathons and have been losing weight too. Granted the weight loss is slow (today is my 1 year MFP anniversary and I'm down 31 lbs) but it is coming off. I have noticed a significant increase in muscle definition so i know that is why the loss is slow on the scale, however, my measuring tape is my best friend. My goals are set at 1 lb/week loss.

You can both train and lose weight, it just may be a bit slower in the loss department and you will need to find a balance to reach your goals.

Good luck!

p.s. when is your next race? Mine's in 2 weeks!

poustotah

This is interesting and I'd love to hear the responses. When I first started working out, I used the treadmill as a means to warm up. I remember taking a kick box aerobics class and the instructor made fun of me! After I lost 90 lbs, I went back and remember making fun of him! At any rate, after I lost the weight, I decided I would run a 5k along with a woman that I went to the gym with who ran ALL the time. I started out running at 6mph and she told me I was going too fast. I looked at her and I told her, "but I always run at 6mph for 30 minutes." She couldn't believe it. So I'm not sure where the balance is I just know that I push myself - HARD. Now I'm 7 months pregnant and I'm still running 5k's 3x's a week in the gym. Not nearly as fast, but it's still there.

erickirb

I think they can go hand in hand, but training like an athlete, to improve performance and perform optimally, is hard to do on a caloric deficit. Athletes train long and hard and usually eat maintenance cals or slightly above, as the more fuel you have the better your performance.

If I eat a lot of healthy stuff one day (well over maintenance), my performance is much better the next day.

kelsully

I think you can definitely do both. Runner's World current issue has articles about that very topic..go check it out. However I made it a goal to think about food as fuel during training. Yes I could eat A LOT more after a 15 mile run but there is still a top end. I still counted calories. I tried to go a tad over calories the day before a long run because I knew I couldn't even touch them with a ten foot poll without tons of treats the day ofa long run...I tried to make sure I fueled my body with foods that would improve my running...etc...I only had a few days where I felt "deprived" not to be snacking on cookies and beer at summer barbeques ...most of the time of felt great...

wewon

p.s. when is your next race? Mine's in 2 weeks!

Mine is April 30th.


I'm really concerned about going into starvation mode, but I find it hard to believe that a 40 year old man should be eating like a 16 yo boy. LOL!

FaithandFitness

I think that even if you are slower in the actual loss department your overall health is going to be awesome. When you do get leaner there is going to be a well toned body underneath that is going to be fabulous. Losing weight is all well and good, but to have some muscle definition under it is great.

HolleeERL

I did the very same thing - gave myself a goal and trained for a 1/2 marathon. It was the only thing that made me really see some results and something I could stick to. I think it is VERY different than just losing weight - at least for me. When I train, I do very sport-specific exercise and I eat for performance. For me, it's more of a mindset thing. If I'm not training, I have very less of a desire to exercise (I won't push myself) and lose focus on my eating. If I am training, I know I HAVE to exercise or I don't finish the race like I wanted to and I have to eat well to perform well.

HolleeERL

I started out running at 6mph and she told me I was going too fast. I looked at her and I told her, "but I always run at 6mph for 30 minutes." She couldn't believe it.

Wow! I find 6mph for a "short" run to be kind of slow. I ran a half-marathon at 6.5mph and I consider myself to be a little slow - I know of many people who ran a half-marathon a LOT faster than that! So, you do what YOU can do and continue to amaze those who can't! ) BTW - kudos for running while pregnant. THAT is something I could never do! (I tried!)