weight gain and running

susioryan

I have been doing MFP since January with terrific results. I changed my goal weight to 5 pounds less then my original goal when I came with in a few pounds of it. I have been running 4-4.5 miles 5 days a week for the past 2 months after walking/snow shoeing the winter months. I have stalled and even gained a pound or 2 in the past few weeks. I had custom set my calorie goal to 1300 but have changed it today back to the MFP goal of 1200. My measurements have stayed about the same.
I am unable to weight train right now due to medical issues but I am wondering- can one build muscle by running? Could that account for the pound or 2 of weight gain? Could my stall be because the body trying to adjust to this new exercise regime?
Just wondering....

jrich1

4-5 miles a day adn you are only eating 1300 cals? You probably need to eat more, you are burning through a lot of calories and your body needs the energy.

fbmandy55

I had a long week of vigorous exercise and the same thing happend to me. i gained 3 lbs but lost 2 inches from waist. I think it is just muscle gain, I know my legs were hard as rocks after that week!

susioryan

@jrich- I eat my exercise calories don't you worry about that lol!

jrich1

I had a long week of vigorous exercise and the same thing happend to me. i gained 3 lbs but lost 2 inches from waist. I think it is just muscle gain, I know my legs were hard as rocks after that week!

Its not muscle gain, its your muscles retaining water to help heal after the exercise.

jrich1

@jrich- I eat my exercise calories don't you worry about that lol!

:flowerforyou:

Beehiveof8

Oh yeah... you are probably building some serious muscle in your legs and back end, which are major muscle groups. Also, I totally agree that 1300 calories for the amount you are running isn't enough. Your body may be going into "starvation" mode, and clinging to every ounce instead of letting it get burned up. Also, with all that running make sure you up your water intake.

Hang in there! The running won't hurt you and is good for you overall. I would up my cals to around 1600 a day and see how it goes. Days you don't run, eat less. Days you are tearing it up, eat the 1600.

HTH!

meggonkgonk

fbmandy- weight gain after vigorous exercise is most likely muscles retaining water to heal after a lot of working out- take a taper week (lower intensity workouts and consider an added rest day) and you will most likely see it drop right back off and then some.

To the OP, if you are only eating 1200 or 1300 cals and not eating your exercise cals, chances are you may need to eat more to lose. But just a heads- a lot of people react to the dreaded "last few lbs" this way- ever since I hit 145 I've been down two up one starting and stopping.

rkquade

You could be too low on calories (running a 9 minute pace, on average, will burn 100 calories per mile), so if you are taking in 1,200 to 1,300 calories and burning 400 to 500, your starving yourself and your body will eventually revolt and hang onto every calorie thinking that meal could be its last. Another factor could be your body's water levels could be low, showing a gain on the scale. When I was training for a full marathon, I would put on an average of 4 to 7 pounds after a long training run and 2 to 3 days later would be back down again to my normal weight. After the race, my body fat shot up 2%. I did back off strength training in the end of my training and I was thin, but a skinny fat body type with not alot of muscle tone. I consumed water before, during, and after my runs, but my body just needed time to adjust itself after the long training sessions. It was a water retention game basically. Many of my friends experienced the same thing during training. If you have a scale that measures your water levels, use that as part of your gauge. If my water levels are lower than normal, my weight is always up. Just a thought from an endurance runner, 4 to 5 days a week of running is on the high end (not miles wise, more of a frequency thing because your not letting your body properly recover). Yes, some people do run 4 to 5 days a week, but if you are low on calories and pounding the pavement 4 to 5 days a week, you open yourself up for injury pretty quick. Trust me, been there, done that and have seen a number of friends push too hard and only end up with a stress fracture or a muscle issue that leaves them sidelined for months trying to recover. If you are serious about running, check out the book Run Less, Run Faster-a Runner's World book. It has quite a few 3 day a week running programs that are challenging as heck. The concept is that every run has a purpose, not just running to run. The speed workouts are killer and will build strength in your lower body and burn a ton of calories in the process. Also, cross training would be something to consider like swimming or biking. Swimming, obviously, will help to build your upper body and biking will build some nice quads. The eleptical would work too. It has the same stride as running, but without the impact. In the end, don't be afraid to up your calories and consume some or all of your exercise calories.

susioryan

Thank you all- I just want you to all know that I do eat my exercise calories on top of the base of net calories 1200/1300 which put my calories anywhere around 1700-1900 calories consumed . I appreciate the viewpoint of running less but smarter from the last post, I hadn't really thought of it that way and will look into getting that book. I will be much more vigilant with my water intake as well.

slimyfishy

Two Words: EAT MORE

Take it from someone that has done 3 marathons and 5 halves (and is just about to start training on 5/1 for more marathons), YOU HAVE TO EAT TO FUEL YOUR BODY OR YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT. Let me say this again: EAT MORE!!!

Let me give you a quick story. Two years ago, I was in the midst of my marathon training season. My mother-in-law and a friend wanted to join Weight Watchers, and asked me to join. I religiously followed their plan (which has you eating about 1200 or so calories a day), and ran over 200 miles in one month. By the end of my first month with Weight Watchers, I had GAINED 4 POUNDS. GAINED. Why was I gaining weight? I wasn't strength training. I wasn't cheating on my diet. The answer is simple: My body needed all the fuel it could get for my long runs. So, whatever I put into my body, it was hoarding. Thus the reason I GAINED 4lbs. I was eating only 1200/cal/day when I really should have been eating a bunch more. Thinking about it now, I was probably at a -700 to -1000 NET CALORIES 6 days a week back then.

When you are exercising like you are, you have to give your body something back. MFP ALREADY HAS YOU AT A -500 DEFICIT for your daily calories. Let's say that you eat 1200cal/day and you burn 500 calories on that same day. Your NET CALORIES will actually be 700 calories. For a small person (i.e. 120lbs or so), your body ABSOLUTELY HAS TO HAVE around 1300 calories a day just to keep your heart, lungs, and organs functioning. So, if you are only consuming 1200 calories and then expending an additional 500 with exercise, how is your body supposed to function properly?

Think of your body as a fine automobile. Would you ask your auto to drive from NYC to LA on one tank of gas? You would run out of fuel way before your destination, right? You are asking the same thing of your body. You want to win on the scale and with your running performance, but YOU ARE NOT FUELLING YOUR BODY. You have put your body into survival mode (some call it starvation, but I prefer survival). Your body is taking whatever you are putting into it, and using every little bit just to keep you going. You can't ask it to lose weight, when it doesn't know if it will have enough fuel to power your heart, much less your legs for running.

I know it sounds crazy to EAT to LOSE, but that is the key here. I don't mean fill up on junk either. A runner needs complex carbohydrates (i.e. whole grains, legumes, fruit), lean proteins (i.e. chicken, fish, soy, whey powder), vegetables, healthy fats (i.e. almonds, walnuts, flax, olive oil, avocado), and dairy or dairy substitute. When I've burned a ton of calories through exercise, and just can't eat another meal, I grab almonds. They are high in GOOD CALORIES, small, and help me get to my NET CALORIES (I strive for 1250-1350 NET calories a day). There are days when I will eat 2000 GOOD calories, but I have kept my net around 1250-1350. THAT is the key. I usually eat about 3/4 of my exercise calories back. Some days are really close, some days I'm a bit behind. However, I'm doing this right by fuelling my body. You need to do the same.

You CAN do this! I'm so proud of you for running and putting your body first. Now, fuel it and it will reward you at the scale.

Run Strong,
Shan

cutmd

Running works for some, but....

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/training/running_makes_you_fat
http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/training/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin

throw some sprinting intervals in there. Also see what weight training you can do safely and do it, since you can run there has to be something (even bodyweight lunges, etc)

merB89

I think she understands that she needs to eat her calories back, since she said above that she is eating 1700 a day, and NETTING 1200-1300. That doesn't seem to be her problem. I wish I could help! I'm a runner and have been training for a 20k on may 7th. I've been doing 3-4 miles a few times a week with a 7-10 miler once a week. My net cal goal is set at 1200 as well. I generally eat a total of 1700 a day, sometimes up into 2000 if I did a long run that day, however I am still loosing weight. NOT as fast as the 2lbs a week says I should be, but the scale is going down slowly. I have also noticed my legs and butt firming up (woohoo!) so there must be muscle gain. Do you religiously stick to your 1200 net goal? I find that if I go over by 300 or 400 a day or two I loose. Maybe you need to shock your system? Good luck though! go runners!

susioryan

Yes I eat up to my net calories of 1200 and sometimes I go over . I wonder if I should set my net calories to 1350 for 2 weeks and see what happens-because I am STUCK weight wise for several weeks now but my measurements are showing fat loss-I am down about 1/2 inch on my hips and waist. I like running and unfortunately due to 2 hernia surgeries I am under strict medical orders to not lift anything above 15 lbs or do abdominal or core exercises for a year-that restriction will be up in September 2011 so running is my thing right now for exercise. I appreciate all the input- and yes Slimyfishy I love to eat- I have no problem eating more-I just don't want it to backfire on me. You can look at my diaries, you will see I LOVE TO EAT and basically make everything from scratch, grassfed meats etc.