Overanalyzing things. Read at your own risk :P

avaloneternal

Okay, so here I am on day 70 of my MFP journey and am not sure what to think. I have lost all of 2 pounds. I am a runner and am training for another marathon so I need to fuel my body. I have had my profile set to sedentary and have been manually logging calories burned daily (I work at Starbucks so I record my work shifts as cooking/ food preparation). I have my calories set at 1200 per day and I find that, with recording calories burned at work and calories burned working out, I have been able to control my hunger. I am thinking about switching my settings to lightly active or active and only recording calories burned during exercise. This seems like a huge drop in food intake though and I am concerned, not only that I will not have enough fuel for my training, but also that I will be starving and it will lead to binging because my body will be craving nutrients that it needs. I want to lose weight for my next race but I want to do it with minimal sense of deprivation because I want to hop off of the binge bandwagon. I also want to note that I am what is considered healthy weight so my body is not giving up this weight without a fight, thus the massive food cravings and binges. I am not trying to become an unhealthy weight, I just want to be at the lower end of the healthy weight range so I can improve my running performance. If I made my diary visible (which I am not sure I am comfortable doing) you would see that, after a few days of eating close to the recommended calories for weight loss, I will have a huge binge day because my body needs more calories. I am guessing I need to find a bit of a middle ground but I am not sure what that is.

In summary: I am a healthy weight athlete wanting to lose weight to improve performance in a way that does not cause feelings of deprivation in order to prevent binging. Would love to hear any recommendations you all have to offer.

Pebble321

Hmmm, if you are at a healthy weight and only wanting to drop a little bit of weight, I can't see how you should be eating 1200 cals.
I'd suggest setting you activity level to active to account for your working day. And set your weight loss to 1/2 pound a week which would be realistic in your situation.
This will have to give you a whole lot more than 1200. Then on the days that you train you can add in your runs and eat extra calories to fuel your training.
I'm 5'4" and currently about 158 pounds and I'm eating 1600 cals per day (set at lightly active / lose 1/2 pound per week) plus more on training days. Something like this might work better for you!

sabracadabra

If you are only eating a net of 1200 calories and you are as athletic and active as you say, your body is probably in starvation mode and clinging tight to every last pound. Try upping it to 1400-1500 and see what happens after a couple weeks of that. I mean, chicks are almost undereating at 1200, and dudes need more fuel than that because of the naturally higher levels of muscle mass! I mean, I am netting 1420 right now and I am a girl with a desk job (THAT'S sendentary - not starbucks!) that jogs a half hour a day and the weight is melting off of my 24.5 BMI frame.

jillybeanruns

Quite honestly, if you're losing weight while training for a marathon (especially at a healthy weight) than you're doing something wrong. With that said, your net calories should be higher about 1400-1600.

I am also training for a marathon (my first) and I haven't weighed myself in 2+ months. Although, I would love to lose another 5-10 pounds, I know it's not a good goal to have while training for this marathon. I want to be strong and healthy and finish it without injury!

I would eat more and put aside your weight loss goal for when you're not marathon training. Just my .02.

infamousmk

Sounds to me like you're not eating enough. Are you male? If so, IMO 1200 cals is too low. If I were you I'd set my daily activity to lightly active and only log exercise for calories burned. Also, set your goals to only lose .5 a week. If you are in a healthy weight range, that is the lowest you should set your losses, from what I understand. Going to low will not help your body shed pounds. Also, I believe running burns a ton of calories, so make sure you're eating them!

Elzecat

Without knowing your height or more about your situation, I wonder if 117 is a truly healthy weight for you--in your pictures you look like a very fit, toned, healthy person with a runner's physique (I'm jealous lol). But technically if you're at a healthy weight right now, it will be difficult for you to lose more weight in a healthy way...you could maybe try to gain lean muscle/lose body fat instead of just lower numbers on the scale?

I only have about 5-8 more pounds to lose and I am really struggling, because I think my body has decided I am at a healthy weight and it's kind of "set" now...and I am also a runner, although a new runner. I find that I had to start eating more, both to fuel my trainingand to achieve any weight loss, as I am so close to goal...I cannot imagine that 1200 calories is really appropriate for someone training for a marathon?

Good luck!

sabracadabra

I am so sorry - skimming your post I thought you hinted at being a guy, and now that I've read it again I don't know where I got that. Nevermind about that! But seriously, if you have run multiple marathons, you probably are about as muscly as most guys so the theory stands!

avaloneternal

Thanks for the replies. My body is definitely at it`s set point because I have stayed within about 5 pounds for the past year and a bit (but have definitely toned up from the running). My body is comfortable at this weight, I just want to see what I am capable of if I lose some weight (117 is still within the healthy range for my height, don`t worry). I think I will try what you suggest Ruby.

SiltyPigeon

Losing weight and training for a marathon are incompatible. While training for a marathon your aim should be to gain muscle. You can't gain muscle at a calorie deficit. You should be eating maintenance calories + exercise calories while making sure you're getting enough protein. Focus more on your BF % and less on your weight. Good luck with your marathon!!

Bakins929

You may want to look at your protein/fat/carb ratios. Adjusting those could help you with energy and still keep calories down.

LisaMariaCallow

First of all, the fact that you've blogged about this at all is a sign that you are comfortable on here. I would say to make your journal public, as it will force you to keep the binge behavior under control. (At least that's why mine is public!!) Also, you say you are sedentary at work...I'd challenge you to wear a pedometer at work & see how much you really move. It's probably more than you think! I'm not sure you should be losing weight while training for a marathon, especially since you're so close to your goal weight. If you increase your calories daily to 1400-1500, you'll better fuel your body (and soul...therefore no bingeing!) You could actually be putting your body into starvation mode at 1200 calories, hence the lack of weight loss. Good luck!!

AI1108

How often are your shifts? If you're working more than 3 - 4 times a week than I think you should switch your setting to active. This will help you to spread your working calories out throughout the week. Definitely log the calories burned from your runs though.

If you're within a healthy BMI, 1200 calories is not enough. I was advised to switch mine to lose 1/2 lb a week because you're right.. 1200 calories will cause you to binge. It's definitely helped because at a low body fat storage, you need to feed your body in order to let it know that it's okay to let go of those last few lbs of fat because you will be feeding it. Cheat days/meals every once in a while are not a bad idea. Some people call them re-feed days. They give your body the nutrients that you're lacking and helps boost your metabolism to get it ready for another week.

Oh and invest in a good multivitamin if you haven't already. At a low calorie goal, it's possible that you won't be getting enough nutrients to keep your body running efficiently. It helps keep binges and cravings low because your body will not be craving nutrients it may not be getting from food.

MassiveDelta

Bump