Cant lose an OZ.........and Im training for a marathon. HELP

Rairarun

HI, Im new here. Need some advice, support, a miricle lol. I am a runner, have been for 10 years. Im training for a marathon, have been for 10 weeks. Race day is getting closer.

Back in January I quit smoking. I put on 15 pounds. So Im going into my race weighing more than last year. I started dieting 3 months after I quit. I have always exercised. Like I said, Im training for a marathon so its not like I do not exercise. I watch my food intake and eat healthy stuff. I dont drink pop but every once in a while and its diet at that. The problem is I cant lose a pound. Zero, Zip, nothing. Ive been dieting for months. My calorie intake is 1500 on the days I work out hard and 1300 on my off days. I am almost ready to stop trying to lose it, but I have a whole closet full of clothes I cant fit and I dont want to buy new ones lol. Any advice?

JennLifts

Training for long distance running usually lends itself to a lack of weight loss. Normal

Foxzy

Maybe you need to change up your workouts. Like do weight training. Your body may have gotten used to running and therefore no change. Check out this link http://youtu.be/hF0KXpIQF6k

I hope this helps.

lawtechie

Max 1500 calories AND training? Sounds like you need to be eating alot more. I can imagine running 15+ miles you're easily burning 1000 calories or more, leaving your body a net 500. Over time that'll hurt you. Try upping the calories so you can fuel yourself during the long runs.

Good luck with the marathon!

houzkat

I don't have any advice bit I do want to tell you that you should be extremely proud of yourself for giving up smoking! I also quit in January and it's a HUGE accomplishment.

CaptainMFP

Are you sure you're eating enough? I've been training for an 8 mile race (tomorrow) and find that particularly on hard/long run days I need at least 300 - 400 extra calories to feel normal. I've continued to lose steadily (albeit slowly) during my training. I do 2200 - 2500 calories a day...as I'm a 197 lb. 6' male, those specific numbers probably don't apply to you, but for someone training for a marathon 1300 - 1500 just sounds low to me to sustain weight loss and power the body. Something to think about.

LauraMarie37

Max 1500 calories AND training? Sounds like you need to be eating alot more. I can imagine running 15+ miles you're easily burning 1000 calories or more, leaving your body a net 500. Over time that'll hurt you. Try upping the calories so you can fuel yourself during the long runs.

Good luck with the marathon!

I agree with this. The days I do distance swimming training (Ironman distances, so about the equivalent of training for a marathon), I eat around 2500-2800 calories and still lose weight.

Rairarun

I do weight training. Crossfit twice a week. Thanks for the advice.

Rairarun

I bet you all are correct. I will look at my diet. thanks.

msfitmom

I'm training for a marathon myself - I've run several - and I'm usually at my HEAVIEST when I'm in the thick of training. Like right now, I'm at least 5 pounds heavier than I normally am and my race is in a week.

If your goal is to lose weight, don't expect to do so when you're training for a marathon. This is the time when you need to be fueling your body for the grueling workouts ahead. If you don't, you won't enjoy your training or your race.

My recommendation is to stop weighing yourself all together while you're training. Just don't do it. Instead, pay attention to hitting your daily goals for protein, carbohydrates and fat. And be sure to EAT all of the calories you burn.

You may not lose weight, but you will be healthy, trust me. And you will be fueling yourself correctly for your runs so that you won't feel horrible and exhausted and in pain.

Your goal right now is not to lose weight. It's to train well and run your race successfully. Focus on losing weight after you're done training.

Consider also that you could also be overtrained. If you're slugging through workouts, tired, drained of energy, not looking forward to your runs, fueling incorrectly and gaining weight, you're likely overtrained and need a couple of days off.

Focus on your amazing accomplishments - and NOT what the scale says. Good luck.

jillybeanruns

Ehhh you really shouldn't be trying to lose weight while marathon training and it's very hard to. My marathon is 5 weeks from tomorrow and I'm logging my good and logging my miles. Haven't stepped on the scale in 3 months.

With that said, if you're set on losing weight while marathon training, this article has some good advice as to how to go about it.
http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2011/08/three-steps-to-losing-weight-without-losing-energy-while-marathon-training.html

EzraCCM

I'm going to jump on the band-wagon and say I'm also training for a marathon... and haven't lost a pound.
Actually, I've gained about 5. My Marathon is in 5 weeks, and I stopped logging (out of frustration, mostly). I'm going to get back to logging everything I eat... and after the marathon, I'm going to take a break from the tough training and work on the weight loss a little more.

AND: congratulations on quitting smoking!

Kilter

A couple of folks have mentioned that you might not be eating enough and I want to echo that.

Training for Ironman a in 2010 I went to a nutritionist and asked how I could lose weight. I was training 10-15 hours a week (early in the season) and trying to eat healthily, but not losing a single pound.

She looked at all my training, all my eating and pronounced that I was not eating enough to lose any weight.

She explained that when the body goes into starvation mode it won't release the weight from the areas that you want it to, it steals it instead by breaking down muscle which is easier for it to consume.

I upped my calories and lost an extra 5lbs pretty quickly. My problem then became not knowing how to eat as many calories as she suggested healthily.

Good luck on your marathon (they are a blast) and congratulations on quitting smoking!

S

_Sally_

A couple of thoughts:

1) I think most people who gain weight when they do distance running is because they are simply overcompensating in calorie consulmption for their workouts. It is so easy to reward yourself after a long run and have a huge decadent meal, which may end up having more calories than you burned doing your long run. However, at the calorie levels you are at, you're likely not eating enough, as other posters have said. I have eaten back all my exercise calories and lost weight (averaged about 1.5 lbs/ per week)

2) Consider taking a pause in weight loss. I am doing a half marathon on Sunday. I took a pause in my weight loss and went into maintenance mode a month ago. I will resume focus on weight loss after my race and after my vacation ( which immediately follows). You may want to consider hitting the pause button on weight loss until after your race so that you can ensure you have the energy you need for the rest of your training and for the endurance event.itself.

Good luck!

Zennzay1331

I go in and out of trying to count my calories to lose weight... I am also training for a marathon and it's in 2 weeks. Throughout this whole experience, mostly not counting my calories, I haven't lost any weight. Should I wait until it's over? I ate a lot today, but had burned 1635 from my run/workout. But now I feel full... and guilty. Please help.