Same weight but body changes from running?

noramc8

Hi everyone!

I'm only down 2lbs from my starting weight and I've been using MFP for a month (Jan 1st like the rest of America haha). But during the past month, I've been running 5 days per week (elliptical and Zumba the other two with strength training sprinkled in), starting from hardly being able to complete 1.5 miles to now running 4 miles each time.

I'm bummed that I'm only down 2 lbs but (and maybe this is wishful thinking) it seems like there are fairly significant changes in my body. My stomach looks smaller, my clothes fit better, and my face seems to have thinned out.

I'm staying within my calorie counts but my eating habits haven't changed too drastically. I don't really eat out anymore but my diet was really too terrible to begin with.

Are these changes I see possibly from the running? My fiance says he notices it but he could just be saying what he's supposed to. haha Nobody else has commented on it. Could I be thinner without being down more than 2lbs or am I going a little insane?

Thanks!
Nora

noramc8

Correction: My diet WASN'T too terrible to begin with! :-)

geoffwong

Nora, from what you are telling me, I say that you are not attacking it right. if you want to loose weight, you need to attacked it from the diet side with exercise as a complement.

I started 1st of Jan as well, lost about 8kg, but only started using MFP for about 2 week, lost 9 pounds in that 2 weeks. I also started running, but what I find is my run time and distance actually gets worse. I went to see my running coach, he said if I need to improve my run I need to eat carb, which I have been avoiding. And he said that is the only way for your time to improve store up carb so that you can burn it during the run. He said if I do not do that, I would be buring fat (since there is no carb to be burn) that is why I feel like death everytime I exercise, but I am burning a lot of fat.

If your goal is to run better, eat, build muscle, but if you want to drop pounds eat about half of what you are doing right now. and no card, then run, you will feel like dying but the fat will come off like you wont believe.

noramc8

Thanks for the advice but I only eat 1200 net calories per day as is. I might try not eating back any/all of my exercise calories but cutting carbs isn't good for me. I'm hypoglycemic and when I've gone carb-less and low-carb in the past, I've passed out many times.

Glad it works for you, though!

grizzlymaze

Nora, from what you are telling me, I say that you are not attacking it right. if you want to loose weight, you need to attacked it from the diet side with exercise as a complement.

I started 1st of Jan as well, lost about 8kg, but only started using MFP for about 2 week, lost 9 pounds in that 2 weeks. I also started running, but what I find is my run time and distance actually gets worse. I went to see my running coach, he said if I need to improve my run I need to eat carb, which I have been avoiding. And he said that is the only way for your time to improve store up carb so that you can burn it during the run. He said if I do not do that, I would be buring fat (since there is no carb to be burn) that is why I feel like death everytime I exercise, but I am burning a lot of fat.

If your goal is to run better, eat, build muscle, but if you want to drop pounds eat about half of what you are doing right now. and no card, then run, you will feel like dying but the fat will come off like you wont believe.

This is good advise, but just be aware that as you run and preform cardio excersice without strength trainging involved that you will lose muscle as well as fat. If you do want to lose wieght, don't be afraid to grab a set of dumbbells or resistance bands to work out with. You do not need to be bulked but just lean will do the job greatly. Muscle burns calories like you would not believe and helps put your metabolism in overdrive.

Jessica0982

Have you measured yourself at all? I bet you're losing inches and toning up as opposed to losing weight.

I started tracking calories and eating MUCH better then I was before. I started losing weight just from doing that alone. But then started doing workout DVD's and walking. Now I'm trying to run here and there so I can eventually run daily.

At the start, I lost a few pounds. Now? The scale isn't moving all that much but my husband has said the same thing. That I look more toned, he can see it in my stomach and legs, etc. He actually took pictures of me last week to compare the ones of this week. And I'm too critical on myself...aren't all women?

It does sound like you're doing this right. Your body is toning up and I bet if you measure yourself, you'll notice you're losing inches as opposed to pounds.

momof3and3

Yes, you are loosing inches from all the running....running is a great way to tone your lower body and abs. Since muscle takes up less space in your body than fat, and you are now creating more muscle from running, you can be the same weight but be a smaller size...

M_lifts

Get a tape measure and start measuring yourself. You are probaly losing inches but not pounds and sometimes thats not such a bad thing. I also think you need to eat more, you have gone from 0 mile to 4miles a few times a week, which is a lot. Your body need to fuelled better so id suggest you increase your intake. do you eat your exercise calories back?

good luck, and keep it up with the running! i love it!

kvreeken

Hi everyone!

I'm only down 2lbs from my starting weight and I've been using MFP for a month (Jan 1st like the rest of America haha). But during the past month, I've been running 5 days per week (elliptical and Zumba the other two with strength training sprinkled in), starting from hardly being able to complete 1.5 miles to now running 4 miles each time.

I'm bummed that I'm only down 2 lbs but (and maybe this is wishful thinking) it seems like there are fairly significant changes in my body. My stomach looks smaller, my clothes fit better, and my face seems to have thinned out.

I'm staying within my calorie counts but my eating habits haven't changed too drastically. I don't really eat out anymore but my diet was really too terrible to begin with.

Are these changes I see possibly from the running? My fiance says he notices it but he could just be saying what he's supposed to. haha Nobody else has commented on it. Could I be thinner without being down more than 2lbs or am I going a little insane?

Thanks!
Nora

Forget the scale! How do your clothes fit?

BerryH

My weight has plateaued for nearly three months now but running's definitely continuing to change my shape. I'm training for a marathon and seriously need every mouthful of food I eat to fuel my training. I've definitely discovered new cheekbones, a flatter belly and smaller bum - my trousers keep falling off when I walk to the station!

Aperture_Science

If you are on 1200 cals per day you will not be building muscle. Building muscle on a calorific deficit is very, very difficult (to the point of being practically impossible to all but a very small subset of people).

What is more likely to be happening is that as your body tried to repair your muscles you are retaining more fluid than you would otherwise. This is cancelling out any "real" weight loss.

My advice. Stick to your current plan, smug in the knowledge that you are shedding inches, becoming cardiovascularly fitter and looking better. And on that basis who gives a hoot what the scales say?

Measure your progress visually, with a tape measure and used the scales for your MFP calculations only.

If on the other hand you are purely interested in the number on the scales you will find a wealth of ways of making that number smaller. But I won't recommend them.

Best wishes

Aperture_Science

Forget the scale! How do your clothes fit?

great post.

jasharp021

Are these changes I see possibly from the running? My fiance says he notices it but he could just be saying what he's supposed to. haha Nobody else has commented on it. Could I be thinner without being down more than 2lbs or am I going a little insane?

Thanks!
Nora

Yes - the changes are from running. It's the same ol' muscle weighs more than fat, but it also takes up less space. If you are still eatining healthy and running, your body is converting what was fat into muscle.. chances are your muscle feels more "solid" as well since you are getting stronger with every run/workout. I would think that after your body gets use to running, you will drop pounds but I know that it all depends on body types.. you may just have a transformation without losing lbs. So in the big picture.. what is your goal? To fit clothes differently and be healthy...? or to just focus on a number? :happy:

Leamac83

I agree with the above comments, if your clothes are looser then all is good right?

But not to sound negative...if you do want the scales to move then i suggest perhaps running faster to really get your heart rate up and burn those calories. If your jogging rather than running, although its good excercise ,if you dont get your heart rate up enough those calories wont burn efficiently.

Just a thought! Good Luck!

hagamivida

You have likely gained muscle, too, and that weighs more than fat, bizarrely. :-)

hagamivida

I agree with the above comments, if your clothes are looser then all is good right?

But not to sound negative...if you do want the scales to move then i suggest perhaps running faster to really get your heart rate up and burn those calories. If your jogging rather than running, although its good exercise ,if you don't get your heart rate up enough those calories wont burn efficiently.

Just a thought! Good Luck!

I don't know about the higher heart rate vs calories burned. Calories burned depends on your weight and what percentage of your max heart rate you are exercising at for whatever period of time. And your heart rate level is dependent upon weight, age, and likely your physical sex. Having your hear rate at 90% of your max HR is dangerous for an extended period of time. Even doing it at 80% is too much for a very extended time. You want the bulk of your time spent exercising much lower than that. Just at 60% is where you want to be for maximum fat burning potential. (There are heart rate charts online and you can find out what heart rate you are doing pretty easily with a heart rate monitor that will come with a GPS watch).

Aperture_Science

It is NOT muscle.

To build muscle you need a calorific surplus.

The original poster is on 1200 cals per day and is therefore not on a calorific surplus.

mandylooo

Thanks for the advice but I only eat 1200 net calories per day as is. I might try not eating back any/all of my exercise calories but cutting carbs isn't good for me. I'm hypoglycemic and when I've gone carb-less and low-carb in the past, I've passed out many times.

Glad it works for you, though!

Nooooooooooooo!!! Measure yourself first. Find out if you're right that you are losing inches and effectively re-compositioning your body. Depending on your starting point, even running can help build muscle.

Edit: rereading your post, I agree with what you're saying, except the bit about not eating back your exercise cals.