No improvements while running – is it my diet's fault?

leahartmann

I´m so sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I have the same problem. Startet running in april, run 3 times a week (just had a bad couple of weeks where I only ran 2 times) and can barely make it 3 minutes in slow speed. I just can´t push iy any more. I run out of breath and my legs get very sore. I eat back my calories, recently increased my calories with 300 cal´s. I try to eat properly with carbs before and protein after. My husband believe it´s my medication that spoils my physical, but can that be? What can I do? :frown:

What medication?

Again, April till now isn't a huge amount of time to notice big changes in speed. I knock off maybe a minute off my 6 mile runs each month. It takes time and endurance to build speed. It won't happen quickly.

How far are you running at the moment? Upping weekly mileage is, I suspect based on the little you've said here, what you need to do first

I´m taking anti depressive, anti psycotic and epilepsy medication. I don´t care about speed yet, I try to get a little distance and endurance. My route is - at the moment- 4-5K. I have to walk most of it, and I don´t think I quit to easily. I can run about 3 minutes, walk 2, run 2, walk 2 and so on. I just can´t push it any more. My legs just won´t.

berlinrunnergirl

When I first started eating clean and logging food and drinking more water I lost quickly too. I think this happens to a lot of folks on here but a lot of it is water weight. You couldn't have lost that much fat in so few days (1 lb fat =3500 calorie deficit). Keep watching your calories and the scale and see what happens but don't expect that the loss will continue.

As far as speed-keep running, run more if you can-slowly increase your mileage. It took me FOREVER to get below a 12 minute mile. Also do you wear an HRM with a chest strap? That will help you get a more accurate read on your calorie burn if your concerned about accuracy.

Thanks for your reply! Yea, I'm definitely still adjusting my diet and figuring out ways to eat more healthily. MFP is great for that! I've just discovered how awesome eggs are in terms of nutrition, getting lots of protein and feeling full. I was happy when I lost a pound on Sunday, because nothing had happened for two weeks (then again, my profile is set at 1/2 a pound a week, so this is how it should be). Then this morning, I had seemingly lost another two pounds, which was just weird. Some of it definitely must be the scale being wonky (it's a non-digital one) or water weight, because there's just no way I would lose 2 pounds in two days.

Don't have a HRM. I should really get some proper running equipment. I'm also glad I'm not the only one struggling to get below a 12 minute mile!

berlinrunnergirl

I'm doing Couch to 5k right now and have been pretty impressed with the program. Especially seeing as how I'm close to 200lb at 5'7" and asthmatic. And have never been able to run further than a mile in my life. And that was in high school and it happened maybe twice. So like someone else said, I am pretty proud to be able to do *anything* on that program at all. For you, it might be a little too basic - or at least the first couple weeks would be. But after that, it might be helpful. If you use one of the many apps out there, it counts the intervals for you. And I totally agree with those who talked about the exercise calories. If you don't mind doing a little reading, check out the link below. It gets kind of wordy, but does a good job of explaining why you should probably up your calories (unless you're really tiny, which you might be based on your picture) in order to build muscle. Good luck!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12?hl=road+map

Thanks for the link – it looks really interesting. I can totally relate to just being really happy to able to do *anything*. I never did any exercise at all my whole life – apart from school stuff, which I did badly – until I started running last year, and the beginning was definitely not easy. I'm 130 pounds at 5'8'', so weight loss is not a top priority (just wanted to see whether I could do it) and upping my cals seems like the way to go at this point.

Wishing you much success with Couch to 5k! You can do it!

azwethinkweizm

I can do 10 minute miles on a shorter distance like 3 or 4 miles but if I up the distance I find I'm doing closer to 11 minute miles on average. BUT when I started, I was easily doing 12 or 13 minute miles. I can vouch that it takes a lot of time to get as much as 1 or 2 mins off your total time so don't panic about that... just try to keep going... even if it means slowing waaaay down.

Couch 2 5k is definitely great for starters, it's what I did and it does get you going.

Plenty of protein for thos muscles after runs too Don't push too hard and hurt yourself, that's the main thing!

drgndancer

I´m so sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I have the same problem. Startet running in april, run 3 times a week (just had a bad couple of weeks where I only ran 2 times) and can barely make it 3 minutes in slow speed. I just can´t push iy any more. I run out of breath and my legs get very sore. I eat back my calories, recently increased my calories with 300 cal´s. I try to eat properly with carbs before and protein after. My husband believe it´s my medication that spoils my physical, but can that be? What can I do? :frown:

What medication?

Again, April till now isn't a huge amount of time to notice big changes in speed. I knock off maybe a minute off my 6 mile runs each month. It takes time and endurance to build speed. It won't happen quickly.

How far are you running at the moment? Upping weekly mileage is, I suspect based on the little you've said here, what you need to do first

I´m taking anti depressive, anti psycotic and epilepsy medication. I don´t care about speed yet, I try to get a little distance and endurance. My route is - at the moment- 4-5K. I have to walk most of it, and I don´t think I quit to easily. I can run about 3 minutes, walk 2, run 2, walk 2 and so on. I just can´t push it any more. My legs just won´t.

Have you talked to your doctor? That sounds like serious medication and I'm not even going to pretend to be able to give you advice on the feasibility of running as a hobby while taking it. If you have not done so, I *strongly* recommend talking to your doctor, and finding out what, if any, affects of that stuff are on your muscular and cardiovascular fitness. If, and only if, your doctor clears you to run, check out the Couch to 5K programs someone above recommended. Many runners I know, including myself and my wife, have used the program to get started (or in my case restarted, as I used to run when I was in the Army). The name is slightly misleading, it won't actually get you running a 5K. It's time based not distance based. It will get you running for 30 minutes straight by the end, which should be close to a 5k for most people.

OP, since you're already running 20ish minutes at a time I'm not sure how much C25K will help you, though you could definitely do the last few weeks and see. I tend to agree with the crowd that says for right now don't worry to much about speed. Increase the amount of time that you can run. It's a lot easier to improve your time on the two mile when you can run four miles. I also tend to think you're not eating enough to support your activity level. Especially since you're not very heavy and therefor don't have the eh... fuel stores... that some of us have.

meerkat70

I´m so sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I have the same problem. Startet running in april, run 3 times a week (just had a bad couple of weeks where I only ran 2 times) and can barely make it 3 minutes in slow speed. I just can´t push iy any more. I run out of breath and my legs get very sore. I eat back my calories, recently increased my calories with 300 cal´s. I try to eat properly with carbs before and protein after. My husband believe it´s my medication that spoils my physical, but can that be? What can I do? :frown:

What medication?

Again, April till now isn't a huge amount of time to notice big changes in speed. I knock off maybe a minute off my 6 mile runs each month. It takes time and endurance to build speed. It won't happen quickly.

How far are you running at the moment? Upping weekly mileage is, I suspect based on the little you've said here, what you need to do first

I´m taking anti depressive, anti psycotic and epilepsy medication. I don´t care about speed yet, I try to get a little distance and endurance. My route is - at the moment- 4-5K. I have to walk most of it, and I don´t think I quit to easily. I can run about 3 minutes, walk 2, run 2, walk 2 and so on. I just can´t push it any more. My legs just won´t.

In terms of the running itself I think you're making very good progress. You can't push beyond the three minutes now, but give it a week or two of doing that, and you will be able to. Are you using a structured running programme (like C25k)? This might help you feel you're progressing.

It's possible your meds are having an impact - I'm guessing particularly the anti-pscyhotic. Obviously this is one of those things you'll have to work with and adapt to. It might help to have a chat with the prescribing physician to see if there is a link to athletic performance and to find out what s/he suggests in terms of working round that. With antipsychotics, the time you take the med can have a huge effect on how it effects you, so it might be worth talking scheduling. However, I wouldn't do *anything* about that without consulting your doctor.

leahartmann

Thank you so much drgndancer and meerkat70! I´m working on a C25K simular 30-weeks program. It takes things very slow and steady. I´m stock at week 3 and have been for like ages.... My doctor encourages me strongly to run, since the anti psycotic med makes me gaine weight. But you´re right, I haven´t mentioned the problem with endurance and physics. I have an appointment later this month, I will try to ask her. Thank you so much for "listening".

DavPul

I can never figure out how people can give advice without having a bit more info. What was the calorie intake before? I don't know if 1480 cal is more, drastically less, or about the same from before the running drop off. How long has she been running? This could just part of the normal ebb and flow of a beginners progress, or overtraining, or calories, or the product of an ineffective training regimen. Although some of these suggestions could be correct, this is mostly throwing random stuff against the wall.

meerkat70

Questions about how long she'd been running were, in fact asked (and answered)....

leahartmann

I can never figure out how people can give advice without having a bit more info. What was the calorie intake before? I don't know if 1480 cal is more, drastically less, or about the same from before the running drop off. How long has she been running? This could just part of the normal ebb and flow of a beginners progress, or overtraining, or calories, or the product of an ineffective training regimen. Although some of these suggestions could be correct, this is mostly throwing random stuff against the wall.

You´re right- I see now- that I didn´t answered the question about calorie intake. I startet on MFP at 1200 calories, but have calculated my BMR and TDEE and it says that I should eat about 1500 calories a day (1577, to be precise.) I mostly go over with a little bit but below 1600. And I have been running since april.
And I must say that I highly appreciate others advise and experience and take it into consideration. Especially since they mostly tell me to talk to my doctor. Offcourse a guess is a guess, but I´m pretty sure some of the MFP´s on here have more experience than me or maybe know a link to some knowledge I don´t know about. I´m thankfull for every comment I get, yours included!

DavPul

I can never figure out how people can give advice without having a bit more info. What was the calorie intake before? I don't know if 1480 cal is more, drastically less, or about the same from before the running drop off. How long has she been running? This could just part of the normal ebb and flow of a beginners progress, or overtraining, or calories, or the product of an ineffective training regimen. Although some of these suggestions could be correct, this is mostly throwing random stuff against the wall.

You´re right- I see now- that I didn´t answered the question about calorie intake. I startet on MFP at 1200 calories, but have calculated my BMR and TDEE and it says that I should eat about 1500 calories a day (1577, to be precise.) I mostly go over with a little bit but below 1600. And I have been running since april.
And I must say that I highly appreciate others advise and experience and take it into consideration. Especially since they mostly tell me to talk to my doctor. Offcourse a guess is a guess, but I´m pretty sure some of the MFP´s on here have more experience than me or maybe know a link to some knowledge I don´t know about. I´m thankfull for every comment I get, yours included!

I'm sorry Leah, my post was under yours so it may seem directed at your situation. I was actually speaking more about the OP. For your particular situation, I have no personal experience, but the advice you were given seemed well thought to me, and I completely agree that you should get advice from a medical professional. I have friends that have had to try several different prescription combinations to get the side effects in line. The more communication they had with the doctor the sooner things got sorted out.

Best wishes

leahartmann

Thank you.