advice

graciepoo_09

so i've almost lost 15 pounds (half my goal), and i would be there if the last two weeks had been better. yes, i understand it's my fault.
i run 5-6 days/week, and eat a lot because i get so hungry when one day is a race and the next is 7 miles. so i've been maintaining and not losing. i'm sick of the limitations and trying to lose the weight... so i splurged with a blizzard or fries or some cookies. it's tiring to do this, and i want to, but i also know i have a healthy body. i'd like to be in the 130's, size 4, instead of 140's, size 6. ideally the 120's. but i don't hate how i look, either. is a break for the rest of the XC season okay if i maintain?
i don't know what to do...
HELP!

JenKillough

A break is fine! If you want a break, take one. In fact, they seem to really help. I took a 2 month break from weightlifting and hardcore cardio... I lost the last 8 vanity lbs. And... gave my mind a rest. I think the mental rest was more beneficial anyway.

davert123

I bet running 5-6 days per week is hard work. I run but I find it vital to reduce the load once every few weeks to give my body time to adjust For this I just run a couple of times in the week and readjust my calories so i don't gain.. It could be that you are over training a bit so a short break could help - just make sure its a vacation and not a home move though. I would ask yourself this before I started and if there is any chance that the rest would move into a full blown slip i would think hard before I did it. Good luck though whatever you decide.

geekyjock76

Athletes in some sports, such as X Country, may have a difficult time trying to reduce body fat while in season. If you increase your deficit too high, then it will affect performance which, of course, is not recommended. You need to find the deficit that is high enough to lead to reduction of body fat but not so much that it hinders performance. I'm not sure how realistic that is for you to accomplish, though.

If you set up a small deficit, between 10-15% below maintenance, you may be making headway but kinda sabotaging yourself by overeating a bit. Since true fat loss occurs extremely slow within this range, it is easy to overeat or make miscalculations on food intake and energy expenditure with exercise. For small deficits, you have to be very meticulous about measuring and logging.

You may want to wait until you are done with XC so you can adjust your deficit accordingly.

You can read this article by Lyle McDonald on the pros and cons of each deficit size:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

kissedbytheocean

A break is fine! If you want a break, take one. In fact, they seem to really help. I took a 2 month break from weightlifting and hardcore cardio... I lost the last 8 vanity lbs. And... gave my mind a rest. I think the mental rest was more beneficial anyway.

I agree. I took a very long break (try over a year) before I got back into exercising. I had so much going on at the time that my heart wasn't in to it and I couldn't manage to give it my all. Now, I've kind of found that spark again and have been kicking *kitten* working out and haven't binged in a month.

Breaks are definitely beneficial for you, mentally and physically. My only warning is to keep counting calories or just be aware of what you're eating. I gained back 5 lb. on my break, because I let go completely.

mmapags

Sounds like you are trying to lose weight fast instead of permanently. If you are feeling deprived your deficit is too high and you are trying to get there quickly instead of in a way that is sustainable.

Also, you are doing a lot of cardio and your body may be adapting. You may want to consider varying your routine and adding in some strength training.