Running and gaining weight...??????????

psec123 · August 2012

I started running 4 weeks ago and have gained 2 kg (4,4 pounds) since then!!! I have been using MyFitnessPal to count the calories and to work out the amount of calories I need to eat to lose weight. But nothing!
I have been running 2.2 miles 5 days a week for the first 3 weeks. I started running 3,4 miles from this week (5 times a week).
I haven't been running before, so first i thought maybe my body is retaining water, but it has been 4 weeks now??????
I am just about to give up. I keep telling myself that I am doing the right thing and I love running. I really dont want to stop running. But I need to lose weight! I have been doing WeightWatchers and I know how much I need to eat to lose weight.
I have been eating 1360 calories a day. Days when have been running 3.4 miles I have been eating extra 300 calories. Thats about 1700 kcal a day. Have I been eating too much???
I just feel not motivated at all and feel like I have to stop running because I have been working out so hard and I am still not losing weight.
I know if I would just count my calories without exercising I would lose weight.
What am I doing wrong?
I have been running every day from Monday to Friday. Maybe I should run every other day because I need some recovery time?
Has anyone else had this problem? My logic tells me that if you eat less than what you use, you should lose weight?????Why am I not losing??? As I understand I cant gain muscle just by running, so it can't be muscle weight..
I really need some motivation and advice!

Dewdropdeb · August 2012

Sounds like your body might be in starvation mode!? If you're running several miles you need to fuel that and complex carbs are going to do it. It's normal to gain weight when starting running. When I do couch to 5k I usually start losing in the last week or two. It's a huge high impact adjustment for your body and it takes some time for it to adjust. I would also consider looking at a diet that encourages healthy fats unlike weight watchers and low cal diets. Check out The Perfect 10 Diet. Your muscles are under a lot of strain and low fat is not helping. Best of luck! x

laurie571 · August 2012

you may be gaining muscle. try measuring yourself instead of weighing

yarwell · August 2012

I would say yes to the every other day with a rest day in between in general. 300 calories may be a bit on the high side, depends on your stats, speed etc but you could eat half the extra as a test - remember that any published or measured exercise calories is very likely to include the 50-80 calories per hour you would have burned anyway.

Here's one article about "doing to much" - not sure it applies to you but worth a read anyway - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

psuLemon · August 2012

you may be gaining muscle. try measuring yourself instead of weighing

You cant gain muscle running especially 4 lbs of it in a short period of time, especially on a calorie deficit. And add in the fact that women only have the ability to gain 1-2 lbs of muscle a month, which requires weight training.

Op, more than likely its water retention since you just started/ increased your running. If you provide your height and weight we can evaluate your estimated caloric requirements. Also, your body might just need some time to adjust to your new routine.

Also, since you only have 20 lbs to lose, your goal might be too aggressive. What is your per week loss goal (should be around 1 lb per week). And lastly, have you ever consider weight training? Its much more beneficial for you in terms of fat loss.

Docholiday11x · August 2012

most likely not eating enough. i found that this is a great tool to find daily needs. then simply subtract 200 until you hit a sticking point then so on and so forth. http://www.tigerfitness.com/category-s/408.htm

psec123 · August 2012

I need to lose 13 lbs. I am 139 lbs and 5 ft 6.
Is 1360 kcal a day too much?
Also, how important is eating all the fat MyFitnessPal is recommending me to eat? It is quite a struggle for me to eat as much..I usually eat about half of that.

Kara_xxx · August 2012

Sounds like your body might be in starvation mode!? If you're running several miles you need to fuel that and complex carbs are going to do it.

I assure you 2-3 mile runs do not need to be fuelled by anything complex!

jus_in_bello · August 2012

I need to lose 13 lbs. I am 139 lbs and 5 ft 6.
Is 1360 kcal a day too much?
Also, how important is eating all the fat MyFitnessPal is recommending me to eat? It is quite a struggle for me to eat as much..I usually eat about half of that.

Fat is actually pretty vital for brain function, I don't know how much we need compared to what MFP says, except that my friends on MFP who are nurses often told me to eat more fat. Nuts, seeds, and cheeses are easy ways to get more fat into the diet.

You're BMI is in a healthy range, I would suggest rather than trying to lose weight to start lifting, it will change the shape of your body, and really cause you to look much thinner because your body will be "tighter" as it will be more muscle and less fat. Check out some of the NROLFW threads/groups on here.

Keep running though, that's good for the body and it's a natural mood enhancer.

psuLemon · August 2012

I need to lose 13 lbs. I am 139 lbs and 5 ft 6.
Is 1360 kcal a day too much?
Also, how important is eating all the fat MyFitnessPal is recommending me to eat? It is quite a struggle for me to eat as much..I usually eat about half of that.

Based on your stats i would have you at 1750 calories daily, without eating back exercise calories. But at your weight its not weiggt loss you need its fat loss and you get that from heavy weight training. WT will preserve your muscle and cut fat quicker than cardio. Wt is what will give you a defined and tight body.

You say i dont have a gym member ship or cant afford weights, i say ok, can you afford a few resistance bands ($20-$30) and you can use www.bodyrock.tv or youtube for routines.

psuLemon · August 2012

Also read this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/684493-how-to-determine-weight-goal?hl=weight+goal&page=1#posts-10002223

BazAbroad · August 2012

I would not eat "fuel food" for such a short distance.
Let your body burn off the fat for fuel.

psec123 · August 2012

I need to lose 13 lbs. I am 139 lbs and 5 ft 6.
Is 1360 kcal a day too much?
Also, how important is eating all the fat MyFitnessPal is recommending me to eat? It is quite a struggle for me to eat as much..I usually eat about half of that.

Based on your stats i would have you at 1750 calories daily, without eating back exercise calories. But at your weight its not weiggt loss you need its fat loss and you get that from heavy weight training. WT will preserve your muscle and cut fat quicker than cardio. Wt is what will give you a defined and tight body.

You say i dont have a gym member ship or cant afford weights, i say ok, can you afford a few resistance bands ($20-$30) and you can use www.bodyrock.tv or youtube for routines.

Thank you! I have been considering weight training. I think I will give it a try!
Should I give up running altogether and do weights instead? Or do both?

psuLemon · August 2012

I need to lose 13 lbs. I am 139 lbs and 5 ft 6.
Is 1360 kcal a day too much?
Also, how important is eating all the fat MyFitnessPal is recommending me to eat? It is quite a struggle for me to eat as much..I usually eat about half of that.

Based on your stats i would have you at 1750 calories daily, without eating back exercise calories. But at your weight its not weiggt loss you need its fat loss and you get that from heavy weight training. WT will preserve your muscle and cut fat quicker than cardio. Wt is what will give you a defined and tight body.

You say i dont have a gym member ship or cant afford weights, i say ok, can you afford a few resistance bands ($20-$30) and you can use www.bodyrock.tv or youtube for routines.

Thank you! I have been considering weight training. I think I will give it a try!
Should I give up running altogether and do weights instead? Or do both?

Personally, i would do weights 3 days, run 2 times and find a yoga or pilates thing online and so that once.

mgobluetx12 · August 2012

I plugged in my stats to that Tiger Fitness site and it said I need 3600 cals a day! That can't possibly be right, it's way too high. My doc has me on 1400 cals, but I think that seems low and I'm losing really slow. Any advice?

psuLemon · August 2012

I plugged in my stats to that Tiger Fitness site and it said I need 3600 cals a day! That can't possibly be right, it's way too high. My doc has me on 1400 cals, but I think that seems low and I'm losing really slow. Any advice?

Yea that site seems off according to their guidelines. Its pretty high for me too. I much prefer www.fat2fit.com and use the bmr calculator. My question is, how did your doctor determine your calorie goal? Did he do any testing? Or measure your body fat and understand your exercise and daily routine?

I will say, unless your doctor has a background in nutrtition then a dieticien is a better person to go to. Its like how its better to see an eye doctor for an eye infection. A regular doctor might know some things but generally and eye doctor would know better.

lwagnitz · August 2012

You are entirely mislead if you think "running doesn't cause muscle gain". Running engages almost every muscle in your body, especially your legs, and core. Running doesn't just increase your endurance but strengthens muscles as well. Try measuring yourself... it very well could be muscle weight. If your clothes are feeling looser, but the scale creeps up, you don't have much to worry about. Being healthy isn't always a matter of losing numbers on the scale.

sevsmom · August 2012

I need to lose 13 lbs. I am 139 lbs and 5 ft 6.
Is 1360 kcal a day too much?
Also, how important is eating all the fat MyFitnessPal is recommending me to eat? It is quite a struggle for me to eat as much..I usually eat about half of that.

SNAP! I'm 5'5" and 135. . .And I'm in pretty darned good shape. A few more spots to tone. . .but 126 would have me looking emaciated! If you're looking to tone up, don't expect a huge drop in the scale! I'd love to drop to 130 for my upcoming half marathon. . .easier to haul my carcass that far. . . but I'm not willing to give up the muscle tone I'm working hard for. So, don't starve yourself, and DON'T eliminate fats from your diet. You NEED some HEALTHY fats!!!

sevsmom · August 2012

Don't give up on the running. It takes some time for the body to adjust. You're thinking 4 weeks should be enough. . .not necessarily. Plus, running on consecutive days could be a bit hard on your body. I suggest picking a running goal: 5k, 10k, half. . .and then look up a training plan for that. At most, you'll run 4 days. With rest days in between. If you give your body a break, you might find your performance improves and your weight starts to cooperate. BIG fan of traning plans! HUGE!

sjohnny · August 2012

A female did not gain 4 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks by running and not eating very much. I've been eating like a horse and lifting heavy weights (and running) for 2 months and have gained 3 pounds of muscle - and I think some of that is noob gains.

OP - based on what you've posted re: your height, weight and amount you want to lose, I'd re-evaluate your calorie goal - you probably need to eat a little bit more - and incorporate some kind of resistance training. If you can't get weights or to a gym there is a lot you can do with body weight that will take you a good way to getting stronger.

You don't need to quit running if you like it. I run three days a week and lift weights three days a week. I love them both.

psuLemon · August 2012

You are entirely mislead if you think "running doesn't cause muscle gain". Running engages almost every muscle in your body, especially your legs, and core. Running doesn't just increase your endurance but strengthens muscles as well. Try measuring yourself... it very well could be muscle weight. If your clothes are feeling looser, but the scale creeps up, you don't have much to worry about. Being healthy isn't always a matter of losing numbers on the scale.

Its not misleading to tell someone they cant build muscle running, especially on a calorie deficit. Running increases the chance of depleting glycogen and being in a catabolic state. In order to gain lean body mass (new muscle issue) your body requires a surplus of calories to be anaebolic. Additionally to gain you lean body mass you need weight training.

Now i am not talking fat loss or as some will call it toning. You can lose fst while running. But generally when people do long distance running, you also tend to loss lean body mass. If you want to confirm this track your weight and body fat.

Now i should update my recommendation. If her goal is to run a 10k then cutting running down to two days can affect her results. But if her goal is to cut fat then weight training is imparitive to cutting fat as well as maintaining lean body mass.

Running and gaining weight...??????????

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