Need some help, please
Runwalkrunwalk
Posts: 1 Member
I completely agree with the approach put forth by this group but I am having trouble getting the numbers straight based on my current experience. Here are my stats:
5'7"
189 lbs
age 48
I've been doing bar bell weight training since April 2011 and am happy with my progress. I've been consistently adding weight (with a few short backslides for injuries, etc) and currently am doing three sets of the following two times a week:
squat 135 X 5
bench press 110 X 5
power clean 82.5 X 5
overhead press 67.5 X 5 alternate with deadlift 140 X 5 (two sets only)
bent over row 40 X 5 alternate with pull downs 122.5 X 5
I tend to pick some kind of race and add in cardio to keep from getting bored. The last race I trained for was sprint triathlon in June using a swim, bike, run, weights, off training schedule for three months prior -- so I've been consistent with my exercise. Unfortunately, from April 2011 to present I've gained 30 lbs so I knew I wasn't eating correctly. My clothes are not fitting and I feel jiggly, despite the exercise. I have type II diabetes in my family, but my fasting glucoses are still okay.
I decided to finally try and do a marathon for my next race and have given myself lots of time to get ready. I am doing both marathon training and using the weight lifting as cross training. So far I've been able to keep these two up, running four days a week, lifting two days a week, and one day off.
But I know to be comfortable I need to lose some weight in the process. I am two months into my training and have yet to lose a pound. I have been tracking my calories very carefully using an online system and have been pretty consistent -- here are my averages for the two months and I stay pretty close to these each day (that is, I'm not fluctuating wildly):
Average calories -- 1720 per day (net calories ave 1200)
ratio -- c/p/f -- 35/25/40 (I try to keep protein as high as I can)
But this approach has netted me no weight loss in 8 weeks.
I went to the calculator and here are my numbers:
BMR 1560
TDEE 2691 (based on 5-6 hours of strenuous activity per week, which I get with the marathon training program and weight cross training)
TDEE-15% 2287
I think this is a classic case of eating too little and I want to up my calories BUT I was gaining literally a pound every two weeks when I wasn't tracking my food as carefully and I was exercising but not as much. I really don't think I was eating all that much more so I am very nervous to add in the calories in this case -- I think I will just start piling the weight on and that is the last thing I need in order to prepare myself for the marathon. At least I've stopped gaining . . . but it is an awful lot of work and discipline to still be dragging 189 lbs around during my long runs.
I would love to hear some advice, please.
Thanks,
Michelle
5'7"
189 lbs
age 48
I've been doing bar bell weight training since April 2011 and am happy with my progress. I've been consistently adding weight (with a few short backslides for injuries, etc) and currently am doing three sets of the following two times a week:
squat 135 X 5
bench press 110 X 5
power clean 82.5 X 5
overhead press 67.5 X 5 alternate with deadlift 140 X 5 (two sets only)
bent over row 40 X 5 alternate with pull downs 122.5 X 5
I tend to pick some kind of race and add in cardio to keep from getting bored. The last race I trained for was sprint triathlon in June using a swim, bike, run, weights, off training schedule for three months prior -- so I've been consistent with my exercise. Unfortunately, from April 2011 to present I've gained 30 lbs so I knew I wasn't eating correctly. My clothes are not fitting and I feel jiggly, despite the exercise. I have type II diabetes in my family, but my fasting glucoses are still okay.
I decided to finally try and do a marathon for my next race and have given myself lots of time to get ready. I am doing both marathon training and using the weight lifting as cross training. So far I've been able to keep these two up, running four days a week, lifting two days a week, and one day off.
But I know to be comfortable I need to lose some weight in the process. I am two months into my training and have yet to lose a pound. I have been tracking my calories very carefully using an online system and have been pretty consistent -- here are my averages for the two months and I stay pretty close to these each day (that is, I'm not fluctuating wildly):
Average calories -- 1720 per day (net calories ave 1200)
ratio -- c/p/f -- 35/25/40 (I try to keep protein as high as I can)
But this approach has netted me no weight loss in 8 weeks.
I went to the calculator and here are my numbers:
BMR 1560
TDEE 2691 (based on 5-6 hours of strenuous activity per week, which I get with the marathon training program and weight cross training)
TDEE-15% 2287
I think this is a classic case of eating too little and I want to up my calories BUT I was gaining literally a pound every two weeks when I wasn't tracking my food as carefully and I was exercising but not as much. I really don't think I was eating all that much more so I am very nervous to add in the calories in this case -- I think I will just start piling the weight on and that is the last thing I need in order to prepare myself for the marathon. At least I've stopped gaining . . . but it is an awful lot of work and discipline to still be dragging 189 lbs around during my long runs.
I would love to hear some advice, please.
Thanks,
Michelle
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Replies
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Hi Michelle, It sounds like you are working ridiculously hard each week so the 2600 mark sounds right. 1200 nets are just far too low for the amount you do, ESPECIALLY training for a marthon. You need a lot of food to fuel your runs.
Putting this logically, you would have to be eating OVER 2600 every day to actually gain any fat. Eating 2300 is going to get you nowhere near that number. Don't be scared by initial gains of fluid and glycogen in your muscles.
Also, you may think that you weren't eating much more when you weren't tracking, but it's probably not the case. You would have had to have been eating over your TDEE to gain weight in the first place.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd eat your TDEE for a few weeks while you train and repair that metabolism of yours. If your weight stabilizes over those few weeks, you know you're eating the right number. THEN drop to the deficit. You may not lose anything for a few weeks, but you won't put on either and your energy for your workouts will go through the roof. Then your body will be ready to start letting go again when you cut down a bit.
One more thing to consider, such intense marathon training AND strength training all at once is quite counter-productive. Strength training hits the fast-twitch muscle fibres and running hits the slow-twitch fibres. Each workout will suffer because of the other. I would pick something to focus on for awhile, and my best advice is strength training to build muscle. You can still run on your non-gym days but try and incorporate HIIT instead. Long runs catabolize the muscle you are working so hard to try and build.0
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