Scales don't budge - self-deluded or training related?

Hi All,

I'm 32 lbs into a 50lb weight loss and this has taken over a year. I've been using MFP since May this year. Slow but steady progress and I've had plenty of times when I've eaten what I wanted and plenty of it, so hence the slow progress.

Now however, I haven't lost for about 3 months and am running 4 times a week as part of a marathon training programme. I do eat my exercise calories for the most part and some days go over. But others are under.

The thing is I feel skinnier and a friend I saw at the weekend for the first time in a couple of months said I was half the size (exaggeration obviously, but you get the point). According to the scales I've lost 1 lb since I saw her last!

Am I overeatting and not recognising it? Is something happening to body shape that really can be so drastic as to compensate for calories burntr 4-5hrs running a week?

I know that muscle weighs more than fat but I've always considered this pretty irrelevant when you're carrying as much weight as I am. To be able to build so much muscle that overcomes 20 - 30lbs of excess fat seems illogical!

Advise please - even if this advice is a kick up the *kitten*! i'm running my first marathon in about 8 weeks and would be happy to be another 12 lbs down - this will reduce my injury risk and also simply makes it easier not to haul the flab around 26.2 miles!

R.