Marathon training & weight loss- impossible?
NitaCB
Posts: 532 Member
Hi all. I'm running my first marathon in 3 weeks. First I just want to clarify that I am not running a marathon with the intention to lose weight. I am totally loving training for it, but the extra weight that I'm carrying makes me heavier and uncomfortable. I'd really like to lose a bit before my race but I dont want to compromise my training.
A little background info: I'm a personal trainer, 163 cm and 65 kgs. I first started training for a full 2 years ago (same race as I'm now doing) but all the wheels started falling off with my training and I didn't know why. Last year I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which has really knocked me around and added 10 kgs to me. I couldn't race for over a year, and it was only once I changed medication that my energy levels returned and I could start running properly again. But no matter what I seem to do the weight will not budge.
I eat at about 45-50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat. I eat 1700-2100 on an average day, i dont log on long run days but just eat to hunger, from mainly good sources I eat very healthily. When I tried reducing my intake one week, including my carbs, my long run suffered majorly, I had to take walk breaks and felt nauseous from glycogen depletion. I think I must be working at a higher HR on my long runs than some as I burn through my glycogen stores quickly. I was really depleted in the weekend while doing 34km even though I had a gel every 30 min or so.
Its complicated I know. Any suggestions?
A little background info: I'm a personal trainer, 163 cm and 65 kgs. I first started training for a full 2 years ago (same race as I'm now doing) but all the wheels started falling off with my training and I didn't know why. Last year I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which has really knocked me around and added 10 kgs to me. I couldn't race for over a year, and it was only once I changed medication that my energy levels returned and I could start running properly again. But no matter what I seem to do the weight will not budge.
I eat at about 45-50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat. I eat 1700-2100 on an average day, i dont log on long run days but just eat to hunger, from mainly good sources I eat very healthily. When I tried reducing my intake one week, including my carbs, my long run suffered majorly, I had to take walk breaks and felt nauseous from glycogen depletion. I think I must be working at a higher HR on my long runs than some as I burn through my glycogen stores quickly. I was really depleted in the weekend while doing 34km even though I had a gel every 30 min or so.
Its complicated I know. Any suggestions?
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Replies
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Note: I run 4 days per week, one of them long. I strength train 2-3 x per week and also go for a bike ride 1-2 x per week as some easy cross-training.0
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I don't know the answers for you here but it is possible to lose and marathon. Everything looks about right but when the thyroid is involved you add an element that most people just won't have a good answer too, at least not me. Hopefully someone with the same thyroid issues can respond with encouragement.0
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Yea I'd like to just have normal responses to training and nutrition like most people do. Most people seem to lose some with marathon training...0
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I run marathons on a regular basis and right now I have a hard team not loosing any more weight. The trap a lot of marathoners run in to is "I just ran 18 miles, I can eat whatever I want today" and they end up maintaining or even worse gaining weight. I suggest logging even on your LR day. If you are wearing out to quickly on your long runs you should try running slower, that might help you maintain your energy levels throughout the run.0
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I naturally go for nutritious foods with the odd treat in there on a long run day. I judge by the fact that I'm usually feeling slightly sick with hunger for most of the day that I'm not overdoing it. Like when I did 34 on Saturday I spent most of the rest of the day staving off nausea by trying to eat, not quite winning. It's like I've only really caught up properly today, on Tuesday. When I finished I was so depleted I could hardly hold myself up. Maybe I was going at too fast a pace, I don't know. It has been quite a learning curve.0
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I agree with David it's going to be hard for most people to say what it's like for you since you have the thyroid issue even with medication its really hard for people with hypothyroidism to get past the weight gain. when I train for marathons I tend to lose weight without really thinking much about it so perhaps for you instead of looking on the running site for people who have hypothyroidism and at our training for marathon perhaps you should see if there is a hypothyroidism support group on MFP and see what people are doing or how people are losing weight when they have hypothyroidism and then apply some of those tricks to your diet and training if you haven't already. I hope you find something that works for you!0
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I lost weight while training for both the marathons I have run. More during my first round of training because I was more careful about what I ate. The second time I had a little bit of the dreaded old "I can eat whatever because I run" mentality and I was putting in less milage than the first time.
In order to lose during marathon trainin I had to stick to right around 2000 -2200 calories and not eat back my exercise. I also really focused on my Macros and ate around my protien. I was aiming for 150 grams of protein so that left less room in my diet for fat, sugar and carbs.
I used the Scooby calculator with a TDEE - 15% to get my goa calorie range. I don't have hypothyroidism though so I am not sure if this is helpful to you.0 -
2000 cals a day while training for a marathon and not eating back your exercise? I wonder if that would work for me, but I'm nervous to try it. I'm having trouble losing and I am training for my third marathon. I want to lose about 10 lbs before October (doing MCM) but not much is working. My daily cals are 1200 and I eat back my exercise. I've been increasing my protein but not so much that I can't keep up with my training.
Anyone got any suggestions for me? Should I increase my daily cals? Will it work?0 -
Yours could be more or less - check http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
I used 5-6 hours for activity level (or maybe even 7+ if long runs 3-4 plus and an additional hour 5 days a week)0 -
Yes, I agree with others than you can lose weight while training for a marathon. Just ran my 12th full marathon in May. I've lost 22.8 lbs this year since Jan. 1 (4.4 this week;) It's a matter of discipline, hard work, and eating smart. I just learned I have high cholesterol so my diet/nutrition are shifting away from meat and towards more fruit & veggies, especially KALE. Declaring war on sugar and really drastically cutting back your sugar intake can make a big difference (for example, giving up drinking pop entirely). Good luck in your journey! You can do it!
-Jeremy 0 -
You should start logging, even on LSR days. For me, logging on LSR days is even more important, especially if you strength train as well, because you gotta make sure you're loaded with adequate carbs and also have your P count high so all your muscles dont fall off. As a poster said above, its a common mistake to think "I've just done my LSR, so i can eat half this cheesecake" Count your calories to make sure you really can eat that half a cheesecake!0
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As shown here, you can, but Id'd say you need to be hyper aware of what and how much you're eating. FWIW, I would either set a more conservative weight loss goal or just treat it as a side benefit.0
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It's possible. One of the main reasons I joined MFP was to get rid of unwanted marathon pounds. I fell into that trap of thinking I could eat whatever I wanted.
Since joining, I lost that weight and then some, and maintained my weight through 3 marathon training cycles.
I lost the weight while marathon training by keeping my deficit really small (250-500 calories cut per day). I especially logged on the long run days because those were the days I really went overboard.
Track everything.0 -
losing seems to go well for me, I've lost 10 lbs in the past month and a half (since I started increasing volume/mileage)
I would like to lose another 10 in the next 15 weeks, but as said I just need to be extra careful on my long days0 -
A lot of us runners tend to use of running a license to eat as we increase our mileage and it typically doesn't work well.
I've put on weight while running 50+ miles per week (on far too many occasions). How does that happen? By eating 60 miles worth of food...
I've been running lots of miles for lots of year now - the ONLY way I can lose is track on MFP.0 -
2000 cals a day while training for a marathon and not eating back your exercise? I wonder if that would work for me, but I'm nervous to try it. I'm having trouble losing and I am training for my third marathon. I want to lose about 10 lbs before October (doing MCM) but not much is working. My daily cals are 1200 and I eat back my exercise. I've been increasing my protein but not so much that I can't keep up with my training.
Anyone got any suggestions for me? Should I increase my daily cals? Will it work?
I used a TDEE calculator. I am short so my TDEE is anywhere between 1980-2100 depending on what calculator I used. I used a goal of 2000 calories and did not specifically eat back my exercise...EXCEPT on LR days in which I ate back half of my exercise calories to make sure my NET was at least 900-1200. I was shooting for maintenance but if I was still trying to lose I would have shot for 1800 goal...I used my phone app to make sure my weekly NET average was good and didn't worry as much about daily net over and unders.0 -
I'm just over a month out from my first 26.2 (on 10/12) and have found that with the long runs heading north of 16+, in addition to targeted speed work and 10+ mile mid-week runs, I'm having a heck of a time losing, even maintaining. I'm probably up a couple of pounds overall in the last month or so. Now I'm far from a clean eater - I typically do hit my calorie goals, but I do that by way of craft beer and the occasional slice(s) of pizza. Though I admit that I'm more focused on marathon prep than weight loss currently, but as soon as my 26.2 is done, I'm going to focus on tracking macro nutrients, more cross training/HIIT strength work and knock these last few pounds off.0
