Running with no results

Hi everyone.
I started a running program (C25K) at the end of May '13 and just graduated by running my 5K today (July 5 '13)...yay! My concern is that even though I can feel more muscle tone in my lower body and feel 'slightly' leaner around my shoulders and chest I have lost no weight...not one pound...and not even partial inches on my measurements. I run 4 times per week and it's been a straight two plus miles for about 3 weeks now. I eat less than I did before I started and I naturally am choosing healthier foods over junk. Am I not giving it enough time? I feel like I should have at least lost something by now :-( Wondering other peoples experience.

Opening your food diary will let people comment more effectively....

Do you measure and track everything you eat?

If you're trying to lose weight, the best way to do that is by eating at a caloric deficit. Running or whatever exercise you do is great, but your diet is what is really going to make the most difference in your ability to lose weight or not.

If' you're not at a caloric deficit, you can run all day and not lose weight. Getting a handle on your intake is the most important thing. You need to eat less than your TDEE (the amount of calories you use in a day, including BMR, normal daily activities, and exercise). Track all of your food (using a scale and measuring cups) so you can figure out how much you're actually taking in, then adjust so that you're eating at a moderate deficit from your TDEE.

Are you eating back your exercise calories? Some people report the calorie figures for exercise can be inflated... I've seen people say they eat back 1/2 the exercise calories.

For me, it has always seemed dead-on, so I don't obsess over it. They're guidelines.

That said, exercise alone will not make you lose weight. Calorie deficit does that. Cardio helps with adding to that deficit (energy in / energy out) but by itself doesn't make you lose weight. It does help your muscle tone, cardiovascular health, etc.

For me, I lost weight to get in a good place to start running again. Family history of joint problems motivated me to drop the flab to reduce the wear and tear on my joints when hitting the bricks. I'd say keep at it. It's a little early to tell and once you start cranking out 3+ miles, the calorie deficit starts getting more appreciable.

Hang in there.

If' you're not at a caloric deficit, you can run all day and not lose weight. Getting a handle on your intake is the most important thing. You need to eat less than your TDEE (the amount of calories you use in a day, including BMR, normal daily activities, and exercise). Track all of your food (using a scale and measuring cups) so you can figure out how much you're actually taking in, then adjust so that you're eating at a moderate deficit from your TDEE.

This!

If you want to tone you need to start WEIGHT TRAINING!

Cardiovascular exercise is just that, CADIOVASCULAR ( the heart, blood vessels etc.). Working the heart will not tone your body..it will assist in other ways, but to tone you need to acquaint yourself with some resistance training

From everything I've read and watched from personal trainers on youtube, you really need to add variety. Your body gets used to cardio, cardio, cardio and then you don't make progress. Add some weight lifting into your schedule and you will probably see big results.

While variety and strength training are both good things, they are not necessary. One can lose weight from running alone and eating at a caloric deficit. I've lost over 50 pounds in the last 10 years doing just that.

If' you're not at a caloric deficit, you can run all day and not lose weight. Getting a handle on your intake is the most important thing. You need to eat less than your TDEE (the amount of calories you use in a day, including BMR, normal daily activities, and exercise). Track all of your food (using a scale and measuring cups) so you can figure out how much you're actually taking in, then adjust so that you're eating at a moderate deficit from your TDEE.

This!

Thank you for your responses. I'm going to start recording my intake today and see what I'm actually consuming. I guess I was just thinking if I burn calories and don't consume more than I already was that I would just shed some pounds. I don't own a scale as I wanted to stay motivated on how my clothes were fitting and how I felt but since that wasn't moving in the right direction I used my sisters and was shocked :-(
Now that I've reached my goal of running I will continue this, add in some strength, and watch my calories. Thanks for your help :-)

It's amazing that you have picked up running so quickly and you should be really proud of yourself :flowerforyou:

Get yourself a set of kitchen scales and log everything you eat and drink - it's amazing once you start writing it down and actually see what you consume. And you will be safe in the knowledge that as your weight comes down, you will have killer legs thanks to the running!

#1, I don't think you've given it enough time. You could be converting some fat to muscle but it probably is going to take more than 5 weeks to effect meaningful change. #2, You probably need to consider upping your mileage a little bit. It sounds like you are running about 8 miles a week which is certainly admirable but it may be time to try and move the needle incrementally to 10-12 miles. Perhaps run 2 miles one day, 3 the next etc.. At 8 miles a week for 5 weeks you have run about 40 miles and probably burned an incremental 4000 calories, so you probably wouldn't have lost more than a pound anyway, which may be why you don't feel any different.

As far as food intake, others here have done a better job on here than I could, but writing down what you eat and doing it honestly is a good way to effect results positively. I started out the day after Memorial Day at 180 and woke up the day after July 4th at 170. That came from sticking with my 5X workout program (4 runs, 20+ per week w/1 gym), eating less, and reducing my carbs. By writing it all down somewhere it was a great motivator to not forget all those snacks. I graduated from the back of an envelope to using MFL and find it to be a great tool.

Stick with it, and good things will happen. best of luck.

Thank you for your responses. I'm going to start recording my intake today and see what I'm actually consuming. I guess I was just thinking if I burn calories and don't consume more than I already was that I would just shed some pounds. I don't own a scale as I wanted to stay motivated on how my clothes were fitting and how I felt but since that wasn't moving in the right direction I used my sisters and was shocked :-(
Now that I've reached my goal of running I will continue this, add in some strength, and watch my calories. Thanks for your help :-)

Ok, first of all? Not all scales are point on accurate. Your sister's might not be right, the original one you used might not be right, etc.

You definitely need to watch your calories...JUST eating less than you used to doesn't necessarily mean you're eating at a calorie deficit. For instance....if you USED to eat say...4000 calories a day, now eat 3000 and burn 200 calories from exercise...you're still not going to get to the numbers to lose weight.

You don't necessarily have to stop running, start doing this or that...but for me *personally* I've found variety is key....to keeping me interested. If you're searching for muscle tone, adding in weight training is a good idea, but people can and have lost weight just with running...and by eating at a calorie deficit.

My advice: If you like running, keep running! I've found it hard to get to a point where I totally enjoy it, but after a year and a half, finally have. If it's in your goals to tone, I'd add in weight training to your week and get some cross training in. If you have the resources, get a heart rate monitor or activity monitor, and a food scale (which you can find for $20ish.

I agree that exercise is not everything and diet is most important, but the 20/80 relationship sounds exaggerated. I would say 40/60 or even 50/50 is more reasonable. A person who diets and eats right is going to see results, but will eventually give them back if they don't incorporate a consistent exercise program. The reason for this is 95% of the people who diet get bored with it and revert slowly back to old habits. You can only do so much over time with just dieting.

I agree that exercise is not everything and diet is most important, but the 20/80 relationship sounds exaggerated. I would say 40/60 or even 50/50 is more reasonable. A person who diets and eats right is going to see results, but will eventually give them back if they don't incorporate a consistent exercise program. The reason for this is 95% of the people who diet get bored with it and revert slowly back to old habits. You can only do so much over time with just dieting.

caloric deficit = weight loss. Period. Point blank.

I going to have trust the opinion of the guy (trog) who has lost 153 pounds. Eat less and move more. Why stick with just one method?

Hi, I tried to read all responses in order to not repeat. Sorry if I am (lots of responses). I definitely agree with tracking your calories. However, there are medical conditions too that can keep that scale's needle from moving. Hypothyroid, Vitamin D deficiency, and PCOS all can affect weight loss. For PCOS, for example, your body could have trouble with carbs (I just had this conversation with my doctor), requiring you to shift to more lean protein. Something like one in seven women suffer from hypothyroidism, which just slows your whole system down. It's worth a chat with your doctor! There are simple blood tests. Best wishes to you! Great job on the running! That's fantastic!!!