Running Makes Me Fat -- Help >_<

Otrogen
Otrogen Posts: 65
in Fitness and Exercise
Edited to add: I DO TRACK MY FOOD. I do it so carefully that I don't like trusting MFP, where often enough the totals for things I've scanned in from exact packages will be wrong. I use an IIFYM-style program to ensure I'm not eating too many carbs, too much fat, etc. It is Not a problem with food tracking. I use a food scale and I get exact totals.

I am utterly at a loss here with my fitness routine. As my profile says, I started out about 2.5 years ago hoping to lose something like 150-175 lbs. I've lost 110 so far. I want to lose about 60 more. I've been stuck at 220 since last February, so about 1.5 years. No matter what I do (exception of this really miserable fat-loss diet for body builders which practices scientifically safe large deficits and is labeled a protein-sparing modified fast or PSMF), I cannot lose weight. I hate doing the PSMF because I love being active and you don't get enough calories to do cardio on it -- you're only allowed to lift weights, which I don't innately like.

So yes. I run. I love to run. I have completed C25K twice before and am on week 5 of this round of it, and I'm doing well, like I always do. The problem: I lose about 5 lbs in the first month, I become noticeably slimmer, and everything looks like it's going well, and then I start gaining weight. The first round I did, I started out at 225, got down to 221 in the first month, then slowly rose to 229 over the next 2 months. It never came back down, even after I stopped running. I was being anal and counting calories extensively and mine were never over 1400 (though yes, running does make me miserably ravenous sometimes). Just about the same story with my second round.

This time, I added in weight lifting and more protein, and cut out a lot of carbs and sugars and fats. I'll be the first to admit that I don't really use MFP to log very well, as I'm used to doing it on my own, so my log won't be incredibly informative. I'm very concerned because I do love to run, and I do see good initial results when I do it, but the buck stops there. Past the first month, even though I can follow the program well, I see no weight loss benefits and my fat seems to stay about the same, too.

To address common concerns: No, I'm not just bad at counting calories. I do sometimes splurge, but I keep it to my once a week cheat day or to just a little bit of something if I'm really craving it. I don't even bother trying to estimate my calories burned or what my deficit should be with normal calculators because they're always wrong. Not only do they overestimate anyway, but they never have a slow enough speed for what I run at. The second time this happened, I tried lowering my calories to 1200, and then raising them to 1600 after someone suggested I wasn't eating enough, and nothing worked. And yes, I promise I'm hydrated enough. I drink at least 120 oz of water a day.

So for this round, I'm on week 5 day 2 using Cool Running's c25k program, and I started out at 220.x lbs. I got down to 216.6. I'm back up to 220.2. Is it impossible for me to run and lose weight? I know there'll be some body shifting, but I don't want to get to 3 months in again and be down no pounds, or, worse, have gained weight. I'm 220 lbs at 5'2". I still have PLENTY to lose. Why won't it come off??

Replies

  • lucasmoten
    lucasmoten Posts: 143 Member
    If I ignore everything you've said about how you count your calories, lack of tracking meticulously on MFP, and tracking calories burned from exercise, I would say make sure you're hydrating appropriately (water only if necessary), getting wholesome foods with lots of veggies, and enough fiber in your diet.

    Another consideration is changing up your cardio. Instead of always running, switch up to gym equipment. Elliptical, spin classes, etc may be just the ticket to get over your body's natural adjustment and efficiency at just running. Where is your heart rate at when you are running or performing any cardio? Make sure its strenuous enough to count, but not killing you. FYI, I _never_ feel ravenously hungry after running.

    If you are absolutely certain that you are eating only 1400 calories a day and aren't losing weight at 220 pounds, then a checkup with your physician may be warranted.
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    I am no expert by any means, but if what you're saying is true, you should probably think about getting with your doctor about causes of inability to lose weight on your program. One thing that stuck out to me was that you said running makes you fat + running makes you ravenous. Could you be having more "cheat days" than you think? Just wondering. If you are 110% sure about everything you are eating, you need medical advice.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I have no idea what to tell you. I started running about 5 weeks ago and it has not caused an extreme weight loss and I do gain some water weight after each run but it quickly goes away. Check and see what your TDEE and BMR are to make sure you are eating enough and your diet is balanced. There are many websites that can help with this including MFP. I use www.iifym.com

    My suggestion would be to go see your doctor and have your thyroid checked and other metabolic panels done, i.e. insulin resistance, etc. This sounds more medical to me.

    Good luck.
  • ittyXbittyXbritty
    ittyXbittyXbritty Posts: 73
    I'm also a runner, I've been doing cross country since I was 12. I'm almost 20 now. In my eight years experience and paired with other experiences with weight loss, I think you might need to change your exercise a little bit.
    Sometimes, I like to do a bike ride and a run (I try to run as much as I can, I'm addicted to it). So what I'll do is I'll do maybe a 7 mile bike ride (or 10, depending) and then I'll end it with a mile and a half run. When I do something like that, I notice that I lose weight. Sometimes, your body becomes very efficient at what you do. If you're doing 5 miles/day (like me, now I've upped it between 7 - 10) your body puts aside say 400 calories (for me, anyway) and knows those 400 are going to be used, anyway. But, if you shock your body with a bike ride, it's a different activity, so your body would respond.
    You could really do any other type of cardio -- kickboxing, swimming, zumba, etc. But I think you really need to just switch up your routine maybe a few times a week. Also, don't forget a rest day or two!
    Definitely keep lifting, it helps tone you and build lean muscle.
    It sounds like in terms of calorie counting and hydration, you're doing just fine.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Sorry, but if you don't weigh and measure EVERYTHING and count your calories, how do you know you are eating at a deficit?
  • RebeccaHite
    RebeccaHite Posts: 187 Member
    I am utterly at a loss here with my fitness routine. As my profile says, I started out about 2.5 years ago hoping to lose something like 150-175 lbs. I've lost 110 so far. I want to lose about 60 more. I've been stuck at 220 since last February, so about 1.5 years. No matter what I do (exception of this really miserable fat-loss diet for body builders which practices scientifically safe large deficits and is labeled a protein-sparing modified fast or PSMF), I cannot lose weight. I hate doing the PSMF because I love being active and you don't get enough calories to do cardio on it -- you're only allowed to lift weights, which I don't innately like.

    So yes. I run. I love to run. I have completed C25K twice before and am on week 5 of this round of it, and I'm doing well, like I always do. The problem: I lose about 5 lbs in the first month, I become noticeably slimmer, and everything looks like it's going well, and then I start gaining weight. The first round I did, I started out at 225, got down to 221 in the first month, then slowly rose to 229 over the next 2 months. It never came back down, even after I stopped running. I was being anal and counting calories extensively and mine were never over 1400 (though yes, running does make me miserably ravenous sometimes). Just about the same story with my second round.

    This time, I added in weight lifting and more protein, and cut out a lot of carbs and sugars and fats. I'll be the first to admit that I don't really use MFP to log very well, as I'm used to doing it on my own, so my log won't be incredibly informative. I'm very concerned because I do love to run, and I do see good initial results when I do it, but the buck stops there. Past the first month, even though I can follow the program well, I see no weight loss benefits and my fat seems to stay about the same, too.

    To address common concerns: No, I'm not just bad at counting calories. I do sometimes splurge, but I keep it to my once a week cheat day or to just a little bit of something if I'm really craving it. I don't even bother trying to estimate my calories burned or what my deficit should be with normal calculators because they're always wrong. Not only do they overestimate anyway, but they never have a slow enough speed for what I run at. The second time this happened, I tried lowering my calories to 1200, and then raising them to 1600 after someone suggested I wasn't eating enough, and nothing worked. And yes, I promise I'm hydrated enough. I drink at least 120 oz of water a day.

    So for this round, I'm on week 5 day 2 using Cool Running's c25k program, and I started out at 220.x lbs. I got down to 216.6. I'm back up to 220.2. Is it impossible for me to run and lose weight? I know there'll be some body shifting, but I don't want to get to 3 months in again and be down no pounds, or, worse, have gained weight. I'm 220 lbs at 5'2". I still have PLENTY to lose. Why won't it come off??

    It takes 3600 calories to gain 1LB and same to lose keep that in mind>
  • ZenInTexas
    ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
    Sorry, but if you don't weigh and measure EVERYTHING and count your calories, how do you know you are eating at a deficit?
    This.

    There is no way running makes you fat. Too many calories make you fat. Log your food accurately and watch the pounds come off.
  • sdps745
    sdps745 Posts: 33 Member
    Get serious about weighing and measuring your food and logging it here on MFP! If you do that, accurately and faithfully and keep up the exercise and log your exercise too, it WILL help! BEST of luck!!
  • Otrogen
    Otrogen Posts: 65
    Sorry, but if you don't weigh and measure EVERYTHING and count your calories, how do you know you are eating at a deficit?

    I didn't say I don't. I just said I don't with MFP. I'll use MFP to help me out sometimes if I legitimately have no idea what the macro counts on something I just ate were, but I've found that even using barcode scanning with my phone, a lot of the MFP totals are wrong, so it's better if I just keep track of it myself. I'm used to doing that b/c that first year where I lost 110 lbs, I had no idea that MFP even existed.

    Thanks for the advice so far guys. I know that I do have thyroid problems actually =/. I didn't think about that. My mother is hypothryoid. I was tested for as a teen and I was as well (24 y.o. now). I do still have a lot of the symptoms of it (hair falls out a lot more than it should, ridged nails, weak wrist and knee joints, always cold, etc.). That's likely a large part of it, which sucks because without health insurance, I can't do jack squat about it.

    I do count my calories and other totals, using an IIFYM-type program to make sure I'm not only staying at calorie goals, but that I'm also not eating too many from fat, from carbs, from sugars, etc. Calorie counting is not my issue. I'm even more obsessive than what MFP trackers are.
  • Erica_theRedhead
    Erica_theRedhead Posts: 724 Member
    I'm currently training for a marathon and the distance running isn't great for fat loss. Try more sprints or cross training a bit to keep your body guessing.

    Also, if you're like me, minimize these runs...


    winetreadmill_zps80d27ced.gif
  • sixty_five
    sixty_five Posts: 12 Member
    How come an excersise makes you fat? Why all those peoples sitting in McDonalds are fat? Too much running... yeah...
  • Sporks42
    Sporks42 Posts: 44 Member
    I glanced over the responses, so I don't know if someone said something like this, but exercise like running and especially insanity made me so ravenous I ate back my calories and then some, and always out on the pounds after an initial loss. You log all your calories so that doesn't seem to be the issue with you, just food for thought. What you described was exactly the same as my experience.
  • lcyama
    lcyama Posts: 209 Member
    I know that I do have thyroid problems actually =/. I didn't think about that. My mother is hypothryoid. I was tested for as a teen and I was as well (24 y.o. now). I do still have a lot of the symptoms of it (hair falls out a lot more than it should, ridged nails, weak wrist and knee joints, always cold, etc.). That's likely a large part of it, which sucks because without health insurance, I can't do jack squat about it.

    it sounds to me as though hypothyroidism is the underlying problem. i hope you can get it taken care of. mine affects my mood, emotions, and energy levels, in addition to thwarting any weight loss efforts. thyroid meds like synthroid/levothyroxine are not very expensive, even without insurance.

    good luck!
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    I glanced over the responses, so I don't know if someone said something like this, but exercise like running and especially insanity made me so ravenous I ate back my calories and then some, and always out on the pounds after an initial loss. You log all your calories so that doesn't seem to be the issue with you, just food for thought. What you described was exactly the same as my experience.

    I got fatter when I was running for the same reason...I ate everything in sight and felt like it was justified because I ran for 20 minutes that day. Now that I'm actually calorie counting I realize I maybe burned 200 calories and ate 500 extra. Go me.
  • Hannah7783
    Hannah7783 Posts: 54 Member
    I can kind of relate to this! I have been increasing my running for a while and although I didn't put any on I stopped losing weight, while all the time eating at a deficit (I'm sure I was, not just thinking I was). This was pretty depressing after a few weeks, so I took my measurements and had lose a good couple of inches despite the 0lb loss - and I had to have my wedding dress taken in TWICE despite the scale saying that nothing had changed. So try measuring yourself and see if perhaps although the scales say one thing, the tape measure says differently! You might be surprised.

    I have been advised by a couple of friends who are personal trainers to change my routine a little bit too, including adding in sprints and interval type training to optimise fat loss. I cant tell you if that worked for me because then I got married and then I went on honeymoon to an all inclusive hotel with swim up bars where it was too hot to do anything but lay around in the sun drinking chocolate martinis...! So I have put on a bit over the last three or four weeks! However, this week the weight is coming off at a ridiculous rate (on 1600 calories a day and running again) - so perhaps the change in routine did kind of work....?! ;-)

    Also - you said you had lost over 100lbs already??? WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!
  • claston77
    claston77 Posts: 103 Member
    After your PSMF stints have you been coming up to maintenance level calories for enough time to get your hormones back to optimum levels? And have you figured out what your maintenance calories really are? A PSMF followed up by 1400 calories a day for someone who "likes to e active" sounds a bit on the lowish side to me and you might just want to consider a more extended diet break to get a "clean slate" of sorts. Congrats on your weight loss so far though, it's awesome progress :flowerforyou:
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    Sorry, but if you don't weigh and measure EVERYTHING and count your calories, how do you know you are eating at a deficit?
    This.

    There is no way running makes you fat. Too many calories make you fat. Log your food accurately and watch the pounds come off.

    You are right. I checked out the OP's food dairy and honesty is definitely not the key here. Days upon days nothing is being logged, when food is logged, for the amount of running that is being done, the food is dismal. The OP needs to stop making excuses, start logging food seriously, revamp what is being eaten and be honest, then the weight will start to come off.
  • liznotyet
    liznotyet Posts: 402 Member
    For food advice I would recommend watching the movie "Forks over knives." It shows that calorie counts do not matter as much as the quality of food that you put in your body. The fat in avocado is not the same quality as the fat in a cheeseburger.

    The number on the scale is woth the same as the calorie count. What are those pounds made of, muscle or fat? How strong you are, how you move, if you are comfortable in your own skin, that's what this is about.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    Sorry, but if you don't weigh and measure EVERYTHING and count your calories, how do you know you are eating at a deficit?
    This.

    There is no way running makes you fat. Too many calories make you fat. Log your food accurately and watch the pounds come off.

    You are right. I checked out the OP's food dairy and honesty is definitely not the key here. Days upon days nothing is being logged, when food is logged, for the amount of running that is being done, the food is dismal. The OP needs to stop making excuses, start logging food seriously, revamp what is being eaten and be honest, then the weight will start to come off.

    The OP already said they log elsewhere, not on MFP.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    OP, I looked at the days you actually logged your food on MFP, and I really, really recommend you focus a little more on nutrition. I know you say you're paying attention to macros and all that, but there were multiple days when you had little other than a protein shake and candy. You're not eating enough.
  • kshiraakshara
    kshiraakshara Posts: 119 Member
    Are you eating back your exercise calories?
  • abuck_13
    abuck_13 Posts: 382 Member
    The other problem is who is to say the barcode scanning is accurate? There have been a lot of studies that show what is on the package label is often incorrect as well.

    One thing you need to do though is get a heart rate monitor and wear that when you run. Not a cheap one, but a decent one. You need to know if you are really getting your heart rate up enough to get into a fat burning area.

    You should probably also change up your cardio as well. Throw in some rowing one or two days a week, especially if you have access to a Concept 2 or similar rowing machine. Full body workout that will burn calories. Just make sure you are using proper form. Concept 2 has some good videos on their website, check out an excellent example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wolH04ZHJEA
  • melainemelaine
    melainemelaine Posts: 127 Member
    what do you mean by you have done C25K twice now and are on your 3rd round. once you completed that you got to up your routine a bit and not go back again to the start. Running doesn't make you fat. too many calories do.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    How much are you actually running per week? I didn't lose any weight from running until I got to 20 miles per week. When I was just going out and running 5k 3 times a week, I wasn't losing. That's only roughly 90 mins a week. And if you're doing c25k, runningand walking, you'll be burning even fewer calories. Maybe try running more and see how that works for you?
  • Otrogen
    Otrogen Posts: 65
    No thanks to a lot of the unhelpful replies here, I did a bit of research.

    First and foremost, for all of you calling me a liar, READ MY WORDS. I have already explained that I don't use my food log on MFP to log what I actually ate. For instance, a lot of mornings, it'll say I logged something like 300 calories by eating half a bag of candy. I didn't =P. I logged it into MFP, let it do the easy calculation, added in the rest of the food I might eat during the day, and showed myself the difference I could achieve if I didn't sit down and give into my binge urges. And instead I'd have just a few pieces of what I craved, and then move on about my day with a nice banana or my 10 grain cereal.

    I lost 100 lbs in a year logging food and I had no idea about MFP. I'm used to keeping my own logs. I don't like using MFP for it. What's in my MFP logs is only accurate for what I ate from January-March of this year, when I did my PSMF diet.

    Anyway, looking into it, I've deduced that 1) I've been training too hard and 2) eating at a caloric deficit while doing steady-state cardio seems to inhibit T3 uptake, which does cause weight stagnancy.

    To address point one, I'm going to slow down a bit and actually run at a pace where I can talk as I run. That puts me at a 15-16 minute mile but being slow isn't a crime. A bit demoralizing, though!

    To address point two, I really don't know. I'm thinking of going off the grid and using one of the local labs that'll do bloodwork for individuals instead of going through a doctor to do them. The full thyroid hormone panel screening would cost $100-150 depending on the lab I use, and then I'll have to find a doctor to accept those results, take me on without insurance, and set me up with a proper dosage of synthroid that will correct for any deficiencies. And at this point, I honestly believe there will be deficiencies. All of the signs of it are there, and I've been ignoring them for a long time.

    I could also stand to add in more cross training like bike rides and aerobic workout tape stuff. I already play tennis 2 days a week in addition to weight lifting and running, but that's just for fun. I'll toss some other stuff in there 2x per week and see if that helps shake it up a little.
  • Otrogen
    Otrogen Posts: 65
    After your PSMF stints have you been coming up to maintenance level calories for enough time to get your hormones back to optimum levels? And have you figured out what your maintenance calories really are? A PSMF followed up by 1400 calories a day for someone who "likes to e active" sounds a bit on the lowish side to me and you might just want to consider a more extended diet break to get a "clean slate" of sorts. Congrats on your weight loss so far though, it's awesome progress :flowerforyou:

    Thank you for your reply ^_^. The PSMF coach I followed did have me raise my calories (and more importantly, carbs) back up to normal for 2 weeks before going about the rest of my life. As for the maintenance calories, I'm 5'2" and have a slow metabolism anyway. Much experimenting over 2.5 years has shown me that going above 1500 is a recipe for getting fat x_x.
    I can kind of relate to this! I have been increasing my running for a while and although I didn't put any on I stopped losing weight, while all the time eating at a deficit (I'm sure I was, not just thinking I was). This was pretty depressing after a few weeks, so I took my measurements and had lose a good couple of inches despite the 0lb loss - and I had to have my wedding dress taken in TWICE despite the scale saying that nothing had changed. So try measuring yourself and see if perhaps although the scales say one thing, the tape measure says differently! You might be surprised.

    I have been advised by a couple of friends who are personal trainers to change my routine a little bit too, including adding in sprints and interval type training to optimise fat loss. I cant tell you if that worked for me because then I got married and then I went on honeymoon to an all inclusive hotel with swim up bars where it was too hot to do anything but lay around in the sun drinking chocolate martinis...! So I have put on a bit over the last three or four weeks! However, this week the weight is coming off at a ridiculous rate (on 1600 calories a day and running again) - so perhaps the change in routine did kind of work....?! ;-)

    Also - you said you had lost over 100lbs already??? WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!

    This happens in the first month that I run, but then stagnates as well after that =/. If I kept on getting slimmer, I'd still be worried about the weight on my joints, but I could probably keep being happy with my progress because it'd be good progress!

    Congrats on yours, and on your wedding :3. Hopefully there are many happy years in your future!
    Are you eating back your exercise calories?

    Nope. I'm not ravenous all the time. It'll be just on certain days, usually following a workout where I pushed too hard, I'm thinking. I'm going to stop pushing it so hard.
    what do you mean by you have done C25K twice now and are on your 3rd round. once you completed that you got to up your routine a bit and not go back again to the start. Running doesn't make you fat. too many calories do.

    Exactly what I said. I'll do it, I'll get to week 9 and complete it, I'll keep on running 25-30 minutes 3x per week, and then eventually I hit a wall where the running doesn't feel good. It hurts. My joints hurt, my body aches, and I feel like I'm dying while I'm doing it. That's not how it's supposed to feel. I'll stop and try another diet with varying success rates, and then inevitably I decide I want to go back and try to run again and see if I leap over that wall instead of running smack into it this time. I do like to run. Upon looking this up, it could be due to temporarily lower levels of thyroid function that occur when long-term steady-state cardio is done in large amounts. This time if it happens, I'm going to press through it for 4 weeks and see if it doesn't improve.


    And though I didn't quote you, thanks to the people who pointed out that I had already said I don't use MFP to log what I ate, and for defending me against those who would ignore my statements and call me a liar and say that running and calorie deficits don't make people fat.

    The body is so much more complex than the simple math of 3600 calories burned = 1 lb lost. Learn about it.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I'll stop and try another diet with varying success rates

    This stuck out for me....

    Stop dieting!!!

    Moderate deficit, and find a workout routine that you can sustain long term, if you need something low impact try swimming, Pilates, yoga, and run twice a week instead.

    The basis to weight loss really is simple maths!

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