Weight Loss and Marathon Training ?

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rachytstamm
rachytstamm Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!

Just starting back up with My Fitness Pal today and am wondering if anyone has thoughts on losing weight while training for a marathon. Im currently trying to do both. I'm finding that it has been very hard for me to lose weight. I want to stick to my 1200 calories a day as my plan says to do, but I know that if I run high mileage, I probably need more than that. I've heard from some that it is not possible (or at least not a good idea?) to try losing weight while training for a marathon.. is this true?

My plan of attack was to stick to my 1200 a day (With enough protien for muscle recovery, of course), unless I feel hungry after a long run, then I will have some extra fruits or veggies. Is that a healthy way to go about this?

Thoughts? :)

Replies

  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Yeah, 1200 a day during marathon training is a Very Bad Idea. You need fuel for those runs. Think about it this way - if you run 10 miles, generally you are buring 1000 calories (give or take). That leaves about 200 calories for you to do basic things like repair muscles, grow hair, and keep your kidneys functioning. No bueno. At such a low level, you will bonk your runs and not make much progress.

    When in high mileage marathon training, I can lose weight at 2400 calories a day. In fact, my runs feel terrible at 2400 calories a day. I aim for more like 2700.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Yeah, 1200 a day during marathon training is a Very Bad Idea. You need fuel for those runs. Think about it this way - if you run 10 miles, generally you are buring 1000 calories (give or take). That leaves about 200 calories for you to do basic things like repair muscles, grow hair, and keep your kidneys functioning. No bueno. At such a low level, you will bonk your runs and not make much progress.

    When in high mileage marathon training, I can lose weight at 2400 calories a day. In fact, my runs feel terrible at 2400 calories a day. I aim for more like 2700.

    Listen to her.

    Second vote for VBI.

    I haven't done a marathon but I wouldn't even attempt your plan on a half marathon training plan.

    You can lose weight marathon training. People often have difficulty because it makes you very hungry which is even more reason to a stick with a moderate calorie deficit and focus on fuelling.
  • hermann341
    hermann341 Posts: 443 Member
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    It is possible to lose weight while training for a marathon. I lost about 25 pounds between January and May training for my last marathon, and carved 28 minutes off my previous best (4:56 to 4:28). The key is to eat back most of your calories to maintain a deficit, but you don't have to eat them all back on the day you burn them. You can have some the day before for fuel, and some the day after for recovery. My long runs will burn 2000 to 4000 calories as I approach an event, but I simply can not each that much in a day.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    My plan of attack was to stick to my 1200 a day (With enough protien for muscle recovery, of course), unless I feel hungry after a long run, then I will have some extra fruits or veggies. Is that a healthy way to go about this?

    Thoughts? :)

    Already been covered. This would be ridiculously unhealthy. You have to fuel long distance runs/bike rides/swims. When I ride a long distance ride, I eat/drink more than 1200 just on the ride alone, usually.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    1200 cals & marathon training would be a complete disaster. It is very possible to lose weight and train for a marathon. When I am in my highest mileage weeks I cannot eat enough to avoid it. Keep a small deficit and you should have the energy you need and lose some weight at the same time.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
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    I got told by my pt that the maximum i should cut is 250 calories if i was training (1/2 lb a week) and eat all my exercise calories back - even then they pointed out that i may to lower the cut even more. Basically I had two choices train or lose weight - imagine your body is a car - would you be able to drive it 26 miles with no fuel in it?
  • homesbydavid
    homesbydavid Posts: 5
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    I have completed 4 marathons and I trained for many more (non-running related health issues kept me from running). It is hard to lose weight while training, but not impossible. If this is your first marathon I would focus more on your training and not worry too much about losing weight.

    I’m confident you will have a hard time staying motivated and injury free while training at 1200 calories. If you do not own one, I would invest in a heart rate monitor watch (I have a Garmin 620) to try and track calories burned during your runs.

    I enjoyed this book, The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition: A Cutting-Edge Plan to Fuel Your Body Beyond “the Wall”:

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BF224OC/ref=oh_d__o00_details_o00__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    My carb intake is around 55% to 70% while running 25-50 miles a week, over the last few months. On the two days I do not run, I eat around 1700 calories. On the day before a long run over two hours I may eat 2800 (70% carbs) calories. Of course, your calorie needs will be different, but you need to make sure you have enough energy while training for a marathon.

    It is hard not to overeat after a long run, but since I have started counting calories I find it easier not to overeat. Also, I make sure I get 10-20 grams of protein within 30 minutes after a long run.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Notwithstanding the advice above it doesn't sound like you're already a runner? If that's the case then I'd suggest that your challenge is compounded.

    You do need to eat back what you expend in training, so in principle you can drive a deficit alongside the training, but is it wise? Your net intake, after training, shouldn't be going below 1200 cals, but I'd suggest a very mild loss objective.

    Marathon training is demanding, even when you are adequately fuelling. It'll suppress your immune system, as well as taking a toll on your system.

    N=1 sample size I appreciate, but I'm currently struggling on a small deficit and half training. I physically struggle to eat back my expenditure, and its affected me in the last week. So I wouldn't recommend it.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    My plan of attack was to stick to my 1200 a day (With enough protien for muscle recovery, of course), unless I feel hungry after a long run, then I will have some extra fruits or veggies. Is that a healthy way to go about this?

    People are going to give you a lot of advice, most of it will be good, some great, and some otherwise.

    Personally, I'd say experience is the best teacher any of us has. Try it your way for a month, see how it does for you, then try it the way someone is suggesting, like 3dogsrunning. You'll find out without a shadow of a doubt which way is better for the task at hand and your needs.

    Although, personally, I'd up my calories. :) Particularly since it seems to me as if you're new to running and fueling.

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