Ramping up runs but eating is out.of.control

Kiki829
Kiki829 Posts: 60 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm training for a half marathon in September. My runs have gotten longer recently, and the last week and a half, I can't.stop.eating. I feel ravenously hungry. Last week, i chalked it up to being TOM, and expected the hunger to stop by the weekend. However, I have binged recently, and I am finding it hard to get it back under control. I ran 9.5 miles on Sunday, and tried to only eat my 1950 calories, but I probably ate more like 2500. (Don't worry- Friday I probably ate over 4,000!) This week, I am still struggling. I set my calories to 1950, which has allowed me to lose consistently the last several weeks. The 1950 includes my nursing my 11 month old, so net of any exercise is 1650. Do you have any advice for me to get back on track? I have to squeeze in my 5 mile run tonight because I didn't do it yesterday, and I don't want to fall so far off track with just weeks to go to my race. Plus, I have a 15k scheduled for this weekend. I just need to get this constant hunger under control and lock down on my logging, which I haven't been doing consistently. (Oh, for reference, I try to eat around 115 g protein a day, the whole ln per LBM thing.)

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It sounds like your not eating enough. Are you eating the exercise calories back from the runs. Also nursing is at least another 500 calories a day on top of that. I don't know your stats so I cant give specifics. I though ran 8 yesterday which is around 1300 calories burn for me I ate the majority of those calories back. You need to fuel your runs properly and also make sure you eat enough to continue nursing.

    Have a look at the link that will help set up sensible goals

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=guide+to+sexypants&page=1#posts-18361594
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Running 9+ miles, breastfeeding, and only eating ~1900 cals a day?

    Eat more.

    Specifics would depend on your height/weight/goals.
  • Kiki829
    Kiki829 Posts: 60 Member
    I have not been eating the calories back...at least not all of them. I did this Body Fat measurement at work using some Bio-Impedance scale. It has sensors in the feet and these things you hold in your hand. It came back that I was 49% BF, and that my TDEE was only 2500 or around there, and that my BMR was 1620 or something. The lady was trying to tell me about calories, and when I told her about nursing, she said I could eat 1700. My baby eats regular food, but she still nurses at least 5 times a day, too. So, since that time, I cut back my calories from 2250 or 2300 to the 1950 without eating all of my exercise cals back so that I would be in a deficit from my supposed TDEE. When I had just used the Scooby workshop calculator, with my exercise, it had said my TDEE was around 2900, which is why I was eating more before.
  • Kiki829
    Kiki829 Posts: 60 Member
    Height- 5'7", almost 5'8". Current weight is 245, goal weight is 150.

    A typical running week lately is 4.5-5 miles 2 days a week, 1 or 2 days of cross-training, and then a long run, which increases by about a mile each week. I try to get my strength training in, but have been failing at that lately. I have binged so many times this last week and a half that I am on track for a 1.5 lb gain this week.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    you're binging because your body is not happy with you underfueling the runs and breastfeeding
  • lizzybathory
    lizzybathory Posts: 229
    Someone of your height and weight, according to a quick online calculation, has a base metabolic rate of around 1900 to start with - before considering daily activity, runs, or breastfeeding. That's how many calories you burn every day simply by existing... not counting any steps you take, any activities you do, anything.

    Breastfeeding, according to a quick online search, should account for an extra 400-500 calories a day for the average woman. That brings you up to burning 2300-2400 a day, even if all you do in a day is lay there. Now, consider the huge number of calories you burn on these long runs, and there you go. Long runs burn so, so many calories.

    If you're ending up with more of a deficit than 1000 a day, MAXIMUM, you're not eating nearly enough. 1,000 a day will still kill two pounds a week, which is aggressive. Sometimes people want to kick-start a weight loss program by losing even more off the bat, but you're experiencing the side effects of not having enough calories. You'll become insatiable. A more reasonable deficit will get you on the track to good habits.
  • Kiki829
    Kiki829 Posts: 60 Member
    That's what is throwing me off. I had originally calculated my BMR and TDEE before having that body fat analysis done on this special scale. The print out from that is what told me my BMR is 1624 based on my body fat percentage according to the scale. They then had you multiply this by a factor to get TDEE. Since then (which was at the end of July), I lowered my cals based on this information.
  • Kiki829
    Kiki829 Posts: 60 Member
    Bump. I did end up losing .6 lbs this week, but still need to tweak to some things.

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