weight gain and running

I had a long week of vigorous exercise and the same thing happend to me. i gained 3 lbs but lost 2 inches from waist. I think it is just muscle gain, I know my legs were hard as rocks after that week!

I had a long week of vigorous exercise and the same thing happend to me. i gained 3 lbs but lost 2 inches from waist. I think it is just muscle gain, I know my legs were hard as rocks after that week!

Its not muscle gain, its your muscles retaining water to help heal after the exercise.

Oh yeah... you are probably building some serious muscle in your legs and back end, which are major muscle groups. Also, I totally agree that 1300 calories for the amount you are running isn't enough. Your body may be going into "starvation" mode, and clinging to every ounce instead of letting it get burned up. Also, with all that running make sure you up your water intake.

Hang in there! The running won't hurt you and is good for you overall. I would up my cals to around 1600 a day and see how it goes. Days you don't run, eat less. Days you are tearing it up, eat the 1600.

HTH!

You could be too low on calories (running a 9 minute pace, on average, will burn 100 calories per mile), so if you are taking in 1,200 to 1,300 calories and burning 400 to 500, your starving yourself and your body will eventually revolt and hang onto every calorie thinking that meal could be its last. Another factor could be your body's water levels could be low, showing a gain on the scale. When I was training for a full marathon, I would put on an average of 4 to 7 pounds after a long training run and 2 to 3 days later would be back down again to my normal weight. After the race, my body fat shot up 2%. I did back off strength training in the end of my training and I was thin, but a skinny fat body type with not alot of muscle tone. I consumed water before, during, and after my runs, but my body just needed time to adjust itself after the long training sessions. It was a water retention game basically. Many of my friends experienced the same thing during training. If you have a scale that measures your water levels, use that as part of your gauge. If my water levels are lower than normal, my weight is always up. Just a thought from an endurance runner, 4 to 5 days a week of running is on the high end (not miles wise, more of a frequency thing because your not letting your body properly recover). Yes, some people do run 4 to 5 days a week, but if you are low on calories and pounding the pavement 4 to 5 days a week, you open yourself up for injury pretty quick. Trust me, been there, done that and have seen a number of friends push too hard and only end up with a stress fracture or a muscle issue that leaves them sidelined for months trying to recover. If you are serious about running, check out the book Run Less, Run Faster-a Runner's World book. It has quite a few 3 day a week running programs that are challenging as heck. The concept is that every run has a purpose, not just running to run. The speed workouts are killer and will build strength in your lower body and burn a ton of calories in the process. Also, cross training would be something to consider like swimming or biking. Swimming, obviously, will help to build your upper body and biking will build some nice quads. The eleptical would work too. It has the same stride as running, but without the impact. In the end, don't be afraid to up your calories and consume some or all of your exercise calories.

Two Words: EAT MORE

Take it from someone that has done 3 marathons and 5 halves (and is just about to start training on 5/1 for more marathons), YOU HAVE TO EAT TO FUEL YOUR BODY OR YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT. Let me say this again: EAT MORE!!!

Let me give you a quick story. Two years ago, I was in the midst of my marathon training season. My mother-in-law and a friend wanted to join Weight Watchers, and asked me to join. I religiously followed their plan (which has you eating about 1200 or so calories a day), and ran over 200 miles in one month. By the end of my first month with Weight Watchers, I had GAINED 4 POUNDS. GAINED. Why was I gaining weight? I wasn't strength training. I wasn't cheating on my diet. The answer is simple: My body needed all the fuel it could get for my long runs. So, whatever I put into my body, it was hoarding. Thus the reason I GAINED 4lbs. I was eating only 1200/cal/day when I really should have been eating a bunch more. Thinking about it now, I was probably at a -700 to -1000 NET CALORIES 6 days a week back then.

When you are exercising like you are, you have to give your body something back. MFP ALREADY HAS YOU AT A -500 DEFICIT for your daily calories. Let's say that you eat 1200cal/day and you burn 500 calories on that same day. Your NET CALORIES will actually be 700 calories. For a small person (i.e. 120lbs or so), your body ABSOLUTELY HAS TO HAVE around 1300 calories a day just to keep your heart, lungs, and organs functioning. So, if you are only consuming 1200 calories and then expending an additional 500 with exercise, how is your body supposed to function properly?

Think of your body as a fine automobile. Would you ask your auto to drive from NYC to LA on one tank of gas? You would run out of fuel way before your destination, right? You are asking the same thing of your body. You want to win on the scale and with your running performance, but YOU ARE NOT FUELLING YOUR BODY. You have put your body into survival mode (some call it starvation, but I prefer survival). Your body is taking whatever you are putting into it, and using every little bit just to keep you going. You can't ask it to lose weight, when it doesn't know if it will have enough fuel to power your heart, much less your legs for running.

I know it sounds crazy to EAT to LOSE, but that is the key here. I don't mean fill up on junk either. A runner needs complex carbohydrates (i.e. whole grains, legumes, fruit), lean proteins (i.e. chicken, fish, soy, whey powder), vegetables, healthy fats (i.e. almonds, walnuts, flax, olive oil, avocado), and dairy or dairy substitute. When I've burned a ton of calories through exercise, and just can't eat another meal, I grab almonds. They are high in GOOD CALORIES, small, and help me get to my NET CALORIES (I strive for 1250-1350 NET calories a day). There are days when I will eat 2000 GOOD calories, but I have kept my net around 1250-1350. THAT is the key. I usually eat about 3/4 of my exercise calories back. Some days are really close, some days I'm a bit behind. However, I'm doing this right by fuelling my body. You need to do the same.

You CAN do this! I'm so proud of you for running and putting your body first. Now, fuel it and it will reward you at the scale.

Run Strong,
Shan

I think she understands that she needs to eat her calories back, since she said above that she is eating 1700 a day, and NETTING 1200-1300. That doesn't seem to be her problem. I wish I could help! I'm a runner and have been training for a 20k on may 7th. I've been doing 3-4 miles a few times a week with a 7-10 miler once a week. My net cal goal is set at 1200 as well. I generally eat a total of 1700 a day, sometimes up into 2000 if I did a long run that day, however I am still loosing weight. NOT as fast as the 2lbs a week says I should be, but the scale is going down slowly. I have also noticed my legs and butt firming up (woohoo!) so there must be muscle gain. Do you religiously stick to your 1200 net goal? I find that if I go over by 300 or 400 a day or two I loose. Maybe you need to shock your system? Good luck though! go runners!