Losing and Training

DontThinkJustRun
DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
edited September 29 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all! I'm trying to shave off this extra 10 I've put on, but I'm also training for a half marathon. I'm doing a slightly more advance program because I'm gearing up to hopefully do a FM so my milage will peak in the mid 30 mpw.

Last year I trained for a HM while losing the last 10 of my journey and it was really difficult, I think because I was eating too little. This year is proving to also be difficult, but for different reasons, I think I'm eating too much LOL. I'm wondering what others are exeriencing and wonding if I just trust MFP, eat my exercise cals when I need them and leave the rest that I will start to see the scale move again. I'm set up for 1/2 lb loss becasue that's more doable for me, but it's still hard to wrap my mind around the thought that I can lose weight eating upwards of 1800+ cals, even though I have done it before.

Replies

  • rachel5576
    rachel5576 Posts: 429 Member
    do you use an hrm? if so then i wouldnt worry about it. eat back as many calories as you can. If you don't use an hrm i would suggest getting one. mfp can be close but my burn varies day to day. I can do the same workout 5 days in a row and get a different burn every time. you can totally lose weight eating 1800+ cals because you are burning more than that. That is the key take in less than you burn. Good luck!
  • chrisuy
    chrisuy Posts: 39 Member
    I'm not sure what your training volume is like, but assuming you're burning more calories than you're taking in you should lose weight.

    I think the problem with setting up for 1/2 lb weight loss a week is that you have to really be dead accurate in your calculations. That comes out to an average of 250 calories deficit every day which doesn't leave you a whole lot of wiggle room if you miscalculate anything. I've read that we often underestimate the calories that we take in daily, and there really isn't a great way of calculating what you burn on a given day. I know for me that my HRM might tell me that I burn over 1k calories for an hour run (which I don't believe) while MFP tells me it is closer to 800 (which I still don't believe :) ).

    I guess what I'm saying is that I certainly think it is doable, but it doesn't leave much room for error. I find it easier personally to shoot for a greater deficit each day. That way if I'm a little off, the chances of it still being a deficit vs. me being over my caloric intake is better. Good luck!
  • DontThinkJustRun
    DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
    I don't have an HRM...been thinking about getting one forever though...maybe it's time.
  • nickfn
    nickfn Posts: 19
    Hey! I'm in a similar boat...not in my set HM training schedule yet (race in October), but I run about 35 miles per week so I may be able to offer some input. From what I've read and experienced, NEVER try to lose weight while training (increasing mileage/pace). Having said that, if I eat back all of my exercise calories I will gain a slight amount of weight, or at least hold what I have. I blame this on the fact that I am not good at planning ahead and usually end up having to chow down at night to make up all my calories. (Sometimes MFP has me trying to eat 3200+ calories in one day).

    So to stay at my goal weight, what I've done is I review all my exercise/nutrition reports (keep a log in your exercise notes about how you feel/fatigue/etc), and then pick a comfortable calorie number (for me it's 2400) that I can reasonably hit every day. I usually just try to shoot for this regardless of what MFP tells me. It has helped me a LOT to eat similar amounts of food whether I run 6x800m or 15k. The consistency of my food input has made it much easier on me and my weight and BF% stay pretty steady.

    EDIT: I should mention that this works well for me when I am on a pretty strict training program. If you are more liberal with your training and significantly vary your mileage each week, then you will have to be more flexible with your daily caloric intake as well.
  • DontThinkJustRun
    DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
    NEVER try to lose weight while training (increasing mileage/pace).

    Oh that's not what I want to hear, although I've heard it before LOL! I'm pretty much going to be in training until March!

    HM in August, 10 weeks off (but trying to hit 1000 this year so need to keep my milage up), then training starts for a FM in March...I'm not doing anything with my pace, and my milage is increasing, but not a huge amount above my norm and there are only about 3-5 weeks that are significantly above what I typically do, so I think it's really important for me to get back to my comfort zone before I start seriously training for the FM in October/November. I've never been one to put time constraints on losing, but I really want to back to my comfort zone.

    That said, I'm not completely unhappy where I am now and I won't die if I can't lose the 10, but I'd sure prefer it - I feel better in the low 140s/high 130s...and I maintained there for a good 6 months...gotta get back in balance!
  • jipper44
    jipper44 Posts: 111
    I've recently been wondering about this too...those last 10-15 is where I'm at and I'm first and foremost a runner but have begun triathlons. Sooooo much cardio, so little time! This round of training I'm going to be focusing more on a good weight training program, a little less on the cardio (not dropping it!), and much more protein. We'll see what happens :)
  • DontThinkJustRun
    DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
    bump
  • KLow4
    KLow4 Posts: 3
    I've never lost a TON of weight training for a marathon. I usually fluctuate 5-7lbs. BUT I like to drink beer. I will tell you this... I don't lose a lot of weight, but I tone up considerably. My goal is to NOT have my thighs touch at the starting line!! LOL No one likes chaffing!
  • DontThinkJustRun
    DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
    UGH! I had my first chaffing experience this weekend!!! I can't figure out what happened - this NEVER happened last year and last year I was heavier...I have had issues around my bra line and use body glide for that, but this weekend I had problems at my thighs...yet another reason to drop this 10!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Over a year ago I tried losing weight while training for a half. That lasted a week, because I wasn't eating enough. So I just bagged the whole idea.
    After the race I kept running as much, if not more actually, and upped my calories to only 1/2 lbs a week and easily lost the weight while still having plenty of energy.
    This past spring I trained for a full, had been eating maintenance claories and still lost a few extra pounds. I don't use a HRM, I eat back most if not all my calories, and I have plenty of energy. If can be done, jsut go along using a small deficit.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I'm not a runner, but reading here on MFP I find a lot of serious runners saying when they are training for a marathon or half marathon, they don't lose much weight. It is only after they have run it and stop training for it that they see the weight start to come off. I'm sure there is an explanation for this, but I could not say what it is.
  • DontThinkJustRun
    DontThinkJustRun Posts: 248 Member
    Yeah...I struggled to lose 5 lbs while I was training last year, then right after the race when my milage decrease slightly I dropped another 5 almost immediately.

    Ok...I think I'm convinced - eat! I think the only thing that I need to really work on is balance. I like to eat A LOT on the weekends. In order to eat a lot on the weekends I undereat during the week and I just don't think that is working out anymore, especially while training. I think I need to balance it out and create a tiny deficit and I think things will start to balance out and I'll get back to that comfort zone. I don't think underating during the week and overeating on the weekends is healthy practice anyways, especially for a runner. I think I'm learning - you can have it all - just not all at once!
  • aadams05
    aadams05 Posts: 20
    This is a helpful thread as I am in the same boat. Im finding it hard to meet my daily calories in fear of over eating and it makes it harder when I feel I have to eat my burned calories too. I was struggling threw my run today and I knew it was because my body just didnt have the fuel. This thread shed some light for me Thanks for posting it and for the responses.
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