Started running and now I'm eating too much

baby_bokchoy
baby_bokchoy Posts: 61 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
I started running three or four times a week a few weeks ago, and I'm struggling to stay under my calories - usually I lose control at night. I'm used to being very in control, so this is frustrating me/making me feel bad. I've never been one to regularly exercise, so I am proud of myself in that regard, but has anyone experienced the same thing? Any tips?

I'm a 5'11'' woman, I weigh 165-170 pounds (it fluctuates) and I'm aiming for 155. MFP had me on 1200 calories a day (with no exercise) so I changed my activity level to "light" and now it has me on 1700. I think I'm still going over by about 200 or 300 calories about 4 times a week...

Thanks for any input!

Replies

  • idabest777
    idabest777 Posts: 97 Member
    I'm very much not a morning person and tend to snack at night to, so I always save my runs for the late evening. I have to finish snacking about an hour and a half before I go and once I get home I essentially just shower and get ready for/go to bed, so no time for any extra snacks.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,745 Member
    If you just started, you probably aren't burning an extra 500 calories a day with your running. I would go back to sedentary activity level, and manually enter your exercise. i.e. 30 minutes of running at 5 mph. or whatever you are doing. That way you aren't being given credit for more than you are doing, and you aren't being given extra calories for days you aren't running at all.

    When you start increasing your exercise, you do get more hungry. That seems to level off after a while, except on days when you really work hard. (i.e. I'm training for a marathon. On my 6 mile days, I'm fine. On my 20 mile days, I'm ravenous.) Eat a little something after your workout that combines protein and carbs- some chocolate milk or a half sandwich - but make sure that you aren't eating more than you're burning. i.e. a 3 mile run is about 300 calories.
  • dcdickerson2
    dcdickerson2 Posts: 65 Member
    When I was younger, I used to periodically try to start a running regimen, and each time when I gained 10 lbs I would stop. I think the mistake I made was in trying to curb fats, which was the recommendation in those days, so I would get hungrier the more I expended calories. Try to eat some good fats, especially with dinner: olive oil, avocados or avocado oil, real butter, 85% lean ground beef instead of the super lean, some full fat yogurt or some cheese... still watch your calories, but don't think the only things you can eat are carrots and brocoli!!! Eat them, but put a little butter on them!! And as the other post says, get some good quality protein into your diet regularly too... you may be building some muscle and you will need protein!!
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    If I need a boost I like to eat some tree nuts like almonds or walnuts. Not a lot but a small handful. If you started running you may need a few more calories. Keep counting and watch your weight for a few weeks to see what happens. Time will tell.
  • Kelimek
    Kelimek Posts: 4 Member
    Same as Megan, proteins or vegetables make me fuller. When I'm starting to feel hungry late in the evening I eat 1 or 2 carrots as a snack or cottage cheese or small tuna in tomato sauce with lil bit of bread. Or you could try to cut down breakfast/brunch calories to build up a reserve for evening.
  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
    eat your regular meal after the run.
    I eat dinner after I run. If I am hungry when I get home then I eat 1 piece of bread with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. It holds me over until I am done with my workout.
    Play around with your meals until you find what works for you. :)
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Yesterday, one of my mfp friends moaned about her rest day turned into an over-eat day. She had about 2500 calories that day, which I do not regard as worth complaining about, but she complained.
    Today she celebrates that her run was so good. She could have gone much farther. It was great.

    What I'm trying to say is that your body is smart. If you want to work it hard, feed it.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    Yesterday, one of my mfp friends moaned about her rest day turned into an over-eat day. She had about 2500 calories that day, which I do not regard as worth complaining about, but she complained.
    Today she celebrates that her run was so good. She could have gone much farther. It was great.

    What I'm trying to say is that your body is smart. If you want to work it hard, feed it.

    Yep. When I was training for my marathon last year, I saw *great* results from "overeating" the night before my long runs. It worked really well for me because I tend to be not as hungry after running, so the calories balanced out. For runners (or anyone doing training), it can be worth it to really pay attention to trends like that -- experimenting with meal timing, different macro distribution, etc.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    baby_bokchoy wrote: »
    I started running three or four times a week a few weeks ago, and I'm struggling to stay under my calories - usually I lose control at night. I'm used to being very in control, so this is frustrating me/making me feel bad. I've never been one to regularly exercise, so I am proud of myself in that regard, but has anyone experienced the same thing? Any tips?

    I'm a 5'11'' woman, I weigh 165-170 pounds (it fluctuates) and I'm aiming for 155. MFP had me on 1200 calories a day (with no exercise) so I changed my activity level to "light" and now it has me on 1700. I think I'm still going over by about 200 or 300 calories about 4 times a week...

    Thanks for any input!

    You are not too far over your goal weight. Perhaps eating 2000 calories 4x/wk and 1700 3x/wk is the best method for you. As long as you continue to lose weight, you are heading toward your goal.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    If you're running regularly, 1700 cal still might be a bit low for you. You had things set at 1200 until recently, and NO WONDER you kept going over! (Classic rookie mistake we see all the time here--1200 is really not for the average healthy woman unless really tiny or really sedentary.)

    I have the sneaking suspicion that you are having issues not so much with "control", but on finding a plan that works for your exercise level and needs. You had things set too low. Of course you're going to "lose control" because that was not a sustainable plan.

    But instead of seeing things with the inflexible mindset of "having control", try seeing it in terms of having a flexible plan that works for you. No guilt. No harshness. If you go over, try to figure out how and why rather than see it as a failure of control.

  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Cardio stimulates appetite. That's why you're struggling now. You could switch to weight lifting instead of running that might help... or just get used to your increased hunger and try to counteract it with satiating food high in protein and fiber and low in calories.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    Cardio stimulates appetite. That's why you're struggling now. You could switch to weight lifting instead of running that might help... or just get used to your increased hunger and try to counteract it with satiating food high in protein and fiber and low in calories.

    Cardio doesn't necessarily stimulate everyone's appetite. This might be your experience, but I doubt it's far from a universal truth.

    OP, I had the pattern I noticed of starting a new exercise program triggering my appetite, and then it all leveling out to the point that running now suppresses my appetite.

    I do agree with the suggestion to play around with meal timing and macro balance. I know that I had to take time last year when I was focused on finding my feet as a runner to eat at maintenance for a while. Perhaps you might consider doing that as well.
  • ashcky
    ashcky Posts: 393 Member
    I second running and then eating your regular meal. I always do my running before I eat my lunch.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    Cardio stimulates appetite. That's why you're struggling now. You could switch to weight lifting instead of running that might help... or just get used to your increased hunger and try to counteract it with satiating food high in protein and fiber and low in calories.

    That depends on the person and the type of cardio. In my experience, intense interval training makes me ravenous, while steady state effectively kills my appetite for hours.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    Cardio stimulates appetite. That's why you're struggling now. You could switch to weight lifting instead of running that might help... or just get used to your increased hunger and try to counteract it with satiating food high in protein and fiber and low in calories.

    That depends on the person and the type of cardio. In my experience, intense interval training makes me ravenous, while steady state effectively kills my appetite for hours.

    Same here

    Lifting can make me feel famished too though. Definitely play around with meal timing, etc.
  • morgankadams796
    morgankadams796 Posts: 21 Member
    I'm currently training for a marathon/trying to lose weight and the only way I stay under my goal is to eat a main meal after I run. Honestly I use it more as motivation to finish my run faster so I can go eat
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