Need advice, Weight loss and long runs

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ann945n
ann945n Posts: 48 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all I'm looking for some advice. Is there any truth to shorter runs (say 3 mile-ish) being better for weight loss then longer runs (6-12 mile runs) I am currently training for a half marathon and have stalled in my weight loss. I have lost 20 pounds so far with lighter running (3 miles at a time 4 days a week) but now that i am getting into longer runs I am struggling to get the scale down, I've completely stalled. I haven't changed my diet at all and do eat back my exercise calories. My thought is my body is resistance because of the heavy calorie burn??
Some background, I am an experienced runner with 6 plus years of experience with full and half marathons under my belt. This is my first time though trying to lose weight while running.
thanks!

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Eat back less exercise calories?
    How is your general hunger and your running performance? How much of a deficit are you attempting to hold?
    How long have you been stalled out?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    The runger is real. I can't hold a deficit once my long runs get to double figures.

    How are you calculating your burn?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Not a runner, but I have a great deal of difficulty losing weight if/when I'm actively training for an endurance cycling event because for one thing my performance always suffers and another, I'm just ravenously hungry and don't have the discipline not to just go ahead and eat. I do fine maintaining when I'm training, but losing...not so much.

    I do much better when I'm cutting weight to just keep my exercise pretty moderate because I'm not terribly concerned with performance and I'm not ravenously hungry all of the time...

    My wife is training for a 1/2 marathon at the moment and having the same issue...she's trying to cut the weight she put on this winter, but with the training she just can't stop eating...
  • Skipper111
    Skipper111 Posts: 392 Member
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    vespiquenn wrote: »
    Most runners will say to pick one goal and stick to it. That means, if weight loss is your goal, your running will suffer due to lack of fuel. And the reverse is true. Often if your focus is on improving your running, it's not a good idea to have too rigorous of a deficit.

    Great advice! Thank you for sharing
  • ann945n
    ann945n Posts: 48 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    Eat back less exercise calories?
    How is your general hunger and your running performance? How much of a deficit are you attempting to hold?
    How long have you been stalled out?

    I've been stalled out for about 2 months. My hunger gets pretty high when I go over 6 miles at a time and I must admit its hard to not eat everything. I like to have a weight loss of around half a pound a week (on average)
  • ann945n
    ann945n Posts: 48 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Not a runner, but I have a great deal of difficulty losing weight if/when I'm actively training for an endurance cycling event because for one thing my performance always suffers and another, I'm just ravenously hungry and don't have the discipline not to just go ahead and eat. I do fine maintaining when I'm training, but losing...not so much.

    I do much better when I'm cutting weight to just keep my exercise pretty moderate because I'm not terribly concerned with performance and I'm not ravenously hungry all of the time...

    My wife is training for a 1/2 marathon at the moment and having the same issue...she's trying to cut the weight she put on this winter, but with the training she just can't stop eating...

    This is pretty much how I feel too. If I run under 3 miles at a time my weight loss is much better then when I am actively training for a half or more
  • ann945n
    ann945n Posts: 48 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    The runger is real. I can't hold a deficit once my long runs get to double figures.

    How are you calculating your burn?

    Not very well I imagine. I rely on myfitness pal to calculate or my run app. They differ by about 100 calories on average so I take the less of the two (which is always myfitness pal)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    ann945n wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    Eat back less exercise calories?
    How is your general hunger and your running performance? How much of a deficit are you attempting to hold?
    How long have you been stalled out?

    I've been stalled out for about 2 months. My hunger gets pretty high when I go over 6 miles at a time and I must admit its hard to not eat everything. I like to have a weight loss of around half a pound a week (on average)

    i am running 100 cal deficit per day while i am training for my half in September... its as much as i can manage at the moment and its only vanity pounds that i want to lose.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    edited August 2017
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    No difference in burn rates in long vs. short runs. The only difference is in the number of miles run during each and therefore, the total burn per run.

    But yes, I think overall the board is right...the benefit of shorter runs to weight loss is that they're generally manageable throughout a deficit. Its gets difficult/counterproductive to severely limit your intake when you run 20+ miles a week.
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
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    vespiquenn wrote: »
    Most runners will say to pick one goal and stick to it. That means, if weight loss is your goal, your running will suffer due to lack of fuel. And the reverse is true. Often if your focus is on improving your running, it's not a good idea to have too rigorous of a deficit.

    This. When I train for half or full marathon, the best I can expect is to maintain because, during, that time, weight loss isn't my focus, my time/distance/etc is. I try to work on my weight the rest of the time that way I'll be in better shape for training but when I train, I work on fuel and recovery. That doesn't mean the world is my all you can eat buffet ;)

  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
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    I always lose a couple of pounds when training for a half or full.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I don't expect to lose weight while training for a race, at least as the runs get longer....the mileage requires fuel.
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
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    ann945n wrote: »
    I rely on myfitness pal to calculate or my run app. They differ by about 100 calories on average so I take the less of the two (which is always myfitness pal)

    MFP way overcalculates for me. I use 0.63 calories per mile per pound (per https://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning), and override MFP.

    MapMyRun is even worse at overstating calories burned.

    It makes sense that you'd be losing at lower mileage, because you'd be eating back fewer excess calories.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    using the Runner World calcuations (for both total and net) - my avg from MFP falls right in the middle (the total equation says 444cal/4 miles and the net says 372cal/4miles) and the treadmill gave me 405 this morning
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    ann945n wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    The runger is real. I can't hold a deficit once my long runs get to double figures.

    How are you calculating your burn?

    Not very well I imagine. I rely on myfitness pal to calculate or my run app. They differ by about 100 calories on average so I take the less of the two (which is always myfitness pal)

    Suspect you're overestimating your expenditure then.

    I use my Garmin but I'm pretty sure it overdoes it in terms of estimation.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    ann945n wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    The runger is real. I can't hold a deficit once my long runs get to double figures.

    How are you calculating your burn?

    Not very well I imagine. I rely on myfitness pal to calculate or my run app. They differ by about 100 calories on average so I take the less of the two (which is always myfitness pal)

    I found that mfp and my Garmin were pretty much the same when I started running, I now cross check it with the 0.63 calculation which knocks off maybe 50-100 cals per run.
  • rubrink
    rubrink Posts: 43 Member
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    My weight loss stalls also when I start running more. I've lost 25 lbs since I stopped running more than 3-4 miles, after being stalled for a year. Now fall is coming around and I want to get back to it for fall halfs, but I'm concerned about stalling again. I know I probably just wasnt managing my logging that well, but still!
  • ann945n
    ann945n Posts: 48 Member
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    using the Runner World calcuations (for both total and net) - my avg from MFP falls right in the middle (the total equation says 444cal/4 miles and the net says 372cal/4miles) and the treadmill gave me 405 this morning

    I just read the article! This great! I think this may be the cause of my stall, thank you!

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