Atkins 20 and Running

IThinkICan_Dejay
IThinkICan_Dejay Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
About a year ago I started eating better and started running. I think I have made great progress. I'm down 70 pounds (from 318 - 248) and ran a marathon in December. Finished a difficult course in 4:58

But my weight loss had plattued, I have decided to try Atkins low carb to drop another 30 pounds.

Short 5 and 6 mile runs have been really hard. I feel like I have no energy after a mile or two. My pace is about 2 minutes slower then it was a few weeks ago before starting low carb.

Any Advice?

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
    Eat more carbs, they fuel your runs.

    I know a number of runners / triathletes who follow keto diets and seem to perform well. It may just be a matter of dialing it back a bit until your body gets accustomed to fewer carbs or it may just not be a great choice for you.

    https://runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a25092351/does-low-carb-burn-more-calories/
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
    Your choice of diet will have little impact on weight loss as long as you continue to eat more than you burn. However, your choice of diet will have an impact on your running performance. I suggest thinking long and hard before you jump on the fad diet bandwagon.

    What is it in your current diet that puts you over you daily allowance? Fix that and you will lose again.

    Good luck.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Carbs didn’t cause your weight loss to stop. You don’t need to cut carbs in order to lose weight. Why your weight loss stopped is a different question that folks can try to help you with. However, for most of us, carbs are an ideal source of energy for endurance sports.
  • Running2Fit
    Running2Fit Posts: 702 Member
    Eat more carbs. There are some people who do low-carb and run but it doesn’t work for the majority of people.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Carbohydrates are the body's preferred fuel for running. You may have to choose between your desire to do low carbohydrate and your desire to keep improving as a runner.

    I know some people do report that they are successful as low carbohydrate runners, but the transition usually takes diligence and time. And the most successful are still usually eating more carbohydrates than the typical low carb dieter (at least according to the accounts I have read).
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    you need to eat a deficit. carbs are not bad.
    tighten up on your logging of food. weigh and log it all.

    the slogging might be due to over training or not enough fuel for your body to use
  • IThinkICan_Dejay
    IThinkICan_Dejay Posts: 17 Member
    No doubt I laxed up on the 'diet' to cause the weight loss to stop. As I logged more miles training for my marathon I ate more and stopped recording what I ate. For the 3 weeks between marathon and Jan. 1 I didn't run much and ate lots of 'holiday food' without much discipline. I put pounds back on.

    It's time to get back on track. I know several people who have been successful with Atkins so want to try it, but maybe it won't work along with the running. Most advice here is eat carbs and fewer calories. That's what worked for the first 70 so no doubt it's correct......

    I think I'm going to push on with low carb and trying to run through the rest of January. Yes I'm looking for the shortcut to loose the weight quick and easy. Yes I know it probably doesn't exist, Yes I'm looking anyway.

    I'll return to lower calorie normal carb intake diet in a few weeks unless I adjust to the low carb and it's being very successful.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    IThinkICan_Dejay wrote: »
    No doubt I laxed up on the 'diet' to cause the weight loss to stop. As I logged more miles training for my marathon I ate more and stopped recording what I ate. For the 3 weeks between marathon and Jan. 1 I didn't run much and ate lots of 'holiday food' without much discipline. I put pounds back on.

    It's time to get back on track. I know several people who have been successful with Atkins so want to try it, but maybe it won't work along with the running. Most advice here is eat carbs and fewer calories. That's what worked for the first 70 so no doubt it's correct......

    I think I'm going to push on with low carb and trying to run through the rest of January. Yes I'm looking for the shortcut to loose the weight quick and easy. Yes I know it probably doesn't exist, Yes I'm looking anyway.

    I'll return to lower calorie normal carb intake diet in a few weeks unless I adjust to the low carb and it's being very successful.

    Unless you're just trying to temporarily lose water weight--which may happen if you go low carb--you're right that a quick weight loss solution doesn't exist. A low carb diet doesn't do anything special for fat loss, and I'm guessing that it's fat loss you want. It also doesn't seem ideal for your athletic goals.

    It seems easier and more pleasant to just get back to your usual routine and tighten up your logging, since you know that worked for you for the first 70 pounds. Make sure you recalculate your MFP calorie goal, if you haven't already, to take into account your weight loss. After losing 70 pounds, you'll have a smaller calorie allowance than you used to.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
    A low carb diet “works” for some people because those people are less hungry on a low carb diet and that makes it easier to maintain a calorie deficit (the calorie deficit is why they are losing).

    Low carb diets maybe aren’t going to work as well if you’re not satiated by higher fat/lower carb food choices, if you are highly involved by in endurance sports (nearly all of us perform better on moderate-higher carb diet), you really like higher-carb foods.

    Do whatever you wish. But you don’t need to do anything low carb to lose weight and low carb is typically going to lead to a performance loss on your running.

    I had to fight to not gain at the end of my marathon training too. 20+ mile runs made me HUNGRY and then when the midweek longer run hit 10-12 miles, I was ravenous nearly all the time. It was difficult not to eat too much. It’s common I think.

    I wish you luck, endurance running while trying low carb for no required reason is a gangsta move.

    In fairness-you might be one of those very few who can manage on low carb and/or time some higher carb intakes around your runs. I really do wish you luck.



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