Marathon Training and Weight Loss

If you diet during your training, you will do more damage than good. Songbyrd will give you strong information with a basis in science, but if you are dieting to lose weight (caloric deficit) you cannot build healthy muscles and bones while you are doing that kind of training.

This is the voice of my experience.

Here is what my trainer/nutritionist told me: Eat to satisfy. Wear a heart rate monitor and eat ALL your calories to maintain your weight. The last four weeks, add extra calories. If you eat 500 calories a day in the right areas, you might gain four pounds, but you will be storing necessary energy. The last week, it was recommended to carb load like crazy. Two days before the race, start adding extra fats.


My last marathon, I never hit a physical wall.


By the way-your bone cells have a higher turnover rate, and if you are eating right, a greater density during and after training for your marathon. Your muscle fibers become "denser." As you get further in your training, you will likely see weight plateaus or gains, but your shape will change and your fat percentage will drop.

If you don't eat right/enough, you WILL have stress fractures. (okay, maybe not, but don't be surprised if it does happen)

Thanks, I know what you mean about the plateu thing. Thats why I'm trying this program. Its funny because most people assume that since I run so many miles that I can eat whatever I want. I wish that was true but my waistline says differently. I'm going to try eating Lean Cuisines for lunch and dinner. That way I know exactly how many calories I am eating and my portions are controlled. I can mentally tell myself that all I can eat is whats in the box.

Bill

I would say dont go with Lean Quisines on a regular basis ..certainly not more than 1 or 2 aweek,,,they are for convenience not for fuel...you need good clean burning fuel...also the sodium in the packaged "food" is not good...take the extra time and eat fresh food more often than not...real food does not come ina box....or ignore me..LOL

Hey Bill, I don't have any advice for the running, but I did want to give you my advice for the boxed dinners. I eat a lean cuisine for dinner every night (I can't bring myself to cook for my family and then a separate meal for myself) but I always cook up a bit of broccoli or peas or brussel sprouts while my dinner is in the microwave and then put that on the plate first, piling on the dinner on top. It helps me feel full, and ends up being a good way to sneak in another serving of veggies.

Has anyone had much success running more than 35 miles a week and losing weight? I'm training for a marathon this May and would like to lose about 20 pounds by then. I know from experience of running 2 marathons last year that I usually do ok losing weight the first 10 weeks of my 18 week marathon training program but usually run into trouble once I get over 35 miles a week. The program tops out at 50 mile weeks with 20 mile long runs. I find that when I get into that mileage range my body begins to starve too much and my discipline to stay on my diet crumbles. Any suggestions (cutting the mileage is not an option).

I hear you! Anytime my mileage hits 30 miles a week, I am so hungry all the time! I put on 5 pounds training for my last marathon. Frustating!:grumble:

I typically run 35 miles a week on average, sometimes more. Right now I am trying to lose. I do believe it is possible to loose while marathon training, but I don't know if it is worth it. When I trained for my last marathon I didn't focus on weight loss, I didn't want my training to suffer. As you know from past marathons it takes a lot of work to train and if you dont' have enough fuel your runs will suffer.