running/eating right and still not losing

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  • hayleesmith
    hayleesmith Posts: 25
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    Okay thank you everyone for your input.
    I cannot continue on this cycle because it is really exhausting. Obviously I need to change what I am doing because this is not going to be attainable for much longer although I have been doing it for a while now.
    I will try to get over my fear of gaining and listen to what you guys are saying!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    You are already at a deficite before exercising. It means that you would lose weight if you didn't exercised. Now add the exercise and your deficite is way too big for the little weight you have to lose.

    I have been at this for the last 14 months....I would not advise something that would make you gain weight
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    No I am not eating back the calories burned because I feel that my calorie intake would be too high and I don't understand how that would possibly make me lose weight. I would start eating more but I am worried that I would gain weight instead of lose.
    Is there anyone out there who has had any experience with this and could assure me that this would not happen?
    Thanks so much for all your input!!
    Eating 1300 calories a day and running 5 miles a day (~500 calories burned) means you're netting 800 calories a day and your body is NOT going to let go of 5 pounds of fat when it thinks there isn't enough food available to even meet your basic BMR, much less your daily calorie burn.

    Set MFP to HALF a pound a week. It will give you a daily deficit of 250 calories. NET this amount (meaning if you run 5 miles, you need to eat those calories too). Do this for at least 4 weeks before you change anything.
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
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    Exercise calories are the most delicious ones to eat! Or just set yourself up on a static intake of 1700-1800 calories...maybe more. I workout 6 days a week and I feel like SugarHoneyIceTea when I eat under 1700
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    Our bodies are built to survive. There are processes in place to deal with different circumstances. If you are under-eating or over-exercising you body will try to compensate for any shortages by slowing down and trying to burn the least amount of fuel as possible. Storing as much as possible.
    On the other hand, if you were to add more fuel by eating more calories or even slow down on the exercise, your body will respond by increasing these systems again. In turn, you will see your body working efficiently and doing what you expect.
    Think of your body as a flashlight. When the batteries are low, the light dims. Recharge the betteries and the light shines bright again.
  • smkey
    smkey Posts: 121 Member
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    My opinion is either you don't have the 5lbs to lose or you aren't eating enough for your exercise. Eat a little more... I know it doesn't make sense, but your body thinks it needs to reserve some fat because you don't give it enough sustinence.
    Good Luck!
  • wboswell88
    wboswell88 Posts: 31
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    I'm having the same problem. I know I should eat back more of the calories, but I get distracted by the fat, carbs, and what not! If I eat more, I will be bumping those numbers up, and that makes me feel like I would gain weight. And it's not like I'm making poor food choices because I eat mostly fruits and veggies. Does everyone who eats back their calories go over the allotted fats, sugars, etc?
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I've been eating my exercise calories back since the very beginning of my weight loss journey and it's never held me back!!

    Here's the thing - MFP sets you up with a calorie deficit already based on what you input for your weight loss goal (by the way, I also believe you should have no more than a 1 pound per week goal, 1/2 pound would probably be best) so when you exercise, you increase that deficit and if that happens too often, your body will go into starvation mode. This means what little you give it is stored and you won't lose the weight.

    You're not alone - many who join this site don't get it because we've always heard calories in vs calorie out but there is a limit!

    I'd also recommend switching up your workouts as recommended above. You can still run but change your routes, do a short run, then long run, then intervals/sprints. It would be ideal for you to get in a day or two of strength training as well. And there is plenty you can do at home using your own body weight and/or gallon jugs - push-ups, sit-ups, tricep dips, bicep curls, etc. You can google at home workouts for more ideas/info.

    ETA: just saw your reply post. One more thing I want to mention - give it at least 3 weeks to see results when you up your caloires. Don't just assume that in a week if you gain that it's not working - your body needs time to adjust.
  • Allyson1985
    Allyson1985 Posts: 148
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    So are you eating back the calories that you burn while running? If not, then your deficit may be too high.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I love your replies. Quick, to the point, and easy to understand.

    Amen.
  • shirleycolpo
    shirleycolpo Posts: 8
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    Definitely strength training. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism, and the more calories your body will burn even while you're at rest. Also find some high intensity interval training so your heart rate isn't at one steady rate through your entire workout!
  • season1980
    season1980 Posts: 129 Member
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    1. What loss is 1300 recommended for? If it's more than 1lb a week think about changing your goal or you'll never fuel your exercise
    2. Eat back your exercise calories, or at least half if you're not sure of the estimate
    3. Open your diary so we can advise you properly on the quality of your food
    4. Take at least one rest day a week
    5. Vary your running workouts - one long run, one short at race pace, one intervals etc.
    6. Cross-train, especially adding resistance training.

    Hope that helps!

    This!
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Okay thank you everyone for your input.
    I cannot continue on this cycle because it is really exhausting. Obviously I need to change what I am doing because this is not going to be attainable for much longer although I have been doing it for a while now.
    I will try to get over my fear of gaining and listen to what you guys are saying!

    Especially if you really only want to lose 5 lbs, such a huge deficit is not doing you any favors. And to answer your other question, yes, I have increased my calories after not losing anything for months, and it worked. My diary is public if you want to see how much I eat. I would recommend setting your goal on here to lose 1/2 lb per week.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Our bodies are built to survive. There are processes in place to deal with different circumstances. If you are under-eating or over-exercising you body will try to compensate for any shortages by slowing down and trying to burn the least amount of fuel as possible. Storing as much as possible.
    On the other hand, if you were to add more fuel by eating more calories or even slow down on the exercise, your body will respond by increasing these systems again. In turn, you will see your body working efficiently and doing what you expect.
    Think of your body as a flashlight. When the batteries are low, the light dims. Recharge the betteries and the light shines bright again.

    Missed this before - well put!!!
  • callikia
    callikia Posts: 226 Member
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    What's the worse that would happen if you listened to us? You might gain a couple pounds? Well, you're running 5 miles a day and eating 1300 calories right now, so you certainly know how to restrict yourself...don't think that'd be a problem.

    That being said, I know it sounds totally and completely counterproductive. Why exercise if it means I have to eat more and all that...and how can eating more make me lose weight?! Trust me...it makes perfect sense and it does work. The more you run, the more you need fuel...start depriving your body of that and it will start holding on to everything in order to keep that pace (and you will eventually burn out, which it sounds like you might be close to already). Give it a try. A few weeks of eating more. See what happens. ;) (Just try to make it good food you're adding back in! If all else fails, add in a protein shake for some extra easy calories if you find eating more = eating too much.)
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I'm having the same problem. I know I should eat back more of the calories, but I get distracted by the fat, carbs, and what not! If I eat more, I will be bumping those numbers up, and that makes me feel like I would gain weight. And it's not like I'm making poor food choices because I eat mostly fruits and veggies. Does everyone who eats back their calories go over the allotted fats, sugars, etc?

    I go over my macros sometimes. I don't track sugar because it doesn't really matter to me or effect my weight loss.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    I lost the majority of my weight from running and doing exactly what MFP suggested. MFP was set to 1lb loss per week which has a 500 calorie deficit built in to it. I tracked my calories burned with a heart rate monitor and then ate back 100% of my workout calories. I dropped weight consistently at about 1.25 lbs per week over the course of 8 months. So yes, you need to eat more because at 5 miles per day, 1300 calories is not enough and I'm willing to bet your body is making up for your nutritional inadequacies by feeding off of your own muscle tissue.
  • StephanieHolloway
    StephanieHolloway Posts: 18
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    I have a personal trainer and he just told me last night to eat my carbs (fruits) in the morning, and stick with vegetables in teh afternoon. He also told me that I need to watch my sugar. I was eating the Chobani Greek Mango Yogurt, and he told me to find another Greek yogurt to eat that had less than 10g a sugar. I have three meals and two snacks a day. When you pick the right foods, you are satisifed. I was also told to drink 1/2 my weight in ounces. Are you getting enough sleep at night?
  • Runnermadre
    Runnermadre Posts: 267 Member
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    No I am not eating back the calories burned because I feel that my calorie intake would be too high and I don't understand how that would possibly make me lose weight. I would start eating more but I am worried that I would gain weight instead of lose.
    Is there anyone out there who has had any experience with this and could assure me that this would not happen?
    Thanks so much for all your input!!

    I am also a runner, though I'm not doing any running right now since I'm pregnant. I noticed that when my running mileage got higher and I didn't adjust my calories up, I stopped losing. When I started eating more, it's like the weight melted off. I learned after a while that if I did not Net at least 1500 calories, I didn't lose. Definitely eat at least half of your exercise calories back! I think you'll be surprised at how it jump starts your weight loss. :-)
  • cantreln
    cantreln Posts: 1
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    Your body puts itself into starvation mode when you don't eat enough to fuel your body. Based on your working out you need to re-fuel and replace the calories your burning. If you don't, your body will save all the nutrients it can from what you give it and won't let you burn extra weight off. Eat more lean proteins and healthy calrories (nuts, avocado, legumes) and I bet you'll see a difference.
  • Otter1971
    Otter1971 Posts: 3 Member
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    You are running too much.. Running and for that matter all Cardio is overrated.. I have done many articles on the downfall of traditional cardio.. running 5 miles takes a chunk of time when you can get way more bang for your buck.. I will summarize

    When you run you are your brain is telling your body "Hey, we need fuel to travel distances" so your body reaction for when you eat is to store the calories in your fat cells... yes your fat cells... because your body does not need much muscle to run.. so your body burns the muscle and feeds the fat.. slowing your metabolism.. the exact opposite of what you want..

    what is the answer.. strenght and Metabolic conditioning.. when you do this your brain say.. we need to drop this fat because this person is a fighter, a warrior.. so your lean muscle mass increases and in turn sheds body fat because it is not needed.. use barbells, body weight, kettlebells, jump rope for your workout.. you will cut the fat in no time with the right nutrition.. High Protein, Low Carb.. Protein from lean meats, fish, cottage cheese etc.. and primaraly fiborus carbs (those in veggies).. gwoall prosesed food..

    If you need some direction on the workouts let me know and I can guide you in the right direction.. I have been doing this a long time and have a long list of success stories..

    best of luck to you.. Keep the faith and motviation going..

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