Running 3 miles, eating small fruit meals. Gaining weight??

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Replies

  • Gwoman2012
    Gwoman2012 Posts: 163 Member
    The fact that you are not overweight or even at the high end if a normal weight is going to make weightloss extremely difficult.


    Add a couple eggs at breakfast and string cheese and a handful of nuts as snacks. Don't worry about carbs and fats at dinner as long as you are staying within your calorie goal.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    MFP is set up to help you succeed. What is MFP telling you to eat in terms of calories? If you are way under without exercise, that is a good reason.

    Personally I DO NOT eat my exercise calories back. I tried for 3 months and gained 10 hard lost pounds. I run 3-5 times a week. I eat 6 times a day: 3 meals and 3 snacks. I try to keep my carbs and proteins even - about 100 each.

    I suggest setting MFP to lose a pound a week and just do that for a month. If you are not motivated to eat all your calories, you can add things like olive oil and nuts which are higher in calories but not as filling to help you reach your goal.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Figure out how many calories you NEED from here:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    or

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    And then don't eat below that.

    I went to both of these sites and did the calculations... there was a 481 calorie variance and 286 BMR variance between the 2 sites (using the exact same stats). So frustrating.

    different sites use different BMR calculations, I'm afraid, there are so many different formulas out there.

    I use this site for my TDEE as it matches my FitBit and therefore I can only assume it is more accurate

    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
  • chachita7
    chachita7 Posts: 996 Member
    I would suggest you check this group out - lots of really good info

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • graytfull1
    graytfull1 Posts: 1
    Hello

    Here is my guess....
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....
    Stop running and just walk at a fast pace.

    As for strength training.....What are you doing?

    Add more lean chicken and reduce your fruit intake and replace with vegetables.

    Fruit has so much sugar, your body will burn this sugar first,....leading to a stand still.:cry:
  • opaedas
    opaedas Posts: 3 Member
    Hey there,
    You're feeling full probably because of the fiber in the fruit you eat. Also, since your stomach is accustomed to eating so little, it is not large and distended and will fill up quickly. Try only having fruit in the am w/ a portion of lean protein and small slow digesting carb like oatmeal or ezekiel toast or other 100% whole wheat bread (not just one that says Whole wheat, must say 100% for it to be true whole wheat). Then lean protein & veggies at lunch, then again at dinner, snack on whatever healthy stuff you like in between (keep small controlled portions).

    Aim for 20-30g protein at each meal (snacks will probably have less, but thats ok) Make sure to get in those healthy fats here and there, like raw or dry roasted almonds or other nuts, fatty fish like salmon, 2-3 1/4" slices avacado, etc. The combo of lean protein, fat and carb is what you need at every meal. Definitely supplement with a multivitamin to make sure while you're in transition and learning your way around that you are getting the right amount of vitamins/minerals that will fill in the gaps that are lacking from what you do or don't eat.

    Sodium can help to be controlled by drinking lots of water (the more you drink, the less your body has to store, so be prepared you WILL pee a lot), also eating foods high in potassium like dark greens or a small banana a day will help to cancel out the body's reaction to sodium and make you feel less bloated hopefully.

    Might want to shorten your run as well if you feel like you're quite tired or killing yourself to get through it, or just decrease the intensity. Long distance running is going to eat up your muscle if you're not taking in enough protein to maintain it. General rule of thumb is to aim for .8 grams per lb of body weight in protein for maintenance. EX 140lb woman should take in about 112 grams protein/day to keep current muscle. To gain muscle, you must up that and include strength training. Increasing to 1g per lb (140grams/day minimum ) while strength training will yeild best results.

    Any other questions, please feel free to ask!! There are always people on here willing to help..... I wish you success with your goals!

    Mal
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Youre doing it wrong. You're supposed to eat.

    The excess weight is the wood.
    The exercise and burn is the fire.
    The food is the oxygen.

    You're trying to start a fire and burn your wood in a vacuum.
    Your physical science teacher would shake his head at you.

    Silly human, fire needs oxygen to burn all the wood away.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Hello

    Here is my guess....
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....
    Stop running and just walk at a fast pace.

    As for strength training.....What are you doing?

    Add more lean chicken and reduce your fruit intake and replace with vegetables.

    Fruit has so much sugar, your body will burn this sugar first,....leading to a stand still.:cry:

    tumblr_m4u9iag25t1rxpnhso1_500.jpg

    ....this person is a personal trainer?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Figure out how many calories you NEED from here:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    or

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    And then don't eat below that.

    I went to both of these sites and did the calculations... there was a 481 calorie variance and 286 BMR variance between the 2 sites (using the exact same stats). So frustrating.

    different sites use different BMR calculations, I'm afraid, there are so many different formulas out there.

    I use this site for my TDEE as it matches my FitBit and therefore I can only assume it is more accurate

    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
    Right, they all have a different number. Some folks average them, some folks choose one. Either way it's gotta be quite a bit more than you're eating now (OP).
    ETA: your site was within 10 calories (BMR) of my site for me. Interesting.
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    Youre doing it wrong. You're supposed to eat.

    The excess weight is the wood.
    The exercise and burn is the fire.
    The food is the oxygen.

    You're trying to start a fire and burn your wood in a vacuum.
    Your physical science teacher would shake his head at you.

    Silly human, fire needs oxygen to burn all the wood away.

    I LOVE THIS!
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Will someone layout what is a good daily diet? I work an office job do I sit on my bum all day till my run :/

    Here's what I eat - feel free to use it as a baseline or ignore it. I also work in an office, and my food is based on not requiring refrigeration and being easy to eat.

    Breakfast:
    - 1/2 cup plain oatmeal with cinnamon (sometimes a few raisins or something to flavor it up, but usually just the cinnamon)
    - One whole fried egg.
    - Coffee (black. no sugar).

    Lunch:
    - 1 large thermos of coffee to sip on through the morning.
    - 1 whole wheat tortila with turkey or roast beef and a slice of cheese, and a generous dollop of spicy mustard.
    - 1 apple
    - 1 banana
    - 1 half-filled quart bag of raw vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, whatever), cut into bite-sized pieces for easy nibbling.
    - One small tupperware container (the teeny ones) filled with unsalted almonds.

    The banana and almonds are my "after-workout" snack if I work out that day. The rest is eaten in small increments throughout the day.

    Dinner:
    - My wife cooks, so whatever is on the table, portion size tuned to my calories that remain with a small allowance for dessert and a glass of wine.
  • Dragonfly1996
    Dragonfly1996 Posts: 196 Member
    Can't see your diary but I'm guessing you're not eating enough for your activity level.

    You may also be eating too much sodium and retaining fluid. Add sodium to your tracking items and try to stay under 2500mg a day.

    If neither of the above sound appropriate to your situation, visit your doctor and have them check your thyroid, blood sugars and any other factors that they think may influence your gain.

    ^^^^ This!!! If your not eating enough your body will panic. A few pieces of fruit & a low carb dinner doesn't sound enough to me. I would not have the energy to go to the gym let alone run 3 miles a day on this intake!!
  • Hello

    Here is my guess....
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....
    Stop running and just walk at a fast pace.

    No, it doesn't :noway: 5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat!!! The volume of 5lbs of muscle is smaller than 5lbs of fat!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Hello

    Here is my guess....
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....
    Stop running and just walk at a fast pace.

    No, it doesn't :noway: 5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat!!! The volume of 5lbs of muscle is smaller than 5lbs of fat!!

    it doesn't matter which weighs more because she isn't gaining muscle since she isn't eating more calories than she burns. You can't gain muscle on a deficit (especially a large one).
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    Hello

    Here is my guess....
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....
    Stop running and just walk at a fast pace.

    No, it doesn't :noway: 5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat!!! The volume of 5lbs of muscle is smaller than 5lbs of fat!!

    Regardless of what weighs more than whom, she's not building muscle running three miles, barrel racing, and not eating so the point is moot.
  • azbarrelracer1323
    azbarrelracer1323 Posts: 26 Member
    Will someone layout what is a good daily diet? I work an office job do I sit on my bum all day till my run :/

    Here's what I eat - feel free to use it as a baseline or ignore it. I also work in an office, and my food is based on not requiring refrigeration and being easy to eat.

    Breakfast:
    - 1/2 cup plain oatmeal with cinnamon (sometimes a few raisins or something to flavor it up, but usually just the cinnamon)
    - One whole fried egg.
    - Coffee (black. no sugar).

    Lunch:
    - 1 large thermos of coffee to sip on through the morning.
    - 1 whole wheat tortila with turkey or roast beef and a slice of cheese, and a generous dollop of spicy mustard.
    - 1 apple
    - 1 banana
    - 1 half-filled quart bag of raw vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, whatever), cut into bite-sized pieces for easy nibbling.
    - One small tupperware container (the teeny ones) filled with unsalted almonds.

    The banana and almonds are my "after-workout" snack if I work out that day. The rest is eaten in small increments throughout the day.

    Dinner:
    - My wife cooks, so whatever is on the table, portion size tuned to my calories that remain with a small allowance for dessert and a glass of wine.


    Seems doable! Thanks!!! I have grown up with lots of stomach problems... I tend to eat what I know will not upset my stomach while at work... I know I am fine eating chicken and eggs... Don't know why I was leaving these things out :/ thanks again for all the help, and not being too hard on me!! As said above... "Stupid Human"
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,177 Member
    The op never actually gave the amount of calories they are eating a day. My guess would be too much, if gaining consistently .I would say the op needs to keep better track of what they are eating.
  • azbarrelracer1323
    azbarrelracer1323 Posts: 26 Member
    The op never actually gave the amount of calories they are eating a day. My guess would be too much, if gaining consistently .I would say the op needs to keep better track of what they are eating.

    Based on the replies... I am not eating near enough. I don't even want to say!!!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    an apple, an orange, a snack, a coffee and dinner - with at least 45 minutes of exercise a day - that must be one HUGE snack and one massive dinner if its reaching 1600-1800 calories, though, right?
  • azbarrelracer1323
    azbarrelracer1323 Posts: 26 Member
    an apple, an orange, a snack, a coffee and dinner - with at least 45 minutes of exercise a day - that must be one HUGE snack and one massive dinner if its reaching 1600-1800 calories, though, right?

    See my post above. Please don't be snarky. I already feel like an idiotic stupid girl :)
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    an apple, an orange, a snack, a coffee and dinner - with at least 45 minutes of exercise a day - that must be one HUGE snack and one massive dinner if its reaching 1600-1800 calories, though, right?

    See my post above. Please don't be snarky. I already feel like an idiotic stupid girl :)

    um, I was truly not being snarky in any way shape or form. I was asking dinospro a question in a discussion, which I thought was cool, since he's on my friends list.

    Thanks for the unnecessary public slap in the face, I'll refrain from trying to help. Youre just.... seriously so nice. Jesus.
  • azbarrelracer1323
    azbarrelracer1323 Posts: 26 Member
    an apple, an orange, a snack, a coffee and dinner - with at least 45 minutes of exercise a day - that must be one HUGE snack and one massive dinner if its reaching 1600-1800 calories, though, right?

    See my post above. Please don't be snarky. I already feel like an idiotic stupid girl :)

    um, I was truly not being snarky in any way shape or form. I was asking dinospro a question in a discussion, which I thought was cool, since he's on my friends list.

    Thanks for the unnecessary public slap in the face, I'll refrain from trying to help. Youre just.... seriously so nice. Jesus.

    Then I am sorry.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    OP, calorie calculators online are hit and miss. I would recommend doing the math yourself.

    1. Estimate your BMR
    Harris Benedict equation for Women is: 655.1 + (9.563 x kilograms) + (1.850 x centimeters) – (4.676 x age)

    2. Add a 1.2 multiplier to find approximate sedentary TDEE
    BMR x 1.2 = Sedentary TDEE

    To maintain your weight, try to eat close to your TDEE every day.

    On days you exercise, try to eat back most of your exercise calories (note online calorie burn calculator are usually too high, if you can afford a heart rate monitor you will get more accurate results).

    The numbers are always just guesses because everyones metabolism is different and there are countless subtle factors involved. The above math just gives you a good starting point - weigh in every month and adjust your calorie intake up or down slightly depending on if you gain or lose. Eventually you will discover your own personal balance point.

    And if you want to tone, running is not going to do it for you. I would suggest taking some of that time you spend running and spending it in the gym lifting heavy instead.

    Hope that helps.
  • artbkward
    artbkward Posts: 238 Member
    Hello

    Here is my guess....
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....
    Stop running and just walk at a fast pace.

    No, it doesn't :noway: 5lbs of muscle weighs the same as 5lbs of fat!!! The volume of 5lbs of muscle is smaller than 5lbs of fat!!

    @RyanDanielle5 Nice ticker pic :)
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,177 Member
    an apple, an orange, a snack, a coffee and dinner - with at least 45 minutes of exercise a day - that must be one HUGE snack and one massive dinner if its reaching 1600-1800 calories, though, right?


    Or a lot of small ones. On some days my snacks will be more calories than lunch. If the op only tracks what they want instead of everything that passes their lips they can't say that they are not eating enough. I don't know if she has opened her food log yet but without seeing that it's hard to say.

    That being said I do agree with water weight gain, it could be that. but if weight is going up consistently from week to week then it is probably too many calories being consumed.

    OP if you do decide to raise calories, do it at about 200 a week. If you have stalled and slowed your metabolism by eating to little for too long you will gain weight, but it will even out over time.
  • skbohanon
    skbohanon Posts: 15 Member
    Figure out how many calories you NEED from here:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    or

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    And then don't eat below that.

    I went to both of these sites and did the calculations... there was a 481 calorie variance and 286 BMR variance between the 2 sites (using the exact same stats). So frustrating.

    different sites use different BMR calculations, I'm afraid, there are so many different formulas out there.

    I use this site for my TDEE as it matches my FitBit and therefore I can only assume it is more accurate

    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    OOOOO... now I like this calculator!! This seems a bit more accurate and in line with other feedback I've received. And it just seems more logical to me as well.

    Thanks for sharing this one!