Metabolism seems slow when working out harder

heatherw_27
heatherw_27 Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,
I am semi-new to myfitnesspal. I used it briefly in the past for a month or so and just started using it again last week. I had done a points system in the past and was able to achieve my goal, which was to lose 20lbs. I am a runner and I find the more that I run the harder it is for me to maintain my goal weight. I train for half marathons so I have to do some fairly long runs on Saturdays(10-13 miles). It seems once I build my miles up to 27-35 miles a week the scale seems to creep up slowly to add 6 or so lbs to me. I have been trying to figure out what was wrong for a year or so. Last week I started to use myfitnesspal and I noticed that on the points system I was using I only eat about +/-24 grams of fat a day to stay within my points allowance. On my fitness pal my goal is 40 or so grams of fat and when I work out if goes up signnificantly (up to 60-70 a day). I am nervous to eat even 40 grams of fat in a day since I have only been eating 24 or so. Or will the extra fat and calories help speed up my metabolism???? Could my low intake of fat be causing me to gain weight when I am training so hard? I know sometimes your body stores fat if you are not eating enough. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Or need any additional info?

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I know sometimes your body stores fat if you are not eating enough
    I have seen no evidence that this is true. People with calorie deficits either lose fat and/or slow down their metabolism, but can't add to fat reserves from a calorie surplus that doesn't exist.

    You may be overestimating the calories used in your exercise, and hence eliminating your calorie deficit. Perhaps leave a couple of hundred uneaten and see if that helps.

    Eating fat doesn't make you fat and there are essential fats that you have to get from food.
  • heatherw_27
    heatherw_27 Posts: 23 Member
    Hi Yarwell,

    Thanks for responding :) Sorry I should have pointed out that I am under eating for myfitnesspal. I am eating the same foods I was when I was on the points system and just plugging my foods into myfitnesspal. It seems I am always under for calories and way under for fat. I don't think I am overestimating my calories for exercise only because I also have a Garmin running watch (GPS). This watch tells me based on my height, weight, pace and time how many calories I am buring so I can cross check this with myfitnesspal.
    I am not eating more when I exercise and I think that is hindering me. When I was done posting a bunch of newbie articles showed up and I think I they answered my questions. I think I am putting myself at too much of a deficit. I am going to try to increase my calories and fat intake to my recommend amount and see if this helps. I think I was just nervous to eat more. Seems kind of scary when you are trying to lose weight :)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Watches and other gadgets can be quite a way out - 33% for women in one article I read - especially if you can't set it up for your own fitness level. I never know in most cases if they are telling me the total calories or the extra over what I would have used sitting down, either.

    You got some answers anyway :-) Large deficits due to exercise do appear to be counter productive.
  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    Yeah you probably need to up your calories especially since you are running so much. Your body probably isn't holding onto fat necessarily, but it's probably holding onto a lot of water weight trying to repair the muscles you use during your long runs. I know when I upped my calories from 1200 to 1530 and then to 1660 I immediately started losing 2 pounds a week. I exercise an hour a day 4-5 times a week. Also, if I exercise too many days in a row my body holds onto water weight like crazy and then I'll go a couple days of rest and then "lose" 2 pounds. So I would definitely recommend plugging your correct info into mfp and seeing how many calories it gives you. You can also try setting your goal to only lose .5 pounds a week since you have so little to lose.
  • heatherw_27
    heatherw_27 Posts: 23 Member
    Thanks for responding Cari4jc. I didn't know that about the water but I think that may have happened to me. I took off a lot of days from running last week because of plantar fasciitis and like you said I lost weight and was eating exactly the same. That was when I started me thinking maybe I was working out too much compared to what I was eating. Thanks so much for the help. I will also try changing to the 0 .5 :)
  • heatherw_27
    heatherw_27 Posts: 23 Member
    Hi Yarwell,
    I'm not sure about other devices but the Garmin seems to ask for so much personal data I would tend to think it is as accurate as you can get. I know even for the same 10 miles my friends always burn less or more calories than me since we are all different sizes and shapes. Thanks for your help :)
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Yeah you probably need to up your calories especially since you are running so much. Your body probably isn't holding onto fat necessarily, but it's probably holding onto a lot of water weight trying to repair the muscles you use during your long runs. I know when I upped my calories from 1200 to 1530 and then to 1660 I immediately started losing 2 pounds a week. I exercise an hour a day 4-5 times a week. Also, if I exercise too many days in a row my body holds onto water weight like crazy and then I'll go a couple days of rest and then "lose" 2 pounds. So I would definitely recommend plugging your correct info into mfp and seeing how many calories it gives you. You can also try setting your goal to only lose .5 pounds a week since you have so little to lose.
    How would upping calories help someone to lose water weight, exactly?

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