Running but can't seem to drop weight

[goaldigger]

Hi All, 

I don't know if any of you have struggled with this but I've just read so many conflicting opinions I'm not sure what's happening. 

I'm an overweight runner(not 10 pounds overweight, try 50). I have been running consistently for over a year (2-3 times a week, sometimes more). I run distances and fairly fast (half marathoner x2 at sub 11 min pace). I'm vegan, I eat around 1,200 calories a day, and I'm frustrated because over a year I've dropped only about 12 pounds. I wasn't expecting to drop all the weight at once but it seems like this isn't as much as I should. I also don't always eat like I should but it's not like I binge on burgers every day. 

I've talked to my doctor and they said nothing is wrong, my blood is good, cholestrol is good (good cholestrol a little low), heart is strong as a horse (58 pbm resting), the only thing wrong is that I'm overweight. 

If anyone has any thoughts I would love to hear them. 

[awood08]

I dropped my first 10 pounds fast....like 3 weeks fast by running. Then I slowed down to maybe a pound or two a week. I started varying my workouts. I still do at least 2 miles a day because I enjoy the walk/run time after work as a stress reliever. But I also purchased a recumbent bike and do 30-45 mins on that, plus strength training. Wall sits, squats, kettleball reps. Now I'm 8 weeks in and down 22 pounds. I found that as long as I vary my workouts throughout the week, I get the best results. That's just me, I know every body is different and have their ways of working out 🙂

Good luck!

[veronica160]

Are you logging your food with fitbit?  I was amazed how many carbs I was eating.  There are lots of theories on a good mix of carb/fat/protein - and like awood08 said, we are all different.  I've found success with a 50/20/30 ratio of the above.  It was harder than I thought to keep the carbs down, but my body seems to like it.

[rangerRICK]

I think your body has adapted to your running and is no longer stressed by it. Try interval training like 400 meters X 8 @ 5k race pace with 200 r/r. This should do it. Also do a long run once a week (double your average daily) at an easier pace. This is a fat burner. Plus lean protien like muscle milk or protien shake for a meal substition. I have to confuse my body like this too.

[goaldigger]

Do you think it would help if I switched it up? You're right running is second nature to me now, should I maybe bike as well to vary my exersize?

I will try the intervals. That should also help with my speed. Thanks!

[goaldigger]

I'll look at that, I don't normally eat carbs but I will try to be better about logging my foods. 

[rangerRICK]

I cycle too. about an hour 2 times a week. I find that the more I bike, I need to go longer as I get in shape from running to have same effect as running (cal burn etc). I think after you get in running shape that 3 to 4 miles of cycling = 1 mile of running. What do you think?

[goaldigger]

Yeah I don't know. I'll start off with intervals and if that doesn't help I will try the cycling. Thanks so much!!

[rangerRICK]

I was amazed at how much fat I am eating. My ratio is like 35/40/25

[rangerRICK]

You should finish intervals like you could do 1 or 2 more at the end. You could start at 4 then increase it the next week to be safe especially if you are knew to speed work or older than 40.

[jasDawn]

You should track your food everday with an app like lose it or my fitness pal to see exactly what you are eating. 1200 calories isn't very much, you may be underestimating or eating high fat or high calorie foods. I'm only a few weeks into my fitness program and haven't lost any weight yet (I want to lose 15 pounds). I've been exercising or lifting weights at least 6 days a week for 30 minutes to an hour. I think there are three keys to weight loss.

1. It's not all about the number on the scale.

2. Calories in:Calories out everyday. You have to burn more calories than you consume.

3. Nutrition. I think the right combinations of foods are important. Lots of veggies, they're low in calories, less processed foods, lots of protein and very little fat (i.e. cheese, nuts, seeds, etc).

I'm going to ask my doctor at my next appointment if it really matters what types of calories you eat. I'm pretty sure that (for example) 1500 calories in fats vs 1500 calories in proteins will not produce the same results on the scale. Meaning I don't think all calories are equal. My husband also has a theory about not eating enough calories and says your body will go into what he likes to call "starvation mode" where your body will retain as many calories as possible because it thinks you're in just not getting enough calories everyday for basic functions. I'm not sure how much I believe of that though because if that were true anorexia wouldn't work. Maybe 1200 calories per day isn't enough calories?? I'm currently using the lose it app and it has my calories set to 1700 per day to be able to lose 1 pound per week.  

[extra_medium]

It is really lot more simple than people make it out to be.  If you eat fewer calories than you burn over time, you will lose weight regardless of where those calories come from.  Even if you get all your calories from twinkies, you will lose weight.. but your overall health will suffer of course.

Basically if you're not losing weight, you're most likely either overestimating how many you burn, underestimating how many you consume, or both.  All are really easy to do even if you're paying attention.  Unless you are weighing and logging what you eat accurately, a 300 cal deficit for the day can quickly become a 300 cal overage.  As mentioned Myfitnesspal is a great app that helps with calorie tracking and it syncs up with fitbit very well and can help you get into a better groove. 

[iMike]

How are you on a bike?  I ask because I know some people aren't that comfortable.  If you live a city/town that has great bike trails that are easily accessible, perhaps you could try putting in a couple days of biking per week?  It would be easier on your knees/joints and biking burns a lot of calories.  It could be at this point your body is simply used to your routine. 

[harrybananas]

@goaldigger, @extra_medium is correct.

Seems like you've gotten down a good habit of at least the exercise part. And if you're still not losing the weight, it simply comes down to calorie intake. It's almost impossible to outtrain a bad diet.

Don't believe anyone has mentioned it but you may want to get a food scale. This way, you'll know exactly how much calories you're consuming. When logging your food into a system like MyFitnessPal, keep in mind that a lot of the food listings are submitted by other users. For instance, if you search for roast beef, there will be tons of results with all varying degrees of information. For weight loss and general house keeping on your diet, I'd recommend overestimating. Of all the results you get back from roast beef, choose the result with the highest calorie count. And of course, this is all in conjunction with you staying around your daily caloric limit that you need to set for yourself to lose weight (like 1300 calories per day, for example).

Like one member mentioned, you can eat anything you want, as long as it's within your calorie limit for the day. Calories are calories. I've even managed to lose weight 5lbs eating fried chicken and McDonald's and pizza every other day as well as having my fair share of drinks on the weekends. So it really does come down to simple calorie counting. Good luck!

[Heybales]

If you are the same weight and doing the same pace - you are burning the same amount of calories.

If you lose weight, speed up - and burn the same amount of calories.

You don't get magically more efficient at running so much that it makes a dent in calorie burn.

I'm betting you've run since a kid - probably as efficient as you'll get.

Now doing some complex movement workout, like Zumba, sure, first few times the difference in efficiency may account for a change in 50-100 calories when you get the movements down nicely over an hour, but otherwise - the myth of muscle confusion has been applied to the wrong workouts.

The fact that you have gotten more fit does NOT change that fact, as measured by HR doing the same pace at same weight.

That only means your heart can beat slower to provide the same amount of oxygen to burn those calories.

But - you only eat 1200 calories with all that activity?

That is considered bare minimum for average sedentary female.

You are obviously not sedentary - and why start at bare minimum?

Unless you want minimum results.

Not that it matters right now because you must not use the extra calories burned from exercise - but do you manually log that - or since step based allow the Fitbit to estimate calorie burn.

I'd suggest you have screwed up your body - and you are burning the 1200 you are eating - or if that is an inaccurate 1200, but an actual say 1400 - that's what you are really burning with this level of exercise.

Hopefully that sounds scary - because what happens if you get sick or injured or vacation - and can't do that level of activity?

How low must the eating level go to maintain weight now?

Can you adhere to it?

And to keep losing - how much lower are you willing to eat - or how much more calorie burn will to do - with same issues above if you can't do it?

I'd suggest get healthy body back - it's not right now.

Fitbit estimate of calorie burn is based on average healthy body, if you were really burning the number of calories it estimated, or even close - you'd be losing weight.

But you aren't - therefore you aren't burning that many - and you don't have that average healthy body.

How big is the average deficit with you only eating 1200 daily, compared to what you burn on average, like run day and rest day?

[Heybales]

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@jasDawn wrote:

You should track your food everday with an app like lose it or my fitness pal to see exactly what you are eating. 1200 calories isn't very much, you may be underestimating or eating high fat or high calorie foods. I'm only a few weeks into my fitness program and haven't lost any weight yet (I want to lose 15 pounds). I've been exercising or lifting weights at least 6 days a week for 30 minutes to an hour. I think there are three keys to weight loss.

1. It's not all about the number on the scale.

2. Calories in:Calories out everyday. You have to burn more calories than you consume.

3. Nutrition. I think the right combinations of foods are important. Lots of veggies, they're low in calories, less processed foods, lots of protein and very little fat (i.e. cheese, nuts, seeds, etc).

I'm going to ask my doctor at my next appointment if it really matters what types of calories you eat. I'm pretty sure that (for example) 1500 calories in fats vs 1500 calories in proteins will not produce the same results on the scale. Meaning I don't think all calories are equal. My husband also has a theory about not eating enough calories and says your body will go into what he likes to call "starvation mode" where your body will retain as many calories as possible because it thinks you're in just not getting enough calories everyday for basic functions. I'm not sure how much I believe of that though because if that were true anorexia wouldn't work. Maybe 1200 calories per day isn't enough calories?? I'm currently using the lose it app and it has my calories set to 1700 per day to be able to lose 1 pound per week.  

---

Starvation mode is real - the effects are myths. The effects usually go along with actual starving, which is well beyond starvation mode - aka adaptive thermogenesis, metabolic efficiency, ect.

What your body does if deficit is too extreme to what you burn - is slow you down first, less movement to conserve those calories for the basic life functions of metabolism.

If that doesn't conserve enough, it slows down the higher level metabolic functions, like growing hair, nails, skin, repairing, healing, immune system, keeping warm when cold, ect.

If that doesn't conserve enough, it'll slow down the basic metabolic functions as much as it can, managing water in the cells, warmth again, ect.

So basically studies have shown the body can suppress it's daily burn by upwards of 20% depending on severe the deficit.

If you keep eating less and less - you will start losing again.

But obviously the body is highly stressed in this state, so elevated cortisol can cause retained water masking that weight loss.

If body has already slowed down, then it's not about to make improvements from exercise that require more energy use - so workouts are not nearly what they could be.

And the fact you have to eat so much less, means any binge day makes it easier to eat in surplus - thereby adding fat then. And carbs to muscle storage along with water - causing big water weight fluctuations depending on how many carbs are eating - or binge days.

And this is typical state people are in when they reach goal weight (if they do) - in which case maintenance is low level eating too.

So now will that low level of eating be sustained and adhered to - or will eating slightly more slowly cause weight to come back?

80-90% of weight loss people - it comes back.

Why go so severe though and have those possible and likely side effects. Like for 15 lbs left to lose - 250 cal deficit is reasonable - you didn't gain it fast, don't attempt to lose it fast.

Be reasonable - have great workouts that transform the body - adhere to the diet and constantly lose a smaller amount weekly instead or large amounts that stop for months on end - and not have nearly the bad effect of eating too much.

2 later studies have shown the following can be avoided, and repaired if already in that state. But this explains what is happening, implications, and why.