Losing a little bit of weight and marathon training

Can anyone offer a bit of advice on how to shift just a little bit of weight whilst marathon training. I'm keen to make sure I'm fuelled up before my runs and I'm always bloody starving afterwards. This is not helped by the fact I have a large appetite and a serious sweet tooth problem.

Yes, I fully understand the whole calories in/ calories out principle but just a few practical tips would be really great. I've got 8 weeks to shift about 2kg, shouldn't be difficult but I can't stop eating everything in sight!

Comments

  • Well I am probably the last person to give advice on this, but I think you just have to have a bit of discipline and just not eat the thing that will make you put on weight. For me it is crisps and chocolate after lunch, and takeaway and beer after running. There are two ways of looking at it..."I can have a cake because I have run" and "what was the effing point of that run if I am going to have a curry and a four pack and completely wipe it out?"

  • Eat less sweets. It's just a habit not a serious problem. 

  • This may be something you are already doing but try and schedule all your runs for just before a meal time - that way you can get well and truly stuck in and this might help with the hunger.

     

    You may need to look at the kind of food you are eating.  Are you eating enough fat and protein to keep you full?  If you are living off carbs - this may only exacerbate the hunger if you are lacking other macronutrients.

     

    Try and eat a sh*t load of veg every day - bulk helps.  Then some protein at every meal - adequate fat (nuts, fatty fish, olive oil etc).  

    Marathon training is hellish on the appetite - the only comfort I can offer you is that your body does get used to it eventually - but it might not be for this marathon - it might be the next or the one after that.  Any rapid increase in exercise for some people can equal uncontrollable appetite - it certainly does for me - then after a while I adapt and can go back to having an element of control.

  • Also, don;'t forget that as you increase your mileage you will be carrying more weight in muscle fuel (glycogen and water) as the training increases your 'storage capacity'.

     

    So, if your clothes still fit  - forget about the scales till after the race.

     

  • Its your large appetite thats the problem. You've overeaten and got used to it.



    Running a mile burns about 100 calories. Running marathons wont make you lose weight unless you're burning more than you take in.



    Check out what a portion of pasta should look like - chances are youve eaten too much. Count your calories.



    Theres an excellent app - My Fitness Pal. It will help you with this.



    And you dont need to fuel for every run. Eat normally.
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    And if you are starving after every run then maybe you are running them too fast.
  • There is absolutely no need to fuel a run.

    I don't eat anymore whether I am not running on a Sunday or doing 26 miles. If you do that you will lose weight.

    When I started running I was several stones overweight (12st10lbs) and I decided that I would not eat anymore than I did when not running. I still do that today - now 9st7lbs.

    If you run 50 miles a week, that is burning 5,000 calories. If you don't eat anymore you will lose weight - guaranteed!

  • Thank you one and all. As expected, the main message is to get a grip and learn some discipline!

    Gymaddict, I'm eating a well balance diet of home cooked food, just too much of it! These 2kg have been hanging for dear life over the last 2 marathons but I've finally had enough and I'm on a mission to get rid.

    Cougie, you are so right. I'm definitely in the habit of being a greedy bloater, always on the hunt for munchies.

    From now on, I'm going to cut out the pre-run snacking, eat slightly smaller portions and not trof biscuits straight from the packet. 8 weeks and counting...

  • One thing that works for me,.. don't have the unhealthy foods in the house. Can't eat them in a hunger craze, if they're not there. No indulgent chocolate, no biscuits. Have some apples (etc), or something else thats quick and healthy to shove in your mouth image, maybe those rice cake things they do. Done and doing the job for me. 

  • LP84, I am absolutely the same as you when it comes to food, not over weight, but will eat till I cant eat no more after a long run.

     

  • I'm the same LP84, trying to be careful and shift some fat before London. i've found that when I get hungry (and I know I don't need food) I drink luke warm water. It keeps it at bay and over time you get back to eating less. 

  • Its so much easier to eat calories than it is to burn them off. I can easily scoff a packet of biscuits in one go - but I don't need to.



    When I cut down - I'll do similar to what you propose - allow myself a few treats rather than going OTT,
  • +1 for MyFitnesspal app.

    In previous marathon training I have actually gained weight. I fell into the trap of thinking I could eat and drink anything because I was running high mileage.

    This year I'm losing weight steadily (and not excessively) while training for my marathon. I just keep myself around -500 calories per day to lose approximately 1lb per week. Thanks to the app I know when I can eat some extra treats without going over the top. It's so easy to keep track. Simply knowing the calorie/fat/sugar content of the food I'm considering eating is a pretty powerful deterrent.

    My tip would be to avoid high-calorie, sugary drinks. It's far easier to over-consume calories by drinking than it is by eating.

  • Drink a lot of black coffee. Caffeine really does help control appetite image

     

  • Tenjiso,

     if I kept to 500 calories a day there would be nothing left of me after a few weeksimage

    I need at least 2000 to stay alive  image

    My last long run consumed 1470 calories.

    Cougie, chocolate Hob Nob, aaah.

     

  • Roy - my bad typing. I meant 500 calories per day less than the amount needed to maintain weight. Hence I typed -500 calories in my haste. The basis being that 500x7 days is a reduction of 3500 calories, which is supposed to equate to 1lb reduction in weight.

    Hope nobody has been trying to stick to the Tenjiso 500 plan image image

  • I really should go and have a eye test.image

  • lol, "Tenjiso 500 plan" the new celebrity diet. Watch as the weight falls off! book your appointment in hospital today!

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