Weight Loss and Running (Read 1355 times)

I read an article yesterday via internet somewhere about this issue. The article confirmed that running is a great way to get in shape and to lose weight...BUT... It also said the longer you run your body begins to respond to your new found lifestyle. That essentially your body begins to preserve calories and burns them slower b/c it knows that you are going use them up. Basically, runners reach a point where losing weight becomes harder b/c the body gets so good at slow burning calories preparing itself for longer runs. Suggestions after Good Base to continue weight loss: Speed Work Weight Training Another Sport...(Basketball, Tennis were suggested) and of course cutting calories What is your take on this?

What Marcus said. Of course there's some truth to the article. But if you vary your speed in training, vary your diet, and cross-train ... it won't much matter. One thing that always worked for me: don't restrict calories at the same level every day. I discovered that when I did that, my body adjusted. Now I eat whatever I want one day of the week - and my body gets tricked into thinking I'll be shoving that many calories in it later, and seems to burn more during the rest of the week. That and doing hills, strength-training, and running at different speeds pretty much takes care of it.

It's true but they are only telling you about one part of the equation. There is a factor in running performance called "Running Economy". This simply means the amount of oxygen consumed per mile run at a given pace. Indirectly, it means the amount of calories burned per mile. Train more, and you have a more efficient running economy. Lose weight, and you have a more efficient running economy. So if a overweight person starts running and loses weight, and trains themself to be better at running, they will burn significantly less calories per mile than when they started. Here's what they don't tell you: As running economy improves, you run much faster, and can run more distance in the same time. In effect if you are running at the same intensity (effort), you will burn the same amount of calories. Take a 300 lb guy who runs a 12:00 mile. Due to his weight he burns 237 calories per mile. In an hour at an aerobic pace he runs 5 miles and burns about 1185 calories. But if he lost 100 lbs and was able to run an 8 minute mile, he'd run 7.5 miles an hour at an aerobic pace. Since he lost the weight, his RE has improved and he burns 158 calories per mile. But since he is running 150% of the distance in that hour, he is burning the same 1185 calories. (all numbers from the coolrunning calorie calculator)

I agree with all of the post here so far (hey I've been called a yes man once before - only once and that person still has nightmares but I digress ). Oh, and I never joke and please don't call me Shirley. My father-in law is a physician and I've bounced this off him on several occassions that I can't seem to lose weight beyond a point. His response is that your body finds an equilibrium of excercise effectiveness and calorie expension - since I'm just a simple engineer he rephrased and said my body has become more efficient due to the exercise and will burn calories at a different rate than when I was trying to get better. He also said that to help burn calories you need a change in application (cross training, changing the run types, etc.) and watch the calories consumed. Some of us were big believers in "I run therefore I eat" and guess what - it didn't work that way for me. So I work in trail running, swimming and soccer as well as actually watch my portion sizes. I still eat almost anything but I cut down the sizes. That one I got out of a book called Why Fench Women Don't Get Fat. That was my DWs book, I just browsed through it in the loo one day. So far so good. I wonder if there isn't a limit to the weight loss/maintenance and body efficiency much like reaching the edge of an intergral solution. The elites don't seem to have much body fat left but I don't know their diets and Ultraman Dean K seems to have reached stability. Just curious since they a really the test lab for something like this.

I had convinced myself that my "set point" was 170 pounds. I'm 5'-8 1/2" tall. I started out at 180, and found that running alone didn't help me lose much. I began to watch what I ate, and the calorie restriction plus the running got me down to 150 after 6 1/2 months. That was in November. Since then, I've built up my weekly mileage to 30+ miles per week. I don't really worry about what I eat. I've lost another 5 pounds so I'm at 145 now, my lowest weight in 16 years. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months. I guess my set point isn't 170, after all! I do a stretching/strength class at the Y once a week, also.

Since that time I gained another 6 pounds of pure muscle while running about 70 miles per week. I am still baffled.

Must be that you are a running freak. Since the world generally operates on the bell curve perhaps you reside in the 3rd or 4th standard deviation but my non scientific guess is that you had more muscle mass capacity left to build while upping miles. You make my point about the balance or equilibrium for each person. At some point, weight loss - assuming proper food intake - will be halted or reduced to a negligible percentage based on the efficiency and effectiveness of the body. At that point swings based on water retention or other items can be more significant movers of the scale.

Since the world generally operates on the bell curve perhaps you reside in the 3rd or 4th standard deviation but my non scientific guess is that you had more muscle mass capacity left to build while upping miles.

I am still baffled. I am sure if I stopped lifting I would have lost weight these last few months. I have gained a lot of upper body muscle before and then lost it when I resumed significant running and ceased resistance training. I could smell that I was losing muscle too because my sweat smelled like ammonia. In theory if I wanted to be a little faster I could reduce or cease resistance training and probably lose close to 10 pounds. But I don't race for a livning and DW really likes how I look now compared to before. Plus it took a lot of work to build what I have. My legs grow like weeds but my upper body grows as slow as glacial movement and takes a ton more work.

That's interesting, Ennay. You certainly run a lot! Maybe I have a faster metabolism or something? I'm sure it will change as I get older, though.