re:weight loss and running (Read 1329 times)

Just some observations I have on weight loss and running. I wanted something that would allow me to eat what I want and be the size that I want. Eat more and still loose weight. <- very compelling. however i did not acount for something. weight loss equals calorie deficit. the next one i have learned is an inescapable fact for me... calorie deficit = hunger. for some reason i was hoping that if my calorie deficit came from exercise instead of starving myself i wouldn't be as hungry as i would otherwise be. so i find myself in a strange situation. i am eating all the time. i am loosing weight... however even though i eat like a pig i am always hungry! darn why can't this thing called life be easy? very="" compelling.="" however="" i="" did="" not="" acount="" for="" something.="" weight="" loss="" equals="" calorie="" deficit.="" the="" next="" one="" i="" have="" learned="" is="" an="" inescapable="" fact="" for="" me...="" calorie="" deficit="hunger." for="" some="" reason="" i="" was="" hoping="" that="" if="" my="" calorie="" deficit="" came="" from="" exercise="" instead="" of="" starving="" myself="" i="" wouldn't="" be="" as="" hungry="" as="" i="" would="" otherwise="" be.="" so="" i="" find="" myself="" in="" a="" strange="" situation.="" i="" am="" eating="" all="" the="" time.="" i="" am="" loosing="" weight...="" however="" even="" though="" i="" eat="" like="" a="" pig="" i="" am="" always="" hungry!="" darn="" why="" can't="" this="" thing="" called="" life="" be=""></- very compelling. however i did not acount for something. weight loss equals calorie deficit. the next one i have learned is an inescapable fact for me... calorie deficit = hunger. for some reason i was hoping that if my calorie deficit came from exercise instead of starving myself i wouldn't be as hungry as i would otherwise be. so i find myself in a strange situation. i am eating all the time. i am loosing weight... however even though i eat like a pig i am always hungry! darn why can't this thing called life be easy?>

I have to agree with Chris here. One of the reasons I started running was just that--I want to eat what I want and be the size that I want. I'd rather sweat off the pounds of fat than eat less to lose them. Unfortunately I haven't lost a ton of weight with this philosophy (I'd prefer to say that I must just be putting on lots of muscle to make up for the fat loss, but I'm not sure that's entirely true). But I do find that I am a lot hungrier than sedentary Jenner. And before I was exercising as regularly, at least the fact that I wasn't exercising may have been enough to tell me not to eat that burrito for dinner....but now, I'm like, I ran 2 miles this afternoon, screw it, I'm eating a burrito. Some people say that running makes them eat healthier, but for me it's just making me give in to tempations more.

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Mmm, Cheesecake Factory. I'm sorry, what were we talking about?

I did some looking into this when I started running a month ago. While running is great, it doesn't burn as many calories as I thought. I'm 6' 1" and weigh about 205 lbs. At my weight, when I run 2 miles, I burn about 290 calories. That's about 10 calories shy of a McDonald's cheeseburger. So while yes, running does help, it doesn't allow you to eat what ever you want and lose a bunch of weight.

I'm just curious where you did your calculations and at what speed you are running since that seems a bit low.

Large Calorie Deficit = Increased Fat Retention When you have a large calorie deficit, your body thinks you are going through a famine and it shuts down. This leads to increased fat retention from the food that you do eat (because you can live longer off of less food with fat stores) and you are more likely to be injured because you don't have the building blocks necessary to repair muscle damage (which is what working out is - damage to your muscles.) Being calorie neutral or only having a small deficit is important for active people. If you really want to lose weight (or maintain a healthy weight) then (a) Eat breakfast (b) Cut out sugar water (Soda, Gatorade, coffee etc) and drink tap water instead (c) Eat better snacks (carrot sticks, apples, bananas, etc - NOT crap from a vending machine) (d) Eat regularly - as in every (preferably) 2 hours to (at most) 4 hours. Four simple changes most people can make w/o unduly stressing themselves, especially if they do them in order and give themselves a week or 3 to ingrain each habit before moving to the next. Maybe you already do some of those, but the majority of people I know don't. Of course, the majority of people I know don't think about their exercise or diet more than they have to.

The speed doesn't matter, anyway, when you enter a run entry on RA and enter your weight, it'll calculate the calories for you, and based on 205 lbs, burning 290 calories seems about right.

Do interval work or weight lifting w/multi-joint total body exercises (squats, deadlifts, pushups, pullups) and then eat a snack afterwards. Your body will not burn as many calories as that 2 mile run did, but you'll keep burning calories for hours afterwards.

I'm just curious where you did your calculations and at what speed you are running since that seems a bit low.

I found this page for the calculator: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/

I have lost 65 pounds in the last 14months, by running every other day, and eating less. I think food can be an addiction just like drugs or alcohol, only worse because you can not just quit eating. I see runners post the attitude that they run so they can eat as much as they want, or even drink as much as they want, because they run. to me this is wrong thinking. I have now reached the point that I have to eat because I can feel that my body is out of fuel. its about creating a healthy lifestyle, that you can stick to. Running so you can eat as much as you want, is not a healthy lifestyle.

I have lost about 13lbs in the last almost year of running..I have not really changed too much to be quite honest with you- but I don't run so that I can eat..I have just learned to listen to my body. I am one of those people that carry the extra weight well if that makes sense- people are often shocked when I give my weight because I dont look it. However, the biggest benefit to my running seriously again is my well toned legs which have always been my one and only problem area..