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Running - Dieting - Nutrition advice please (Read 161 times)


Member Since 2008

    I started running after about a three year break, (long haul trucker - running wasn't an option) and simultaneously started a 1500 calorie per day diet which I've been on for about three weeks now.  So far I feel I have progressed well and I have lost 10 pounds.

     

    I am struggling with muscle energy and overall energy.  It also doesn't help that I work nights, usually 12 hours a day and only get about 4 hours of sleep a day, spiraticly.  Should I use whey protein powder or is there any other products that will help my muscles recover.

     

    I appreciate your help, and advice.

    BeeRunB


      My experience with rapid weight loss (10 in three weeks is fast) is that my pace at the same heart rate regresses. I don't know if it's muscle loss, not enough carbs to keep glycogen levels up,  or some other biological deficit. My experiment with low-carb was disastrous for my running (and body).  I think a long-term approach is ultimately better--a pound or 2 a month. Drop weight at a rate where performance isn't reduced. You have to find your individual sweet spot with this. You're not at yours currently. Adjust amount of calories upward. Good luck.

      Teresadfp


      One day at a time

        Weight Watchers recommends losing 1 1/2 to 2 pounds max per week.  I have lost 9.4 pounds in seven weeks, which is good at my age!  I am also working out in a gym, so I'm probably gaining some muscles.  I hope so!

         

        It seems like you are asking too much of your body - low caloric intake, overworking, sleep deprivation, and exercise!  I agree that moderation will help you in the long run.

        kk_kittenkat


          1500 sounds quite low, are you male?


          Member Since 2008

            1500 sounds quite low, are you male?

            Yes, male fifty years old.  Current weight 192, goal weight 165.  I think the calorie program I am on was designed for a non active person.  I will adjust my calories.

            kk_kittenkat


              Yes, male fifty years old.  Current weight 192, goal weight 165.  I think the calorie program I am on was designed for a non active person.  I will adjust my calories.

               

              Congrats on your achievements so far, the weight loss game is a slow and steady one. You want to lose the weight but without training the body to exist on fewer Kcal. Any drastic drop in intake will make your body learn to survive on less, which isn't a good thing for weight loss when normal intake is resumed.

               

              I say this without any qualifications as a health professional, just coming from a family where we are all a healthy weight. Good luck with it all Smile

                Two pounds a month will get you there in a year and still give you enough energy to run.  But only four hours sleep is not enough to keep you healthy or to recover properly.


                Latent Runner

                  Hmmm, 1,500 calories per day sounds way-WAY too thin (pun intended).

                   

                  I started running in April of 2013 when I was somewhere north of 250 (at the time I was just shy of 56 years old and am 5' 8" in height), and instead of going in a severe diet, I just kept eating at my normal 2,500-3,000 caloric intake level.  During the first week of October, when I was flirting with 200, I was cleaning up the barn one morning and felt faint, a feeling I attributed to insufficient fuel supplies from my "diet" (or lack thereof).  I did a little research and decided I needed to up my daily caloric intake to the 3,000 to 3,500 range.  Yes, my weight loss slowed, I've lost another 15 or so since then, but my energy had definitely improved and by workouts have continued to improve and my race times have continued to drop.

                   

                  Said another way, if I was to eat only 1,500 calories per day, I would have lost too much weight too quickly, and probably have suffered with muscle loss and fainting spells as a result.  Long story short, I'm trying to caution you against too drastic a diet coupled with a ramp up in running mileage.

                  Fat old man PRs:

                  • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                  • 2-mile: 13:49
                  • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                  • 5-Mile: 37:24
                  • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                  • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                  • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

                    Yes, male fifty years old.  Current weight 192, goal weight 165.  I think the calorie program I am on was designed for a non active person.  I will adjust my calories.

                     

                    +1

                     

                    be in this for the long run & slow down the weight loss.  1-2 pounds/week.     very tight balance between lowering caloric intake & being more active.  Be sure to get in some strength training so you don't lose muscle loss as you lose the extra pounds.  find a way to get more sleep/rest (this coming from someone who needs to work on getting more sleep).

                     

                    I'm 5'7"  & 58.  few years ago was up to mid 180's & did not feel good (mentally & physically) after being very active all my life.   so slowly started running/weight training (higher priority) & keeping food log.  tried to stay within 2000-2200 K    25% protein,  20-25 % fat & rest carbs.  2 yrs later was down into 160"s.   then got the running bug so running became more priority over weight training & 2 more years later down into 140's (high school weight).   been mid to high 130's last couple years & plan is to stay there into infinity.  have lost some muscle mass along the way but have way more definition & lean muscle ..  overall feel & look much better (although wouldn't mind substituting  some of that extra loose skin around midsection for more lean muscle while maintaining same weight) .  At first I was very strict, probably more strict than needed to be.  now that I'm down to where I want to be, don't count calories any longer.  Still watch what & how much I eat but far less strict about it..  Keeping a strict diet can be very stressful.  For almost 30  years I wore 32" inseam & when I was up to a snug 34"  it was a big mental blow  & that's when I needed to make changes.  Now I'm at 30"  & going to stay there!

                     

                    whole point of all this, is to show it can be done but take your time & find the right balance between exercise/nutrition.  don't be in big hurry & get yourself  stressed out about it all the time with low energy.  make it a lifetime committment.

                      At 1500 calories per day, unless you really know what you're doing, your body may not be getting the nutrition it needs for you to remain healthy.

                       

                      I would focus on eating healthy food and cutting out junk calories, while slowly building up your running mileage. Focus on fat-loss (as opposed to weight-loss) through the daily burning of more calories. Your stomach will be happier, and you'll look and feel better.

                       

                      Also, think about throwing in a little weight training. You want to lose fat, not muscle. If you're not careful, you can wind up being what they call "skinny fat", where you still have a spare tire around your mid-section, but you've lost muscle in your arms, legs and shoulders. That's worse (IMHO) than being a bit overweight.

                      "It's hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off, oh wo-oh!" - Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) - Shake It Out

                        I am male 43 years of age, 5'11". I was 210 when I started running just under 3 years ago and now I'm under 180.  The thing with me is that I NEVER made weight loss my goal. Neither have I ever dieted or used any supplements. I never tried to put a lid on my love of food and booze - it was just moderated by how I felt because of my running.

                        I reckon that if I made a concerted effort to deprive myself of certain foodstuffs I could get down to 170. But I'm not sure I want to do that.

                        The point is, if you're just starting out running, make running your goal, not weight loss. Focusing on running is so much more optimistic, positive and up-lifting. It actually feels how a goal should feel. Focusing on weight loss is not the same experience. It's usually a negative feeling, all about what you shouldn't do, not what you should do.

                        So I think you should concentrate on steadily (not drastically) increasing your weekly mileage, and eat/drink according to how you feel. You may well lose the weight all the same. Further down the line, when you're aiming to achieve 'racing weight', you might want to take things in a different direction, but that's for later.

                        Never been to the Americas, but how many of you guys have ever been to Derby?

                         


                        Member Since 2008

                          Thanks to all who have responded to my post.  You made me realize that the reason I am doing all of this is not to loose weight, its for the love of running.  If I stay consistent with running the weight will come off automatically.

                           

                          Its a real mental challenge cause when I stopped running three years ago my pace was in the 7's.  It's just going to take time, patience and milage to get anywhere close to where I was.


                          running metalhead

                            I started running after about a three year break, (long haul trucker - running wasn't an option) and simultaneously started a 1500 calorie per day diet which I've been on for about three weeks now.  So far I feel I have progressed well and I have lost 10 pounds.

                             

                            I am struggling with muscle energy and overall energy.  It also doesn't help that I work nights, usually 12 hours a day and only get about 4 hours of sleep a day, spiraticly.  Should I use whey protein powder or is there any other products that will help my muscles recover.

                             

                            I appreciate your help, and advice.

                             

                            It's actuallyt a high protein diet what will make you feel low on energy. Protein are used to build muscles but what fuels the organism is carbs. Low carb diets have been proven times and times to be absolutely wrong.

                            I don't know your parameters, thus 1500 cal can be much or little, but in any case do not cut on carbs just because it's the new fad . Yes, you will loose some pounds at the cost of energy and health. And at the end of the day your goal is to become healthier and not to score a given number on a scale, isn't it?

                            - Egmond ( 14 januari )            :  1:41:40 (21K)
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                            Aidan Livingston


                              While I understand it is a way to set goals, quantifying your overall health with pounds is meaningless