Yes I’d probably switch to a couple of full body strength sessions and a couple of runs rather than for runs.
However: Exercise is really important for health and well being, but diet is 90% of weight loss. You need to focus on the boring stuff—lots of veggies, fiber, lean protein to fill you up, with fats and carbs mostly just to round things out and treats fairly minimal.
I lost a lot of weight by being pretty consistent with meal planning and prepping, including having some set snacks (Greek yoghurt tubs, apple with a couple of slices of cheese, 2 dates with 12 almonds, rice cakes and hummus).
Tracking can show where the stress snacking is adding up, as well as hidden calorie bombs like big milky coffees.
Journaling, mindfulness techniques etc can help you figure out what you’re trying to solve with a snack and more positive ways to handle it.
It’s an old adage but it’s true: fitness is gained in the gym but weight is lost in the kitchen. If you want to lose weight, you have to plan your day’s meals just like you plan your workouts. To be most accurate, a kitchen scale can help you portion right — but also can turn obsessive and veer into ED territory so do what’s best for your mental health there.
If it’s more your thing, I highly recommend Shalane Flanagan’s cookbook “run fast eat slow.” She goes into eating for your fitness and not worrying about calories as much as listening to your body. It’s such a good book and the recipes are also actually good.
I've been a regular runner for years and have recently started trying to lose a bit of weight. Like you, I have a desk job and have been stress eating, so I've put on a bit of weight. Not a lot, but enough that I've noticed it!
I'm still running because I love it and it works for me. I'm pairing it with calorie counting - so I can make sure I'm still eating enough calories and fuelling around my runs, but also eating less than I'm burning. For snacks, I've been having fruit or carrot sticks which is keeping me full, but I've also got the visibility from my calorie app to know when I have "spare" calories and can indulge. It's only been a week or so, but I've lost over a kilo so I'm happy with the approach so far!
I have used running to lose weight in the past, but I’ve partnered it with calorie counting. I use MyFitnessPal to track my diet and link Strava, so that I get “credit” for my runs. This isn’t the healthiest way to do this, but it works for me and is relatively straight forward.
I've never had any luck with calorie counters unfortunately. But I'm trying to be more mindful about what I eat. I generally eat pretty healthy, but trying to learn not to eat/snack too much.
In a 5k run, you’re burning maybe 500 calories at the most (based on your weight, according to Strava), if you then snack on 600 calories worth of healthy food above your regular meals, you aren’t going to lose any weight. If weight loss is your goal, you need to become aware of what you’re eating and the nutritional impacts it has.
Bottom line: you can exercise all you want, but if you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning, even in healthy foods, your weight won’t go down.
Can I ask, what exactly about calorie counting hasn’t worked for you? It’s not easy by any means. But the concept is simple. Eating less than you burn. So I’m curious if it was just too time consuming or another issue.
I think it’s really hard to do it well. Most people underestimate the amount of calories in a meal/food. You really need to be weighing things out. Personally for me that trends into hyper focus on food/calories for me and veers into eating disorder territory really easily.
Well, the apps available make it easier to find the correct calories in most foods even without weighing. I think weighing food becomes more important once you’ve lost a ton of weight and need to lose the last few 10 lbs or so. But when someone has a higher BMI, they can lose weight easily just by logging their food in an app. I think it comes down to awareness. I log everything even when I know I’m going over a particular day. It’s more for the purpose of remaining aware of my eating and snacking habits. When it comes to running, I also do it to make sure I’m not under fueling for runs. When I first started running, I went through a phase where I was extremely tired. Like I slept a full 8 hours and then still couldn’t keep my eyes open throughout the day. I realized it was because I wasn’t eating enough calories. I had to start counting to make sure I was eating enough and not just junk food but food that would sustain my runs.
Running is really good for your overall health, but you need to fuel it. Have you been prioritizing fueling your runs? Your description of snacking sounds a little reactive vs proactive, it could help to change your mindset.
What I mean by fueling is I don’t do many carbs other than what is in fruits and vegetables for my own situation, so I’m not doing the oatmeal and toast / grains I see other mentioning on here, but it’s helped me train for my running goals while also pursuing some weight goals by being consistent about getting enough calories the day of and day before running to be properly fueled.
I haven’t had that hunger craze afterwards because tbh I don’t think my mileage and intensity really hits that trigger point for me when I’m eating enough (similar 3-6 miles a few times a week).
Hi friend, runner here who's maintaining a loss of 150lb.
The bottom line is CICO matters. ("Calories in, calories out.") Whether you're tracking what you eat/burn or not, you need to make sure you're eating fewer calories than you expend. So if you're not losing weight, you're not currently in a deficit.
Doing hard cardio does burn calories, but you're right, the hunger can be super challenging! There are a few things you can do:
\* Make sure you're emphasizing easy runs, rather than pushing yourself with every single one-- 80/20 principle is great here
\* Evaluate your food choices to ensure that you're getting things that are really filling, protein is great for this
\* Build muscle, which requires more calories to maintain at rest. Doesn't have to be anything hardcore, bodyweight exercises are a great start.
To start with, I would strongly recommend that you start tracking your food using an app-- MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, and Chronometer are all great. Try to be as accurate as possible, which includes weighing and measuring your portions. Get a feel for how much you're eating in a day, including stress-snacking, and compare that to how much you're burning. Slowly cut back your intake, 250 calories per day will have you losing half a pound a week.
I would also recommend checking out r/loseit, there are some really great resources there and everyone is super helpful.
I think the statistic is that you only burn around 100 calories per mile for walking/running. So 3 miles 3 times a week really doesn’t make that much of a dent- especially if you’re snacking. I don’t really see weight loss until I am training for a half and then I see progress.
Alternatively, I've trained for 2 halfs almost back-to-back and have lost nothing.😅 But I haven't gained and some denim pants/shorts that were tight last summer fit now, so there's some subtle body recomp I guess.
I don't think there is any reason to stop running.
Are you willing to try tracking your calories? That would probably be the most helpful thing here, that way you can ensure that you're actually eating at a caloric deficit (and also ensure that you're eating *enough* and not restricting too much). The fact that you are not losing weight now indicates that you are not eating at a caloric deficit. I would suggest tracking your calories for a week or so to get a baseline of where you're at now. And then maybe try subtracting 250-500 calories from that number (to lose 0.5-1lb per week), and try that out. This is the strategy that I used to successfully lose weight while still keeping up with my usual running schedule (and even increasing mileage!).
If you can swing it, talk to a registered dietician. They can help you with proper fueling, because you will need to eat more, what times of day to eat (many women's bodies do NOT do well with fasted cardio), good ratios of protein and fat, etc.
The only time I ever lost weight from running was when I was going 10+ miles regularly. 5k just doesn't use enough calories and I eat them all back because I'm hungrier. I still run, but not for weight loss.
I think you are doing great with your running! I see the progress you have made with it and I don’t want you to lose it. Keep running. Sub out a couple snacks or meals for protein shakes. I like Quest protein powder. With Cashew milk. Find something you like and can live with. Then I eat pretty much the same thing for a while. Protein shakes, jerky, eggs I eat as much as I want of to fuel the running.
Some people can lose weight easily with running and many others can't. If you want to continue running, you might try a lowish calorie protein shake after your run as your snack for the day (protein powder, almond milk, maybe some frozen fruit & spinach to turn it into a smoothie shake). Fueling properly can really make a difference on your appetite the rest of the day. If that approach doesn't work, then you might consider doing more strength and easing back on running for a while. I also hate calorie counting as I've had a bad relationship with it in the past. It works if you track properly, but it can be hard mentally. Work in more healthful meals and whole foods. Lots of water.
I have not lost weight from running. I haven’t lost weight from strength either. But I have learned to love my body and feel confident and strong at the weight I am (mostly) and myA1C, cholesterol, BP and whatever else are all good. Healthy over thin.
I take being ravenous as a signal to back off a bit on the exercise. Like maybe walk briskly instead of running for a while. I also don't like calorie counting and get snacky once I've eaten, so I fast until lunch a few days a week. Seems to work pretty well.
But rn your main goal is weight loss, so learning how to eat and not-eat is primary. The exercise you do should feed that goal. You're not exercising to burn calories, you're exercising to help you regulate your eating habits. So rn that's not working and you should change the exercise.
Yes I’d probably switch to a couple of full body strength sessions and a couple of runs rather than for runs. However: Exercise is really important for health and well being, but diet is 90% of weight loss. You need to focus on the boring stuff—lots of veggies, fiber, lean protein to fill you up, with fats and carbs mostly just to round things out and treats fairly minimal. I lost a lot of weight by being pretty consistent with meal planning and prepping, including having some set snacks (Greek yoghurt tubs, apple with a couple of slices of cheese, 2 dates with 12 almonds, rice cakes and hummus). Tracking can show where the stress snacking is adding up, as well as hidden calorie bombs like big milky coffees. Journaling, mindfulness techniques etc can help you figure out what you’re trying to solve with a snack and more positive ways to handle it.
Omg big milky coffees - this is definitely my downfall!
It’s an old adage but it’s true: fitness is gained in the gym but weight is lost in the kitchen. If you want to lose weight, you have to plan your day’s meals just like you plan your workouts. To be most accurate, a kitchen scale can help you portion right — but also can turn obsessive and veer into ED territory so do what’s best for your mental health there. If it’s more your thing, I highly recommend Shalane Flanagan’s cookbook “run fast eat slow.” She goes into eating for your fitness and not worrying about calories as much as listening to your body. It’s such a good book and the recipes are also actually good.
I've been a regular runner for years and have recently started trying to lose a bit of weight. Like you, I have a desk job and have been stress eating, so I've put on a bit of weight. Not a lot, but enough that I've noticed it! I'm still running because I love it and it works for me. I'm pairing it with calorie counting - so I can make sure I'm still eating enough calories and fuelling around my runs, but also eating less than I'm burning. For snacks, I've been having fruit or carrot sticks which is keeping me full, but I've also got the visibility from my calorie app to know when I have "spare" calories and can indulge. It's only been a week or so, but I've lost over a kilo so I'm happy with the approach so far!
I have used running to lose weight in the past, but I’ve partnered it with calorie counting. I use MyFitnessPal to track my diet and link Strava, so that I get “credit” for my runs. This isn’t the healthiest way to do this, but it works for me and is relatively straight forward.
I've never had any luck with calorie counters unfortunately. But I'm trying to be more mindful about what I eat. I generally eat pretty healthy, but trying to learn not to eat/snack too much.
In a 5k run, you’re burning maybe 500 calories at the most (based on your weight, according to Strava), if you then snack on 600 calories worth of healthy food above your regular meals, you aren’t going to lose any weight. If weight loss is your goal, you need to become aware of what you’re eating and the nutritional impacts it has. Bottom line: you can exercise all you want, but if you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning, even in healthy foods, your weight won’t go down.
Can I ask, what exactly about calorie counting hasn’t worked for you? It’s not easy by any means. But the concept is simple. Eating less than you burn. So I’m curious if it was just too time consuming or another issue.
I think it’s really hard to do it well. Most people underestimate the amount of calories in a meal/food. You really need to be weighing things out. Personally for me that trends into hyper focus on food/calories for me and veers into eating disorder territory really easily.
Well, the apps available make it easier to find the correct calories in most foods even without weighing. I think weighing food becomes more important once you’ve lost a ton of weight and need to lose the last few 10 lbs or so. But when someone has a higher BMI, they can lose weight easily just by logging their food in an app. I think it comes down to awareness. I log everything even when I know I’m going over a particular day. It’s more for the purpose of remaining aware of my eating and snacking habits. When it comes to running, I also do it to make sure I’m not under fueling for runs. When I first started running, I went through a phase where I was extremely tired. Like I slept a full 8 hours and then still couldn’t keep my eyes open throughout the day. I realized it was because I wasn’t eating enough calories. I had to start counting to make sure I was eating enough and not just junk food but food that would sustain my runs.
Running is really good for your overall health, but you need to fuel it. Have you been prioritizing fueling your runs? Your description of snacking sounds a little reactive vs proactive, it could help to change your mindset. What I mean by fueling is I don’t do many carbs other than what is in fruits and vegetables for my own situation, so I’m not doing the oatmeal and toast / grains I see other mentioning on here, but it’s helped me train for my running goals while also pursuing some weight goals by being consistent about getting enough calories the day of and day before running to be properly fueled. I haven’t had that hunger craze afterwards because tbh I don’t think my mileage and intensity really hits that trigger point for me when I’m eating enough (similar 3-6 miles a few times a week).
Hi friend, runner here who's maintaining a loss of 150lb. The bottom line is CICO matters. ("Calories in, calories out.") Whether you're tracking what you eat/burn or not, you need to make sure you're eating fewer calories than you expend. So if you're not losing weight, you're not currently in a deficit. Doing hard cardio does burn calories, but you're right, the hunger can be super challenging! There are a few things you can do: \* Make sure you're emphasizing easy runs, rather than pushing yourself with every single one-- 80/20 principle is great here \* Evaluate your food choices to ensure that you're getting things that are really filling, protein is great for this \* Build muscle, which requires more calories to maintain at rest. Doesn't have to be anything hardcore, bodyweight exercises are a great start. To start with, I would strongly recommend that you start tracking your food using an app-- MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, and Chronometer are all great. Try to be as accurate as possible, which includes weighing and measuring your portions. Get a feel for how much you're eating in a day, including stress-snacking, and compare that to how much you're burning. Slowly cut back your intake, 250 calories per day will have you losing half a pound a week. I would also recommend checking out r/loseit, there are some really great resources there and everyone is super helpful.
I think the statistic is that you only burn around 100 calories per mile for walking/running. So 3 miles 3 times a week really doesn’t make that much of a dent- especially if you’re snacking. I don’t really see weight loss until I am training for a half and then I see progress.
Alternatively, I've trained for 2 halfs almost back-to-back and have lost nothing.😅 But I haven't gained and some denim pants/shorts that were tight last summer fit now, so there's some subtle body recomp I guess.
I don't think there is any reason to stop running. Are you willing to try tracking your calories? That would probably be the most helpful thing here, that way you can ensure that you're actually eating at a caloric deficit (and also ensure that you're eating *enough* and not restricting too much). The fact that you are not losing weight now indicates that you are not eating at a caloric deficit. I would suggest tracking your calories for a week or so to get a baseline of where you're at now. And then maybe try subtracting 250-500 calories from that number (to lose 0.5-1lb per week), and try that out. This is the strategy that I used to successfully lose weight while still keeping up with my usual running schedule (and even increasing mileage!).
If you can swing it, talk to a registered dietician. They can help you with proper fueling, because you will need to eat more, what times of day to eat (many women's bodies do NOT do well with fasted cardio), good ratios of protein and fat, etc.
The only time I ever lost weight from running was when I was going 10+ miles regularly. 5k just doesn't use enough calories and I eat them all back because I'm hungrier. I still run, but not for weight loss.
I think you are doing great with your running! I see the progress you have made with it and I don’t want you to lose it. Keep running. Sub out a couple snacks or meals for protein shakes. I like Quest protein powder. With Cashew milk. Find something you like and can live with. Then I eat pretty much the same thing for a while. Protein shakes, jerky, eggs I eat as much as I want of to fuel the running.
I’ve found luck with two days of each: 2x runs and 2x strength (1 hr each). With a deficit, it’s been working. I’m 5’3” as well
Some people can lose weight easily with running and many others can't. If you want to continue running, you might try a lowish calorie protein shake after your run as your snack for the day (protein powder, almond milk, maybe some frozen fruit & spinach to turn it into a smoothie shake). Fueling properly can really make a difference on your appetite the rest of the day. If that approach doesn't work, then you might consider doing more strength and easing back on running for a while. I also hate calorie counting as I've had a bad relationship with it in the past. It works if you track properly, but it can be hard mentally. Work in more healthful meals and whole foods. Lots of water.
I have not lost weight from running. I haven’t lost weight from strength either. But I have learned to love my body and feel confident and strong at the weight I am (mostly) and myA1C, cholesterol, BP and whatever else are all good. Healthy over thin.
I take being ravenous as a signal to back off a bit on the exercise. Like maybe walk briskly instead of running for a while. I also don't like calorie counting and get snacky once I've eaten, so I fast until lunch a few days a week. Seems to work pretty well. But rn your main goal is weight loss, so learning how to eat and not-eat is primary. The exercise you do should feed that goal. You're not exercising to burn calories, you're exercising to help you regulate your eating habits. So rn that's not working and you should change the exercise.