Weight loss during XC

i'm not an excercise physiologist or nutritionist by any means, but i'd say that you just need to continue eating healthy foods, but back down on the intake. unless you're retaining water or growing a massive tumor somewhere there is a basic equation you can follow. caloric intake (eating) - caloric expenditure (exercise, activity, regualar body processes)= 0 weight gain if everything is balanced. the fact that you've put on weight, especially fat, leads me to believe that you just need to cut back on the eating a bit. remember, your stomach can be a spoiled brat, so don't always assume that you need to eat everytime it growls at you. be mindfull of how many calories you're consuming before you open your maw and let the good stuff in. hope this helps.

Do you have any weight training in your routine? If not, adding two half-hour weight-training workouts a week helped me a lot with my weight fluctuations. Emphasize light weight and high repetitions. Don't try to impress the honnies. Remember that you're a runner. Too much muscle mass can also be a problem (just a warning).

I used to gain 5 -7 pounds over the first half of XC because I started back on weights after not lifting during the summer. Then the weight came down right about time for my last races. So did my times.

If you're getting stronger and faster, though, who cares what the mirror or scale say? And maybe your feelings during your run are a reflection (pun only partially intended) of your evident concern about such things?

Last year I put on a good 10 lbs. during the season, because of over-eating. I have struggled a little to take off the weight, but I think I have found a good diet(at least for me). I have Instant Breakfast (a health shake) for breakfast and either fruit or low fat yogurt. I have a Power Bar Harvest, a banana and fruit juice for lunch. I then have some gatorade before practice. For dinner, I have a little bit of meat(usually chicken) a green vegetable, rice, a roll and two cartons of chocolate milk. Its all about balancing your diet. If you cut out fat altogether, or really severely limit how much you eat, your body slows its metabolism down as a survival mechanism. Its all about balance.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Idealist, I can tell when I'm carrying weight that isn't assisting me in my goal of running at my potential. Excess fat will prevent me from running as fast as I could without it, within reason. I hope that my season proves to mirror your own both in weight loss and faster times. We'll see, I'll just have to moderate my calories and keep an eye out for legs that are more sore than they should be I guess. Hopefully what's not needed will disappear.

parresia