I keep gaining weight while running 70 mpw

Slopenguinrunner wrote:

Remember, a single serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

Moron. You can eat as much meat as you want, unless it's breaded, you won't gain weight. You're gaining weight from the pasta and the softdrinks that go along with that meat.

Moron.

Slopenguinrunner wrote:

Also, have you done 70 mpw before over a foundation phase? Can you do more like 80 or 90? Or additional cardio to make up for the mileage difference?

MORON.

If someone gains weight running 70mpw, you suggest more running.

If someone runs 100mpw and still gains weight, you suggest running 110mpw?

Unbelievable.

I'm dealing with the same problem as OP. 75 miles a week and training is actually going well but I'm still fat in the stomach or at least not well defined. I know my lack of toned-ness is holding me back from running more efficiently and being stronger.

I need help with diet. I've been eating too much pizza because I'm at a lack of how to eat properly as a student on my own.

For someone running 75-80 miles a week, could you list an example of what should be eaten for breakfast lunch and dinner.

I can keep my diet healthy until mid day, then I just get cravings and end up ordering food. If I could have example meals that are healthy and I could stick to for the rest of the summer that would be awesome

College guy need help wrote:

For someone running 75-80 miles a week, could you list an example of what should be eaten for breakfast lunch and dinner.

I can keep my diet healthy until mid day, then I just get cravings and end up ordering food. If I could have example meals that are healthy and I could stick to for the rest of the summer that would be awesome

Typical for a runner with high mileage. You eat some carb laden meal for breakfast and then you are surprised you get hungry shortly thereafter.

Start your day with eggs (as many as you want) and ~3 slices of bacon, drink coffee and water. For lunch, eat a nice piece of meat (SCNR) and vegetables (as many as you like and no: corn is not a vegetable). Evening, another nice piece of meat or wild caught fish, side of vegetables.

If you get hungry in between, eat some Macademias.

The goal is to keep carbs below 100 (below 60 if you're not running that much). You will teach your body to become fat adapted (fat burner). You can't do that while feeding your body an endless amount of carbs.

Good luck.

^thanks, sounds good. ya i definitely overdo the carbs a lot. i will try the eggs in the morning starting tomorrow. i do eat hard boiled eggs here and there.

would it be bad to just eat half a chicken breast for lunch and the other half for dinner? also what is SCNR?

my only concern with what you listed is that it doesn't seem like much, both quantity wise and calorie wise.

I agree with the Xfit guy, but he makes it sound so hard. Remember, these guys are in college. Wild caught fish? C'mon.

I was a high mileage guy in college and trained out in Palo Alto the summers before my Junior and Senior years. I grew up with a pretty healthy diet, so I was used to mostly veggies. I was running higher - more like 90-110 a week - but there wasn't a damn thing I could do to keep weight on. Both summers, I got so skinny it was sickening. I was eating like a horse - both figuratively and literally - I ate a ton of oats and grains along with veggies. Not much meat.

I am about the same size as the OP, but minus about 15 pounds. I have a Mediterranean style body, meaning I and more V-shaped. I am lucky in that regard, because it keeps me from getting skinny-fat. If I gain weight, I notice it in my quads, arms and upper body more than anywhere else.

OP, I think you are eating terrible foods. You should be eating NO fast food at all. Limit processed foods to the best of your ability and you should be fine.

You're not going to get fat because you eat corn. I suspect that you are consuming really bad stuff.

Well I cook the bacon in a pan and when it's done I leave the fat in there and cook the eggs in the bacon grease. Just plain eggs are boring and with the extra fat they're just delicious. Remember: fat doesn't make you fat.

Chicken breast has 0 carbs (good) but is very high in protein and very low in fat. You should rather pick a cut of meat that is high in protein AND fat.

The problem with protein is that it still triggers a significant insulin response, see the following chart, compared to fat:

Therefore, you will be hungry again soon.

Eat as many eggs and as much meat and veggies as you want.

2 lbs of Steak. Enough?

Slip, Stitch and Pass wrote:

You're not going to get fat because you eat corn. I suspect that you are consuming really bad stuff.

Yes he is. Corn has become sweeter over the last 100 years through selective breeding. It is extremely energy dense and it's basically 100% carbs.

Xfit_guy_the_real_1 wrote:

Yes he is. Corn has become sweeter over the last 100 years through selective breeding. It is extremely energy dense and it's basically 100% carbs.

No, he won't. If he is running high mileage and he adds some corn to his meal here and there, it isn't going to make him fat.

I agree with you about the breeding of corn - isn't corn (as we know it) a fake veggie at this point, anyway?

I guess my point is that you have good advice, but I think you are too OCD about it and people just ignore it and think it's impossible.

It is okay for a high-mileage runner to eat carbs and fruit as long as their diet is largely based on veggies and protein. In my opinion, they should be eating carbs and fruit; just not a ton of it.

Your idea that people can eat NO beans or corn or apples is just too limiting, especially for a college runner.

Slip, Stitch and Pass wrote:

It is okay for a high-mileage runner to eat carbs and fruit as long as their diet is largely based on veggies and protein. In my opinion, they should be eating carbs and fruit; just not a ton of it.

What you don't understand: The OP wants to lose weight. If you want to lose weight, you have to watch carbs. That is the answer.

Once the OP has reached his goal weight, he can (and should) reintroduce fruits or even safe starches. Until then, he should focus on protein and HEALTHY fats (saturated, monounsaturated, n-3 (fish)).

Weight = 1/pace. Stop lifting. Assess whether you can cut back on the carbs, esp the simple ones.

Xfit_guy_the_real_1 wrote:

What you don't understand: The OP wants to lose weight. If you want to lose weight, you have to watch carbs. That is the answer.

.

Oh, the ignoramus extraordinaire is back is full form.

NOT carbs, calories (well, fat PLUS carb calories mainly).

He could cut all the fat instead of carbs and lose at least as much weight, probably more.

Are you EVER going to stop repeating your unscientific, BroScience, blog-produced bull$hit??

Xfit_guy_the_real_1 wrote:

Moron. You can eat as much meat as you want, unless it's breaded, you won't gain weight.

How anyone on earth could you take you seriously after such a statement is beyond belief. You can think one could eat 10,000 fat calories a day and not gain weight or fat?? Beyond absurd.

I'm 5'7, 135lbs but have an untoned stomach and I've been eating poorly. I need to tone up and I know I was racing well around 125lbs a few years ago. I'm only 20 and I need to have a kickass XC season but I need to get my diet in check. I'm doing no lifting. I just ran 72 miles this week and plan to keep 70-80 the remainder of the summer.

How do I reduce carbs but make sure I don't lose energy or feel shitty for runs. Do I just have to experiment and see what happens? I order too much pizza for sure I need to stop that. I can do eggs and bacon for breakfast. I don't have much of a budget. I have a bag of frozen veggies in the freezer, I am going to cook up a bunch and then refrigerate it to eat in portions later.

Should I be aiming for X amount of calories per day? I have never really tracked. Also is there a certain amount of carbs based on my height/weight and training volume that I should be going for?

I ate a whole box of pasta yesterday and that had like 240g of carbs. I'm sure that's overkill but even after that I'm hungry. I have heard too much protein is bad, but maybe I should just stop worrying and eat more meat instead of binging on the pasta and pizza so much?

How can I get back done to ~125 while still training strong? I also want to be able to tone up my core and stomach area, at least reduce the fat there since I know it'll both look better and make me stronger.

I want to run 25:0X for 8k this Fall. I ran 26:20 last year but I need to make both a huge training jump AND fix my diet to reach my goal. Someone help!

Another Fatty wrote:

I'm 5'7, 135lbs but have an untoned stomach and I've been eating poorly. I need to tone up

How about running less? The best way to "tone up" are heavy weights, a strict carb reduced 100% paleo diet and the occasional sprint session thrown in.

P.S.: most runners have an "untoned" stomach. You don't see that in your local crossfit box.

Someone said a serious athlete should be 4-6% body fat. This is ludicrous. That low of body fat is neither healthy nor maintainable. 8-10% is a more realistic range. People don't realize how lean that is either. I thought I was single digits until I actually had my body fat measured at 12%. I looked very lean at this weight, had a great six pack, regularly got told I had the most beautiful legs the person had ever seen, etc. I was also more ripped than most of the guys on my team.

As for gaining weight, in theory a person will not gain weight from strength training if they are smart with their diet, but some people just put on weight really easily. I know guys who can lift hard every day, give up cardio completely, eat as much and as much protein as they can stand, and they still struggle to gain weight. Then there are guys like me who can gain weight while running 100mpw if I don't watch my diet or who blow up from lifting weights twice a week even while running 50mpw and watching my diet. My body just REALLY holds on to muscle and builds it very easily. Most guys would love to have that "problem," but it is something I've struggled with since I was about 16. You might be like me.

If running fast is the goal, you should do whatever you need to achieve that goal. If that means giving up the strength training to make maintaining a lighter weight easier, so be it.

And of course there is T-Rex, posting from his mom's basement, about how great carbs are. Hey T-Rex, the 1980's called, they want their "FAT MAKES YOU FAT" slogan back.

Unreal, how some will never learn.

I am sure T-Rex mom's did, she looks reasonably hawt.

Yes, because it's the running mileage itself that is *causing* him to gain or not be able to lose weight.

WHO is the "MORON" ???

He can either increase his amount of exercise, or cut his total calories, preferably fat+carb calories (some combination, keep most of the protein for muscle and metabolism).

Fat calories turn to fat just as easily carbs. This has been tested 100's of times in controlled lab studies and is true every time-

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/health/nutrition/q-and-a-are-high-protein-low-carb-diets-effective.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C

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Stop trying to convince people of your anti-carb, anti-aerobic exercise, pro-fat nonsense.

(and as far as 1980's, the research still shows what I am saying in 2014. Yes, the researcher I quote is from an article from way back in 2012! ancient, eh? )

Tyrannosaurus Rexing wrote:

Yes, because it's the running mileage itself that is *causing* him to gain or not be able to lose weight.

WHO is the "MORON" ???

You.

As I explained many times, the high mileage is causing him to eat an 80% carbs diet. This leads to weight gain, no matter what.

Again, go to your local Ironman event. These are guys who're "working out" 10-20 hours per week, yet half of them are overweight.

They're so addicted to sugar, they tape their GU-gels to their handlebar.