Please read what you originally wrote on this forum to your parents or coach. And then listen to them when they tell you you have at least disordered eating issues and might have anorexia at this point. You might not believe me, but trust me, I know what I'm talking about. Or don't trust me, but tell your parents what you told an anonymous forum.
I sincerely hope you're some messed up troll who thinks he's being funny. I doubt that's the case though.
Hey, I know how you're feeling, and it is completely natural, but not necessarily okay. I'm 19 years old, 5'8, and 135 pounds (I gained 12 pounds on birth control and I have successfully lost 7 pounds). We have the same bmi, and I am completely healthy. Going into my senior cross season, I felt like I was overweight too. I have always struggled with eating issues, and I practiced disordered eating. It was a disaster. I was eating 1500-1600 calories a day and running 55 mpw. Going into the following track season, I was in a much healthier mindset and eating 2700-3000 calories a day, 60 mpw and running MUCH faster. So you're a few pounds more than last year? You'll lose it, a lot of runners gain a few in the summer anyways. Restricting your cals that much is not healthy and will lead to unhealthy patterns. I have lost my weight by eating all organic and running 65 mpw in 85 degree temps. For reference my "3 mile" pr is about 17:40 for cross, or an 18:20 5k. You do not need to restrict your cals that much, the fast times will come when the hard work is put in.
Genetics and hard training make you fast, not weight loss. Weight loss is a result of both of those things. Calculate fitness, not calories. The only calorie counting you should be doing as a runner it should be to make sure you're getting enough.
If you think that going out in 6:30 is out of shape then just wait until your body is fried because of continuous training and lack of nourishment and you can't even pull off a 7:30 opening mile. Nobody stays in their peak shape yesr round. Train hard, train consistently and find ways to enjoy eating well wnd your body will perform to the best of its ability.
I am also a 5'1 female, I run 40 MPW (I also cycle) and I can tell you for sure that I take in more than 2000 calories a day. I have been in great shape this year and set a whole bunch of PRs and I owe it all to higher quality eating and resting.
Runnergal5120 wrote:
lol109 wrote:Before I started running in 7th grade, I was only eating 1200 calerioes a day. So thin and tired all the time. When I began running I was starting to gain muscle and eat better. I eat at least 2200 calerioes a day being a runner. If you are going to eat less then your running will be shite. Your body will not use the extra energy provided from food, but from fat which is very bad. You need to eat more, to be better which is good food. Don't worry about percentages yet. Just limit junk food intake and don't drink soda. Eat more protein and carbs. I hope this helps!
The point of cutting calories and eating less is so my body uses energy from fat so I burn it...
And that is why you are fatigued most of the time. You're not taking in enough food in order to have energy and a strong frame. The body burns fat at a slower rate than it burns Carbs. Fat is the body's secondary energy source. With that being said, that is the reason why you are running at a slow pace. You're not taking in enough food, so you're body is depending on fat for energy. I could see if you were a marathon runner or something, where the running is a lot slower, so practicing to run off of fat as an energy source would make sense in that situation. But for Half Marathon on down, it is all about quality calorie intake and fuel based on carbs. In order to run fast , energy needs to be available immediately so the muscles can work at a fast rate.
Also, one of the golden rules of running is never go on a diet and do run training simultaneously. It will always lead to an abysmal result. You're cutting food intake, while your body needs food intake in order to endure your training and racing.
It's like trying to sew a shirt while you're moving in it at the same time. A dead end.
Eat with moderation, and allow your training to get you fit, not your dieting. Elite runners experiment with food until they find out what works and what does not work. They don't go on diets, or create new food systems. They simply remove and add according to what makes them the best runners that they can be. If oatmeal makes them heavy, and they have issues digesting it, they simply remove it, or don't eat it before running a race.
Make a list of all the foods that work for you, where you get good energy from them: Eat those foods, and don't put a cap on your caloric intake. Just eat regularly, or in moderation, and see how your body responds.
Don't go down this path wrote:
Please read what you originally wrote on this forum to your parents or coach. And then listen to them when they tell you you have at least disordered eating issues and might have anorexia at this point. You might not believe me, but trust me, I know what I'm talking about. Or don't trust me, but tell your parents what you told an anonymous forum.
I sincerely hope you're some messed up troll who thinks he's being funny. I doubt that's the case though.
This was my reaction as well. I won't judge someone who I don't know from across the internet, but your post did concern me. Whether you talk this over with your mom, dad, coach, trusted teacher, older athlete, or other mentor... PLEASE go discuss this with a person or persons who cares about YOU and your well being.
This blog post from a D1 All American track runner turned triathlete might give a good perspective as well.
http://www.triathlete.com/2016/08/features/triathlife-jesse-thomas-weighty-issue_13551710 calories per pound of body weight plus another 1 calorie per pound per mile run. If you eat that much you should be alright.
Being obsessed with eating everything from Whole Foods, plants, perfect percentages is putting you at exceptionally high risk of having an eating disorder eventually.
111 pounds plus an average of 6.5 miles a day nets an average caloric intake requirement of about 1830 kcal/day. If you're under that by about 400 kcal/day you are bound to have lackluster training.
I'm 5'2 and 140 pounds and I'm a guy
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I agree with the previous poster, genetics and hard training make you fast. I'm stick thin and would kill for a 20 min 5k. I'm much older than you and only run about 30 mpw though. Also, at 5'8" and 125 lbs I need 2200 calorie a day minimum. 1500 seems too low
Wait...so you ran a 3 mile time trial on severe calorie restriction and are suprised that it was slow?
I'm a junior girl and even on my lowest mileage weeks (25mpw) and even when I'm not running at all, I still eat 2500 a day minimum; I would faint if I ate as little as you. 1450 and 48mpw sounds like you would go into starvation mode. And I've had eating disorders so I know a thing or two about weight and calorie restriction.
In terms of distance running, why do you do distance? Just curious. Some people are naturally built for different events. I ran distance the past two years but I was recently told that I'd be a good 800m runner. So I'm moving down. Your 800m time hints at great potential. Why not try to tap into it?
I challenge you to simply eat a well balanced diet and quit counting calories altogether.
Just relax and enjoy the sport and the lifestyle. Eat until you are satisfied and fulfilled, whatever that caloric number is.
I guarantee you you'll find a ton of success. It's not rocket science. Eat well, run well, race well. Your body knows what it is doing, listen to your body. Eat when your hungry, don't eat when you're not.
You can't run well long-term if you are under nourished - and if you are eating enough and training hard, carrying around a few extra pounds isn't going to be what holds you back from being successful. Maybe if you were trying to be ultra-elite (make an Olympic team or something) you want to hit some sort of perfect weight, but to be a great high school runner you can keep those "extra" 6 pounds.
I was struggling with the same feelings you're describing after a season when I was in college - tired all the time, felt heavy and slow. I saw a doctor, got a nutrition plan that involved eating way more carbs, and I bounced back for cross country season just fine.
If you want to run in college, or even have a successful year (XC and track), you need to focus on a long-term eating solution that is sustainable. Not eating 1400 calories a day. Not only eating "Whole Foods" - eating only vegetables and protein isn't going to get you there. Don't fall into the trap thinking that if you eat cake or ice cream or bread that you'll run poorly. It's simply not true that eating something "bad" is going to ruin your running career.
You may be in a little running rut - overtrained, undertrained, who knows. But the answer to your problems isn't restricting your calories or types of foods you eat - that's going to lead to more fatigue, unhealthy eating, potentially an eating disorder, injuries, and burnout. Just like you (presumably) trust your coach to come up with a training plan, you need to trust a doctor and a nutritionist to come up with an eating plan.
olderrunninglady wrote:
You can't run well long-term if you are under nourished - and if you are eating enough and training hard, carrying around a few extra pounds isn't going to be what holds you back from being successful. Maybe if you were trying to be ultra-elite (make an Olympic team or something) you want to hit some sort of perfect weight, but to be a great high school runner you can keep those "extra" 6 pounds.
I was struggling with the same feelings you're describing after a season when I was in college - tired all the time, felt heavy and slow. I saw a doctor, got a nutrition plan that involved eating way more carbs, and I bounced back for cross country season just fine.
If you want to run in college, or even have a successful year (XC and track), you need to focus on a long-term eating solution that is sustainable. Not eating 1400 calories a day. Not only eating "Whole Foods" - eating only vegetables and protein isn't going to get you there. Don't fall into the trap thinking that if you eat cake or ice cream or bread that you'll run poorly. It's simply not true that eating something "bad" is going to ruin your running career.
You may be in a little running rut - overtrained, undertrained, who knows. But the answer to your problems isn't restricting your calories or types of foods you eat - that's going to lead to more fatigue, unhealthy eating, potentially an eating disorder, injuries, and burnout. Just like you (presumably) trust your coach to come up with a training plan, you need to trust a doctor and a nutritionist to come up with an eating plan.
This x100. I wish someone would have told me these things when I was in high school and in the same mindset. Speaking of mindset, if you find yourself denying the above information is true, you are in a skewed mental state that can lead to an eating disorder if you don't already have one. The good news is you're still young and can prevent further health (and running performance) damage early by seeking treatment.
Runnergal5120 wrote:
lol109 wrote:Before I started running in 7th grade, I was only eating 1200 calerioes a day. So thin and tired all the time. When I began running I was starting to gain muscle and eat better. I eat at least 2200 calerioes a day being a runner. If you are goung to eat less then your running will be shite. Your body will not use the extra energy provided from food, but from fat which is very bad. You need to eat more, to be better which is good food. Don't worry about percentages yet. Just limit junk food intake and don't drink soda. Eat more protein and carbs. I hope this helps!
The point of cutting calories and eating less is so my body uses energy from fat so I burn it...
I am going to give you some honest advice because you sound serious about this, like you've done a good amount of thinking and research, and also because I disagree with the folks on here who think your thinking is already flawed/disordered and on the way to an eating disorder. Also, I'd like to help you avoid going down that path. Some of this you're already doing, which is great.
For background, I struggled with something similar. I no longer run competitively (I'm out of college now) but I still do run about 50 mpw, and only towards the end of college / after college did I finally figure it out. My BMI is right around 20 and I consider myself at the "right" weight for me.
1. Give up counting calories - This doesn't work at all for most folks. For me, I wouldn't count accurately and wouldn't include little things I snacked on, etc. Or I would save up calories until the end of the day or week and then binge. From what I've experienced people either suck at sustaining this or they are way too good at it and it turns into disordered eating.
2. Focus on nutrient to calorie ratio. I don't mean actually count or anything, but generally picking things that pack a lot of nutrient 'punch' into the amount of calories they give you will make a huge difference. If you're not sure what foods are truly good for you, I recommend you read the book Eat to Live or the beginning of Shalane Flanagan's cookbook. These are both very educational and helpful.
3. Motivate yourself by how good eating makes you feel rather than your weight, how it impacts your running, etc. This has worked wonders for me- I find it very motivating to consider that I won't feel good on my run in the morning if I eat a bowl of ice cream right before bed, or I won't feel good GI wise if I eat a lot of processed 'healthy' food (like nature valley bars, pretzels, etc). It sounds like you're on this frame of mind by being motivated by not enjoying how you currently feel while running. Focus on that.
4. Don't weigh yourself regularly. Similar to 1. Focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. There's so many factors to weight- I have just found that it fluctuates too much to be worth it to worry over 5lbs.
5. Get in touch with how being full feels and learn how to listen to your body. This is so important. If you eat the right foods and focus on eating until (and not past) being full on a regular basis, you will not struggle with your weight. Learn to think about and consider how uncomfortable it feels to be eating when you're already full and how that makes you feel the next day. Again, focus on how it makes you feel and be motivated by that.
6. Think long term. When I struggled with my weight, I really thought it would be awesome if I could have an eating disorder (though I was no good at starving myself). That's a terrible thing to think. Now, years later, I am SO glad that I wasn't able to go down this path. It permanently screws up your body. Girls I know who struggled with this now struggle to keep their weight down, struggle to keep their weight up or struggle to even maintain a healthy life without needing to be hospitalized. It's just not worth the constant yo-yoing that you will deal with for the rest of your life- it screws up your metabolism and your mind. Instead, think of this as an opportunity to really start to listen to your body and learn how to use food as fuel. Chances are, your body is still 'settling in' and you will go through more minor changes or fluctuations. Think beyond that- when you are in your early to mid-twenties and beyond- what type of mentality and body do you want to have? Accept that it might take some time. I know that's hard b/c it's your senior year, but life is long and there is always more running out there if you want it.
7. Moderation Moderation Moderation! You are only 17 or 18. Do not deny yourself of everything you like to eat. That's not sustainable and sets you up for a crappy life trying to sustain that forever. Instead, focus on eating the nutrient dense foods first and making good choices most of the time. Try to limit yourself to junk foods and allow yourself only the ones you like the most.
And finally-
8. Enjoy eating! And focus on meals. When you eat, sit down to eat and limit multitasking. Make sure you are comfortable eating significant portions of your calories with and in front of others. Embrace how fun good, healthy food can be to eat and prepare.
Good luck! Hope this is helpful.
Oh one more thing is that although 6-8 lbs may seem like a lot to you, it's not and it's likely there is another cause at play- a minute is a lot unless you are comparing season end results to season start results. Before you rush to drop weight, I'd also recommend (like other folks have) that you consult with your coach and parents and see a doctor. There are a number of things that could make you feel heavy when running that have nothing to do w/ weight:
- Poor nutrition / not enough fuel
- Lack of training (doubt this is a factor)
- Poor sleep
- Sickness (Lyme disease, mono, anemia, etc.)
- Psychological factors (Depression, mentally psyching yourself out thinking you've gained weight, etc.)
julsome wrote:
Runnergal5120 wrote:The point of cutting calories and eating less is so my body uses energy from fat so I burn it...
I am going to give you some honest advice because you sound serious about this, like you've done a good amount of thinking and research, and also because I disagree with the folks on here who think your thinking is already flawed/disordered and on the way to an eating disorder. Also, I'd like to help you avoid going down that path. Some of this you're already doing, which is great.
For background, I struggled with something similar. I no longer run competitively (I'm out of college now) but I still do run about 50 mpw, and only towards the end of college / after college did I finally figure it out. My BMI is right around 20 and I consider myself at the "right" weight for me.
1. Give up counting calories - This doesn't work at all for most folks. For me, I wouldn't count accurately and wouldn't include little things I snacked on, etc. Or I would save up calories until the end of the day or week and then binge. From what I've experienced people either suck at sustaining this or they are way too good at it and it turns into disordered eating.
2. Focus on nutrient to calorie ratio. I don't mean actually count or anything, but generally picking things that pack a lot of nutrient 'punch' into the amount of calories they give you will make a huge difference. If you're not sure what foods are truly good for you, I recommend you read the book Eat to Live or the beginning of Shalane Flanagan's cookbook. These are both very educational and helpful.
3. Motivate yourself by how good eating makes you feel rather than your weight, how it impacts your running, etc. This has worked wonders for me- I find it very motivating to consider that I won't feel good on my run in the morning if I eat a bowl of ice cream right before bed, or I won't feel good GI wise if I eat a lot of processed 'healthy' food (like nature valley bars, pretzels, etc). It sounds like you're on this frame of mind by being motivated by not enjoying how you currently feel while running. Focus on that.
4. Don't weigh yourself regularly. Similar to 1. Focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. There's so many factors to weight- I have just found that it fluctuates too much to be worth it to worry over 5lbs.
5. Get in touch with how being full feels and learn how to listen to your body. This is so important. If you eat the right foods and focus on eating until (and not past) being full on a regular basis, you will not struggle with your weight. Learn to think about and consider how uncomfortable it feels to be eating when you're already full and how that makes you feel the next day. Again, focus on how it makes you feel and be motivated by that.
6. Think long term. When I struggled with my weight, I really thought it would be awesome if I could have an eating disorder (though I was no good at starving myself). That's a terrible thing to think. Now, years later, I am SO glad that I wasn't able to go down this path. It permanently screws up your body. Girls I know who struggled with this now struggle to keep their weight down, struggle to keep their weight up or struggle to even maintain a healthy life without needing to be hospitalized. It's just not worth the constant yo-yoing that you will deal with for the rest of your life- it screws up your metabolism and your mind. Instead, think of this as an opportunity to really start to listen to your body and learn how to use food as fuel. Chances are, your body is still 'settling in' and you will go through more minor changes or fluctuations. Think beyond that- when you are in your early to mid-twenties and beyond- what type of mentality and body do you want to have? Accept that it might take some time. I know that's hard b/c it's your senior year, but life is long and there is always more running out there if you want it.
7. Moderation Moderation Moderation! You are only 17 or 18. Do not deny yourself of everything you like to eat. That's not sustainable and sets you up for a crappy life trying to sustain that forever. Instead, focus on eating the nutrient dense foods first and making good choices most of the time. Try to limit yourself to junk foods and allow yourself only the ones you like the most.
And finally-
8. Enjoy eating! And focus on meals. When you eat, sit down to eat and limit multitasking. Make sure you are comfortable eating significant portions of your calories with and in front of others. Embrace how fun good, healthy food can be to eat and prepare.
Good luck! Hope this is helpful.
Hey, this is probably one of this first helpful and non-negative/degrading messages I've gotten from this thread. Everything you said I've thought of, but hearing it in different words and from a different person helps me so much and encourages me to follow through with it, knowing that someone else has done it and it worked for them. So thank you. :) â¤ï¸ I'm starting to make a little section in my notes on my phone with motivation for me, etc. and I'm going to screenshot this response and put it in there. What you said is so true. I am 100% insecure with my image, but sometimes when I give up and "binge" I kind of give up and say well your body sucks anyways so whatever. But when I think "will this make me a successful runner?" I typically am really smart about my choices. You have no idea how much I appreciate the genuine thought you put into your response. Thank you so much and I'm really going to work on all of this.
julsome wrote:
Runnergal5120 wrote:The point of cutting calories and eating less is so my body uses energy from fat so I burn it...
I am going to give you some honest advice because you sound serious about this, like you've done a good amount of thinking and research, and also because I disagree with the folks on here who think your thinking is already flawed/disordered and on the way to an eating disorder. Also, I'd like to help you avoid going down that path. Some of this you're already doing, which is great.
For background, I struggled with something similar. I no longer run competitively (I'm out of college now) but I still do run about 50 mpw, and only towards the end of college / after college did I finally figure it out. My BMI is right around 20 and I consider myself at the "right" weight for me.
1. Give up counting calories - This doesn't work at all for most folks. For me, I wouldn't count accurately and wouldn't include little things I snacked on, etc. Or I would save up calories until the end of the day or week and then binge. From what I've experienced people either suck at sustaining this or they are way too good at it and it turns into disordered eating.
2. Focus on nutrient to calorie ratio. I don't mean actually count or anything, but generally picking things that pack a lot of nutrient 'punch' into the amount of calories they give you will make a huge difference. If you're not sure what foods are truly good for you, I recommend you read the book Eat to Live or the beginning of Shalane Flanagan's cookbook. These are both very educational and helpful.
3. Motivate yourself by how good eating makes you feel rather than your weight, how it impacts your running, etc. This has worked wonders for me- I find it very motivating to consider that I won't feel good on my run in the morning if I eat a bowl of ice cream right before bed, or I won't feel good GI wise if I eat a lot of processed 'healthy' food (like nature valley bars, pretzels, etc). It sounds like you're on this frame of mind by being motivated by not enjoying how you currently feel while running. Focus on that.
4. Don't weigh yourself regularly. Similar to 1. Focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. There's so many factors to weight- I have just found that it fluctuates too much to be worth it to worry over 5lbs.
5. Get in touch with how being full feels and learn how to listen to your body. This is so important. If you eat the right foods and focus on eating until (and not past) being full on a regular basis, you will not struggle with your weight. Learn to think about and consider how uncomfortable it feels to be eating when you're already full and how that makes you feel the next day. Again, focus on how it makes you feel and be motivated by that.
6. Think long term. When I struggled with my weight, I really thought it would be awesome if I could have an eating disorder (though I was no good at starving myself). That's a terrible thing to think. Now, years later, I am SO glad that I wasn't able to go down this path. It permanently screws up your body. Girls I know who struggled with this now struggle to keep their weight down, struggle to keep their weight up or struggle to even maintain a healthy life without needing to be hospitalized. It's just not worth the constant yo-yoing that you will deal with for the rest of your life- it screws up your metabolism and your mind. Instead, think of this as an opportunity to really start to listen to your body and learn how to use food as fuel. Chances are, your body is still 'settling in' and you will go through more minor changes or fluctuations. Think beyond that- when you are in your early to mid-twenties and beyond- what type of mentality and body do you want to have? Accept that it might take some time. I know that's hard b/c it's your senior year, but life is long and there is always more running out there if you want it.
7. Moderation Moderation Moderation! You are only 17 or 18. Do not deny yourself of everything you like to eat. That's not sustainable and sets you up for a crappy life trying to sustain that forever. Instead, focus on eating the nutrient dense foods first and making good choices most of the time. Try to limit yourself to junk foods and allow yourself only the ones you like the most.
And finally-
8. Enjoy eating! And focus on meals. When you eat, sit down to eat and limit multitasking. Make sure you are comfortable eating significant portions of your calories with and in front of others. Embrace how fun good, healthy food can be to eat and prepare.
Good luck! Hope this is helpful.
And to the whole calories thing.. you are right. I need to delete the app I've been using, it's just messing with my mind. My problem is though mentally I've relied so much on calorie counting that it's difficult for me to know what is enough and what isn't enough because I'm so used to saying "ok, you've hit X amount of calories, STOP" but I'm going to try to really eat slower, etc and listen and understand when I am really physically hungry/physically not hungry anymore etc. Which is why when I stop counting for a little it's difficult for me because I usually end up gaining weight or not losing.
another runner girl wrote:
Hey, I know how you're feeling, and it is completely natural, but not necessarily okay. I'm 19 years old, 5'8, and 135 pounds (I gained 12 pounds on birth control and I have successfully lost 7 pounds). We have the same bmi, and I am completely healthy. Going into my senior cross season, I felt like I was overweight too. I have always struggled with eating issues, and I practiced disordered eating. It was a disaster. I was eating 1500-1600 calories a day and running 55 mpw. Going into the following track season, I was in a much healthier mindset and eating 2700-3000 calories a day, 60 mpw and running MUCH faster. So you're a few pounds more than last year? You'll lose it, a lot of runners gain a few in the summer anyways. Restricting your cals that much is not healthy and will lead to unhealthy patterns. I have lost my weight by eating all organic and running 65 mpw in 85 degree temps. For reference my "3 mile" pr is about 17:40 for cross, or an 18:20 5k. You do not need to restrict your cals that much, the fast times will come when the hard work is put in.
Those are amazing PRs! Honestly right now I don't even know if I'm capable of being under 19 minutes, I haven't even gotten under 20 :/. But thank you for the motivation. I don't think I'll be eating that much, but the general message of your response: along with faster times, training harder and eating healthily comes with weight loss. Weight loss and faster times are the outcome, and faster times are a result from hard work, weight loss, and proper nutrition. I just need to be able to mentally hold myself from junk and eating when I'm not hungry. It's just incredibly difficult being surrounded by teammates who eat that way and three other family members who buy pastries and junk every week, but I'm going to really need to mentally push myself and resist if I want to get better which I really really do
scorpion_runner wrote:
Runnergal5120 wrote:The point of cutting calories and eating less is so my body uses energy from fat so I burn it...
And that is why you are fatigued most of the time. You're not taking in enough food in order to have energy and a strong frame. The body burns fat at a slower rate than it burns Carbs. Fat is the body's secondary energy source. With that being said, that is the reason why you are running at a slow pace. You're not taking in enough food, so you're body is depending on fat for energy. I could see if you were a marathon runner or something, where the running is a lot slower, so practicing to run off of fat as an energy source would make sense in that situation. But for Half Marathon on down, it is all about quality calorie intake and fuel based on carbs. In order to run fast , energy needs to be available immediately so the muscles can work at a fast rate.
Also, one of the golden rules of running is never go on a diet and do run training simultaneously. It will always lead to an abysmal result. You're cutting food intake, while your body needs food intake in order to endure your training and racing.
It's like trying to sew a shirt while you're moving in it at the same time. A dead end.
Eat with moderation, and allow your training to get you fit, not your dieting. Elite runners experiment with food until they find out what works and what does not work. They don't go on diets, or create new food systems. They simply remove and add according to what makes them the best runners that they can be. If oatmeal makes them heavy, and they have issues digesting it, they simply remove it, or don't eat it before running a race.
Make a list of all the foods that work for you, where you get good energy from them: Eat those foods, and don't put a cap on your caloric intake. Just eat regularly, or in moderation, and see how your body responds.
You are jumping to the assumption that I am constantly restricting my calories and not eating enough. If that were the case, I'd probably be at my ideal weight by now if not way under and I wouldn't be bitching on this forum in the first place. If I'm not at that weight, and actually gaining weight and running slower, obviously that is not the case. Don't assume, and connect the dots.
XCandtrack wrote:
Wait...so you ran a 3 mile time trial on severe calorie restriction and are suprised that it was slow?
I'm a junior girl and even on my lowest mileage weeks (25mpw) and even when I'm not running at all, I still eat 2500 a day minimum; I would faint if I ate as little as you. 1450 and 48mpw sounds like you would go into starvation mode. And I've had eating disorders so I know a thing or two about weight and calorie restriction.
In terms of distance running, why do you do distance? Just curious. Some people are naturally built for different events. I ran distance the past two years but I was recently told that I'd be a good 800m runner. So I'm moving down. Your 800m time hints at great potential. Why not try to tap into it?
I do XC in fall and track in Spring, focusing on the 800. And I didn't run the 3 mile on a calorie restriction. If I did a successful long term calorie restriction, I'd be at my ideal weight by then. Which I was not, I was 6 pounds over, gaining 4 pounds this summer. That means I've actually been eating more than I need to this summer with unsuccessful attempts to lose weight. I ran it in a balanced meal the night before of egg whites, brown rice, green peas, and turkey.
tempo advice wrote:
I challenge you to simply eat a well balanced diet and quit counting calories altogether.
Just relax and enjoy the sport and the lifestyle. Eat until you are satisfied and fulfilled, whatever that caloric number is.
I guarantee you you'll find a ton of success. It's not rocket science. Eat well, run well, race well. Your body knows what it is doing, listen to your body. Eat when your hungry, don't eat when you're not.
After reading this response and a few from others, I just deleted my calorie app. And I won't let myself download it again. This week I'm going to take this advice and listen to when my body is hungry and not and weigh myself at the end of
It, and I'll see if it works out. It's going to be a challenge but I can't live like this forever. I appreciate the response, thank you.