loosing the bulk!

christian hesch?

More miles. Build slowly and when you start to get over 40 miles per week the weight will start falling off. Keep the hills, lose the track workouts for now. Start running longer. Be sure get in at least 1 long run a week. You should be able to do 12 now. Build from there. Don't do the same mileage everyday, be sure to work in easy days. Consider looking at a Hal Higdon program now, then move onto Advanced Marathoning by Phitzinger and learn how periodization works. Hope this helps and best of luck. Stay healthy.

I agree with TRNR. Begin building up your mileage and definitely do a long run. That's going to be a key. As far as healthy eating goes, make sure you get lots of veggies, but don't cut out things like pasta and bread, and definitely not protein. When I'm trying to drop some weight while I train, I usually eat a lot of chicken and fish with lots of veggies and then a couple nights a week I have pasta. Also try a multi-vitamin while you are adjusting your diet.

Try to stay away from soda or the other really sugar packed drinks.

I was in the same situation. What did it for me was running two workouts, one was a 4 mile lunchtime run easy and then another longer 7-9 mile workout after work. I was averaging 50+ miles a week including a rest day. I cut back on my diet and I dropped from 230 to just under 200 in 3 months. But, I developed bursitis in my hip in March and gained 12-15 lbs back! since then. I am back on my two a days now though and hope to get back under 200 in a month. I currently weigh about 212 and am 6'2" tall.

thanks for the help. i was not sure what to do with the long run = 20% of your weekly mileage. when i was just trying for 20 miles a week it seemed absurd that my "long run" would be 4 miles. i actually tried following that strategy but then the other 4-5 days i had to run 3-4 miles per day. i was fine with that until after the third consecutive day of 3-4 miles when my body just seemed tired. so i started running a long run of 6-8 miles which when i am trying for 25 miles per week is right around 25-30% of weekly total.

i dont drink soda. maybe a couple a week.

do the two a days really make that much of a difference? i didnt think it would be relevant to get up in the A.M. to run 1.5-2 miles and then do the usual 2-4 in the evening. figured i shouldnt start two a days until i was running 5-8 in the evening?

Couple a week is 300 calories though.....equates to about 4 pounds in a year. Those sodas make a difference over time.

By getting exercise in the morning it boosts your metabolism up all day long until your evening run.

Don't drink sports drinks unless you run on an extremely hot day and sweat a lot. Sports drinks = soft drinks. Sugar and Salt.

Reduce the amount you eat at one sitting and eat a little all day.

Your body absorbs nutrients best within the half hour of exercise. If you eat within 30 minutes of exercise it goes right into your body. If you wait your body stores it and then has to consume the nutrients.

Unless you are training for a marathon don't run for a marathon, because the more your body burns the more your body craves.

well i am trying to loose weight ultimatley but what am i suppose to do if i am not increasing mileage? try to run the same 20-30 miles per week at 6-7 minute pace?

"lose" not "loose"

Loosing (lossening) the bulk sounds like you have constipation.

If you really want to lose some weight why not try increasing some miles temporarily?

I'm recommend trying some doubles. Before you run away screaming hear out the whole theory.

Run an easy 30 minutes three mornings or evenings per week opposite your normal run. At your current pace that's an extra 9 miles. Don't add it to your current runs.

Adding the extra runs will extend the amount of time you're burning calories. Doing it as a separate run will decrease the impact on your system, but also increase the fat buring more than adding it to an existing run.

There's good reasoning behind it. Your body continues to burn at a higher level for a period of time after you exercise. For example your body may take 15 minutes to return to normal. If you exercise once for 60 sixty minutes your burn for 75 minutes. Two 30 minute workouts will get you 90 minutes fat burning. (Time periods are just examples for illustration)

thanks again for the tips. i just thought it wouldnt be beneficial to only run 30 minutes in the morning unless i was doing more mileage in the evening.

i will try the three morning runs. that sounds like a reasonable new approach.

clyde clydesdale wrote:

well i am trying to loose weight ultimatley but what am i suppose to do if i am not increasing mileage? try to run the same 20-30 miles per week at 6-7 minute pace?

Dude, not to minimize your efforts here or to be insensitive to your struggles with losing weight, but if you're running 20-30 miles a week and you're overweight, then you are simply EATING TOO MUCH. Don't try to up the mileage or tinker with the pace. Quit eating as much and lose the weight.

1) So, you go for a long run of 6-8 miles. THIS DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE FREEDOM THEN TO EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT. You just burned maybe 800 calories (perhaps a little more since you're big), but then if have a Big Mac meal, you just blew that all to hell. (600 calories for the sandwich, 250 for the fries, and 150 on up for the soda depending on size)

2) People who have "struggled" with weight loss, need to take a focused approach to it. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you should lose 1-2 pounds per week.

To lose a pound per week, take your weight (230) times 12 (since you're a guy; times 11 if you're female) and that is the number of calories you expend AT REST each day (like a sedentary cubicle job). So for you, 12 x 230 = 2760. You need to have a 500 calorie deficit every day to lose a pound, so 2760-500=2260. Now, lets say you average 25 miles per week and we'll give you 100 calories per mile - that's 357 extra calories each day you can eat, so 2260+357=2617. Soooo, if you keep running as you are, you can eat 2617 calories per day and lose a pound a week. As you lose weight though, you need to adjust that number down.

Points:

1) Most people lose more than a pound or two in the first focused week of weight loss. This is primarily water weight, and I don't have the time to go into detail about why that is right now, but rest assured you might lose 5 pounds or even more that first week. Be assured it will taper off and it will be hard to lose a pound or two from then on each week.

2) While the calorie count is the magic number, there are some tips to help you stay within that calorie count - a) drink lots of WATER (the more you PEE, the thinner you'll BE); b)Don't eat within 3 hours of bed time; no magic here other than it's just not necessary to eat before bed time. Drink water to stave off hunger pangs.

3) Never rationalize eating tons of food because you just went on a long run. If you're still too fat, you really need to not eat too much.

Good luck.

Clyde - you're a big guy that likes to run and wants to step it up a notch. Puh-leeeeze don't start counting calories as suggested immediately above. You're a man for god's sakes. Be sensible. Elimating soda is a great idea. Fruits as snacks is another idea that helped me. Run a little more. If you do a workout than make sure you run easy the next day.

You're not Alan Culpepper. Running to eat is an excellent side benefit. If you really get caught up in the sport you can look forward to being a 155 pound "heavy" guy worried about the beer after work.

I am a 17 y/o male 5'4 118 (competitive runner)..I seem to lose 1-2 lbs during my 80-90 min runs at 6:30-7 min pace. So I suggest your fat behind puts on some more clothing layers and runs for 60+ mins at a runners pace (no comfort zone) to really sweat it out!

If my skinny ass can lose some weight, which is prolly just fluid...your fat behind should be losing some real FAT.

hehe, was that a joke?

Spencer Haywood wrote:

Clyde - you're a big guy that likes to run and wants to step it up a notch. Puh-leeeeze don't start counting calories as suggested immediately above. You're a man for god's sakes. Be sensible. Elimating soda is a great idea. Fruits as snacks is another idea that helped me. Run a little more. If you do a workout than make sure you run easy the next day.

You're not Alan Culpepper. Running to eat is an excellent side benefit. If you really get caught up in the sport you can look forward to being a 155 pound "heavy" guy worried about the beer after work.

Spencer H,

Counting calories is what someone needs to do to learn how much is in the crap they eat. Once he does this for a while and loses the weight, he can quit counting them, but counting them and staying under is THE GUARANTEED way to lose the weight. Plus, you seem to think he'll get "caught up in the sport". He just admitted he's a 20-30 mile a week "jogger". Don't think he's going to get "caught up in the sport." Just eliminating soda and eating more fruit won't work for everyone. He might do that but still eat huge meals - that ain't gonna do it. Dude needs to watch what he eats, and this means counting calories for a while. Any other advice is just guestimates. Counting calories and sticking within the allottment is THE BEST way to do it. If just being "sensible" were enough, then everyone would be thin.

I agree with Flagpole - counting calories is the best way to lose weight - if you think running alone will do it, then you will be sorely disappointed.

However, you can (and should) up your mileage and take the miles run into account when assessing your overall calorie intake versus deficit for the day. That way you get fitter while losing weight, and get the benefit of keeping your metabolism high while dieting. But you absolutely have to count the calories to make it work.

The first days are always the hardest. I have lost weight by upping mileage and decreasing intake and my best advice to you is:

stop eating after 7 or 8 depending on when you go to bed. If you are still hungry have a glass of skimmed milk to line your stomach - or work out your calories so that you have enough left for a small bowl of high fiber cereal at the end of the evening to stop the pangs before you go to bed.

Have one day off per week. Don't go mad, but just have a day where you can have a nice meal with whatever you want. If I didn't do this, I would feel like giving up because there seems to be no end in sight. I usually have this day on the day of my long run...

Good luck!

clydesdale, is your name christian hesch?