Why I Didn't Lose Weight Training for a Marathon (and I'm Not Alone)

A meal plan user emailed:

"I'm training for a few half marathons this Spring and summer. I still want to lose weight following your 1200 calorie plans but know I need to add some extra fuel for those workouts, especially as I increase mileage. How should I add calories and at what interval? I am just starting out on my 12 week plan this week. I'm concerned about once I start getting to my long run weeks, 5-6 weeks from now. Thank you!"

http://photos.happyherbivore.com/2014/03/running.jpg

Don't kill the messenger but, you probably won't lose it while you're training for a half marathon. I never lost weight running marathons (much to my unhappiness--- and I was eating so well!) and found that was common among most of the people in my running group. (I was always surprised to see people at marathons who weren't.... Olympian fit.)

Exercise complicates things and often makes it harder to lose fat, especially when you don't have a lot left to still lose. There are just so many ways it can go wrong. Exercise creates all these crazy variables. I ran into this all the time with my clients when I was a personal trainer. It got to the point where I wouldn't work with them (weights, etc) until they achieved their desired weight-loss through diet alone (or diet + walking or light yoga).

Of course, you want to eat well so you can train, prevent soreness, and do your best PR! That should be your focus. After the spring, work on weight-loss through diet.

The scale is also going to make you crazy if you look at it hoping to see losses while exercising -- particularly marathon training. You will put on muscle during training, and you'll be frustrated the scale goes up, not down. Or it stays the same. Without fail I always (ALWAYS) gained 5-7lbs before a marathon. The scale is a liar, though, because your body comp is changing. You're not getting "fatter."

See these posts for more info:

What Weighs More: A Pound of Fat or Pound of Muscle? (& Why the Scale is a Frenemy!)

Why you can't lose weight from exercise combined with caloric restriction

That said, with the meal plans, you want to follow them, but then plan to add other foods, especially high carb foods like potatoes or grains, to give you the extra cals you need to sustain training. If you feel weak or tired, you haven't eaten enough. Don't let yourself go hungry. Eat as needed. I found kale 3x a day also meant I never had soreness.

Good luck!

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