I've completed the C25K and have been keeping up 3 runs per week. Some 5k, some less. I've lost just under 2 stone since changing my diet and running. Problem is, I'm now at weight I'm happy with but still losing weight. How much more do people eat when running to maintain weight? I don't want to start eating the wrong things as I'm feeling better than I have in a long time but don't know what to do to not lose anymore. I'm eating about 1600 calories per day at the minute.
sorry for the long post
Written by
Remus71
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There’s an excellent calorie calculator on the NHS website, which will give you a range to eat in to maintain your weight. As you are now an athlete, I’d try eating to the upper limit of the range it gives you and then monitoring your weight. If you are still losing slowly, then track your runs for an estimated calorie burn and eat about half of that after a run, monitor again and adjust how much over the recommended calories you need.
You need to eat more calories if you don’t want to lose any more weight. I wouldn’t say anyone would need to eat more to run 15k a week really. You just need to introduce more sugars, fats and carbs back into your food intake.
Similarly, I'm now at my preferred weight (about 69-70kg), having lost 12kg (nearly 2 stone) over about 18 months.
Just eat sensibly for the amount of activity you're doing. You'll need a good mix of protein, fats and carbs. 1600 Calories daily seems more like a base amount to me. If you're doing, say, 5km every other day you probably want to add at least another 200-300.
You'll probably find that your invigorated metabolism can cope with whatever calorific intake you throw at it, eg. Christmas excesses.
I no longer worry that my Friday fish and chips and bottle of ale is going to lie on my stomach, or that a couple of chocolate digestives are something to be avoided.
If you fancy the occasional treat, you can now have it without feeling guilty.
Nowadays I might weigh myself after a long run more to check how much fluid I've lost.
Thanks for this. I think I'm not taking into account the extra calories in using on my runs. I was always lead to believe that you wouldn't lose weight just from running the short amounts I'm doing but like you say, I think it's kick started my metabolism so upping my calories is a must. Just hate when you've been told to lose the weight means eating less then suddenly you're eating more (but that I'm complaining haha)
You also need to remember that you might sweat a lot during a run, and I have sweated an estimated litre during a few recently. One litre weighs a kilo.
Remember not to weigh yourself immediately after a run or after drinking fluids. The results will be meaningless.
Well done on your weight loss Remus71 . You've lost it by restricting calories significantly though, not just from doing short runs. Those will certainly have helped by using maybe 300 calories per run depending on distance and your weight, and by increasing your muscle and reducing fat.
However many people come on here thinking they'll lose weight just by doing C25K regardless of what they eat, and that's not the case. The other trap people fall into is thinking they need to eat more to make up for calories burned by running, and they end up over-compensating.
From what you say you certainly don't need to continue to restrict your calorie intake as severely as you have been doing. You can and should eat more, it's just a matter of finding the right balance.
Thanks Cmoi, I was eating way too much sugar before and having a lot of menopause symptoms which is what prompted me to start the C25K . The plan was to ease symptoms as I only weighed 11st before but now I'm at 9st 4lb. I'll start introducing more good calories as I don't want to go back to how I felt before with the sugar overloads.
You're right that quantities of sugar isn't a great idea Remus71 - I should know! Menopause changed my body shape and where I carry any excess weight, though I only started running aged 59, so can't compare pre- and post-menopausal running.
I've never run until now at age 51 and have to say hot flushes in the middle of a run are not pleasant 🙄 I can't take HRT so finding something to ease the symptoms was the only way forward. Love how encouraging everyone is on this site and its really helped me to keep going.
I read that if you burn 500 calories more each day than you eat, you should lose 1lb per week. When I was dieting I used my FitBit to monitor my calories burned and logged my food intake as accurately as I could (literally weighing everything). I lost on average 1lb per week!! So it seems to be quite accurate.Working in reverse, if you know how much weight you are losing a week, you should be able to work out how many more calories you need per day to maintain you work.
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