I'm a 5'1", vegan, marathon and ultra-marathon runner.
Since transitioning from running mainly half marathon distances to running mainly marathon and ultra-marathon distances, my weight and body fat % have increased! (I know. NOT fair.) As I still do lots of resistance/strength training and speed work training, this has less to do with the type of training I'm doing and everything to do with the fact that I've discovered a vegan chocolate spread that tastes exactly like Nutella and is utterly amazing, spread with peanut butter on a wholegrain wrap. (Or, more specifically, on several wholegrain wraps, one after the other...)
I'm here because I really want to nip my chaotic and overeating habits in the bud and take control of them, before they take control of me. I also want to lose the few lbs (minimum 6lbs, maximum 10lbs) it will take to get me back to my optimum performance/race weight. I can't do this alone and am hoping for some support from this lovely community!
Thanks in advance...
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Runnergy
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I am sure you will get the beginners welcome pack soon from Low Cal or one of the fab fivers who will explain all about the nhs 12 week programme and the weigh in and challenges.
I use the ap myfitnesspal to check calories and to monitor nutrition value. It is free and works really well for me. Worth having a look at it if you haven't already done so.
Good luck with losing the pounds and winning the races!
I think you have identified the culprit here don't you?
I got to within 10lbs of my target and for some inexplicable reason started to eat ice cream and biscuits, going completely off track for 2 weeks and one evening scoffing a whole pack of biscuits Fortunately I only gained 3lbs and after giving myself a good talking to I am back on track and hope to start losing again.
Good luck, this forum is fantastic and I am sure there are members who are in a similar situation as you who can give help and motivation to get those extra pounds off John
You took the words right out of my mouth John!! One thing I have learnt on this weight loss journey us making the mental connection between calories in and weight loss. When you work SO hard to burn off a coupke hundred calories it really makes you think twice about eating extra!!
Runnergy you know the answer! Good luck 😊 Mega admiration for all the running btw 😊
Welcome, I'm a dairy-free pescetarian, if that makes sense, so would love to know the brand of your vegan nutella. But maybe I shouldn't ask! How are you going to get started - do you already know how many calories you have or that you need to stick to to lose weight? It sounds like you've started this at the right moment, a couple of months watching cals/portion control should turn things around easily. Look for the "welcome newbies" thread, it's pinned at the top of the weight loss nhs page, loads of good starting advice in there. Good luck!
Thanks. Yes - I know what I have to do (nutritionally and so on) as I'm a qualified nutritional advisor and fitness professional, but it's just a case of being accountable really (without being judged by PT clients ) hence why I'm here.
Welcome to the Weight Loss NHS forum. I know you're already finding your way around, and that you've posted in the Monday group weigh-in - fantastic to know you'll be joining us for that, and I hope you'll find it really supportive and motivating.
Your photo is great! You look incredibly fit and your running achievements are brilliant!
Have you read our Welcome Newbie post yet? moreless has put this together, and it's very inspiring and contains so many amazing posts from people in the community. Look at the right-hand-side of the homepage and you'll see some Pinned posts, and the Welcome Newbie post is the top one there. There are also numerous Challenges going on, so do check out if you'd like to join in with any of them. Especially the Kilometre One Challenge that Hidden is doing, as we could do with your Running Kms - if you care to participate!
If you click on 'view more' you'll also find our Recipe Collation post, which is worth a read - there are various recipe and meal ideas there, and it's ever growing.
Enjoy the forum, and I hope you'll get lots of support and motivation from being here.
Lots of questions. Is your peanut butter sugar free? when do you your wrap/spread bingeing? , eg nightime? or after training when you have not eaten? Your discovery is just too quick and easy to make when you are hungry and need something to eat quickly. but, sugar is a nightmare. It gives you a dopamine buzz and then the crash of blood sugar levels, making you crave more, to make you feel good. For weak-willed me, I just do not have anything sweet in the house. So bite the bullet and get rid. Else, make sure you only eat it after you have had something nutritious and filling. Make it a treat not a replacement for food.
I apologise - I think I shouldn't have mentioned the wrap/spread thing. I was being facetious really. I actually have VERY little sugar, ever, and my peanut butter is 100% peanuts. I never add sugar to anything (I even bake cakes without) and the chocolate spread is my only sweet vice. Except for dates. I never eat refined foods (which act as sugar in the body and cause insulin spikes) and I never, ever eat after 6pm. The exception is if I'm running an ultra distance. Then, pure sugar is an essential fuel and gets used immediately, without causing any adverse effects.
As I said in another reply, I know what I have to do (nutritionally and so on) as I'm a qualified nutritional advisor and fitness professional, but it's just a case of being accountable really, hence why I'm here.
The chocolate spread really is lovely though. I mainly get it for my vegan son, who also has it (as I do) as a treat. As I live with four other people (including three children) I can't just get rid of things I don't want to tempt me, but I promise that all of us do have a healthy and balanced diet. Thank you for your concern and support.
Thanks for you long reply. As you know what to do, but want to make yourself accountable - go on then, write down your aim and goals - to us, so we can monitor you. Is it a pound a week to lose 6 or 10 lbs or ?? You are obviously educated and know that to have achievable goals they must be specific and within a specified time frame.
You're so right! See, this is what I need - I'm really good at looking after everyone else and setting SMART goals for them, but less so for myself. Thank you!
Okay then... So I want to lose 6 lbs as a minimum, to begin with, and then I think I'll want to maintain that and see how I do in terms of its impact on my training and running stats. I don't want to lose it too quickly, as that's just silly (as we all know) and I want it to be completely healthy.
So, I think without doing anything too aggressive, I'll be aiming to lose 1-2lbs per week for the first 3-6 weeks, with the aim of losing 6lbs in a maximum of six weeks. (And a minimum of 3.) I know my body, and when I eat healthily without any binge eating and so on, I tend to lose excess weight very quickly indeed, so it's possible that it'll fall off quicker, without me trying, but I won't try to force it off! (If that makes sense.)
Whether I then want to lose another 4lbs will depend on my body composition. I don't want to drop lower than 18% body fat, and am happy with anything up to 22%. I certainly don't want to start losing muscle mass.
So, my first SMART goal is to lose an initial 6lbs in 3-6 weeks and to achieve and maintain a body composition measurement of about 20% body fat, give or take 2% either way, over the next three months.
Good. So in a weeks time can you tell us your weight loss/gain. Mind you I am having doubts that this is your best measure. As you have observed after stopping eating rubbish there is often a sudden rapid weight loss. This is not fat probably just excess water not being retained. As you want to loss fat not muscle, how are you measuring your percentage body fat composition? if accurate, this may be a better measure for your goals. Where is your excess fat? Hard to tell from pic. Waist and/or hip measurements may even be a better goal than weight. What do you think?
Hidden I've not seen that research about three mile runners - I have seen something about less injuries (which is obvious) but not about being healthier - could you point me to the research as I'm very interested in those findings. Thanks
No - I was being a bit facetious about the spread. Just my sense of humour. Thank you for your concern though.
It's fairly normal for very long-distance runners to put on a bit of weight, as the body needs more stored fuel for extreme endurance, and I'm fine with that, up to a point, but want to be fully healthy and at my optimum in terms of performance potential. I know what I have to do (nutritionally and so on) as I'm a qualified nutritional advisor and fitness professional, but it's just a case of being accountable really, hence why I'm here.
It's a myth that three-mile runners are healthier than marathon runners. It's a different kind of health and a different kind of fitness, and also very much an individual thing. Even the frequency of injury is not necessarily increased in longer-distance runners, in fact; it's very much a case of making sure that an athlete maintains excellent form. (Recommend reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall if you're interested!) For me, as a runner of more than 25 years, one of my main reasons for running is mental health, not just physical health, and I love running ultra distances, so am not about to change that.
Just to clarify... I'm a qualified fitness professional and nutritional advisor, so I know all the facts. (I'm being a bit facetious about the chocolate spread/wrap situation; I'm actually really extremely healthy!) However, I still need some accountability and support for myself, away from the professional fitness world
So,, I'm looking more for accountability and friendly, understanding support than nutritional or fitness information, as I have that stuff coming out of my ears.
Thanks for the clarification. When I first saw your post I didn't know how to respond because I really couldn't figure out what you needed
I see that you have already set yourself a SMART goal - well done. You could join us for the Monday weigh-ins for the next 3-6 weeks for accountability.
Definitely! I've followed the person who posts for them, so hopefully I'll remember to weigh myself on Monday morning and will join in. Looking forward to being kept on track!
Yes - a lot is to do with adapting training appropriately. For example, when doing ultra- and marathon training (or indeed, any training where you do extreme hours of training, as a professional athlete would) it's important to take three weeks off as a block, in every 12 months, from normal training patterns, to avoid adrenal fatigue and to enable the overused muscles to recovery fully. As long as this is observed, though, running further isn't necessarily bad. Also, the physical impact has to be balanced against other benefits. I know that ultra running is still frowned upon by many health professionals, but its benefits are gradually and increasingly being recognised.
Glucose. Only when actually doing aerobic exercise for more than an hour or so. But in those circumstances, the body will use the glucose (or, in fact almost anything you put into it, within reason) immediately, so it won't cause insulin spikes. I'm not talking about including it in meals - just in small doses when directly fuelling aerobic exercise over periods of time above an hour.
Hi it seems to me that with your qualifications you should have all the answers a lot of people on this site are trying to lose stones for heath reasons not pounds I hope you do get the suport that you need but a lot of us would like to be in your shoes.
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Fortunately I only gained 3lbs and after giving myself a good talking to I am back on track and hope to start losing again.
) hence why I'm here. 
Thank you for your concern though.
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