Weght?

pete_mcs

I re-started running 3 months ago after a 3 years away due to back injury. In my off years I put on a couple of extra stone. Im up to about 35-40 mile a week now, doing 12-15 mile on my long Sunday runs. Lost a stone straight away, after a month, but the other extra one is not shifting! Any advise on who to shift this? Doing a spring marathon so would like to be a bit lighter to make this easier.

hunnymonster

work out how many calories you need then keep a food diary and work out how many you're eating and reduce this by 300-600 kCal per day under the needs. See something like
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=63302596&postcount=19

ir666

From 0 to 40 miles a week (in 3 months) sounds like alot to me.

What intensity are you running at?

What are you eating/drinking?

RedB

I noticed a difference when I started doing long cycles as I was operating in the 'fat burning' zone for extended periods. I also gave up drink/choc/junk food/etc for lent which helped. I'd like to lose another 5kg also so roll on the New Year for another effort!

pete_mcs

ir666 wrote: »

From 0 to 40 miles a week (in 3 months) sounds like alot to me.

What intensity are you running at?

What are you eating/drinking?

I used to run a lot about 3 years ago, but had to drop it for a while due to a muscle injury in my back from work. Intensity is quiet slow, at the moment its about a 8 mph pace for my longer runs, and about 7.30-7.40 for the mid distance runs. Even in my youth I was not fast, but can quiet happily plod along at the same pace for ages. My diet is something like this, breakfast- porrige with honey made with water and some fruit, lunch usually 2 wholegrain ham sandwiches with piece of fruit, dinner will be usually meat with veg and spuds. I dont drink soft drinks, only water and maybe a sports drink out on a long run. Usually have a few pints or a few glasses of wine at the weekend, cutting this out after christmas.

pete_mcs

RedB wrote: »

I noticed a difference when I started doing long cycles as I was operating in the 'fat burning' zone for extended periods. I also gave up drink/choc/junk food/etc for lent which helped. I'd like to lose another 5kg also so roll on the New Year for another effort!

Did you use a heart monitor to let you know what "zone" you are in, was thinking of getting one of these, but when I borrowed a friends found the strap very uncomfortable. I am doing about an 1hr 20min run twice a week, increasing this by 5 mins every sunday, would like to be able to do 3hrs by the Conemara Marathon next April.

ir666

Your diet seems pretty good to me.

I know I would be eating alot if I was doing 35miles a week @ 8mph.

What weight/height are you now?

As HM says, controlling & measuring energy input v energy output would be a good method to loose some weight.

However this seems like a lot of work to me. Maybe it is easier than it sounds.

For example, today (so far):

• banana & yoghurt
• porridge
• brown bread & ham (small portion)
• frozen pizza and wedges (for lunch)

I cycled to the swimming pool and back.
20 mins on the bike, 45 mins in the pool (about 1450m).

I dont measure all this stuff, but I do keep an eye on my weight with the same digital scales.

And am wrecked now !

Another issue could be something medical.
Have you had a check up?

pete_mcs

Im 36 years old, that's probably the problem. I am about 14 stone weight now, height about 5 ft 9". Probably just have to pick up my activity's away from running, like go for a cycle at the weekends etc. Thanks for the advice.

RedB

pete_mcs wrote: »

Did you use a heart monitor to let you know what "zone" you are in, was thinking of getting one of these, but when I borrowed a friends found the strap very uncomfortable. I am doing about an 1hr 20min run twice a week, increasing this by 5 mins every sunday, would like to be able to do 3hrs by the Conemara Marathon next April.

I had a heart monitor on alright but it was only after I looked back over my training diary weeks later that I noticed the link between the weight loss and the long cycles. I wasn't aiming to be in any particular zone but the slow cycles had me naturally at a low(ish) heart rate which I understand results in greater fat consumption as a fuel. You don't need a monitor for this, you just need to be cycling at a conversational pace for a decent amount of time (2-3hrs?). I had been perplexed why running hadn't had the same effect but my HR is higher when I run so it wouldn't have been as effective plus my long runs weren't as long as my long cycles.

I agree with the principle of Hunnymonster's post re balancing the inputs v outputs on whatever direction you want. I had a reasonable diet but found that particular increase in cycling activity helped shift a few kg without requiring much of an associated increase in food intake.

pete_mcs

2-3 hours on a bike, god dont know if I could face that! You would probably be burning 1500 calories doing that amount of time! Fair play to you.
Does the concept work the same for running, i.e. Keep it slow and steady? I have changed my running schedule for the past 2 weeks, doing the same mileage, but doing 3 longish runs, like last week I done 10 mile on Sunday (in 1hr 17), rest on Monday, fast 3 miler on Tuesday, same 10 miler from Sunday on Wed (1 hr 15), rest on Thurs, 8 mile on Friday (1hr 06) and 6 mile trail run on saturday. Roughly about 37 miles (ish). Yesterday I done a 11 mile run (1hr 26min). Feel fine, and fit, just think it would be a lot easier if the belly disappeared.

RedB

It should work for running as much as cycling. I just found it easier to do a 2 hour cycle than a 2 hour run . However I had a quick look on the web and found the following:


"The body does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat in the 'fat burning zone' or at lower intensities. But, at higher intensities, you burn a greater number of overall calories which is what you should be concerned about when trying to lose weight. The chart below details the fat calories expended by a 130-pound woman during cardio exercise:

Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min. 4.86 6.86
Fat Calories expended per min. 2.43 2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min. 146 206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. 73 82
Percentage of fat calories burned 50% 39.85%

From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000 "
I'll check my diary tonight as my monitor also records calories burned. The cycling was built up over time starting out at 40mins and adding on time over weeks. Those running times probably had you in the higher intensity zone but you should still be burning a decent amount of fat. Maybe the cycling effect was co-incidental or as a net result of doing more exercise (running plus cycling). Either way, more enery out than in seems to be the trick but cycling was an easier way to expand that energy for me. You're doing a decent amount of running so its bound to come down if you keep an eye on the diet also.