Don't run to lose weight as it makes you fat...

ThisRegard

so says this article in the Indo. Now first thing that struck me when I saw the headline was that's not true, it's eating more as a result that could prevent you losing weight.

It took the author of the article until the very end to put a quote in to say this is the case, from Andy Dixon, editor of Runner's World magazine, "It's not running that makes you fat, it's eating. It's a common habit for runners to think that everything else will look after itself, but even more important than the exercise is looking at nutrition."

The heading and sub heading are very misleading, imo.

http://www.independent.ie/health/diet-fitness/does-running-make-you-fat-2901948.html

McCruiskeen

The article does raise an interesting point and a lot of people don't realise the sheer amount of exercise needed to burn off a couple of Mars bars.

I admit that when I first started running to lose weight around 8 years ago, I had no idea that a 30 minute run was around a Mars bars worth. It was only when I ran on a treadmill and saw this piddlingly slow calorie burn count build up that the penny dropped. I think this penny hasn't dropped for a lot of people though.

I am currently training for a Marathon so running around 60-70 km a week give or take, but haven't lost any weight really. To run that much you need to seriously increase your food intake.

But the headline seems to suggest that running alone will make you fat as opposed to a simple input v output issue which is bull****.

BobMac104

Thats crazy in fairness. The amount of people who will read that and feel justified not to excercise....

I can't open the link for some reason.
Is it written by Damien Maher by any chance?

ThisRegard

Deleted User wrote: »

I can't open the link for some reason.
Is it written by Damien Maher by any chance?

According to one of the headings, "Sophie Morris, who ran a marathon and ended up heavier"

For the casual reader and jogger it could be off putting. But there are some good points hidden away in there which some people would not be aware of, such as the difference between aerobic and anaerobic and that you should bring in intervals or sprints and resistance training, which I'm guessing the original author wasn't originally aware of until told by various interviewees.

TFBubendorfer

ThisRegard wrote: »

such as the difference between aerobic and anaerobic and that you should bring in intervals or sprints and resistance training, which I'm guessing the original author wasn't originally aware of until told by various interviewees.

Anaerobic sessions, intervals and resistance training for the newbie marathon runners? The physios would have a field day!

thirtythirty

McCruiskeen wrote: »

The article does raise an interesting point and a lot of people don't realise the sheer amount of exercise needed to burn off a couple of Mars bars.

True, but you can't do a "sheer amount of exercise" without being fit enough not to collapse into a panting pile of sweat.

I've taken up running to get fit enough to allow me to do long periods of other intense exercise. And also just to be able to run further than to the taxi at my door!

EC1000

"But a lot of people overdo it. Getting up at 5am to run 1.5hrs per day is an obsessive approach"

Oh dear.... someone should point him to ecoli's HTFU and no excuses thread

HardyEustace

It's not actually a bad article - I expect a daily mail(aka daily hate) type article full of "scientific discoveries" (daily mail equivalent of one test on a hamster then extrapolated to convey doom/mass obesity/five legs to the entire human race) and hysteria.

I suspect that the article heading was slapped on at the last minutes by the beauty editor or something like that!

What it fails to emphasis is that even if you don't lose much weight - exercise makes you feel so much better and is so much better for you.

Seres

EC1000 wrote: »

"But a lot of people overdo it. Getting up at 5am to run 1.5hrs per day is an obsessive approach"

Oh dear.... someone should point him to ecoli's HTFU and no excuses thread

is it the 1.5hrs or the 5am start that seems obsessive ? I think it depends what your motivation is , for example , if its just for weight loss than maybe obsessive , but if your pretty serious bout your competitive running i wouldnt say it obsessive ! If you serious enough bout it you do need to give it 1.5hrs a day between running/core/stretching . Its only 9 hrs a week your talking bout if you train 6 days , 6% of your weekly time

couerdelion

It's a bit of a mis-leading title though. Yes, if you go out running thinking it then means you can eat as much as you like then you will put on weight. It's a mistake many people who excercise for weight loss make (and has been discussed in the weight loss thread) in that people excercise then treat themselves to a high calorie treat as a reward.

But in conjunction with healthy eating you will lose weight.

As for excercise making people more sedentary in other parts of their lives.. can't agree. i feel i have more energy and do more than ever.

syklops

The sooner this misconception that heavier == fatter, gets deleted from so called public knowledge, the better. That way the spoon fed meedja when summing up an experts points to write an article wont hear " I ran a marathon and got heavier", and conclude running makes you fat, but will instead hear "So despite weighing a bit more, Im more toned and I look better in a swimsuit", ergo running might mean more sex. And lets face it, the meedja loves anything involving sex.

Seres

couerdelion wrote: »

As for excercise making people more sedentary in other parts of their lives.. can't agree. i feel i have more energy and do more than ever.

ya , i agree , think they are just clutching at straws there , your body adapts to exercise so you dont feel as wrecked during your daily routine once you have become use to it . I am the only one that takes exercise in my office and the only one who manages to bound up the stairs , i never take escalators !!

HardyEustace

It's not the worst article I've seen (if that's saying anything), I'm stumbled across a few
"don't run because you'll get wrinkles" (I kid you NOT) in a few of the glossy wimmens magazines.

I remember being open mouthed with shock (though not for long in case I wrinkled even more). What kind of utter tripe do these people think it's acceptable to print... (rhetorical questions).

Mind you, if people don't want to run or make exercise a priority then there will always be an excuse to be found. I'd just prefer not to see the meedja (nice turn of phrase there) feeding the habit.

opinion guy

News just in:

Don't read the Indo cos it will make you fat :rolleyes:

Seres

HardyEustace wrote: »

It's not the worst article I've seen (if that's saying anything), I'm stumbled across a few
"don't run because you'll get wrinkles" (I kid you NOT) in a few of the glossy wimmens magazines.
.

I take it they didnt have adverts for botox in same magazines , bits of a conflict of interest !!!

bob the bob

Couple.of women in my office go for a brisk lunchtime walk, they change into trainers, spandex etc.
Always return chugging Starbucks frappuccinos, with no evidence of a sweat broken or even mildly out of breath.

BigDuffman

Decent article, could be misread by some. But some solid points, on isotonic drinks whilst that is true of just straight up jogging the intake really depends on the level of intensity and type of exercise.

HardyEustace

opinion guy wrote: »

News just in:

Don't read the Indo cos it will make you fat :rolleyes:

Not the mention the Sunday papers....

syklops

bob the bob wrote: »

Couple.of women in my office go for a brisk lunchtime walk, they change into trainers, spandex etc.
Always return chugging Starbucks frappuccinos, with no evidence of a sweat broken or even mildly out of breath.

Its better than nothing. Obviously they wont lose very much if anything, but a brisk walk at lunchtime is better than for general health than staying in reading boards is

RacoonQueen

Deleted User wrote: »

I can't open the link for some reason.
Is it written by Damien Maher by any chance?

I really hope he's not still peddaling his junk in the papers. Is he?

HardyEustace wrote: »

What it fails to emphasis is that even if you don't lose much weight - exercise makes you feel so much better and is so much better for you.

Yep - the media could really help by underlining the cardiovascular health benefits of regular exercise and stop waffling about how sexy exercise makes you.

It is possible to lose weight with dietary changes alone," explains Laura Clark, a registered dietician with the British Dietetic Association, "but to lose weight just through exercising is very difficult. You would have to exercise at high intensity for three to four hours or more a week, and not many people can fit that in

I bet they spend more than that sitting in front of the TV...

Doing too much increases our levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which leads to tummy fat.

Running DOES make you fat. Jesus.

BobMac104

I know I am just repeating myself basically but i think articles like that are just irresponsible.

HardyEustace

Doing too much increases our levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which leads to tummy fat

Given the beer guts on professional/club runners, I'd have to agree.... oh wait....

BeepBeep67

HardyEustace wrote: »

Not the mention the Sunday papers....

they're good - but be careful you don't overdose on supplements

mathproblem

I couldnt help myself last night, did the fact i gorged myself on 7 Ryvitas & cheese before bed completely wipe out the benefits of the 6k run & 40 mins interval/squats/core work i did before dinner...?

Maybe a slight calorie surplus there alright, but if i didnt go out i was sure to have cups of tea & biccies while plonked on the sofa anyhow. At least i held my body/core upright and used my limbs as theyre supposed to be used anyhow rather than sitting inbad posture for the evening.

Anyhow i tool the TLDR approach tothe article... life's too short but what was worrying was another link listed in the 'most popular' from the health section in the sidebar:

Chocolate cuts stroke risk and might even be as good for you as exercise

I can see lightbulbs go off abovethe heads of diet-coke girls across the nation as we speak...lol

opinion guy

HardyEustace wrote: »

Not the mention the Sunday papers....

At least you can bench press the Sunday Times

HelenAnne

I think if people are running purely to lose weight rather than because they like it they'll see it as more of a chore and be more likely to feel they need a 'reward' after a run.

SWL

I can’t open the article – but what is there definition of weight and fat?
Maybe after training for a marathon/10km etc. they have lost fat and gained muscle which as we all knows weights more than fat thus increase the reading on a weighing scales. A new runner might then think I have gotten fat after running instead of toned and looking good.

Mr Slow

This is rubbish too:

given the sort of treats we like to indulge in after exercise, that she went out and ordered a cheeseburger with fries

When I've had a good running session, the last thing I want is crap food, I crave bananas, apples, bagels and the like the body knows what it needs and gives you an appetite for it.

lway

Mr Slow wrote: »

When I've had a good running session, the last thing I want is crap food, I crave bananas, apples, bagels and the like the body knows what it needs and gives you an appetite for it.

+1 on this, I only took up jogging/running this year, cut out the rubbish food and lost nearly 4 Stone with just runners and will power. I found after a while that I had no desire for fatty foods and was almost repulsed by the sight of sweets in a shop. Couldn't understand why I used to crave them so much before.

(6' 4" and another stone to lose to get to my "ideal" weight according to doctor)

menoscemo

Mr Slow wrote: »

When I've had a good running session, the last thing I want is crap food, I crave bananas, apples, bagels and the like the body knows what it needs and gives you an appetite for it.

Aren't you the man who gets an Ice Cream after his LSRs

Also Bagels are not healthy food.

conseng

lway wrote: »

I found after a while that I had no desire for fatty foods and was almost repulsed by the sight of sweets in a shop. Couldn't understand why I used to crave them so much before.

(6' 4" and another stone to lose to get to my "ideal" weight according to doctor)

I still have the occasional weak moment and attack the crisps. I am curious as to what your doctor considers ideal weight. I am 6' 4" also and lost about 22lbs earlier in the year but am stuck at about 15.5 stone despite marathon training. As mentioned diet could be better, but maybe the running is making me heavy;)

Gringo78

Mr Slow wrote: »

This is rubbish too:

Quote:
given the sort of treats we like to indulge in after exercise, that she went out and ordered a cheeseburger with fries

When I've had a good running session, the last thing I want is crap food, I crave bananas, apples, bagels and the like the body knows what it needs and gives you an appetite for it.

I'll have to admit here that I'm a sucker for a Macca D's Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a large portion of chips after a track session - look forward to it all day. Its only once a fortnight, so what harm can it do? Paul Scholes ate a Macca D's every single day!

plodder

The article isn't that bad really, and if anything the title of this thread is a mis-quotation of it. You often hear people say "oh you're training for a marathon. So, you can eat what you like". As it happens I do eat what I like, but I'm over weight and won't lose any unless I'm running at least 45 miles a week.

ThisRegard

Yeah, it's not the article I have an issue with for the most part, same with most people I'd say, but how it's initially presented.

A0

ThisRegard wrote: »

so says this article in the Indo. Now first thing that struck me when I saw the headline was that's not true, it's eating more as a result that could prevent you losing weight.

It took the author of the article until the very end to put a quote in to say this is the case, from Andy Dixon, editor of Runner's World magazine, "It's not running that makes you fat, it's eating. It's a common habit for runners to think that everything else will look after itself, but even more important than the exercise is looking at nutrition."

The heading and sub heading are very misleading, imo.

http://www.independent.ie/health/diet-fitness/does-running-make-you-fat-2901948.html

The title is "Does running make you fat?" not "Don't run to lose weight as it makes you fat". It's just an "eye catching title". The article is not that bad... They don't say that running is bad, just that running stimulates hunger and explain it. The Do's and don'ts make sense and we all know that exercise or diet alone won't help to lose fat. It's a combination of the two (exercise (intensity too) + good diet) which makes a leaner body.

RacoonQueen

menoscemo wrote: »

Aren't you the man who gets an Ice Cream after his LSRs

Also Bagels are not healthy food.

Depends on the type of bagel really and what you have in it. Some bagels are great and they're a great post-run food source.

Ice cream must have a good carb: protein ratio

shels4ever

I think everyone should use a little kitchen scales some week you would be really shocked at what a normal portion size should be. Good food is good for you but to much good food and you will still get fat.

Mr Slow

menoscemo wrote: »

Aren't you the man who gets an Ice Cream after his LSRs

Also Bagels are not healthy food.

Here we go...

You'll notice that prior to my ice cream (substitute for chocolate recovery drink:rolleyes:) I have a banana and at least one apple if not a pear plus lots of water.

Bagels are high in carbs, you eat snack boxes end of :cool:

Mr Slow

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Depends on the type of bagel really and what you have in it. Some bagels are great and they're a great post-run food source.

Ice cream must have a good carb: protein ratio

Thanks Madam, I have a plain bagel, nothing on it!

menoscemo

Mr Slow wrote: »

Here we go...

You'll notice that prior to my ice cream (substitute for chocolate recovery drink:rolleyes:) I have a banana and at least one apple if not a pear plus lots of water.

Bagels are high in carbs, you eat snack boxes end of :cool:

Would you eat 4 slices of plain bread and say it is healthy? Because that is essentially what a bagel is.

And no need to bring me into it :pac:

lway

conseng wrote: »

I still have the occasional weak moment and attack the crisps. I am curious as to what your doctor considers ideal weight. I am 6' 4" also and lost about 22lbs earlier in the year but am stuck at about 15.5 stone despite marathon training. As mentioned diet could be better, but maybe the running is making me heavy;)

He told me 15stone was my ideal weight, though i'm aiming for anywhere around the 16st mark at the moment as I haven't been around the 15st mark since college some 14 years ago.

ultrapercy

lway wrote: »

+1 on this, I only took up jogging/running this year, cut out the rubbish food and lost nearly 4 Stone with just runners and will power. I found after a while that I had no desire for fatty foods and was almost repulsed by the sight of sweets in a shop. Couldn't understand why I used to crave them so much before.

(6' 4" and another stone to lose to get to my "ideal" weight according to doctor)

Thats fantastic, well done.

TheRoadRunner

menoscemo wrote: »

Would you eat 4 slices of plain bread and say it is healthy? Because that is essentially what a bagel is

Yes. High in carbs, low in fat. Perfect fuel for long run. Obviously high in calories. Not to be eaten regularly if you aren't burning these calories. Seemed to help me in lowering body fat composition from 15% to single digits.

ecoli

Think people fall into a trap here in what is "healthy" and what is not. The fact is there are very very few foods which dont have some sort of cons to them that some other people could view as "unhealthy".

Fact is you need to look at your diet not in terms of restriction but rather quality control. Its about getting bang for your buck. There no point in eating certain foods if you you are not eating enough to give you the energy to train likewise you wont lose weight if you eat what you like and expect to lose weight.

Diet should be viewed much like training. You should look at what you are aiming to get out of foods and weigh the pro's v the cons. I used to eat what I like thankfully I had a high metabolism and diet was generally good anyway but despite average mileage never gained or lost weight until I started to get the most out of the calories I took in. My aim was to eat the same rough amounts to keep me full but to make sure the quality of the food in terms of high nutrients was boosted.

This is just one example. I swapped butter on toast for Peanut butter. The fact was the high satiety quality of Peanut butter meant that I was full for longer and less likely to eat more during the morning so even though it is high calorie it was in fact lowering the calorie intake as well as being high in nutrients.

We approach our training with this sort of meticulous so why not our diet rather than simple good/bad labellings

average_runner

My cravings for sweet stuff is gone thru the roof this last few weeks with the heavy running.
Always had a sweet toth though:D

G-Money

shels4ever wrote: »

I think everyone should use a little kitchen scales some week you would be really shocked at what a normal portion size should be. Good food is good for you but to much good food and you will still get fat.

True. Weigh out the recommended portion of uncooked rice, I think its about 62g. It's tiny.

shels4ever

G-Money wrote: »

True. Weigh out the recommended portion of uncooked rice, I think its about 62g. It's tiny.

Yep and check out 60g of pasta too, big wakeup call.

ThePiedPiper

The article, although written by someone who is clearly not a runner and a little naive, does raise some interesting points.

When I trained for my first marathon, I lost 2 and a half stone. Towards the end of the training cycle, I was for sure eating more to fuel myself for long runs. My big mistake was that after I finished the marathon and training (resulting from injury), I continued on eating the larger portions, went back drinking at weekends with the lads, etc. I put on those 2 and a half stones again in 2 months!!

Now, I'm always careful that when I finish up a marathon training schedule, I cut back on portion sizes, keep up maybe 20 miles a week training and don't let the weight increase by more than half a stone.

It's not the running that makes you fat, it's the extra sized portions, the treats and the fact that people probably keep these habits up even on the days they're not eating.

snailsong

I know a few women who took up running hoping it would have an effect on their arses but kept it up because of the effect on their heads.

IMHO unhappiness makes people fat and running makes people happier.
Consistent runners are unlikely to be fat.

Also, once people take up running they usually start to pay more attention to other aspects of their health and fittness, including diet.

Mr Slow

menoscemo wrote: »

Would you eat 4 slices of plain bread and say it is healthy? Because that is essentially what a bagel is.

And no need to bring me into it :pac:

It's all relative, choosing a plain bagel and fruit over a cheeseburger and chips as per the article, is the healthy option.