Weight GAIN while exercising?

[mcgeiger]

I could post this on VRB (which I lurk on), but I want a wider audience to ask the question to...

I am running a half-marathon on April 14th. I have never been in any race before (I'm an idiot, I know, it was a 30th Bday challenge). I've been running 2-4 days/week ~45 weeks of the year for 2 1/2 years. In January I started upping my mileage and # of days/week. I am now up to 9 miles once a week for a long run plus 2-3 shorter runs/strength days.

My question is why in the he!! am I gaining weight? I've gained 5 lbs in a month (since I started runs over 5 miles), and given that I've not been great about eating/drinking (some really stressful professional/personal junk), but I haven't been bad either, why SO much weight?????

Ideas? Commiseration?

[ErinM]

My guess would be that you're gaining muscle...running is a weight bearing activity, after all!

Good luck with the race!

[elnant]

My guess would be muscle gain too..
I can certainly feel your pain. I've been running along with a diet trying to lose weight..and while I'm not gaining weight I've been very frustrated because the scale hasn't moved as much in the other direction as I'd like!!!!

Good luck in your race!!

Ellen

[VictoriaL]

In very simplistic terms, muscle weighs more than fat. You may be "losing" fat, but you are "replacing" it with muscle mass. Congratulations! :)

[seathyme]

Is it possible that you've unknowingly been eating more since you upped your mileage? This has happened to me in the past and it's frustrating! More exercise can make you so hungry that you eat more than the extra calories you've burned. A very rough approximation of running calories burned is 100/mile. Man is it easy to eat that measly amount...

btw, congrats on the half marathon training! Feel free to de-lurk on VRB.:)

[TLee4]

When I trained for and ran a marathon in 2004, I was quite dismayed to find that I didn't lose a single pound!

Terri

[wallycat]

Your body will feel hungrier as you burn more calories....that, plus the muscle development in legs, can easily be 5 pounds....and make sure you way yourself at the same time each week and allow for PMS stuff.

[SusanMac]

First, I want to say that you're not crazy for having your very first race be a half-marathon. It sounds like you totally have a solid base, so you'll be ready. You definitely don't have to start w/a 5K if you don't want to.

Hey...we didn't know you lurked over there?? ;-)

Whenever I significantly increase my training, I do end up taking in more calories. They're often healthy calories so I don't feel like I'm doing anything wrong. But, I am definitely more hungry.

While no one wants to gain weight....I'd think that 5 lbs isn't much to worry about if you're training that much.

If your clothes still fit great, or maybe even better, than it's most likely not fat or water gain.

Good luck in your race! Check back in & let us know how it goes!

[Robyn1007]

Hey...we didn't know you lurked over there?? ;-)



She lurks everywhere.

I know mcgeiger's concern is that she is not a big person anyway so 5 pounds is more significant on her than me (I can vary 5 lbs in a week or two easily! :eek:). Kelly, your body may have also gone into protection mode and be hoarding calories right now due to all your stress. Only 57 days to go, you can do it! ;):)