Fat Loss for Runners: Why You Gain Weight During Marathon Training

When Alanis Morissette wrote that song in the 90s about irony, I feel like there should have been a verse in there about gaining weight while training for a marathon. Sing along with me...

It's like training for your marathon day
But the more you ran the more you weighed
It wasn't supposed to be this way
And isn't it ironic, don't you think?
 

But just like the rest of the song, it's actually not ironic at all. When you are training for a marathon there is no guarantee of weight loss. Isn't that a jagged little pill to swallow? (You see what I did there?) In fact, it is quite common for runners to gain weight during marathon training. Runners of all shapes and sizes are kicking-ass across finish lines all over the world. So what gives? Running obviously burns a lot of calories, shouldn't we all be losing weight when training to run 26.2 miles?

The first thing to consider is that there is a difference between running for performance and running for weight loss. When training for a marathon you are running for performance. You are training your body to have the capacity to run 26.2 miles and that is a pretty amazing feat (but you "earn" less amazing-looking feet.) To lose weight you have to be in a calorie deficit, taking in less calories than you burn, but that is not ideal for running performance and recovery.

WHY YOU GAIN WEIGHT DURING MARATHON TRAINING (IT'S NOT ALWAYS NEGATIVE)

YOU GAIN MUSCLE

One reason the scale may seem to be moving in the wrong direction is a positive thing. You are building muscle mass that wasn't there before. Muscle is more dense than fat, so when you lose fat and gain muscle your body fat percentage goes down (yay!) while your weight goes up or stays the same. The number on the scale may have gone up but you improved your body composition. 

YOU INCREASED CARBOHYDRATES (GLYCOGEN) STORES

When you run long distances you are training your body to increase carbohydrate (glycogen) storage in your muscles and liver, which also increases water storage. This is a necessity when you are training to run a marathon. The more glycogen you store the farther you can run without hitting "the wall", but it can add numbers to the scale. It's important to note that this is not fat gain.

YOUR BODY ADAPTS TO THE STRESSES YOU PLACE UPON IT

This is the whole point of marathon training. You train your body to be able to run long distances. You are able to run longer and farther month after month during training. Your body becomes more efficient over time. That means it feels easier to run and you are not expending as much energy. When you first start running your body is less efficient at running, so it burns more calories. Over time your body adapts, becomes more efficient and you burn less calories during the same activity. For marathon training this is a good thing. For weight loss, a double edge sword. 

YOU EAT MORE BEFORE YOU RUN

We've all heard of carb-loading before a big race, but when it's used as an excuse to eat junk foods in large quantities, it can be a factor in weight gain. Fueling for your long runs should include a slow increase of calories from carbohydrates from a variety of mostly whole foods. It doesn't mean three servings of pasta and four servings of garlic bread the night before your long run. Dangit, I wish it meant that. 

YOU EAT MORE DURING YOUR RUN

On average we burn about 100 calories per mile, obviously this varies from runner to runner. After about 90 minutes of running we usually start needing to fuel during our runs. It's necessary, but another reason that weight loss and creating a calorie deficit while marathon training can be so challenging. 

YOU EAT MORE AFTER YOU RUN

Are you seeing a trend here? You just ran 10 miles and your are hungry (or hangry, amiright?). You gulp down a protein shake, take a shower, then meet some friends to treat yourself to an indulgence meal. You can easily put down 1000 calories of burgers, fries and beer. While there is nothing wrong with an indulgence meal, try not to get into the habit of rewarding your hard work with junk food. After all, during marathon training you will be running a lot. If you reward every run with indulgence foods, you can easily out-eat your calorie expenditure. 

YOU MOVE LESS THE REST OF THE DAY

After running 14 miles you crash on the couch with your compression socks snuggling your calves while watching a NetFlix marathon. When hubby asks if you want to go to the mall, you grunt out a no-way Jose (even though his name is Russell). The house isn't getting cleaned, the dog isn't getting walked (by you) and you're not moving until you hear the doorbell ring with your dinner delivery.

The calories you burn while walking around doing everyday activities add up. So while you increased your calorie expenditure during your run, you decreased it the rest of the day. With the added food intake, the decreased activity outside of running, you can easily put yourself into a calorie surplus, which can cause weight gain.

FAT LOSS FOR RUNNERS: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

It can be counter-intuitive to have marathon goals and weight loss goals at the same time, but if you want to keep the weight off while marathon training I recommend always focusing on fat loss, not weight loss. Our goal should be to build or maintain muscle while losing fat.

VARY INTENSITY

Your long runs should be long and slow, but after a month or two of building your milage base you can play with the intensity of at least one other run in the week to help with fat loss. Long interval runs (1/2 mile or 1 mile intervals of hard effort repeats) can help with fat loss while improving your marathon pace. Here is a post I wrote about different types of interval runs. For injury prevention be careful never to increase intensity and mileage in the same week. That means if you are adding miles to your long run, don't also add in a new interval workout or increase the intensity/pace of an existing workout. Only introduce new intensity on weeks you aren't adding mileage. This is important. Got it? Good.

FUEL RESPONSIBLY

Yes, when you are marathon training you need to fuel, which means that you will probably need to eat more than usual. However, don't use marathon training as an excuse to binge eat. Increase calories with a variety of nutrient-dense foods from nature and save the treats for occasional indulgences in moderation. I wrote more about nutrition for athletes (yes, that's you) over in this blog post.

STRENGTH TRAIN

Runners who strength train are stronger, faster and less prone to injury. When you are marathon training, running should absolutely be your first priority, but don't neglect strength training. Short and focused runner-specific strength training sessions just twice a week can help you meet your running and fat loss goals. Muscle tissue uses more energy at rest than fat, so when you build lean muscle you burn more calories during your daily activities, like recovering on the couch. 

Running a marathon is a fantastic goal. I recommend training and fueling for your marathon with performance as your main focus, even if your personal definition of performance is crossing the finish line without dying. Once you achieve that goal, you can adjust your training and nutrition to focus on fat loss for a period of time before you inevitability start your marathon training all over again. 

Any questions about fat loss or weight gain during marathon training? I'd love to help. 

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Run, Rock and Reps Workout

Welcome to the latest edition of Workout Wednesday when each week I share a new running or runner-specific strength training workout. This week I am combining the best of both worlds with a running workout that includes strength training. Runners always tell me they don't have time for strength training, but if you combine some strength moves with your running intervals you can fit it all in with a quick and efficient workout. 

In this run, rock and reps workout, the rock refers to an isometric hold. Isometric training is holding a position without movement. Isometrics build strength by holding the muscle under tension against the resistance of our own bodyweight.

Reps refers to the number of repetitions of each exercise. 

Download a free printable PDF of the Run, Rock and Reps workout.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link in this post and make a purchase, I make a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. No one is getting rich here, it just helps with the costs associated with running (pun intended) of this blog. Thank you, as always, for your support. 

RUN 1/4 MILE

After warming up you start the workout by running 1/4 mile at a hard effort pace (see RPE chart for effort levels). This pace should feel challenging, but not an all-out-sprint. You should be able to hold the pace for the duration of the run. This workout is great for the track or treadmill where it is easy to measure out 1/4 mile. You could also use your GPS watch (<- this is what I have) or just use a timer and run for two or three minutes.

SQUAT HOLD

With your toes pointing straight ahead and your feet about hip width apart, push your hips back keeping your back straight and your chest up, lower into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as your flexibility will allow). Hold the low position for 30 seconds while breathing normally. Take breaks if you need to (feel the burn) but work up to holding for 30 continuous seconds. You can also do this exercise with your back flat against a wall. 

SQUAT REPS

After you complete the squat isometric hold follow with 15 repetitions of a squat. In the low position, engage your core, squeeze your glutes and push up to standing. Take a deep breath in as your lower to the squat and breath out as you return up to standing.

STRAIGHT ARM PLANK HOLD

Start in a straight arm plank position with your wrists directly under your shoulders with your legs slightly wider than hip width for stability. Keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to ankles while engaging your core. Do not allow your hips to hike up (get that bum out of the air!) or sag down. Hold for 30 seconds. 

PUSH UP

After holding the straight arm plank you are in the perfect position for 15 reps of pushups. Keep your body in a straight line with your core engaged, bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the floor. Once in the low position, push back up to the starting position. If this is too challenging place your hands on an elevated surface like a weight bench or a counter top. As you get stronger, reduce the elevation until you are on the floor. 

BRIDGE HOLD

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes as you hold the position for 30 seconds. For an added challenge, while keeping your knees together, straighten one leg off the ground for 15 seconds, then switch legs.

BRIDGE REPS

To perform 15 reps lower your hips back to the floor before quickly pushing back up to the bridge position. Take a breath in as you lower and breathe out as your raise back up into position.

Perform this circuit a total of four times to run one mile and complete four sets of each of these exercises. 

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52 Healthy Habits: 25 Grams of Added Sugar Per Day

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 healthy habits where we tackle a new healthy habit in order to improve our lives. Why habits? Because habits are our backup plan when everything else falls apart. Habits don't require motivation or willpower. If we take the time to develop healthy habits, then a healthy lifestyle will emerge. Choose a healthy habit and work to cultivate it for a few weeks. Once it becomes second nature, work on a new habit. It's a sane and sustainable approach to living a healthy lifestyle. Each week we cover a new habit. You can follow along with my weekly habits, dig into the archives or make up one of your own. 

This week we are talking about a crazy controversial topic: Sugar! The ruiner of all good health. The root of all evil. The nefarious! But wait...

I don't believe that sugar is the single culprit of all our health and weight problems. Shocking, I know. Yes, eating too many processed foods filled with sugar is bad for your health. Sugar is highly palatable and easy to overeat. Have you ever dug your spoon into a pint of Ben & Jerry's with the self-promise to stop after one serving only to have it scrape the bottom before you knew what hit you? Yeah, me too. They do that shit on purpose. Processed foods are manufactured to be easy to overeat. When you eat more than your body needs, the excess is stored as fat. It's not necessarily the sugar itself, it's the excess. The sugar just makes it easier to eat too much.

The health industry will have you believe that sugar is as addicting as cocaine! While some people have trouble controlling themselves around sugar, no doubt, moderate amounts of sugar can be part of a healthy lifestyle. I am not arguing that we don't need to limit our sugar, we do. I'm just trying to bring some balance, common sense and rational thinking to a topic that is often sensationalized. 

Our bodies run on sugar. It's our brain's preferred energy source. From my friends at Precision Nutrition:

“Sugar is a fundamental molecule in biology.
Human bodies need sugar.
Sugar makes up the backbone of our DNA. Helps power our cells. Helps store energy for later. Plants convert sunlight into sugar. We convert sugar into fuel.
Molecules like glucose and fructose (just two of the many types of sugar) are so basic to our biological needs, even bacteria love them.
Indeed, sugar’s the breakfast of champions, chemically speaking.”

— Precision Nutrition

As part of my life long quest for balance and to stay away from the all-or-nothing mindset, I strive to not look at sugar as simply good or bad. It's not a choice of either eat-all-the-sugar-nom-nom-nom or never-ever have a gram of sugar ever! Most healthy people can have their sugar and eat it too. This week's healthy habit is to pay attention to food labels and limit added sugars to approximately 25 grams per day. 

NATURAL SUGARS

Some people go to the extreme and give up all sugars, including the natural sugar found in fruit and dairy. While of course you're free to do whatever feels best for your own body, cutting out fruit and dairy is not necessary for most healthy people, even those who are on a fat loss diet. Fruit provides nutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy. Of course, we don't want to overeat fruit either, three bananas in one sitting is excess, but to enjoy a piece of fruit with lunch or as a snack is always a healthy choice. Fruit generally isn't making people fat. For most people looking to lose weight, there are often other food and lifestyle choices that can be improved that will have a bigger impact on fat loss than eliminating fruit.

PROCESSED FOODS

The sugar found in processed foods are often combined with fat and salt to make them extra delicious with little-to-no nutritional value. These are the sugars we want to limit because they are easy to overeat. We'd all do well to limit processed foods like ice cream, candy, snack cakes, pastries, soda and donuts. But we know all know that already that, right? 

READING THE LABEL

Here's where it gets tricky. There is sugar in almost all packaged foods, even the healthy(er) ones. You can read the nutrition label to see how many grams of sugar per serving, but how can you tell if those sugars are natural sugars or added sugars? If it is an added sugar it will be listed in the ingredients on the back of the package, but food manufacturers know you are looking for the word 'sugar'. Here are some examples of other names for sugar that are used on packaging labels. Pro tip: If it ends in -ose it is sugar. 

• Cane crystals
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Molasses
• Sucrose
• Syrup

Ingredients on the back of packages are listed in order of quantity. That means if sugar is the first ingredient, it has more sugar than any other ingredient in the package. 

25 GRAMS OF ADDED SUGAR PER DAY

A good rule of thumb is to limit added sugars to 25 grams per day. I highlighted the word 'added' because I don't count natural sugars in this total. When I buy packaged foods like pasta sauce, yogurts (while dairy has natural sugar, most store bought flavored yogurts have a lot of added sugars) and salad dressing, I try to choose items with six grams of sugar or less per serving. It can be eye-opening to read the nutrition labels of the foods you buy. Just reading the labels, being aware of the sugar content in the foods and keeping in mind the 25 grams per day guideline, is a great habit to cultivate. Awareness is the first step.

Limiting added sugar to around 25 grams a day allows you to eat the fruit and dairy that is healthful, while having some sugar that is found in most foods, without going overboard. If you tried to cut out all sugar, there would likely be nothing left to eat. 25 grams of added sugar a day gives you a target that is realistic and sustainable. Music to my ears. 

For more information on the topic of sugar and my view on artifical sweeteners check out this post I wrote called 'A rant on sugar, cocaine and artificial sweeteners.' 

If you like what I have to say about nutrition you may be interested in learning more about my sane and sustainable nutrition program (no boring meal plans, strict diets, macro calculations or crazy eliminations)! A few slots still open for new clients at a reduced rate. If you're in it for the long haul and willing to put in the work for permanent changes, this may be the program for you. 

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5 WARNING SIGNS OF A WEIGHT LOSS SCAM

Last week we talked about the seven health and fitness myths that just won't die. I did my best to debunk them once and for all. Now if only the internet would pay attention. Over here internet! I'm talking! 

This week I wanted to go over the 5 warning signs of a weight loss scam. Some may think that this is common sense, but as hubby likes to say, common sense is actually not very common... especially in the fitness industry.

The same rule applies as it does to anything else (I can hear my Dad's voice saying it now) "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." But I think as humans, we are always looking for the next quick fix, the undiscovered secret or the magic pill to solve all our problems. We may fall victim to believing the things that we want so desperately to be true. 

Pay attention to these common signs of a weight loss scam to avoid wasting your time and money. 

IT PROMISES RESULTS WITHOUT WORK

"Lose 30 pounds without changing your diet or exercise!"

Anything worth having takes work. If having the body of a fitness model could be achieved by taking a pill (and without Photo Shop), every single one of us would be walking around with six pack abs. Don't be fooled. Fat loss is hard work and lifestyles changes will be required for sustainable results. Anyone who tells you differently is likely trying to sell you something. 

IT PROMISES RESULTS IN A SHORT TIME PERIOD

"Lose 30 pounds in 3 weeks!"

Any plan that promises more than two to three pounds of weight loss per week should be examined closely. Any more than three pounds and you are likely losing water or worse, muscle. Muscle loss can hurt your metabolism, which makes it harder to keep weight off. Always aim for fat loss, not weight loss. Build muscle, lose fat, slowly over time. It's the only way.

IT REQUIRES THAT YOU PURCHASE BRANDED SHAKES OR SUPPLEMENTS

"Drink this fat loss super shake to lose 10 pounds quickly!"

It is always better to eat real foods than to take supplements. Some shakes may have better-sourced ingredients than others, but no shake is a magic weight loss shake. Shakes don't make you lose weight faster than real food. Shakes may help you consume less calories so that you create a calorie-deficit, which can lead to weight loss. Just remember it is the calorie deficit, not the shake. Shakes are great when real food is not available or convenient (I drink them all the time), but you don't need a shake to lose weight. 

Ever notice those fat burning pills always say "For best results use in conjunction with proper diet and exercise."? Save your money and focus on the diet and exercise part. 

IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE OVER THE LONG TERM

"Drink two shakes a day followed by a sensible dinner for rapid weight loss"

"Do this extreme workout for an hour a day six days a week for 60 days"

Make sure any new diet or exercise plan passes the sustainability test. "Will I be able to do this long term?" A short term program delivers short term results. Once you go off the extreme diet or exercise plan any weight you lost will come back on. A better long term solution is to find a sane plan you can follow long term. If you are not going to drink shakes twice a day, eat cabbage soup or do insane workouts for the rest of your life then don't waste your time.

IT USES THE WORD DETOX

"For one week drink green juice followed by a shot of apple cider vinegar to detox."

The word detox is one of the largest red flags of a weight loss scam. It is a marketing term that means nothing. Drinking juice doesn't cleanse you. Eating cabbage soup and drinking apple cider vinegar doesn't detoxify your body. Our liver does an excellent job of detoxifying our body. If your liver stops working, you'll need to see your doctor immediately. 

There is nothing inherently wrong with drinking green juices, eating cabbage soup or taking apple cider vinegar. Just balance them with whole foods from a variety of sources and be aware that you're not detoxing anything. 

It all boils down to this:

Listen to your Dad (or my Dad). If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Be wary of outrageous claims. If the product could really deliver those kinds of results everyone would be thin and fit. 

Avoid extremes. Everything in moderation, my friends. Short term extremes do not produce long term results.

Be skeptical about testimonials and before/after pictures on the internet. When possible, talk to people you know and trust about their real world results. 

The problem is that when we fall for weight loss scams they end up being distractions that take us further away from our goals. If we focus on the tried and true principles over the long haul, results will follow. Money back guarantee. 

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Fit to Run: Sprint Interval Pyramid Treadmill Workout

Welcome to the latest edition of Workout Wednesday! We are moving into month three of my Fit to Run strength for runners program. If you've missed any of it so far, you can dive into the archives or click here to download a PDF of all the workouts in month one and two including a 5 minute hip strength workout for when you don't have time for anything else. 

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link in this post and make a purchase I make a small percentage of the sale with no additional cost to you. No is getting rich, it just helps with the costs associated with running (pun intended) this blog. As always, your support is appreciated. 

Today we are doing a sprint interval pyramid running workout. This can be done on the treadmill or on the track or street with a timer. When I'm outside, I use the GymBoss to time my intervals.

I'm in Texas and it's freakin' hot and humid outside all hours of the day and night so I've been focusing on indoor workouts on the treadmill. When the weather cools down I'll be as fast as the wind from all this speed work. 

The great thing about these running workouts is that they are quick and efficient. You can get in and out of the gym with a focused speed workout. They are tough, but short. 

SPRINT INTERVAL PYRAMID TREADMILL WORKOUT

HOW FAST SHOULD I RUN?

You decide your paces based on your own fitness level. Please never follow some arbitrary pace because someone on the internet told you to. Your fitness level is your fitness level. What is a challenging interval pace for one person may be too easy for another. What is an easy pace for one person may push another person to injury. I am very hesitant about assigning paces in blog posts, even as examples. You need to determine your own work paces and recovery paces based on your fitness level. If you work with me as your running coach I can assign specific paces to you based on your fitness level and goals.

RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION CHART

A great way to determine an appropriate pace is by using the RPE or rate or perceived exertion chart, which I cover in more detail in this post. Do some experimenting. Decide what paces work best for you at each interval. If you ran the interval and feel like you could've pushed a little faster, increase the pace next time. If you went out too fast and couldn't complete the whole interval, then next time start out a little slower. 

The beauty is that when you repeat the workout over several weeks and months, you will find that your hard effort pace will get faster over time. 

THE WORKOUT

Warm up for three minutes by jogging at an easy pace
Increase your pace to run at a hard effort for 30 seconds
Recover for two minutes by jogging at an easy pace
Increase your pace and run at a hard effort for 45 seconds
Recover for two minutes by jogging at an easy pace
Increase your pace and run at a hard effort for 60 seconds
Recover for two minutes by jogging at an easy pace
Increase your pace and run at a hard effort for 60 seconds
Recover for two minutes by jogging at an easy pace
Increase your pace and run at a hard effort for 45 seconds
Recover for two minutes by jogging at an easy pace
Increase your pace to run at a hard effort for 30 seconds
Cool down as long as you need

RECOVERY

For most people intense workouts like this one should be limited to 1-3 times per week. Always allow rest and recovery days in between hard workouts. If you do this workout on a Monday, schedule your next intense workout on Wednesday or Thursday. The body adapts (gets stronger and faster) during rest, not during the actual workout, so always allow the body enough time for recovery for best results. 

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