Running and Weight Gain!

[Bike Chick]

I have been training since January for a May 1 half-marathon. I joined WW the month before I began the training and was truly committed to losing some weight in the process. I was losing about a half-pound a week for the first month, then lost nothing for a month, and now I have started gaining weight! Five pounds to be exact. I weigh more now than I ever have my whole life and 14 pounds more than I did a year ago but am wearing the same clothes!!!! My stomach has shrunk and I feel thinner but the scale is saying otherwise.

I had my yearly checkup yesterday and I complained to my doctor about it. She tells me how muscle weighs more than fat and that I am building muscle which is a good thing at my age (51) because we are losing muscle all the time. She also pointed out that my bp and pulse were that of a 20 year old and that I should stop worrying about it. She also pointed out that middle age rears it's ugly head whether we want it to or not.

I'm very frustrated by this. I have cut out sweets, beer, fried food and simple carbs. I am eating lean protein and fruits and vegetables. If I do indulge in an occasional dessert or cocktail, it shows. I swear one beer puts two pounds on my rear!!!

So, to all you experienced runners out there, is this normal? Will the pattern reverse itself eventually if I stick with it? Or am I missing something?

Oh, and by the way, DH is training for a marathon and is eating everything that is in his path and losing weight. So unfair!

[WindingRoad]

I'm not an 'experienced' runner per se but I can give you my two cents I don't weight myself because I go by how I feel and clothes fit. I can tell I've developed some mammoth quad and thighs since I've been running. I have some shorts that are too tight in the thigh area now? The rest of me feels fine and seems normal just a bulk in the leg muscles from running I guess??? I always hear people talk about how much weight they lost running too and that just does NOT happen for me.

[indigoiis]

I lost ten pounds three years ago, at which point I increased my riding and started running distance last year. My weight doesn't budge anymore, so I stopped worrying about it. You really have to judge by how you feel and look, and throw that darned scale out the window!

[limewave]

I agree, if you're feeling good and you're clothes are fitting great, what's to worry about?

Although, if you do want a number to focus on, what about your body measurements or body fat% ?

I've mentioned this before, but when I was at my lowest weight, 155lbs, I wore the same size clothes as my sister-in-law who weighed 125 lbs--we're the same height and have similar bone structure. I just had a lot more muscle where she was jiggly

This same sister-in-law has taken to running the last 2 years. And she weighs more now, but wears a smaller size. And looks fabulous.

[skhill]

Just to say it again, it's not the number on the scale that's the most important. If you're smaller and fitter, who cares if that number's gone up a little?

For my part, over the last 6 months or so I've been running more and more, and I've put on maybe 5 lbs and dropped another pants size. What you're going through is (unfortunately) completely normal. Frustrating, but normal...

[Bike Chick]

*SIGH* Did you hear that? It was a sigh of relief. I knew I had asked the right people. Poor DH is beyond knowing what to say and try as men do, they always seem to say the WRONG thing. I did my longest run ever on Saturday (10 mi) and was so pumped only to have my enthusiasm disappear when I stepped on the scale Monday morning for it to say 160! OMG! Two more pounds! I thought I was past the age of giving a rip what the scale said until I saw that number in front of me. Tears ran down my cheeks as I peered at the *@$! scale.

Thanks so much. You have all made me feel much better. To hell with the scale. I will keep on running.