Running and Weight Gain!

[Bike Chick]

I wonder the same thing, Crank. It gets harder and harder every year. And I do enjoy an occasional cheeseburger and a beer or a piece of chocolate. I can't imagine giving all that up.

[Crankin]

Well, I won't give up my red wine a couple of times a week and my daily square of dark chocolate, which help get my cholesterol down.
I love whole grains in all forms, but I pretty much have to ration those, too, even though they are "healthy."
I do go out to eat more than most, but I even try to be "good" there, but sometimes I do eat the bread and I don't skip the rice either. I have pretty much stopped eating Chinese or Indian food, but I can't give up Mexican; thankfully, here in New England I have to drive a bit to get the really authentic stuff I am used to.
Unless I start doing the type of heavy duty training like Veronica is doing, it's going to be a constant tweaking and restricting myself for the rest of my life.

[OakLeaf]

What everyone else said about not worrying about it, especially if you're losing inches and becoming firmer.

But I will say this: for me, when I'm running more than I'm riding, I will gain weight. Simple reason is that it's just more intense and I can't sustain it as long. Even now that I'm doing one four- or five-hour run each week, that's way different from three or four six-hour rides each week at a lower intensity.

So if you're running more and riding less, take a look at your total expenditure.

[Bike Chick]

Thanks, Oak. I had suspected that intensity might be the case. I'm only riding once a week and running 4 x a week until the HM is over. I'm hoping once I'm back on the bike more I can drop a few pounds. It sure is stubborn though and has been frustrating. I think what bothers me most is that I want to be thin and trim and look athletic. I want to look as good as I feel. I look like Beaver Cleaver's grandma instead. It's hard to be taken serious and I feel like I need to wear some SPANX under my running and riding shorts

[Bike Chick]

Ok ladies I have to report that I took your advice and quit jumping on that darned scale every day! I also got serious about tracking my food with Weight Watchers online. I pulled a pair of summer slacks off the hanger this morning and dreaded putting them on and low and behold they were loose around the waist! I weighed myself just to see and I have lost 6 pounds since my original post. So I feel like a big crybaby for complaining in the first place. I just needed to be patient and pay more attention to what I'm putting in my mouth.

[Red Rock]

Congrats on the weight loss. Six pounds is an awsome number. Whoot! I am excited for you. Keep it up.

Red Rock

[Susan Otcenas]

I also got serious about tracking my food with Weight Watchers online.

Accountability is key. I track everything I eat, and all my activity, by time & exertion level. When I slack off on tracking, I can feel it in my waistband soon enough.

In general, people eat more than they think they do, and expend less energy than they think they do.

[Crankin]

I tried cutting my portion sizes a little and adding in very small amounts of whole wheat grains (1 slice of bread here and there, brown rice a little more often) and found that my weight has stabilized over the last few days. I am not overweight, but it seemed like all of a sudden, the pounds were creeping up. I eat plenty of protein, that's for sure.
Running kept the weight off like crazy, so since I stopped running, I don't have that to help control things. I notice I lose or maintain when I ride at a moderate pace, but when I do long rides or very strenuous climbing, it goes up, probably because I am just plain hungrier.

[runningcyclist]

Way to go Bike Chick!

I'm a runner who cycles so running keeps me in check, especially when I'm training for marathons. I tend not to watch what I eat. In fact, I regard training as a reason to eat almost whatever I like! Although I do keep an eye on it when not training. Beer anyone?

[colby]

Ok ladies I have to report that I took your advice and quit jumping on that darned scale every day! I also got serious about tracking my food with Weight Watchers online. I pulled a pair of summer slacks off the hanger this morning and dreaded putting them on and low and behold they were loose around the waist! I weighed myself just to see and I have lost 6 pounds since my original post. So I feel like a big crybaby for complaining in the first place. I just needed to be patient and pay more attention to what I'm putting in my mouth.

Sometimes this forum is useful for the sole purpose of telling you what you already knew but refused to believe. Keep it up.