To think I shouldn't be putting weight on.

[Freesunglasses]

I've just got on the scales and I've put 4lb on since last week. The thing is I'm trying for a 35 mile Ultra marathon.
I run most days averaging 5 miles then a midweek 10 miler and weekend long run of 15 to 26 miles.

I do eat a lot of sweet things but I also run it off. I also know you can't outrun a bad diet but I ran 26 miles on Saturday.
I think I'm a bit baffled as last time I ran like this the weight dropped off me. I'm 47 could it be middle aged spread or do I need to diet? I think I need to start a food diary.

Anyone else had this?

I put on weight when training for a half marathon because I developed the mindset that because I was doing loads of exercise I could eat whatever I wanted. So annoying to do all that work and still end up chunky. As pp say eating too much sugar, too much bread and too many white carbs will mean you put on weight. It feels mean, doesn't it, that you're doing all that work but still can't have the bloody biscuits but thats the truth of it.

I ran 5 miles on Monday at about 2 (melted) and 5 yest at 6 am. Last Saturday I ran a marathon for training it's the first time I've done that on my own. I had 5 gels, peanuts, bottle of coke and a sports drink during the run (all much needed!

I think you're fooling yourself that you "run off" all of the calories you're taking in. It's not happening. If your diet is usually similar to the one you have for today, it really is very heavy in rubbish food.

I'm in a running club and everyone that does marathon training puts on weight without fail. Add in some weight training. Your diet is pretty shocking too.

A bottle of coke during a run?

Your running sounds amazing but the amount of food you are eating seems huge! I am no expert but dh runs a lot and eats half what you eat!!

Coke?! Fizzy full fat coke?! 🤣🤣🥤 class.

What does your body look like?

I've run several marathons and always lost loads of weight during training and I eat a lot of crap. The number on the scales stays the same though. But I normally go from a dress size 8 to a 4 - 6 during marathon training.

My legs get more muscle which is where I presume the 'weight' gain is. But overall I'm much smaller. Do your clothes feel tighter?

PP saying that's a lot of food but that amount of running necessitates it. You'll be constantly starving.

I am 42 and a similar thing happened to me. I was exercising daily (HIIT, Strength training etc) and eating around 1400 and couldn't lose weight and sometimes gained. In the end, I had my Thyroid checked and it turned out it was underactive. It is really common in women over 40 so if you continue to put on weight despite exercise, definitely get it checked out. Of course, it might not be that at all and just overcompensating with the eating :-)

That's two heavy meals in the evening in a relatively short space of time.. You really need to cut that down.

Muscle

Never mind what you weigh, how do you look/feel?

And 4 pounds in a week isn't a true (as in permanent) weight gain, surely?

I gave up running because of the strain on my ankles and knees, but what I do remember is always being hungry.

Your diet is bad, and a piece of bread at every meal isn't great

That's not gonna be helping as your not putting enough good calories etc into your body to do all this exercise

Wow, way too much sugar.

Actually I lost 10k just by cutting out bread, butter and sugar. No exercise involved,

? Is it genuinely possible to put on 4lbs in a week? You can put on that much and more weight in a day with bloating from water retention (and lose that much overnight), especially with this heat, but surely it's not possible to lay down that much fat or muscle in the space of a week? I'm impressed if you have managed to put on that much fat or muscle so quickly!! That said, what you described eating sounds like a lot of very calorie rich food, so I would not be surprised if you were putting on weight in the long term, not just retaining water. I'd worry about it more if you are significantly heavier even in cool weather, first thing in the morning.

At 47 you may be peri menopausal and your body may put on weight just by looking at food.

If you've gained 4lbs in a week it's water weight. Especially as you're exercising more now.

Appreciate it’s a snapshot of your diet, but that’s a lot of sugar and empty calories.
I’d try cutting down, definitely less processed sugar and lose the supper!

I dont think the quantity of food is that high, but it's obviously pretty poor quality in terms of nutrition. Can you give an example of another day if that's not representative? I maintain a good weight despite huge appetite by eating only whole grains, eating 5 smaller meals over the course of the day (starting with breakfast as soon as I wake up) and making sure my dinner is mostly vegetables. Snacks are usually fruit, nuts, cheese and wholemeal toast but there'll be often be a sugary snack like chocolate in there too. You cannot exercise off a bad diet, generally- as you recognize in the OP!

Runner here. First of all, ignore the non-runners who say they have no idea how you eat so much, too kuch sugar, you can't outrun a bad diet, etc etc.
Most of them will have no idea what ultra training entails, and think it's like training for a 10k or a half, when it's a completely different thing altogether. Those laughing at having a Coke during a run, for example, would be beside themselves if they saw what Bob Graham runners eat!

You're definitely not alone in your own weight gain, though. I've gained 4lb in my current round of marathon training, and a woman from my club in training for a 50 mile ultra has put on half a stone.

I reckon it's down to a combination of:

1. water weight. When I weigh myself the day after a long run I've always put on weight, as my body holds on to the fluids I take on. Plus you're constantly in recovery, so your body is holding onto everything it has, to repair.

2. Muscle gain. Your quads and glutes might not look much different, but with long runs of 4 hours plus, you'll be gaining muscle.

3. the dreaded runger. After a really long run it's easy to eat too much. But this isn't the whole story. And IME the weight always falls off after the race!

Massive good luck. When's the race?

People that say muscle weighs more than fat are wrong.
Weight is weight full stop.
Take potatoes , rice, gold , and feathers. If you want 4lb of them , you weigh out 4lb of them and that's what you have.
You obviously have lots more feathers than gold. It's the density / volume of something that makes that 4lb look different.

Runner here. First of all, ignore the non-runners who say they have no idea how you eat so much, too kuch sugar, you can't outrun a bad diet, etc etc.
Most of them will have no idea what ultra training entails, and think it's like training for a 10k or a half, when it's a completely different thing altogether. Those laughing at having a Coke during a run, for example, would be beside themselves if they saw what Bob Graham runners eat!

Don't be patronising. Dh does Ironman and eats nowhere near that much crap.

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To ask how the hell I can get my toddler to sleep?12
Yesterday 23:26 Namedilema123

Posting for traffic. My 14 month old has been fed or rocked to sleep for every nap and sleep shea ever had. And is settled the same way when she wakes at night.

I'm quite clearly crap at getting children to sleep (shes my third failure in the sleep department), so my question is....how would YOU go from feeding and rocking a 14 month old to sleep, to being able to put them in their cot awake, and leave without utter hysteria????

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Yesterday 23:29 boredpanda84

Sorry I have no words of advice butt watching with interest as I have a six month old who is the same... always rocked to sleep and he is getting quite heavy!

Yesterday 23:32 zzzzzzzz12345

You are a bit late to the party! You have to start them off very young putting them down awake, from birth. Changing this habit after so long would take an awful lot of hard work and controlled crying and, if this is what you’ve done so far with 3 kids, I’m guessing it won’t suit you.

If your query is genuine then google controlled crying or similar. It works. But you have to be strong and consistent.

Yesterday 23:33 MRex

Is there a reason why you can't just let her grow out of it? Try moving on to firm back rubs instead of rocking, then light back rubs, then a light hug.... gradual withdrawal.

Yesterday 23:36 jgjgjgjgjg

What did you do for the other two? Presumably you don't still rock or feed them to sleep?

Yesterday 23:40 Siameasy

Do you mean boob?
I BFd DD to sleep up to 18m or so. At 16m I went back to working shifts and the 4-6 wake ups a night killed me.
It was surprisingly easy to go cold turkey - DH or his mum had started doing bedtime with me out of the house and she adapted.
I just said no more boob and cuddled instead.
Going to nursery can help them be tired
She was dreadful at naps - I never mastered naps boob or no boob

Yesterday 23:53 HP07

I have a 14 month old who is the same. She is a rubbish sleeper. It’s not true what pp said about having to start them young and having to do controlled crying etc. My son used to be fed to sleep at bedtime but could eventually be laid down awake for naps and would go to sleep. He only started doing that of his own accord around 11m/1y. He was then an amazing sleeper until 18 month regression and it went downhill from there. We have had various ups and downs ever since but he is currently at almost 3 sleeping pretty well (touch wood).
My daughter is a different kettle of fish. Slept much better as a newborn/young baby and now is rubbish.
I honestly believe it’s mostly luck of the draw and you get what you’re given. Some babies sleep and others don’t. The smug mother’s with fantastic sleepers didn’t just do everything right from day one anymore than the desperate mother’s whose children would rather party all night than sleep did everything wrong. Hang in there, you’re not alone. This too shall pass.

Today 06:59 DeadCucumber

White noise videos on YouTube is what I used 😂 now she's a bit older she like Disney lullabies. Means I don't have to stay in ruin whilst she gets her self to sleep.

Today 07:00 DeadCucumber

Room not ruin

Today 07:29 Mammyloveswine

At 14 months I was in the exact same position as you... one night I put ds in his cot and went to put some washing on/turn the hob off etc. I was downstairs less than 5 minutes. Ds was crying and I came up to get him. By the time I'd got up he was fast asleep.i felt a bit guilty but it worked. At 19 months he has a long nap in his cot between 10 and 12 and goes to sleep for bed ar 6.30. No tears, no drama. He wakes around 6am which is fine as fits with us getting up for work.

Today 07:34 Freesunglasses

I never normally drink coke but it's well used in ultra distances. You shake it to flatten it first believe me 20 miles Into a run on a hot morning, it was divine!

I know my diet is bad and yesterday it was even worse. As I said I don't normally eat that much stodge but I finished Sundays leftovers and we were invited out to tea.

Generally I feel fine and I do feel my clothes are a little looser. I only have one ovary do could be premenopausal or it could be my thyroid (I do go a little dizzy sometimes too)
Or I'm just eating way too much!

I posted on the wrong thread so pasted it onto here and this happens. I'm off back to bed!