Picture this: you’re training for your next long distance road race or triathlon. You’ve got a great training routine planned out and you’re following it to the letter. You think to yourself with all that training, you’ve got to be losing a few extra pounds. Yet you step on the scale and to your dismay, you’ve gained weight. What happened?!
One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients is that they struggle with either a) unexpected weight gain during training, or b) trying to balance proactive weight loss with the demands of training.
It seems so simple – with all that exercise, it should be easy to drop a few pounds, right?! Nope.
There are several reasons that endurance athletes sometimes struggle with weight gain during training:
a. Training makes you hungry.
Or in my case, hangry (hungry angry) if I wait too long between meals. While you may not notice it immediately after a long session, you probably are familiar with that ravenous feeling later in the day or the next day. A la this…
b. Fueling to perform well can make weight loss challenging.
The large majority of research on fueling for distance supports eating adequate calories (with most of those from carbohydrates) before and after your workouts. If you are fueling correctly but also eating your other normally portioned meals, you may end up overeating.
c. General activity patterns may change.
Do you ever have a long workout and then feel drained and veg on the couch the rest of the day? Even though you just burned a crap ton of calories during your training session, if you are far less active during the rest of the day you may end up a bit out of balance when you compare it to your average intake across the week.
So if you’re struggling with the hunger games (ba-dum-bum) and balancing how to lose weight effectively while training, I’m going to share some tips that will hopefully help ya out today.
Side note – I don’t want anyone to misunderstand the point of this post. I support athletes competing at ANY weight. I’m all about body positivity and being comfortable in your own skin. If you don’t want to lose weight or you don’t need to lose weight, then there is no reason I would suggest it – and more power to ya. What I’m referring to are athletes that are actively trying to lose weight or avoid gaining weight during training but are struggling and frustrated with that.
Top Tips for How to Lose Weight Effectively While Training for Road Races and Triathlons
Disclaimer: This should not be construed as medical advice and is for informational purposes only.
1. Analyze your training season and goals.
If your top goal right now is to PR at a race in 2 months, it may not be the best time to focus on major weight loss. I recommend focusing on weight loss in either the off-season or in the base phase of training, rather than in build/competition times. It’s easier because you aren’t relying on being well-fueled for super long workouts during those times. My typical progression for most athletes is to focus on fueling for sport during the competition phase, focus on recovery (both in terms of fitness and food) after your A race, and then in part of the off-season or in your base phase, focus on weight loss if needed.
Think about your goals (race performance vs weight loss) and decide which is the primary goal for your right now and throughout the next year. Then you can adjust your diet and expectations according to that.
2. Decide if you want to focus on weight loss by the numbers…
Many athletes I know tend to be very numbers driven. You’ve got your power meter, you’ve got your Garmin, you’re tracking your heart rate…you know what I mean. If that’s you and you prefer to be numbers driven with food as well, you can try a numbers approach to weight loss. In this case, you’d figure out your calorie needs and track them in one of the many online systems like MyFitnessPal or LoseIt.
I recommend working with an RD to help you estimate your caloric needs, and ignore whatever the numbers in the online trackers say. But if you want a starting point outside of that, you can use this calorie calculator. Plug in your info and select a multiplier that matches your training regimen. For weight loss, look at the number that says “lose 1 lb a week.”
As an aside, you’ve probably seen some articles out there that question whether a calorie is truly a calorie. While it’s true that a) metabolism varies from person to person and changes as you lose weight b) certain foods may be processed in our bodies differently, leading to slightly different amounts of caloric intake, and c) the nutritional quality of those calories vary – the laws of physics still apply. If you take in fewer calories than you burn (in a healthy, non-starvation kind of way), you should lose weight. (For an anecdotal story on this, I always think back to the infamous “twinkie diet”)
3. …Or with a more intuitive approach.
I think there’s value for just about anyone to focus on a more intuitive approach to weight loss. In this case, rather than getting fixated on numbers each day – you simply focus more on hunger and fullness, and fuel your body with healthy foods that nourish you.
A few tips:
- Focus on eating slowly and savoring each bite.
- Make mealtime only about eating and pleasant conversation – no stressors, no work, no multitasking.
- Take small bites.
- Focus on assessing your hunger and fullness before, during and after each meal. The goal is to feel hungry (but not ravenous) when you start eating, and to feel comfortably satisfied (but not Thanksgiving-Day-stuffed) when finished.
4. Focus on nutrient timing.
Nutrient timing refers to eating at times that are going to maximize your training. For those of you trying to lose weight, think about eating around your training – higher carbohydrate meals before and after your tough training runs & rides. This will help to fuel your body and support recovery. Then focus on high volume, nutrient dense, lower calorie options outside of those times.
5. Eat high volume, filling meals.
One of the biggest challenges when trying to lose weight is, of course, feeling hungry. I don’t like my athletes to feel hungry – I want them to feel nourished and well-fueled. One of the best ways I found to help with this is to focus on high-volume, filling meals.
These are meals that are quite large, but because they are full of lower calorie food choices (namely veggies) – the overall calorie count is low. These foods fill up the belly and help keep you satisfied.
Think meals like quinoa veggie chili, spaghetti squash lasagna, zucchini noodles with meat sauce, polenta and garden veggie bake, or skillet dishes with sweet potatoes/peppers/onions/ground turkey. In all of these, non-starchy veggies are the star and help to bulk up the meal and keep you full.
6. Punch up the protein.
When losing weight while training, focus on eating enough protein at each meal. Getting adequate protein can prevent the loss of lean muscle that sometimes comes along with weight loss, and is also key for muscle repair and recovery. {Note – this doesn’t mean eliminate carbs. Carbs are key for fueling muscles. It’s all about balance.}
Try to space out your intake evenly throughout the day. Breakfast tends to be a challenge for this, but many dairy products (like milk, greek yogurt and cottage cheese) as well as eggs are good sources of protein.
One of my favorite breakfast dishes is two slices of whole wheat toast topped with two eggs, a bunch of sliced tomatoes and chopped scallions, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. It comes out to less than 300 calories but is filling because of the protein/fat in the eggs and the nutrient-rich tomatoes helping to add more volume. Plus I get those healthy carbs from the whole wheat toast.
There you have it – some of my top tips for how to lose weight effectively while training!
I hope this was helpful! And don’t forget, I’ve got a facebook group just for all things meal planning and nutrition for runners and triathletes – you can request to join here!
Share with me: Do you care about weight, or is just a number on the scale? Have you ever tried to lose weight while training? Are there other tips you’d add to this list? Anything you disagree with?
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You have helped me successfully achieve so many goals at the same time! I feel like I was a case study for Number 5.
I’m so happy to hear I’ve been helpful! That’s always a good thing in my line of work 🙂 Can’t wait to see how the next IM goes!
Years ago, a doctor suggested I weigh myself daily. I still do (with some exceptions – if I fear the number will set the tone for the day, or if I’m getting too obsessive, I don’t) despite reading almost universal advice against doing so.
I treat the number like a rolling average for a stock. One day up or down is meaningless because it provides no context. Several days of up means I need to stop this trend before I find myself putting on the wrong kind of weight. A day or two down is usually only evidence of lower hydration levels, not weight loss.
When I see a low number, I admit to feeling excited. I use that good feeling as motivation to keep up the work and keep it going. If the number’s gone up, I remind myself it’s one day.
I don’t really care about my weight. My weight has gone down about five pounds over the last year, and I tend to stay within a range of a few pounds. I care about being stronger and improving my endurance. As I continue to get faster, it’s likely I will lose more fat. That’s just a bonus. I’ll take it, but it’s not my main goal.
My biggest challenge is being honest. I can justify any poor food choice, and then immediately regret it. I know my trigger is tired and bored. My best defense has been telling myself I can have the treat LATER. It frequently works, because the craving drifts away long before later arrives. If, hours later, I still have the same craving, it’s time to eat that treat.
Kim, I LOVE this comment. I actually do the same thing. I look at trends on the scale but don’t get too caught up in any one number. Right now, my weight is the same as it was two summers ago – but I know I’m not in nearly as good of shape as I was then (a lot tougher to fit as much training in with the little one now, haha – I’m trying!). I try to focus on endurance, performance and eating right, and sounds like we are on the same page with that. I just know so many people struggle with the weight number and do feel frustrated in wanting to change that, so I was hoping this post would offer some good tips for them 🙂
I am always hungry especially when I have upped my training. Planning out my meals really helps.
Meal planning is key for me too, otherwise the temptation of grabbing unhealthy snacks gets waaaay too bad. I have little willpower when unprepared and hungry, haha.
Great post. I’m all for intuitive eating!
I know you’re a big intuitive eating fan – I’ve loved your previous posts on that topic!
ooph. i definitely struggle with this. running longer (aka more than a mile haha) was one of the first ways i got into shape (lost a few bs, but was more about getting in shape too). then last year, about 4 years after i starrted i was training for a 10k (!!) and figured a few lbs would easily slide off, BUUUUT no. for me it was the “adequate fueling” that got me. i sometimes would eat too much at breakfast or lunch (stress of school + emotional eating = bad), and not be super hungry for dinner, but then i felt like i wouldn’t have enough energy for a morning run, leading to excess calories.
since then, i’ve had a few injuries off and on and haven’t been able to be consistent working out. it’s frustrating!
anyways, i meant to say i definitely now know what it’s like! and am trying to eat intuitively– but i think it’s also good to keep a food diary so you can still see what you’ve eaten in the day.
It’s such a common struggle! I try to eat intuitively, but if I see the scale trending up for too much time, I know it’s time for me to go back to keeping a food record for at least a few days to get back on track. Sometimes it’s just that little reset that helps.
Great tips! I totally get the HANGRY feeling! I have been better at remembering my snacks after my workouts and it has been helping me a ton! Have been finally losing weight in a positive way 🙂
Way to go Esther! No one wants to be around me if it’s been a while since I’ve eaten because of that hangry feeling, lol. Structuring workouts so that you have a nice snack afterward can be a great way of helping to avoid that!
Lordy this is just not right! Your working your bootie off training and what?? The weight creeps on! I went through this last year training for my first marathon. My problem was after running 15 + miles I felt like I should be able to eat anything and everything. These are great tips an I hope will help me this fall! Sharing!
I’m with you girl. When I was training for my last full marathon a few years ago, I would be like “I just ran 15 miles, so why not have a container of pad thai?!” It’s a tough mentality to break!
Oh man, running + weight loss can be so tough with the higher mileage weeks.
Yes, it definitely can be a struggle!
These are some great tips. I have a few friends who have struggled with this. I will have to pass this on to them.
Thanks Mikki – I’d love it if you’d pass the article along to them! 🙂
Great tips! I always figure in about a five pound weight gain with each of my marathons, then it tends to come back off in the “in between” times… 😉
Yea, I think a few pounds is completely normal. Especially towards the end when you’re trying to make sure your muscles are rested and fully saturated with carbs (which are stored with water).
This is a tough one for sure! It’s easy to get into the mentality of “I just ran 20 miles”…I can eat all the Food!! However, we don’t always burn as many calories as we think we do!! I know that I have struggled with this a bit myself and the worst was Ironman training!! I was logging hours & hours of workouts, constantly starving and had to be careful I didn’t eat everything in the house!! Great Post…Pinned 🙂
YES! I think the crazy hunger combined with that justification of “well, I just ran so I can have ___” makes it so tough!
Oh I can’t believe you still try to lose weight while training for races. Amazing! Your tips are really helpful and I absolutely try it. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I’m kind of hangry one 🙂 It maybe the reason why loosing weigh is not easy to me. And I know that it’s time for changing. Thank you for your helpful tips. They gonna work well, I guess. Thumbs up!
When I started running my weight actually went up at the very beginning because the muscle weight went up by a couple of pounds but then it naturally declined. In my opinion, you have to have a balanced diet AND workout in order to lose weight, just saying so 🙂
“Do you ever have a long workout and then feel drained and veg on the couch the rest of the day?” Oh gosh, it is a situation that I have encountered. Sometimes laying on the couch and eating snacks. Now I am targetting on nutrient purpose not weight, so that I feel much better. Just choose what you like to eat and still ensure the volume of calorie and nutrition.