how do you balance maintaining weight and running??

[Southernlawyer 7]

Okay this one really goes out to those veteran sleevers. So, I am 13 months out now. I have lost pretty much all I could safely lose (a lot of people think ive gotten too thin) I'm getting to the point of becoming UNDER weight (which is hilarious frankly...ive never been thin in my life...literally). That's really the problem. I have started training for this 1/2 marathon and the running is making me lose weight to a point that is making me nervous. I am already wearing a SMALL right now...i just dont know what to do. No one really seems to understand--people say stupid stuff like "just eat more"....as though I could even if I wanted to?? I mean dont get me wrong I eat 3 or 4 meals a day...and I do eat very healthy meals...but i just dont know how to replace those calories I burned of running safely.

My mother says shit like "go eat a grilled cheese"...which makes me crazy! My trainer says go drink weight gain powder...which goes against all logic in my book. My surgeon said (btw Im a 6'0 man) I dont want you to get into the 160s...if you do call the office. well that was 3 weeks ago...i weighed 173 then...NOW in just 3 weeks i lost 10 lbs. I'm losing my mind here. and frankly, am getting a little scared...i dont know how to make it stop. But, at the same time I WANT to do this race...for me...because ive never been able to run more than a few feet in my life without being out of breath.

What do yall do?? please help me.

[Tiffykins 672]

I'm not a runner, never trained for a running event, but when I was struggling with losing during maintenance, I started adding in 100% fruit juice, and high fat foods such as nuts, Peanut Butter, and avocados. I also cut my cardio routine out and just focused on weight training. You may have to toss some Snacks into your diet. I was against using the weight gainer as well, but when I reached 119lbs, I was seriously contemplating buying some.

[emme2009 4]

Okay this one really goes out to those veteran sleevers. So, I am 13 months out now. I have lost pretty much all I could safely lose (a lot of people think ive gotten too thin) I'm getting to the point of becoming UNDER weight (which is hilarious frankly...ive never been thin in my life...literally). That's really the problem. I have started training for this 1/2 marathon and the running is making me lose weight to a point that is making me nervous. I am already wearing a SMALL right now...i just dont know what to do. No one really seems to understand--people say stupid stuff like "just eat more"....as though I could even if I wanted to?? I mean dont get me wrong I eat 3 or 4 meals a day...and I do eat very healthy meals...but i just dont know how to replace those calories I burned of running safely.

My mother says shit like "go eat a grilled cheese"...which makes me crazy! My trainer says go drink weight gain powder...which goes against all logic in my book. My surgeon said (btw Im a 6'0 man) I dont want you to get into the 160s...if you do call the office. well that was 3 weeks ago...i weighed 173 then...NOW in just 3 weeks i lost 10 lbs. I'm losing my mind here. and frankly, am getting a little scared...i dont know how to make it stop. But, at the same time I WANT to do this race...for me...because ive never been able to run more than a few feet in my life without being out of breath.

What do yall do?? please help me.

Congratulations on your training! I just ran my 'comeback' 1/2 marathon this morning As I started training seriously in late July/early August, I definitely started losing even more rapidly but I was still in my losing phase so it was great! I was about 180 when I started the training and was 151 this morning. I am 10 months out and am a 5'6.5" female so as I started training, my goal weight was 157 pounds (normal BMI). I am now in maintenance and have, like Tiffykins, added things to my diet especially during my longer-run weeks.

The calories burned on a long run are often-times more than I even consume in a couple/few days so I know I have to replenish them somehow.

I like avocados, pepperoni (switched from turkey pepperoni to the regular kind but still a serving size), Peanut Butter, dark cocoa almonds, an extra Protein shake for recovery after a run, multi-grain saltine crackers, V8 Tomato juice, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, full-fat cheeses (colby, mozzarella).

I also allow myself things like Snickers bars if I want one...I can't even eat a whole candy bar in one sitting so it's not like I'm bingeing out or something and yes, I know it's not "high quality" anything...but I'm in maintenance and I'm burning over 1000 calories in a single run some days so....I think it's okay Plus, it has peanuts

As far as nutrition/energy during the long runs:

I use Carb Boom (all natural--Apple is the best!) or Cliff Shot Blocks for nutrition during long-runs. I had to realize that carbs were not scary. Even though I've added them back, I still don't eat THAT many. I am not in ketosis, but I know it is important to balance things out for running. I was a runner pre-op (ran a full marathon and many 1/2s in 2006 before gaining weight back) so it has taken a little bit of trial to see if I can still do things the same.

I also drink coconut Water to help with hydration. I usually have one after a long run for recovery but drank one last night for good measure to prepare for this morning's race.

When is your race? You're going to do awesome!! Feel free to ask me anything---I'm so glad to find a Sleeved Runner!

[LittleSteve 4]

My trainer says go drink weight gain powder...which goes against all logic in my book.

Just because its called weight gain dosn`t mean you will. I would definitely be trying to match my calories out with liquid replacement.