Marathon Training and Weight Loss, Maybe Not

I've struggled with my weight most of my life. At 5' tall, there's not much room (height) for excess weight. About 3 years ago, I lost more than 20 pounds with Weight Watchers. Through the ups and downs in my weight, I was a runner. As I trained for the marathon, I thought I'd drop pounds without even trying. Not quite the case.

With my marathon a few days away, I'm realizing the benefits of the training, and that some of my beginning assumptions didn't result from the running.

First, I feel great. I've not only improved physically, but I feel healthier. My legs and butt feel like they've taken the brunt of my training - and have the most to show for it. I like the results.

It's my middle that needs the work - and that didn't see any improvement from training. Makes sense. I should have put more effort into my core work. (I'll remedy that over the long Minnesota winter.)

But what was difficult for me to balance this summer during my marathon training - was my calorie intake. I ate when I was hungry and tried to eat more protein than I've been used to. I didn't try to cut my calories because I was afraid that would be detrimental to my training. I did eat healthier than I did before training. Obviously with a few days until the marathon, I'm not going to start dieting now. But that's why I didn't lose weight this summer - I was expending a lot of energy and taking in a lot of energy. That's an equation for no weight loss. Plus - I do know that muscle weighs more than fat - and I did gain a bit of muscle :)

So - the end of marathon training means the beginning of more purposeful weight management with a goal to drop some weight and keep it off over the winter. I'll have to develop a workout plan and will try to keep running during the winter (not that easy in Minnesota in January). And I'll actively diet by falling back on my Weight Watcher's basics.

I'll tackle my new regimine just like I tackled marathon training - with a schedule and commitment. That's one other benefit from training - I know I can accomplish what I set my mind to... and that 80-90% of it is mental!