how many caliores

Hi, Ive been running since jan and am now up to 6 miles(2/3 times) in the week and 8 for a longer wkend run. I tried sticking to 1500 caliories at the start but lost nothing over 2 months and got disheartened.  I then stopped counting and lost half a stone and several inches.  Im now eating anything & everything and struggling.  I desperatley want to loss 2 stone and feeling frustrated.

How many caliories should I be eating all the information out there is confusing. Some people say I should be eating carbs, others say 2000 caliories, someone said it should high protein!

  I'm female, 34 and have a BMI of 29.

The running is going great and Im hoping to be accepted for the great south run in Oct.

I was hoping to be thinner by now!

Any advice would be appreciated

I've yoyo-ed quite a bit with weight, losing a few stone when I'm running properly, putting it back on in the 'lazy years', with my BMI going between 23 and 33.  I'm by no means an expert, but my tips would be:

- Eat enough for the runs.  Working from 200 calories per mile, you need to be putting in 1200 to 1600 calories for a 6-8 mile run.   I've always though of the runs as training to make my metabolism better, not as fat-burning sessions in themselves.

- Try not to overthink the diet thing.  Eat more carbs and protein, eat less fat and sugar (particularly refined sugar - chocolate, soft drinks and alcohol always did it for me).  The average person needs about 2000 calories/day so in conjuction with your running schedule you might need a little more, but I wouldn't overstress this bit.  If you're eating the right stuff then the weight should come off eventually.

- Get a good set of scales and weigh yourself at the same point every day (this might be contentious as you can become obsessed about your weight, but it worked for me).  Every morning, as soon as I got out of bed (i.e. before even doing a wee ) I weighed myself and wrote it down.  It gave me that extra incentive to avoid unhealthy food as I knew I'd have to face it on the scales the next morning.  Plus you get a big confidence boost when you lose a few ounces.

- Some people are naturally bigger or smaller than others.  A BMI of 29 doesn't sound particularly big to me, you might find a natural level that is above the recommended 25 - there are lots of known flaws in using BMI too precisely.

ADS runner - I think 200 calories per mile is a bit generous. I would go with 110 calories per mile as a closer estimate.

I think it might be worth getting a decent heart rate monitor to track your actual calorie loss. For me, i will burn 100 calories for every 10 minutes that I run (dependent upon speed and lots of other factors) but you need to do this for yourself. I'm in direct contradiction to ADS runners as I will burn only half of those calories listed (i'm considered overweight by BMI standards)

I'd track what you're eating and when (e.g. too late in the evening vs.nothing and then all at once). What are you drinking? Could you be consuming hidden calories with coke etc?

Overall, I'd try to do everything in moderation. Make sensible choices and keep running and hydrated throughout. For me, my biggest weight losses are when i dont think about it - just eat what I want, when I want (within reason). I've stopped eating late in the evening (after 8pm), drinking a least 2 litres of water a day when i'm running and also not eating crap (e.g. not having crips in the house).

No wonder I never lose as much weight as I first thought!  You're right, not sure where I got the 200 from!

Yes, agree with Chomski, I thought it was a 100 calorie per mile calculation.

2000 calories is an average persons requirements. I would go for a balanced diet, myself, plenty of fresh fruit and veg, but balance is the key. Avoid crap food, processed food etc..... Im not up on diets, otherwise.

I don't weigh myself every day. Too much possible deviation, esp as you are female too, so will have monthly deviations too. Weekly a good idea?

x-post with Emmy. Agree with her too..its amazing how many silent calories there are about. Alcohol........ crisps.......

I think 100kcal/mile is based on a 10-stone runner, so you need to adjust up or down accordingly.

2000 calories should be maintenance.

So i theory 1500 calories a day, this will mean you are 3,500 calories a week down which is the amount needed in theory to loose 1 lb a week.  So 1,500 is the right sort of figure to look for.

I loose about 120 calories a mile, but i'm 2.5 stone overweight... was 5 but getting there.  I try to have between 1,200 and 1,500 per day and since March i've lost all the weight, and starting running 1st of May, The hardest thing is not adding extra for jogging, or if you do, then you just need to take that into account with your calculations.  For instance one bottle of lucozade original would probably gain more calories then you would burn off running 5m.  So it's a juggling act.

You're right there Booktrunk. A friend of mine who just started running got really downheartened because they put on weight. When I asked what they were eating/drinking it worked out that for a 30 minute jog and 25 min swim they were consuming: whey protein (recovery drink), bottle of lucozade and some dextro energy tabs. I kid you not.

Take it sensible and easy!

Crap food is usually high in calories, alas.......

You must try not to get obsessive.... try and deveop a relaxed thought pattern towads it, after all, you had a relaxed thought pattern when you were putting it on, all those months/ years ago. So just try a bit of reverse psychology with it...... dont worry and fret..... just enjoy your running, and take heart that everything you are now doing is all pennies in the banl towards the New You!!

Good luck!