Keeping body fat low during injury?

Been largely inactive since for 9 months now due to injury and completely inactive for 2 months of it. I'm of the tall and thin build and when I measured myself last I was about 12-13% body fat to the extent that my abs were showing (combined with doing lots of core work). I didn't use to care about what I ate when I ran but while injured I want to stay the same weight and body fat % just to stop myself getting even more stressed by my body wasting away. Is it possible?

I've been trying to cut out bread, pasta and rice, as well as stopping eating 4 hours before bed. I have porridge every morning and still eat a lot of fruit but have cut down on sugary snacks and bad fats, but have a lot of nuts, peanut butter and beans as well as meat and fish. Is this ok?

I've read that fruit, potatoes, pasta etc all cause body fat to increase, is this the case? I'm struggling to make tasty meals without carbohydrate in.

I've some fat monitor scales myself and they usually read under 6%. However, no abs show at all. In fact I have barely any muscle definition at all. But that's a side issue.

The real issue is getting rid of injuries. Very difficult to do when restricting diet. Better to eat well and train off any excess weight when sorted.

Being a light runner sounds better for racing. But the best runners I've seen, started out as being hugely overweight and worked it off.

Its the strength they've developed carrying the weight about that makes them so strong.

When I ran I imagine it was lower even though I would eat load of carbs but at all times of the day, especially late at night. Parents won't let me pay for a sports nutritionist which is frustrating!

Carbs and carbs.

Carbs to avoid. Refined sugar.

Nothing wrong with Bread, pasta, rice, potato.(starches, ie complex carbs)

The problem with the weight issue is really how complex carbs hold water. 1 gram of complex carb (stored in the form of glycogen) is stored with 2 grams of water.

Water is what you want. And as a trained runner my own weight will vary the best part of 6 pounds simply down to the way my muscles can store water.

Protein for repair. Important to shift injuries.

As for eating late. I'm just off to scoff my 7th bagel of the day. 229 kcals each but low fat and 49 grms of starch carbohydrate.

Oh good grief.

yes, my life is full of thrills.

 Thanks for that, interesting to hear about water makes a difference. How do you have such low body fat yet you eat carbs late at night? How does that work?

And why does my ultra-running 100 miles a week friend avoid all carbs except sweet potato and brown rice, whereas Mo Farah eats loads of pasta?

Confused! 

Easy answer. I just avoid food with obvious fat in it.

The issue with simple sugars such as found in breakfast cereals and sweets, biscuits is that they are also carbohydrates, but one's that have an ability to metabolise into fat. Though I suspect the process is rather more involved than that.

There are problems concerning nutrition with refined sugar as well.

I do eat sweets, not many, just too many. Fruit gums hmm.

Time of day of eating makes no difference. But I may not eat anything until 10:00 the next day having run anything up to 15 miles.

Hi TB123. You say you want to keep your body fat % the same whilst not training to avoid the additional stress it would give you if it changed. Do you think you may be looking at this from the wrong way round? It sounds to me as though you are stressing yourself about something that you probably won't be able to master - why not just work on getting better first? Relax, eat well but just don't go too mad - you fat % may go up a bit, it probably will depend more on how long you aren't able to train. I've not been able to train properly for 2.5 years now and yes there is a bit more round the middle but not much - I'm just careful with how much I eat and avoid the obvious culprits (booze excepted though - just less). I think SR has a good couple of points.

Sussex Runner (NLR) wrote (see)

Interesting. Are there foods that can't be turned into fat? Or as you say metabolise. I just thought that excess calories turned into fat. I keep my weight down by not eating. Do people think they are going to die of starvation if they are not continually eating?

In a word, yes!

Your ultra running pal is probably under the impression he is gluten intolerant. It's all the rage at the minute.

Or he read 'wheat Belly' and freaked.

Mo farah could eat anything and stay lean - some folks can. Time of day makes no difference although - best to cut out starchy carbs 2 hours before sleep for max growth hormone output and fitness gains (apparently - ref Jillian Michaels).  Some folks can't get away with lots of carbs - the more you run - the more you can.  Your ultra runner pal also prob is running at a low intensity (for him anyways) using fat for fuel so he doesn't need to load up on carbs as he isn't using a ton of them - Mo Farah - will burn through glycogen like it's going out of fashion

RicF wrote (see)

I've some fat monitor scales myself and they usually read under 6%. However, no abs show at all. In fact I have barely any muscle definition at all. But that's a side issue.

6% and no ab's at all, hardly any muscle definition?! How does that work?   I can see my ab's and they're covered in lard!

I guess it could be being fully hydrated all the time.

My abs don't show in any shape or form. I've done those crunchies as routine for over two decades and can hold a plank position for 5 minutes plus. Only my arms give up then. So the muscle is there. Its just in one solid piece, not a series of ridges.

How weird, I don't do any crunches, planks or situps. Can you see your ribs? This is starting to sound gay! lol

BTW, do you know you've posted a quote from here on KK's singles thread?

or perhaps your body fat scales are broken?

 I don't do too badly. Here's one of my Gold's from last year.

 And another.

Pretty aren't they?

Torchbearer123 wrote (see)

Been largely inactive since for 9 months now due to injury and completely inactive for 2 months of it. I'm of the tall and thin build and when I measured myself last I was about 12-13% body fat to the extent that my abs were showing (combined with doing lots of core work). I didn't use to care about what I ate when I ran but while injured I want to stay the same weight and body fat % just to stop myself getting even more stressed by my body wasting away. Is it possible?

I've been trying to cut out bread, pasta and rice, as well as stopping eating 4 hours before bed. I have porridge every morning and still eat a lot of fruit but have cut down on sugary snacks and bad fats, but have a lot of nuts, peanut butter and beans as well as meat and fish. Is this ok?

I've read that fruit, potatoes, pasta etc all cause body fat to increase, is this the case? I'm struggling to make tasty meals without carbohydrate in.

The basic determinant of whether you will lose/gain weight/bodyfat is calories in vs calories out.

If you want to lock your diet down whilst you are out injured go to a calorie counting website (I use myfitnesspal) where you can track what you eat.  It's a bit of effort to begin with but you can just monitor what you eat for a couple of weeks and you can easily work out what the right balance is for you if you want to maintain.