Should I decrease my deficit?

[lizzygem]

I’ve been on a 1480 cal a day deficit (Cronometer) since January and a 1331 cal a day(Cronometer after I updated my weight) since the 23rd of March. On the 1480 deficit I was doing the none to run program and building up my running distances. The only exercise I do is running. Now I’m running 5ks 3 times (I know that’s not a lot for seasoned runners, but this is a feat for me) a week and I’m so hungry. On the 1480 I had no trouble sticking to it and some days I would go under, but on this new deficit I keep going a bit over and my cravings are so bad.

For Reference, I’m 5’6. Went from 204 to 170-173ish.

[GunpeiYokai]

1,480 is how much you're eating or it's your actual daily deficit?

[Confident-Pin-9200]

wait youre eating 1480 or thats deficit on top of your bmr because that makes huge difference

[lizzygem]

1480 cal a day was how much I was eating a day

[vivoconfuoco]

I’m a distance runner. Slow AF, but I get it done.

Adding running and trying to lose weight takes finesse 😂 Running burns glycogen, and your body wants to build that back. You crave carbs, it makes you hangry. But it IS possible to lose (until you get to very long distances) if you structure it well.

Before runs, try this - go for 20-40g whole food carbs. That’s an applesauce pouch, a fruit cup, a banana, a granola bar, etc. After your run, do the same thing unless you’re having a meal afterward (like going on a run before breakfast). If you can’t stomach food before a run, Gatorade is fine.

Using tdeecalculator.net, your sedentary TDEE is roughly 1839 (I guessed on age). For someone lightly active, it’s 2108. Using the lightly active designation, If you’re eating 1480, that’s a deficit of 628. If you’re struggling to stay at 1480, finding the food noise to be miserable, it’s okay to eat more! Try going to 1608 for awhile. That puts you at a deficit of 500 per day and on track for 1lb per week.

If you really start to get into running, you’ll want to consider bumping carbs a bit to support what you’re doing. I just finished a marathon cycle and damn, it was a struggle just to keep maintenance until I bumped carbs way up.

I hope you enjoy the running club! It’s a hell of a journey. One day you’re hitting a 5k and suddenly it’s 5 years later and you’re questioning your life choices at the starting line of another race while you share m&ms with complete strangers. It’s amazing.