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Finishing a marathon is such an accomplishment for runners. You've trained hard, been eating well and now it's all over. Sometimes after a marathon, runners may experience a weight gain. This is normal. Read on for why it happens and how to help with it.
Most runners will experience at least a 2-5 pound weight gain the week after their marathon. Usually this is just from water retention as your muscles are repairing themselves from the marathon effort. Don't think that you need to diet during this time. Actually, if you do try to diet as you are recovering and rebuilding, you could be doing yourself harm. Your weight will usually even itself back out as your muscles finish rebuilding. Just accept the weight gain and don't try to diet - this could cause your muscles to not recover fully.
Instead, make sure that you are eating the balanced diet that runners should be eating. You need this to refuel your body and for muscle repair after your race. You do, however, need to remember that you are not putting in the mileage that you were running before the marathon. So, you are not burning up the extra calories that you were probably eating beforehand. Eat what you normally would eat - but watch the portions. You should be eating the types of foods that you were eating - but just smaller amounts.
Before the marathon, your appetite was probably higher as you were running training harder and longer. As your mileage decreases, your appetite should adjust accordingly. Make sure that you stop eating when you feel full. You don't need to eat as much as you were eating when you were training and putting in many miles.
Make sure that you are eating foods that are full of fiber. They will make you feel full and will stay with you longer. Peanut Butter is great for this. For breakfast, a bagel with peanut butter is great to keep you feeling full.
Even though you have cut back on your mileage after your marathon, it is still important to stay hydrated. Your body needs this for replenishing and it will also make you feel full. Sometimes you may think that your body is telling you it wants food when it really wants water.
Gaining a little bit of weight after the completion of your marathon is normal. Don't worry about it. However, following the above tips can help you with this - and with a permanent weight gain.
