Participating in Marathons, Triathalons

Sensible eating, exercising, and drink water. Because you are training there are weight management products that have excellent science and research behing them to repair and retain muscle mass to add to the sensible eating. These products were created from observing Olympic Athletes.

What is sensible eating? Lean meats, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit. Basically eat healthy 80% of the time and 20% of the time eat what you want and enjoy it. When one eats sensible most of the time, the body won't crave junk food.

It can be. I actually gained weight when I trained for my marathon. I would think, I'm running 15 miles Saturday I can have a piece of cheesecake and then I ran 15 miles yesterday so I can have some cookies. Not the attitude you need to have it you want to lose weight.

have you done these things before? training for a marathon is very time consuming and it is a lot of running. it may be better to train for something that is more easily attained like a 5k or a 10k and then work your way up to higher mileages. it is also easier to get others to train with you if you're running 3 miles instead of 10-20. the best way to lose weight is to eat healthy and workout even if it's just a 1/2 hour a few times a week. good luck to you in whatever you choose:)

Maybe start with something smaller like a 10K. When training for races you have to make sure you have lots of time to devote to running because it can takes hours! Last summer when I could run easily with my then 1 and 3 year old in a stroller I was able to run a race, but this summer they are 2 and 4 and can't last much longer than 40 min in a stroller....so I can't run more than 3-4 miles at a time. I started training when I needed to lose the last 10 lbs but what helped me lose the initial weight was liftig weights. I turned my fat into muscle and lost weight and inches at the same time.

You need to train for these -- if you need a goal to help lose the weight, then it might be a good goal.
You need to eat right, get off the couch, and move to lose weight, be strong, and get healthy.
LBC

I think a day-to-day way of eating and moving that's good for weight control is best. I notice a lot of runners eat too much junk cause they know they'll burn it off. Bad example for your family and bad habit if you can't always get in enough exercise.

I think eating smart and being active is the best way. You don't have to do something as aggressive as marathons if you are not into it. Eat right, avoid junk, eat lot of fruits and veggies and drink lots of water. If you like you can get started with green tea, it really worked for me. I also walked 4 times a week for 30-45 min (brisk walk). The green tea and walks did wonders for my weight loss.

I find that having something to train for gives me a goal so I keep on getting out there and moving. That said, I know a woman who is as overweight as I am (size 14-16) who runs the Boston marathon every year - so she's definitely fit, but not slender.

I have been training for a triathlon since March and haven't lost any weight, but I definitely feel better. Towards the end of last winter I had a lot of aches and pains in my hips, back, and feet and not much stamina but now I can bike 15 miles, swim 800 meters, and I'm still (*still!!!!*) working on the 5K. Running has always been the fitness thing I've struggled the most with.

That said, I don't think you need to start with marathons and triathlons. If you can already jog a 5K, find a local 10K and train for that. If you can't run a 5K, find one 10 weeks from now and start the couch to 5K program. That requires 3 days of training per week and then on the other days you can do strength training, HIIT, or something like pilates or yoga that helps strengthen your core and increase your flexibility.

I've been reading a lot lately about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and specifically something called Peak 8. You use a heart rate monitor or a machine with a built in monitor (treadmill, indoor bike etc.) and warm up for 3 minutes, then go as hard as you can for 30 seconds, recover for 90, and continue the 30/90 splits for a total of 8 times and then cool down. The goal is that by your 8th set, your heart rate is at or above your max heart rate (220 minus 35 so 185 for a 35-year-old). If you're out of shape, your muscles will quit before you get your heart rate that high so you have to work up to it. HIIT is supposed to work all 3 types of muscle, stimulate HGH and trigger the most dramatic results. So in 20 minutes of intense interval training you can get more results than an hour of steady cardio.