Winter fatty...

Why does all of your running have to be speedwork?

x2...especially when you're just getting back into it after a post-IM training layoff. I would give yourself a while to work up to that.

As for the diet, not sure. I've been so hungry since my IM (which was like 3 months ago!). I wake up hungry every morning, etc. I am still keeping the same diet, but have certainly gotten a little "puffier." haha I do think I am eating less at dinner some nights, and I sometimes only have one afternoon snack now instead of two.

Nevermind,

I thought this could be a drug reference.....

I think that would just make him want to eat more.

I'm so innocent, I had no idea what the illicit reference was until that very last post.  Yikes. 

Anyway, my brain/stomach gets like this too... even after a week of eating too much, I'll start to get hungry all the time.  I combat it by planning everything out.  For instance, if I know I'm going to burn 2000 calories in a day, and I want to lose one pound a week, I'll allow 1500 calories.  Then I'll budget out my food in five 300 calorie portions and only eat more if it's an emergency.  You'd be surprised at all the food you can eat for 300 calories, especially when you cut out the more calorie dense foods and the junk. 

It's not especially fun, and it takes a few weeks to figure out what your baseline intake is, but it works, and it really only takes a week or two for you body to get used to eating this way.  I use calorie-count.com to estimate my daily needs (note: the bike calories are super high, so I wouldn't use them as is).  There are many other sources out there.

It was a lot easier to take a break from the training after Lake Placid than adjust the food intake!  10 pounds sounds about right, although I think it peaked about 12 for me.

I've started to take it back off by entering a weight loss challenge with a bunch of friends here on BT (and I hate to lose).  I am also signed up for next year LP, so the training will start for that in November and I would like to toe the line about 15 pounds lighter than last year, which now means 25 to take off. 

So, as far as advice, I would start slow and cut out some calories in small quantities.  I think making huge adjustments will just make you feel deprived and set you up for disappointment.  When you start running and maybe hit the bike and pool again, you can adjust as the scale dictates. 

Yes, the brain and stomach can definitely conspire to make you believe that you need more food than you really need...
 

Try this approach, which usually works well for me anytime I find that my eating has gotten a bit out of control. For the next few days, when you are getting out the food and setting up your plate, put about 1/2 to 2/3 of what your brain is telling you that you need. Eat that portion as slowly as you reasonably can, then wait at *least* 15-20 minutes or so. At that point, decide if you really do need to eat a bit more, and then get just that much. I find about 50% of the time I don't eat any additional food at all; and the rest of the time I take a smaller amount than I would have otherwise eaten.

I had the same thing happen after Lake Placid. After eating well and clean for all those months I just ate whatever I wanted for a little while..french fries..hadn't had them in years, but other stuff too. I wasn't super bad but it made me feel horrible and it made my recovery take longer as processed foods make me feel sluggish.

I'm now moving back down and am only up about 5 pounds from my low prior to LP. It took awhile to get handle on eating. I kept saying today is the day..but it wouldn't be.

I try to eat light dinners now with only salad and or soup and that is working more. It is easier to be hungry sleeping than awake so I eat 300-400 calorie breakfast and a big lunch and a smaller dinner and I snack on fruit. I think another thing helped is I'm doing something new cyclocross which  is high intensity to it is a nice new thing for my body instead of all that steady state work we did IM training.