How do you adjust to off season training while avioding weight gain?

I finished my first marathon in December. I'm still running, but nothing like while training. I get to the gym about 4 days a week (see below). I know my problem is too many calories. I can't clock marathon training runs all the time just to keep the weight in control. I know I need to stop eating so much. It's just that simple. However, it sure seems hard to make that adjustment after spending over 9 months (while training) getting away with a little more because your running so darn much. How do you all adjust to the change? Was it a struggle for you as well? Oh and feel free to be blunt, if you think it's my workout. I'm a big girl and appreciate the honestly.

Monday- 4 to 5 miles and weight training- upper body
Tuesday- 45 minute yoga
Wednesday- 4 miles and weight training-lower body
1 hour of zumba
Thursday- 3 miles (speed work)

I am glad to see someone else struggles.  It is very tough to make the adjustment.   Just saying that you need to lower the calories is not as easy as doing it.   The only suggestions that have worked for me so far are to stay away from the whites (sugar, breads, noodles), and increase the spinning.  Your workout is great, altough you might want to try and get in a casual long run on the weekend.  Good luck and let me know what works for you.
Rob

Thanks Rob! Yes, I think the long run on the weekend will help too. I'll be glad when the weather is better and I can start that up again. My goal is to clean up my diet too. I made a trip to Whole Foods this weekend so I'm armed with the right foods. Hopefully, this will help too. Thanks again for the great advice.

I have been warning people about this for years. Even with my running streak, I weighed one pound less the day after than the day before. It took a lot of eating to counteract those 201,500 calories that I burned during the streak.

I started a new streak 3 weeks ago. It is a bit different though. No candy, cookies, ice cream, pastry or chips. Brownies count in that as well. After the physical addiction wore off, it's not as tough but it took about 2 weeks.

I'd say just get back to the WLS basics of protien, waiting to drink after eating and watch the carbs. It's easier to control weight through calorie intake than exercise. Good luck.

Great advice! I know I need to clean things up. I spent the weekend stocking up and bought plenty of good options from Whole Foods. Thanks for the advice.

I'm definately no expert on this, and I haven't done a marathon..but I was running 4-6 miles 4-5 times a week, weight training and cross training...averaging about one day off a week..that was up until about October/November.  Since then I've seriously reduced my workouts, but hadn't altered my eating..and I've gained like 20lbs. 

In the last week I've done some back to basics stuff like Scott said and I lost 4.4 lbs..I haven't changed my workouts at all, but the change in what I was eating was pretty drastic. I'm back on track and I know that it's going to be wicked hard, but I'm game..

A friend gave us a strawberry cheesecake and I took a spoonfull everytime I opened that dumb ref. No more cheesecake and I picked up healthy things at Whole Foods. It's time to clean things up. Thanks for your post. Best wishes to you as well.

I don't exercise hard, but I have to walk miles at work.  Have always had the problem with grazing.  What I try to do is stuff myself with raw vegetables and oatmeal!!  Yeah...I know it sounds strange.  But I get that full feeling in my pouch that helps me not graze.  I will go to McDonalds and get a Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad (grilled).  I'll get the vinaigrette dressing...Then add more vegetable to the salad; spinach leaves, cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, red cabbage, avocado.  Looking for the full feeling like a pre op diet!!  Just me.

Thanks! |I've taking steps to clean things up. Hopefully, it will do the trick. I think the scale just gave me a "wake up call". No junk for me.

Agh!!!!!!!!!Hi Hope! I am currently going through this too! An additional 5 pound gain over my allowed 5 pound overage (if that makes sense)!  But in part I had to cut back my exercise because I didn;t rest properly after I completed my Half, and I am now doing PT,weekly massages for an injured IT Band!

I have been addressing the injury agressively, PT 3 xs a week, Massage theraphy (deep tissue) weekly, and my trainer has included working out those kinks with foam rollers 3 xs a week as well! So I am healing much faster.  BUT, now I have to closely monitor my foods, those damn white carbs do it to me everytime!

And  I had begun, walk /run sessions right before this began. Found out I LOVE RUNNING (in my case more like shuffling). I love that huge endorphine rush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And now I'm bummed!

Thanks for being honest and posting,
Prek3
Carmen