Weight stall after long runs?

I just finished my first half marathon - 9 months post surgery. It went great and was thrilled to run the entire length - not fast but steady.

I have a question about weight loss. I found my weight loss slowing and wondered if it had to do with the stress of the long runs. Is there a temporary weight stall or weight gain after long runs for some people?

Thanks,
OregonStories

Running will not make you gain weight. How has the nutrition been since?

I didn't gain weight, I just stall. Its similar to when I started my strength training. I just wonder if the intensified workout causes  your muscles to retain fluids for a few days, then let it go.

I have had two 5K's in the last two months and each time I notice a 2-3 pound weight gain that holds on for 5-7 days after. I read up on it and it seems your muscles can retain X amount of water while recovering or reproducing glycogen. Once it was gone, I started losing at my normal rate again.

At 6 months out I started training for my first marathon. At about 9 months I started gaining weight. Not a lot but perhaps 5-7 lbs. For me it was simple. I ate more to satisfy the intense hunger I was feeling due to the long runs. Unfortunately, I ate a lot more calories than I was burning. If I had it to do again, I would have waited 12-18 months to do any running over 4 miles. That would have kept the hunger down and I would have had more time to cement some better eating habbits. Like Dan said, how are you eating? That is probably your answer.

Well how long a period are you talking about? If it's just days, then it's noise and could have any cause. But if it's weeks, that's probably not the running. In fact, I have had the opposite result. Starting up long runs after a period of not doing them seems to make the body fat melt off me. Same with long bike rides. It's the short stuff and speed work that seems to make me retain water for a few days.