Q&A: Running to Eat? Running and Diet

Q: Does anyone else feel like, because they run, they should be able to eat more than they actually can and not gain weight?? I have this idea that I “deserve” it, because running is not easy for me, and I’m working out harder than I ever have. I get frustrated that I can’t just eat whatever I want!

A:

Oh for sure… The more we run the more our bodies become efficient to it and burn less during it! It’s still a great workout for the body and heart, that’s why cross training is important, keep our muscles guessing and burning more calories!

I read an article that said that was why some runners struggle to lose weight… I am the exact same way.

This is tough for me also. I’m training for my first half, cross training and eating MOSTLY clean, & I still battle that “I deserve” mentality you talk about!

..agree!! I eat what ever I want to.. In moderation of course!! I ran and worked my ass off to lose 80lbs and counting. I don’t see food as the enemy anymore. I love and still enjoy food.. Just more aware of what I eat and how much work it takes to burn so much junk off.. If I want something not soo good for me once in a while I have it.

I do weight training and yoga, but no other cardio seems as challenging as running. I can’t phone it in when I run like I can on the elliptical or stationary bike.

I lost 40 lbs on weight watchers 5 years ago and still follow the program. I wear something which measures how many activity points I earn. I just want to earn more points, or for the junk I like to eat to be less!!

It’s still calories in…calories out. Unless you are training for hours and hours every day you will never be able to eat anything you want. That being said, a small treat after a really hard workout is always ok.

Screw it. I like food and if I didn’t run I would be 350 lbs…..

I come home from a long run and I EAT ALL THE FOOD!!!!

Whoooo well said!! I deserved my big ass breakfast 2 weekends ago after my first long run. I devoured it! French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage oh and a cup of coffee lol! I had no shame lol

I eat kind of whatever I want the first 30 min. after a long run. And everything in moderation. I really don’t lose too much weight but I lose fat and am gaining muscle everywhere. But I did go from a size 14 to a size 6 over the past 4 years and have kept it off.

I coach my peeps to really watch their ‘inner voice’ and that ‘reward’ mentality. It is a tough habit to break, but once you switch your thinking around around to a ‘eat healthy & see results” mentality, you WILL see the reward fairly quickly. How about instead of the ‘reward’ you say to yourself…”I worked out so well today…I’m not sure not going to ruin all of my hard work with (Fill in the blank). I’ll make a choice which fits more in line with my goal. SCORE!!”

MyFitness pall or calorie counter are absolutely brutally honest and fair

I do love rewarding my feet with special pedicures…they carry me miles and miles, they deserve extra pampering!

Our society revolves around food.. Everything has food along with it and growing up going out for ice cream was a reward for this or that or eating out or sweets was also celebratory. It’s a hard mind habit to break to not feel like rewarding with food!

It’s funny. I used to want a number on the scale to tell me how I was doing. I stopped hopping on it a year or so ago because that number was something I became obsessed with. Then one day about a month or two ago I jumped on. And I was below that “magic” number. And guess what? It wasn’t that exciting. I was already okay with myself from noticing my strength and looking good in the clothes I wanted to wear.

I no longer weight myself because the number on the scale can become obsessive and destroy your confidence.. I am running faster, farther, and best of all loving the run. I feel great and my clothes continue to get loose so remember this ladies…

I think that’s what I’m learning…the number on the scale isn’t going down, but things are fitting better and my body is changing in ways I love. After years of only judging my body by the number, I am now totally amazed at what it is capable of. It’s such a refreshing change, and it’s true, “Strong is the new skinny”!!

I have found tracking my food consumption keeps my weight in check. I try to make good food choices most of the time, but we all fall short. The lesson is not to panic if you have a few off days. Learn the total calories you can consume in a day and maintain your weight. Once you know that, you can adjust based on your weekly mileage.

I sorta felt this way last summer while I was training for y first full. I was putting in up to 45-50 miles a week towards the end, and was somehow gaining weight….running can be great for weight loss, but I’ve come to learn that training for a marathon isn’t a diet plan. Because you constantly have to be eating (hopefully healthy foods, but still..) to be refueling your body.

It’s all in how you consume – the breakdown of macronutrients that your body needs to function, fuel your activity & allow you to lean.

If I want a cupcake I’m going to eat one. I run my ass off and everything in moderation…I try to eat healthy otherwise and not past 6pm

Not really cause I don’t need to I eat dinner at like 4:30. I have acid reflux and like to sleep with almost empty stomach.

That I can understand – but for weight loss intention, there are several studies that disprove that.

Yes I feel the same. Once I get back down to the weight I want. I do let the “I deserve it” moments take over more! Lol

Most of the time you can’t outrun your diet. Some of us are also naturally more “rounded” I wouldn’t be a stick if I tried. I’m a curvy girl. I try to focus on being healthy and make good choices most of the time. If you track your calories on an app you’ll probably find that you’re taking in more calories than you think you are.

It’s all in the calories in vs calories burned… if I work hard enough at the end of the week I look at what I have done and what kind of reward I would like.. I usually pick a nice meal at a nice restraunt and end up eathing healthier in the end…

I had a rule for me when I was training for my marathon (I love saying that) only runs above 20 km where treated with ice cream (my favorite recovry snack) other runs where just normal diet no treats..