Runner friends and maintaining weight

goosebeartalk

Hey there... I'm looking for more MFP friends who are also pretty active. I run 25-35 miles per week & I have a pretty active job. I had a pretty good grasp on scaling back my portions when I was still trying to lose some weight, but now that I've hit my goal, it seems like I'm always struggling to eat enough calories every day without eating unhealthy foods like doughnuts just to meet my calorie requirement. I've tried protein shakes, etc. if you have any pointers, let me know. Add me if you like!

SLLRunner

No food is unhealthy. It's all just food.

That said, there is nothing wrong with a doughnut if it fits into your calorie goal. Once in a great while, I like to have a sweet from Peet's Coffee with my afternoon snack. This is generally on Thursday when I do a longer run. I also love ice cream and candy sometimes too. However, I work hard to make sure my diet is more nutrient dense with just some treats.

goosebeartalk

I'm not sure that I agree with the "no food is unhealthy" sentiment, but I do agree that I can allow myself to eat foods if they fit into my macros and calorie requirements. But doughnuts don't fit my macros & certainly don't fuel me the way whole foods do. I allow myself to cheat but I was asking the community for pointers on days other than cheat days

cheshirecatastrophe

Still working on losing weight, but I work out a lot and eat back exercise calories.

I make up big bike/run deficits with Clif bars or ice cream. It's an attempted balance: ice cream because I love it and it's a nice reward for busting my butt; Clif bars (which I like) because it's an easy thing to "add" to my non-massive workout day diet rather than getting used to superhigh calorie options all the time.

Other things you could do would be sneak-add calories. Salads with lots of energy-dense toppings (seeds, nuts, cheese, crumbled hardboiled egg yolks, oil-and-vinegar dressing), pan-fried veggies. Creamy sauces. Cheesy casseroles. Pasta night. Pizza night. Takeout Indian! Oatmeal with coconut milk (the real stuff, not the Blue Diamond low-cal boxed version) or cream. Butter tastes good. Put butter on stuff. Eat the same things, just more of them.

I'm currently working my way through the "homemade protein bar" recipes I find online as well.

SLLRunner

goosebeartalk wrote: »

I'm not sure that I agree with the "no food is unhealthy" sentiment, but I do agree that I can allow myself to eat foods if they fit into my macros and calorie requirements. But doughnuts don't fit my macros & certainly don't fuel me the way whole foods do. I allow myself to cheat but I was asking the community for pointers on days other than cheat days

I think it's more about what we find healthy for ourselves. I spent many years categorizing food into healthy and unhealthy and denied myself certain foods I love. This led to binges. It was o lyrics after I stopped categorizing g food that I have been successful with weight loss and maintaining.

If donuts don't work for you, try other nutrient dense foods.

Charliegottheruns

Eat 5-6 meals a day. Keep them small and healthy. Try smoothie's, you can use veggie's, fruit, tofu, nuts, and just about anything, (protein powder) Here's a tip, invest in a high speed blender like a ninja. They are expensive but worth every penny, they make the difference in the taste. You can also try meal replacement shakes for in between meals. Your local GNC will carry many different types. I would also take a real close look at your daily energy expenditure calculations, use different forms (apps) (websites) to calculation your daily calorie needs. Your body will adapt to running, run more efficiently and burn less calories. I would need more information to get more specific with you. I only use this site off and on but if you want to email me you can. Good Luck -Charlie-

goosebeartalk

Thanks so much everyone! Charlie, I may get back to you very soon. I think you added me. Yesterday was a horrible example of the way I usually eat, and not a cheat day, but if you want to look through my diary, feel free! I just changed my macros to 45-30-25 (carbs/protein/fats) so we'll see how this goes!

LivingtheLeanDream

I run 25 to 30 miles a week, I eat everything in moderation and average 2100 cals which makes me happy I've been maintaining for 5 months and enjoying the extra cals