Best foods/nutrition for small weight loss and running?

runwithtoppa

Hi all, I was new here a year ago... but I failed after getting tendonitis in both ankles. After a few weeks of walking like an oap, I was too afraid to start again.
But fast forward a year, and I am back! Because I started to fall into bad habits, and my tops were getting a tad tighter.

I'm female, 32yo, 5'7, and 11st ( I was about 12st, 10 days ago when I logged back into the site). My ideal bmi is supposedly 10st6, so that's what I am aiming for. I also hope to be able to run a full mile without stopping. So I am really looking to get fit, not so much lose weight.
I lost a good amount of weight (more than recommended max 2lb a week) in such a short time, not from starving myself or anything crazy.
I simply cut out cola and stopped binge eating, and added 1/3 mile run and a 100m sprint into my routine, every morning, when I walk the dogs.
I also normally walk up to 20 miles a day (3-4mph) due to dog walks and a lack of car. So that has helped to keep me healthy and my weight relatively steady for the last year.
(The way I weighed myself the first time and second time was also different - 1st evening fully dressed and 2nd morning semi dressed)
I imagine next week will show slower progress. Hence thinking I should get some helpful advice now to avoid problems.

So my main problem right now, is simply not knowing what the best foods are for running/weight loss. Obviously low calories, I know this much. But what should I be looking for to help with running? I don't want to fall short on something my body will be needing or maybe when I am needing it. I am not a breakfast person! The thought of food in the morning makes me wretch, so I often run on empty, or have a few bites of a banana before I set out. When I return... I am like a pig in a grocers. NOM NOM NOM!!!

After my morning run, I get back home and feel ravenous. I eat a banana and I just feel like it's not enough, so I have a small bowl of cereal... it's not enough...
And, it's this, that I worry could be setting me up to fail. Is it just my bad habits of binging, or is my body craving something that I am not providing?

I might be logging things wrong? It is really difficult to know how far and how fast I have actually walked. I use mapmywalk and the figures on there don't match the figures on this website. So if anyone could help with that I'd really appreciate it!
I do wonder if I am actually burning more calories than I log, which would explain why I get so hungry and feel like I'm starving myself?
When I try to log the food in the diary, I can't seem to find the correct things. I go by the packets of things I eat, I do weigh some items if I am not totally certain, and when I try to log them in here... I either can't find the item, or if I do the figures again don't add up. How do I add my own things, that I know are more accurate to what I am eating?

My diary this last week is a bit hit and miss as I was trying it out, so not accurate of true events (yesterday I believe I ate almost 4K total in calories, (with the help of a large helping of mash and curry! And I do not log every walk I do every day).
I am honest to myself, I really enjoyed a parmo on Sunday evening, after a full sunday roast, so I know I might see a blip in weight from all that. Being accurate on these logs is just a science I don't understand though!
But either way, I am losing weight and my pace/times are improving with my running, so I am on the right track at least.
This week I am trying to be a lot more accurate as I get used to using this site again.
But still, I might be over looking something, so... any help or moral support offered will be appreciated thanks

( oh, I best go and make sure my settings are public also )

IsaackGMOON

TL;DR seriously... I'm just going off the title.

All that is needed for a caloric deficit; eating certain foods or cutting out a certain food group does not make you lose any faster. Hit your micronutrient and macronutrient goals while eating the foods you like in moderation... it's that simple.

runwithtoppa

Thanks for taking the time to respond Isaack, however... micro/macronutrient mean little to me? I am assuming, they are the nutrients needed that get over looked.
TL;DR means nothing to me ( I looked it up on google.... not answering my questions now makes sense. Thanks all the same)

ExRelaySprinter

runwithtoppa wrote: »

After my morning run, I get back home and feel ravenous. I eat a banana and I just feel like it's not enough, so I have a small bowl of cereal... it's not enough...
And, it's this, that I worry could be setting me up to fail. Is it just my bad habits of binging, or is my body craving something that I am not providing?

Well after a big run or heavy session of Cardio, i wouldn't be eating just a Banana! Lol
I normally have a big bowl of Tuna Pasta with Veg (around 450 cals worth) and that satisfies me for a good few hours after.
Having sugary cereal isn't ideal in that situation - but that's just MY opinion.

runwithtoppa

Thanks for that exrelaysprinter.
Thinking back, just snacking on a banana does seem a bit daft.
I shall look into eating some thing more hearty. Tuna and pasta sound delicious, so I'll give that a try tomorrow.

ExRelaySprinter

runwithtoppa wrote: »

Thanks for that exrelaysprinter.
Thinking back, just snacking on a banana does seem a bit daft.
I shall look into eating some thing more hearty. Tuna and pasta sound delicious, so I'll give that a try tomorrow.

Why not check out other forum users "open food diaries", to give you some ideas of what to eat?

StaciMarie1974

How I eat before/after a morning run may not work for you. You may need to do a bit of trial & error to find the best balance.

Personally I don't do well to go out on nothing. So if I get up early to run/walk, I'll have an English muffin (140-160 calories typically) before. Its light, and I don't feel full. But without it, I'd feel hungry midway into my run/walk session. Right after I'll have a banana, and then an hour or so later (based on my morning routine) some apple slices with peanut butter, or oatmeal and a couple of hard boiled eggs. I've found combining macros helps with hunger.

*Macros are carbs, fat and protein. An apple alone leaves me feeling like I have not eaten a thing. But somehow adding the peanut butter (which has fat and some protein) makes it filling. I find oatmeal more filling than basic cereal.

If your focus is more on improving your running/stamina and less on weight loss - then aim for a slight calorie deficit. No more than 250-500 per day. If you cut calories too much, you'll likely find yourself lacking the energy you need to run.

There are different ways to work on running. You can look into a couch to 5k app/training program. Or look up The Galloway method. (I think that's what its called.) There you alternate between running & walking.

runwithtoppa

ExRelaySprinter wrote: »

Why not check out other forum users "open food diaries", to give you some ideas of what to eat?

I haven't devoted enough forum time to searching for food diaries
Once again, the best of ideas always elude me! I shall look for open diaries. Cheers

ExRelaySprinter

runwithtoppa wrote: »

ExRelaySprinter wrote: »

Why not check out other forum users "open food diaries", to give you some ideas of what to eat?

I haven't devoted enough forum time to searching for food diaries
Once again, the best of ideas always elude me! I shall look for open diaries. Cheers

Just click on their username and if their diary is open, you will see "view diary".
I don't have the best eating habits myself sometimes, so have a little peek at other peoples' diaries all the time.

runwithtoppa

Thanks stacimarie1974, very helpful

sheldonklein

Be careful about calculating your exercise calories. You say you walk 20 miles a day (3-4mph). That would mean you are walking between 5 and 7 hours a day, which is, too say the least, a lot.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

ruqayyahsmum

i run in the afternoons so ill have chicken salad for lunch but then i have to leave it at least 4 hours before i run as otherwise i feel sick or am sick very quickly
afterwards ill have a couple cheese strings while i make dinner. meat and veg, pasta with some variety of meat sauce, chilli con carne etc

on the weekend ill run before lunch so just a cup of coffee with a squeeze of honey is what works best for me and ill have goats cheese and pesto foccacia afterwards, its my favorite day of the week

runwithtoppa

sheldonklein wrote: »

Be careful about calculating your exercise calories. You say you walk 20 miles a day (3-4mph). That would mean you are walking between 5 and 7 hours a day, which is, too say the least, a lot.

Not every day. I can walk UP TO 20 miles a day. I used map my walk a few months ago, to track how far I walked on my busiest day and it came to 20 miles. Which is once or twice a week.

This morning I walked 2 hours alone on dog walks. I then took a walk to the supermarket which was an hour... and when I got back, I went back out because I forgot milk... there's another 30 minutes. 3 and half hours before lunch, I haven't nipped out to the post office yet either and that's two miles away.
When I say I walk a lot, I mean I walk a lot.

runwithtoppa

shell1005 wrote: »

The types of food aren't really all that important....to be honest. What is important is that you fuel your body for your workouts, which means eating back the calories you burned in exercise. If you were running long distances then I would suggest making sure you are carb loading before the runs, but with the distances you are reporting...the types of food don't matter much.

As for what to eat after a run....some quick carbs like a banana or cereal seems like a good idea. Maybe couple it with some protein like a greek yogurt, etc. That can give you the quick calories and something else that might stick with you longer.

Thanks Shell, I am not running far right now... but I do hope to up the miles in the near future when I get used to it
I had a quick look and protein is lacking, so maybe that's what I need to look into. ( I can't say yogurt is something I like... but I will look for an alternative!)

jgnatca

If you like to run you might want to run with a tracker to get a more accurate calorie burn. You might get an app on your phone like MapMyRun or Endomondo, or you can invest in one of the new fitness trackers like FitBit, a Polar, or that Apple iWatch.

To gain or lose weight it's quantity of food, not type.

To fuel your runs you want a balance of your macros. The macros are protein, carbohydrates, and fats. A banana is nearly all carbohydrate. To balance it out, try having a handful of nuts as well. Weigh it out to know how many calories it is. My Fitness Pal lets you know how many of each macro you have eaten in a day. Get used to looking at those macro numbers as well.

There are two foods you might want to try. Chia seeds contain a lot of soluble fiber and presoaked in milk make a sort of pudding. They can help fuel a long run. I like having Biosteel powder in my water every day to give me the full range of amino acids/proteins I need. It's probably psychosomatic, but it makes me feel like I am feeding my run.

runwithtoppa

ruqayyahsmum wrote: »

i run in the afternoons so ill have chicken salad for lunch but then i have to leave it at least 4 hours before i run as otherwise i feel sick or am sick very quickly
afterwards ill have a couple cheese strings while i make dinner. meat and veg, pasta with some variety of meat sauce, chilli con carne etc

on the weekend ill run before lunch so just a cup of coffee with a squeeze of honey is what works best for me and ill have goats cheese and pesto foccacia afterwards, its my favorite day of the week

Thanks ruqayyahsmum, just eating breakfast when I get up makes me feel sick. I'm sure my stomach wakes up about 5 hours after I do. So a breakfast and then a run, would just do me in I'm sure!

I'm going to try the snack before a run and some tuna pasta after the run. I like the idea of a chicken salad too. Sounds nice and light, as well as easy to prepare.
Not sure on the coffee... I can't stand drinking coffee, despite trying several times... but I love coffee flavoured things, like mints and chocolates? Weird, I know lol

Traveler120

runwithtoppa wrote: »

So my main problem right now, is simply not knowing what the best foods are for running/weight loss. Obviously low calories, I know this much. But what should I be looking for to help with running? I don't want to fall short on something my body will be needing or maybe when I am needing it.

Simple: Weight loss requires a calorie deficit. Running requires foods that provide energy. The healthiest solution is to eat whole foods especially plant foods like potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, lentils, beans, fruits, veggies. These will provide energy for running, and because they're very filling will allow you to eat a high volume of food without exceeding calories.

Also, there's no reason to eat low calories if you're that active. I eat about 1700 calories, 128 lbs right now, I'm reasonably active (at least 10 hours/week of exercise) and have lost 25 lbs with 10 more to go.

runwithtoppa

jgnatca wrote: »

If you like to run you might want to run with a tracker to get a more accurate calorie burn. You might get an app on your phone like MapMyRun or Endomondo, or you can invest in one of the new fitness trackers like FitBit, a Polar, or that Apple iWatch.

I use mapmywalk.
As an example, this morning while walking my dog I stopped at the track I run down, set up mapmywalk and then ran the 1/3 mile (roughly 0.35 mile). It always has the same calorie burn, regardless of my pace.
Today it said I burnt 48 calories.

On this website, it said I had burnt 35 calories for the same run. Maybe I just logged it wrong.

Over all my calories burned for walks and runs today there is a bigger gap. This website always being lower.
I am sticking to this website for the calorie count as I would rather under estimate than over estimate.

Thanks for the advice on marcos. It is all making much more sense now

ruqayyahsmum

runwithtoppa wrote: »

ruqayyahsmum wrote: »

i run in the afternoons so ill have chicken salad for lunch but then i have to leave it at least 4 hours before i run as otherwise i feel sick or am sick very quickly
afterwards ill have a couple cheese strings while i make dinner. meat and veg, pasta with some variety of meat sauce, chilli con carne etc

on the weekend ill run before lunch so just a cup of coffee with a squeeze of honey is what works best for me and ill have goats cheese and pesto foccacia afterwards, its my favorite day of the week

Thanks ruqayyahsmum, just eating breakfast when I get up makes me feel sick. I'm sure my stomach wakes up about 5 hours after I do. So a breakfast and then a run, would just do me in I'm sure!

I'm going to try the snack before a run and some tuna pasta after the run. I like the idea of a chicken salad too. Sounds nice and light, as well as easy to prepare.
Not sure on the coffee... I can't stand drinking coffee, despite trying several times... but I love coffee flavoured things, like mints and chocolates? Weird, I know lol

oh im so not a morning person, never have more than a coffee

im weird as i love my coffee but i detest coffee flavoured foods

ruqayyahsmum

runwithtoppa wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

If you like to run you might want to run with a tracker to get a more accurate calorie burn. You might get an app on your phone like MapMyRun or Endomondo, or you can invest in one of the new fitness trackers like FitBit, a Polar, or that Apple iWatch.

I use mapmywalk.
As an example, this morning while walking my dog I stopped at the track I run down, set up mapmywalk and then ran the 1/3 mile (roughly 0.35 mile). It always has the same calorie burn, regardless of my pace.
Today it said I burnt 48 calories.

On this website, it said I had burnt 35 calories for the same run. Maybe I just logged it wrong.

Over all my calories burned for walks and runs today there is a bigger gap. This website always being lower.
I am sticking to this website for the calorie count as I would rather under estimate than over estimate.

Thanks for the advice on marcos. It is all making much more sense now

both map my walk and this website overestimate the calorie burns

i run 3 miles every weekend. map my walk tells me ive burnt over 600 cals, this website tells me its over 550, in reality its likely to be alot lower

jgnatca

Then I must be ultimate weird as I love the smell of coffee but can't stand the taste.

If you don't like coffee, try tea.

runwithtoppa

Traveler120 wrote: »

Simple: Weight loss requires a calorie deficit. Running requires foods that provide energy. The healthiest solution is to eat whole foods especially plant foods like potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, lentils, beans, fruits, veggies. These will provide energy for running, and because they're very filling will allow you to eat a high volume of food without exceeding calories.

Cheers for that Traveler120.

Sounds like vegetarian type foods, so that's easy enough to remember.
I am a devil for binge eating, but I guess with all the miles I walk, it's no wonder.

As an example, I recently read the nutrition info in more detail on my cereal.
I thought one serving was one average bowl, which is what I eat.

Nope! It is just 30g!? (everyone but me must have already known this)
I decided to weigh what I normally eat and it came to around 200g. about 7 servings and almost 1000 calories. I had simply never realised because my body clearly needed it and was using them no problem. Perhaps with some to spare as I have gained weight over the last year.
I was eating special K, as I was diagnosed with anaemia and it seemed the best breakfast for Iron and B12. Turns out my 7 servings was sending me way past the daily recommended intake of both, just on the cereal alone. I am happy to say, I am no longer diagnosed with anaemia and now I know why lol special K by the bucket load!

I have since tried the suggested serving of 30g, it wasn't all that bad. And my belly feels much less bloated for it.

Hence the need for help and advice. I'll get to these conclusions faster with the help of others

jeffpettis

runwithtoppa wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

If you like to run you might want to run with a tracker to get a more accurate calorie burn. You might get an app on your phone like MapMyRun or Endomondo, or you can invest in one of the new fitness trackers like FitBit, a Polar, or that Apple iWatch.

I use mapmywalk.
As an example, this morning while walking my dog I stopped at the track I run down, set up mapmywalk and then ran the 1/3 mile (roughly 0.35 mile). It always has the same calorie burn, regardless of my pace.
Today it said I burnt 48 calories.

On this website, it said I had burnt 35 calories for the same run. Maybe I just logged it wrong.

Over all my calories burned for walks and runs today there is a bigger gap. This website always being lower.
I am sticking to this website for the calorie count as I would rather under estimate than over estimate.

Thanks for the advice on marcos. It is all making much more sense now

The calorie burn estimates for MFP and Map My Run are notoriously high. The only way to know for sure would be to use a "good" heart rate monitor.

Also, earlier you said you walk a lot everyday. If this is your normal, and something you have done for a while, you will burn less calories because your body has become more efficient at walking over time. You will probably need to run to get your heart rate up to burn the same calories someone just starting out walking would burn for the same amount of time.

Also "testing" your calorie burn for just 1/3 of a mile is not going to be accurate because you will not have raised your heart rate enough for long enough to get a good estimate.

runwithtoppa

jeffpettis wrote: »

The calorie burn estimates for MFP and Map My Run are notoriously high. The only way to know for sure would be to use a "good" heart rate monitor.

Also, earlier you said you walk a lot everyday. If this is your normal, and something you have done for a while, you will burn less calories because your body has become more efficient at walking over time. You will probably need to run to get your heart rate up to burn the same calories someone just starting out walking would burn for the same amount of time.

Also "testing" your calorie burn for just 1/3 of a mile is not going to be accurate because you will not have raised your heart rate enough for long enough to get a good estimate.

Thanks jeffpettis, that's really helpful.

I will have to look into good heart rate monitors, to check what my heart is actually saying I'm doing.

You sound spot on with the walking. I have walked long distances daily ever since I was a child. I walked to school every single day throughout childhood and weekends were spent hiking across the country with the family dog. It is probably why I love walking so much now as an adult, and think nothing of walking a couple of miles to nip to a shop.
Looking on mapmywalk of my last walk, my average pace is 16min/mile. If I up it for a burn, I get 14min/mile.
Should I start really under estimating my calorie burn for walks?

As for running, I can only manage 1/3 mile for now! It does get my heart rate up, that's for sure, as I am out of breath and it takes a few minutes to feel fully recovered. Hopefully I will be able to run further to get a better idea of calorie burn.
I might be good at walking, but I am terrible at running! Might be a while to build up the running muscles!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

runwithtoppa

shell1005 wrote: »

Ever considered trying the Couch to 5K program? It is designed to get those with little experience or success at running....and over the span of about 2 months into being able to run a constant 5K.

I tried the couch to 5k last year, but I simply couldn't run for as long as they were saying. I think my first run was an exhausting 30 seconds! 3 weeks in, I managed to run for about 3 minutes non stop (the app asks for 5 minute runs on the first day! I was way behind). I also got tendonitis in both ankles on week 3. So I gave up while they healed. I walk everywhere, and for a good 4 weeks, walking was slow and extremely painful (can you imagine my busy 20 mile walking day with tendonitis in both ankles. I was almost in tears!). Needless to say, I couldn't face trying the couch to 5k again, it just felt too pressured for me and as I am a competitive person, I just kept pushing myself and felt like I was failing every time I went out - the tendonitis was just the final straw. Before I knew it, a year had flown by!

I feel more confident to run now, and I decided rather than try a programme and risk tendonitis again, I would simply run without an app. Then I would do a 100m sprint to work on the speed.
I have made much more progress doing this.
I ran 2 minutes straight on my first run a week ago (compared to my 30 seconds last year), and this week I am running 3.5 minutes straight (which happens to be the 1/3 mile marker).
Hopefully by the end of the week I will be getting further.
Mapmywalk is only used to track progress made, or failing that, make sure my pace time (a comfortable 9-10 min mile) stays consistent.

Basically, I feel less pressured and more confident of not running into injury doing it without an app (or at least one like couch 2 5k) at the moment.
Once I run the mile non stop, I will no doubt set myself a new goal, like braving couch to 5k again!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

runwithtoppa

shell1005 wrote: »

The C25K program you tried had you running for 5 minutes straight on the first day? That isn't how it went with the program I did. It was running for 60 seconds at a time and then a rest walk of 90 seconds. Here is a link to the most common program I see (and I know they have an app associate with it):

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I can understand if you don't want to do it again, but wanted to let you know that the standard C25K doesn't start out so aggressive. Best of luck to you on your running goals!

Thanks for that Shell, I was clearly on some crazy version of couch to 5k
I will happily try out the more sedate and sane version of it!