Busy people, training and the right meals
DP82mfp
Posts: 5 Member
Can anyone help? My wife and I are training for a local half marathon in May and wanted to start sorting my diet. I do need to lose some weight but no more than 4kg, but I want to make sure I still have enough energy for my training plan, work and everyday life. With a one and two year old I don’t have enough time to thoroughly research the meals and snacks that have the right ingredients to be a good match. My wife and I like to try new food but again have little time to research and go and get the specific ingredients for each recipe.
I wanted to see if anyone has had the same scenario? And how I could go about making sure my diet matches the amount of activity my wife and I do each day. A friend has just started using a meal box company to help with his weekly meal plan matching his training. He has said its too early to tell if its working or not. Before I start spending money on something like that, I wanted to see if anyone else had any tips on how they plan the weekly meals, or if they have had any experience with mealbox/meal kits?
Any help/tips/hacks would be really appreciated.
I wanted to see if anyone has had the same scenario? And how I could go about making sure my diet matches the amount of activity my wife and I do each day. A friend has just started using a meal box company to help with his weekly meal plan matching his training. He has said its too early to tell if its working or not. Before I start spending money on something like that, I wanted to see if anyone else had any tips on how they plan the weekly meals, or if they have had any experience with mealbox/meal kits?
Any help/tips/hacks would be really appreciated.
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Replies
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I take one day a week to plan my menus for the coming week. I then pre-log, which allows me to make adjustments if I'm falling below what I want for fat/protein that day (those are the two macros that I track and I'm mainly aiming for a certain range).
I do a lot of batch cooking -- that is, I'll make a big dinner and then store the leftovers for breakfast and lunch on subsequent days. With this method, I find that I generally just have to prepare one meal a day. I've heard that other busy people have success with doing batch cooking one day a week -- that is taking a day off and preparing all the meals for the week. That may be something to check out.
Do you know what your general calorie goal is? If not, that could be a good place to start.4 -
I second meal prep and pre logging to hit your cals and macros1
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Mealboxes and mealkits May not be appropriate for your activity level (but they may be). They will most certainly be very expensive.
I do batch cooking/meal prep as well. I also have a basic structure to my meals that helps me get enough volume and fiber I need to feel satiated, and the protein and carbs I need for my activity. Within that, I try loads of various recipes and adjust portion sizes based on my mileage.1 -
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SurfyFoFurfy wrote: »There seems to be a lot of meal kits and boxes available now. I feel they're expensive and unnecessary; cashing in on something you can do yourself (weekly meal prep), one morning every week.
I feel like most people are consistently evaluating the relative value of their time when it comes to deciding whether or not to pay for various services/products. What is too expensive or unnecessary for you may be a good value for someone else based on the money they have on hand and the other things they prefer to do with their time.3 -
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@DP82mfp I meal prep for myself. My daughter uses a box/meal prep service. Here's what I've learned: She likes the service because as a young single person with limited time, the service provides everything she needs. Also - something I never considered - she saves on special ingredients. She doesn't have to spend $6 on a bottle of some spice that she's only use once. I don't mind buying spices because I cook much more than my daughter and will use the ingredient.
So the take away would be that you need to evaluate how much you like cooking as well as the time you have for shopping and meal prep. The box services provide really nice meals. How expensive you feel they are needs to be weighed against time spent shopping and time searching for recipes. As far as the nutritional aspect of training for a 1/2 I'd say fuel with carbs, eat enough protein to protect your muscles and don't worry about it too much.
If you eat at a deficit you'll lose weight but your performance may suffer. If you're not looking for a PR that may not matter to you.0 -
Thank you for all the replies. These are so helpful, but also shows how much we need to figure out. So I will be aiming for 1400 cals for days I don’t train and 1600 cals for the days I do (i think). My wife will probably take around 150 cals off those numbers.
How did you guys find out the portion size, the percentage each macro you need from each meal? Was it based on trial and error and on what keeps you satiated? How do you measure these ratios? I think we would be shooting in the dark for a while, especially with the right balance of each meals we would use as fuel for the next run or training and how to scale it down when on rest days.
Thank you0 -
Thank you for all the replies. These are so helpful, but also shows how much we need to figure out. So I will be aiming for 1400 cals for days I don’t train and 1600 cals for the days I do (i think). My wife will probably take around 150 cals off those numbers.
How did you guys find out the portion size, the percentage each macro you need from each meal? Was it based on trial and error and on what keeps you satiated? How do you measure these ratios? I think we would be shooting in the dark for a while, especially with the right balance of each meals we would use as fuel for the next run or training and how to scale it down when on rest days.
Thank you
Are you male? If so, 1,500 would be the absolute lowest you should go. If you're training for a half, 1,600 is likely too low for your training days. How did you get those goals?
It's up to you how you want to structure each meal. There is no one right way to do it. I personally like a big dinner, so I tend to eat lighter for the other two meals to make that work. Other people like a big breakfast or even skip breakfast. It's okay to use trial and error to figure this out, as well as look at how you're structuring your meals now to see if that gives you insight into your preferences.3 -
Thank you for all the replies. These are so helpful, but also shows how much we need to figure out. So I will be aiming for 1400 cals for days I don’t train and 1600 cals for the days I do (i think). My wife will probably take around 150 cals off those numbers.
How did you guys find out the portion size, the percentage each macro you need from each meal? Was it based on trial and error and on what keeps you satiated? How do you measure these ratios? I think we would be shooting in the dark for a while, especially with the right balance of each meals we would use as fuel for the next run or training and how to scale it down when on rest days.
Thank you
You're only going to consume 1600 calories per day training for a 1/2 marathon? You're going to need more than that.
As far as your macro ratios go, it's a pretty individual thing and trial and error...there isn't any kind of universally superior macro ratio. But yeah...I think you're going to need more calories training for a 1/2. I'm a cyclist and even just regular riding for exercise and fitness (not training) I will drop about 1 Lb per week on 2300-2500 calories per day...when I'm training for an endurance event, I can drop weight on 3K+.4 -
Thank you for all the replies. These are so helpful, but also shows how much we need to figure out. So I will be aiming for 1400 cals for days I don’t train and 1600 cals for the days I do (i think). My wife will probably take around 150 cals off those numbers.
How did you guys find out the portion size, the percentage each macro you need from each meal? Was it based on trial and error and on what keeps you satiated? How do you measure these ratios? I think we would be shooting in the dark for a while, especially with the right balance of each meals we would use as fuel for the next run or training and how to scale it down when on rest days.
Thank you
That's not enough calories. First of all, as a male your base calories shouldn't be less than 1500 calories. With less than 10 pounds to lose, set your weekly weight loss goal to a half pound a week and eat the calories you're given, plus your exercise calories.
Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p13 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
Are you male? If so, 1,500 would be the absolute lowest you should go. If you're training for a half, 1,600 is likely too low for your training days. How did you get those goals?
It's up to you how you want to structure each meal. There is no one right way to do it. I personally like a big dinner, so I tend to eat lighter for the other two meals to make that work. Other people like a big breakfast or even skip breakfast. It's okay to use trial and error to figure this out, as well as look at how you're structuring your meals now to see if that gives you insight into your preferences.
Yes I am a male. To be honest we pulled them from a blog we read on runners world sometime ago. We prefer larger meals in the evening, stops us snacking. I think we’re do some batch cooking on sundays as a starter and see how we go.0 -
Yes I am a male. To be honest we pulled them from a blog we read on runners world sometime ago. We prefer larger meals in the evening, stops us snacking. I think we’re do some batch cooking on sundays as a starter and see how we go.
I strongly recommend you consider eating more than that. Too steep of a deficit, especially while training, is going to result in slower running times, unnecessary muscle loss, fatigue, and possibly excessive hunger. It's also going to be very difficult to meet your nutritional needs on a calorie goal that low.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Yes I am a male. To be honest we pulled them from a blog we read on runners world sometime ago. We prefer larger meals in the evening, stops us snacking. I think we’re do some batch cooking on sundays as a starter and see how we go.
I strongly recommend you consider eating more than that. Too steep of a deficit, especially while training, is going to result in slower running times, unnecessary muscle loss, fatigue, and possibly excessive hunger. It's also going to be very difficult to meet your nutritional needs on a calorie goal that low.
And recovery isn't going to be great either.4 -
Thank you for all the replies. These are so helpful, but also shows how much we need to figure out. So I will be aiming for 1400 cals for days I don’t train and 1600 cals for the days I do (i think). My wife will probably take around 150 cals off those numbers.
How did you guys find out the portion size, the percentage each macro you need from each meal? Was it based on trial and error and on what keeps you satiated? How do you measure these ratios? I think we would be shooting in the dark for a while, especially with the right balance of each meals we would use as fuel for the next run or training and how to scale it down when on rest days.
Thank you
Wow. Those calories totals are pretty low. That’s going to impact your training (eg-it’s going to be very difficult to run significant mileage on so little fuel-particularly when you don’t have a lot to lose).
Something you might consider-when I am training for a race, Friday’s are a rest day and Saturday is long run day. I do better on my long run if I eat a little more on Friday. So it may not be a simple matter of training day vs not.
The rest is trial and error. Many people are satiated by protein and fat. I am not. So I eat protein and carbs for performance, but my satiety comes from volume and fiber. That was discovered via trial and error. And over time, I’ve learned that my performance suffers if my carbs are too low. That might not be the case for you. There’s no one right answer for everyone for macro mix.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Yes I am a male. To be honest we pulled them from a blog we read on runners world sometime ago. We prefer larger meals in the evening, stops us snacking. I think we’re do some batch cooking on sundays as a starter and see how we go.
I strongly recommend you consider eating more than that. Too steep of a deficit, especially while training, is going to result in slower running times, unnecessary muscle loss, fatigue, and possibly excessive hunger. It's also going to be very difficult to meet your nutritional needs on a calorie goal that low.
Indeed.
I’d suggest putting your info into mfp, selecting the slowest loss rate, using that goal (also logging your runs and eating those calories back).
Losing weight while training for a long distance event is a challenge. Running a bazillion miles (and recovering from those runs well enough to do another) takes fuel. Some of that fuel can come from your excess body fat. Some. But you need to get actual fuel and be sure you’re getting adequate vitamins and minerals and so forth - this is really important when you’re logging lots of miles.
Plus longer runs tend to make people hungry (not everyone-but many). So be prepared for that as well.
But you’re going to have a really rough time if you’re eating well below the absolute minimum recommended intake. It’s not going to be a pleasant training experience and can increase risk of injury.2 -
I finished my first half marathon last year and was training for a marathon before getting sidelined by an injury a couple weeks ago. I needed a lot more food than I expected. What helps me get everything done in time is sitting down with all my recipes once a week and I create a grocery list of everything I will need, that way I don’t have to be running to the grocery store every night. I create a seasonal meal plan, it saves money because we buy what’s in season, and the recipes are geared towards those seasons which also makes things tastier, and we buy bulk since the menu only changes every few months. For example, my winter menu has a lot of warm soups, chili, and healthy comfort foods. Since it’s just two of us many meals can also be frozen and reheated, we generally only end up cooking every two weeks. I also love using my crock pot, not everything you make in there has to be a soup or watery dish, it actually makes delicious crispy skinned chicken thighs! I log all of my foods in MFP at the beginning of each week following our meal plan, but I do usually allow some flexibility with snacks and I’ll log those later. You really don’t need a meal service if you plan ahead.1
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I am a short female and not training for a damn thing and I lost weight eating 1500 cals. As a man training for a race, you need far more fuel than 1400-1600 cals!
Put your stats into MFP, choose a goal of losing 0.5lbs per week as you have so little to lose, and get your calorie goal. Eat all those calories on non-active days, and when you do train, log that exercise and eat back most of those calories.
For weight loss, you can eat whatever you want. Obviously you want to take into consideration other goals, like getting enough protein to protect your muscles (at least 0.6-0.8g per lb of goal body weight) and general health.
Good luck!3 -
Wow, thank you everyone. Never expected so much great advice. What all of you have said on the calories not being enough explains why I was always fatigued when I did my training for my previous half marathon.
Will start tracking using MFP, and try and get ourselves organised around planning a weeks meals.
Thank you everyone3 -
Wow, thank you everyone. Never expected so much great advice. What all of you have said on the calories not being enough explains why I was always fatigued when I did my training for my previous half marathon.
Will start tracking using MFP, and try and get ourselves organised around planning a weeks meals.
Thank you everyone
Good luck!1
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