Runner's Diet - companion post to "How the Rich Get Thin"

yellow_pepper

Sometimes it seems that losing weight and shaving minutes off my 10K (or 10-mile) time are as incompatible as two goals can be.

As recently as last year, when I wanted to lose weight, I relied on my favorite diet books, "How the Rich Get Thin," "French Women Don't Get Fat," and "Thin Tastes Better" to lose weight without losing the kind of energy I need to work or study. And they worked great! The combination of lean protein, green vegetables, and nonfat dairy is the fast path to healthy weight loss if ever there was one ...

But when I went for a run, I felt sluggish. I did not have the energy I needed to work my body hard - to run fast for miles and miles ... and it was discouraging to this road racing former child athlete.

So I consulted Runner's World, and there I found my solution: the Runner's Diet, from Runner's World:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-310-7771-0,00.html

I have much better endurance now than I have had in years. I have the energy I need to sustain my long runs, hills, and shorter runs at a faster pace. Now I'm 5 days away from my first 10-mile race!

yellow_pepper

Sometimes it seems that losing weight and shaving minutes off my 10K (or 10-mile) time are as incompatible as two goals can be.

As recently as last year, when I wanted to lose weight, I relied on my favorite diet books, "How the Rich Get Thin," "French Women Don't Get Fat," and "Thin Tastes Better" to lose weight without losing the kind of energy I need to work or study. And they worked great! The combination of lean protein, green vegetables, and nonfat dairy is the fast path to healthy weight loss if ever there was one ...

But when I went for a run, I felt sluggish. I did not have the energy I needed to work my body hard - to run fast for miles and miles ... and it was discouraging to this road racing former child athlete.

So I consulted Runner's World, and there I found my solution: the Runner's Diet, from Runner's World:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-310-7771-0,00.html

I have much better endurance now than I have had in years. I have the energy I need to sustain my long runs, hills, and shorter runs at a faster pace. Now I'm 5 days away from my first 10-mile race!

ladywalkalot

That is awesome. I, too, am "learning" to run and have found great accomplishment in slowly increasing my distance. BUT, I am also trying to lose those last few baby lbs....is this "diet" supportive of energetic weight loss?

yellow_pepper

Yes, it's all about losing weight without that burnt out feeling you can get when you're losing weight ...
The article explains the right balance between carbs, fat and protein for runners who are trying to lose weight. It also provides some guidance on WHEN to eat so that you have maximum energy for your workout.

Runner's World regularly publishes diet plans for runners who work out at different times of the day, who log different mileages each week, and who run at different speeds. And most of their content is available for free on the web, so check it out from time to time to answer your questions about running.

pmkelly409

Wow, this was a great article. I am going to put this link on the MFP Runner Club post tomorrow...everyone can benefit from this whether or not it is new to them or just a friendly reminder..h

I am so excited to know that I have basically been doing exactly what this article explains thanks to MFP!! without the food diary setting I would be absolutely lost as to what my actual daily intake % were....

MFP ROCKS!! :drinker:

violetvy

Good article. Thansk for sharing!