Eating all your calories?

beccalucy

I'm wondering whether anyone else struggles to eat their exercise calories back on a long run day. I ran 14 miles yesterday and struggled to get into positive net calories nevermind eat normal and exercise calories.

What do you do?

skemery

On my long run days, I do have trouble eating them all back. Its really hard when I'm out for 7 hours or so and then when I get back I'm not really that hungry right away. But I find I more than make up for that on the weekends, so I just try to look at the entire week's totals.

bshedwick

Its not just you for sure. When I burn over 1k in a long run, i have a hard time too. I just try to get close, and sometimes I splurge on those days.

beccalucy

Thank you. It's when I burn over 1k I really fall into trouble usually and none long distance runners start getting on my case!

mikeyrp

I think most people have this issue - especially as straight after running the last thing you want to do is shovel food into your mouth

I try and carb load for a few days before (say 2 days at an extra 200 cals per day) and the day after I am always starving, so I let myself go up to 500 over. That means that for a half marathon (~1700 cal) I only have to take on an extra 800. A nice flapjack and a recovery shake will cover most of that.

Note - I'm on maintenance and its as important not to loose weight as it is not to gain it for me. If I was loosing I would probably allow an additional 500 deficit over the week.

beccalucy

Thanks mikey, I'm just having a lot of nagging to the extent I'm considering locking my diary!

I may try to spread the deficit over a few days, however i like the excuse to eat flapjack! I hate the taste of shakes etc which is another problem (I'm fairly fussy!)

In all fairness technically I don't need to lose but I am looking to lose another 5-7lb before my marathon in April.

mikeyrp

Cool - which one are you doing? I have two: Brighton and MK.

I wouldn't let what other people say bother you too much, BUT if you find it is taking you a long time to recover - especially if this is in the form of physically being tired (as opposed to muscle ache) - then you're probably not eating enough!

We always finish our long runs in our local coffee shop and I tend to order a hot chocolate in the winter or a chocolate milkshake in the summer, a flap jack and a bacon sandwich. Between this, the gels and the clif bar eat when I wake up (because I hate to run on a full stomach) I normally get back to close to a net of zero. Which would be OK, except by this point its lunchtime and I'm full. Happy - but full!

Oh - another hint - try grazing on nuts and raisins. 50g is about 225 calories and you can easily eat double that through the day without filling up - and its very healthy. Um... more than 100g plays havoc with your indigestion.

crux

I totally agree with mike! Look to pre fuel your long runs by eating more either the night before or early the day of your run, the try fueling during the long run, not only does that help with net calories but it helps with recovery!

I found getting out of 'diet' mode is really tough after a long time on MFP

mlb929

Nope, I have trouble on any running day keeping my calories in the net, especially on long run days. I looked last week, over the past 30 days - I had 8 days in negative net calories due to runs. I just it on, I'm not feeling fatigued, I eat very high quality foods, so my calories overall are not high. I skip most wheat products and don't eat much dairy. I've found if I add P90X Results and Recovery the night before it helps a lot.

beccalucy

Thanks for your replies, I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I was beginning to feel like a freak as my boyfriend would apparently love the excuse to eat another 1000 + calories a day!

Pre-fueling the night before sounds like a good plan, I struggle with my stomach when running anyway although I'm not really ever that physically tired so I must be doing something right. I eat a lot of home-cooked, good food and like mlb929 struggle with both heat and dairy so keep it fairly restricted.

I fuel with almonds in a long run actually, odd choice but currently appears to work for me. Although may have them as a more regular snack too. I'm loving the idea of hot chocolate and flapjack though after a long run, guess who'll be baking this weekend!?!

Mikey- I'm running London, having never ran more than a half marathon race it could be interesting!

mikeyrp

Mikey- I'm running London, having never ran more than a half marathon race it could be interesting!

Good luck! These will be my first too! (I have only raced 2 half marathons but I run at/over the distance fairly regularly)