Advice on food?

Zangpakto

Ok, I am running a marathon next week....

Injured knee blah blah I know, I shouldn't.. but I need to for qualification into my ultra marathon next year...

I am feeling constantly hungry.. Can someone maybe check and see if that is normal? Look at my diary maybe...

Or any advice... I can happily cut out everything and dip below 500c when I feel like it, but when I eat around 1200-1400+ I just... feel hungry... No other word for it...

I know some might advise against, but when marathon is complete I'm going back to little net and aiming for 500 or less net for a few weeks again to settle me back down... I'm just worried with this hunger... Don't want it sucks...

Weirdest thing is I am not gaining... and occasionally still losing anyway... Eating this much I shouldn't be losing I do not think.. at least.. gah.. kinda panicking... feel horrid... This food is crap... no other way to put it... I hate eating this much.. I am goig zero carb on sunday in prep for race and then 3 days before carbo loading, but I don't want to eat... I just... don't... but I am just hungry...

psuLemon

Marathon runners should not be eating 1200-1400 calories. It's not enough to fuel your body and only will cause your body to catabolize your lean muscle mass. Most athletes I set up calorie plans for are 1800-2400 calories for females and 2400-3500 for men. Generally, if you run a lot, it should be in the higher ranges.

psuLemon

Also, start eating higher calorie foods. Lean protein meats, high calorie protein shakes, protein bars... do you see the protein trend.... Cook meats in EVOO, eat plenty of dense calorie foods like nuts or even eat peanut butter out of the jar. It's smart eating..

BTW, whats your height and weight? I am 5'11, 30 years old, 12% body fat, and do P90X/insanity hybrid and I eat 2600-3000 calories to cut fat

LoraF83

Marathon runners should not be eating 1200-1400 calories. It's not enough to fuel your body and only will cause your body to catabolize your lean muscle mass. Most athletes I set up calorie plans for are 1800-2400 calories for females and 2400-3500 for men. Generally, if you run a lot, it should be in the higher ranges.

^Listen to him.

I ran all summer - training for a half marathon. There is no way you should be doing a marathon on 1200-1400 calories. It's simply not enough fuel for a 26 mile run (or even 8-24 mile training runs).

Zangpakto

I am 5 foot tall, still currently got excess weight, and been running for quite a while now...

Age is 24....

I am roughly say 19-22% bf...

I can run 30km and only eat a toast or two for energy, then gels and 32gi etc the rest during the run...

I mean in all fairness, I am running a 56km in april next year possibly a 90km in may depending on room availability.... For my height, I want to cut down quick so can fit in more base training and get to around 90-120mpw by jan before going to speed work...

What sort of diet then am I looking for?

wolfchild59

Wow, I think I would pass out trying to train on 1200-1400 calories a day. I really hope that's at least your net, right? Otherwise I can't even wrap my head around it.

When I was training for each of my half marathons I was around 1700 net on most days, typically a bit higher the day or two before each long run. I could always feel it in my runs when I ate fewer calories, I just felt weaker and was more likely to bonk. I also bonked a lot of runs trying to stay at a 40/30/30 split on carbs/protein/fat. I felt way better when I changed to 50/25/25 and then I upped the carbs to 60/20/20 for the two days leading up to my race and felt great.

Also, I didn't lose weight while I was training, in fact, I was a couple of pounds heavier at the end of the training than when I started. But I lost a full inch off of my waist, a full inch off of my hips, and a half an inch each off of my thighs. So don't always worry about the scale number.

psuLemon

Being a 5' tall 24 yr old tall male, i would have you around 2300-2500 total calories. Its possible to be more. Do you wear a hrm during your runs? Btw, your estimate bmr is more than 1500 calories. But if you have a hrm, i will spell out the math.

now_or_never12

You need to eat a lot of food if you are a runner. A piece or two of toast before a long run is NOT healthy.

Neither is planning on eating less than 500 cals a day after your done your marathon.

You are eating away at your muscle which causes problems. You need to eat more.

Zangpakto

I have a HRM...

Umm my resting is about 54bbm...

My BP has been as low as I think 88/45 or something, that was DURING a race... They tried calling the ambulance on me and I was like... but I'm fine thanks very much lol...

Umm yea, I push occasionally to 190 or so BPM during intervals as well...

Not sure of current BP but roughly 90/50 or something it hangs around... some days higher some lower (not much but still...)

My aim for resting HR is to be below 45, maybe even 40... I wanna get close to miguel indurin from the tour de france level... lol..

Ok really? How would I eat that much? I mean I could consider if I was taller.. but right now? For BMI wise which is higher than normal due to my build, I would be healthy around 47-52kg... racing weight puts me at 56 for cycling and slightly less for running.

what you wanna know about my hr or anything? I do kinda need advice as I have issues with eating and don't wanna start that again really tbh...

wolfchild59

You need to eat a lot of food if you are a runner. A piece or two of toast before a long run is NOT healthy.

Agreed on this definitely. I'd never make it on a long run with that. Heck, I've discovered that I'm not even a person that can get away with just some small meal before along run. I actually plan my long run days so that I wake hours before I plan on going and immediately have breakfast. Usually about 350-400 calories worth and three cups of water. Then I rest (or maybe fall back to sleep) for about an hour and wake up an hour and a half before I plan on going out. Then I eat about another 200 calories and three more cups of water - finishing both an hour before I head out.

I might have a small bit of something right before I run like a few sports beans or some miniature marshmallows (not the mini puffy ones, the little tiny ones, like you get in hot chocolate mixes). Then I have a two-three shot bloks while on the run.

Basically, I'm eating more before my long runs than the OP plans to eat in an entire day. lol But if I don't, I burn out. I do skip the shot bloks on the last three long runs before a race so that it's an extra boost on race day, but that's the only change.

psuLemon

I have a HRM...

Umm my resting is about 54bbm...

My BP has been as low as I think 88/45 or something, that was DURING a race... They tried calling the ambulance on me and I was like... but I'm fine thanks very much lol...

Umm yea, I push occasionally to 190 or so BPM during intervals as well...

Not sure of current BP but roughly 90/50 or something it hangs around... some days higher some lower (not much but still...)

My aim for resting HR is to be below 45, maybe even 40... I wanna get close to miguel indurin from the tour de france level... lol..

Ok really? How would I eat that much? I mean I could consider if I was taller.. but right now? For BMI wise which is higher than normal due to my build, I would be healthy around 47-52kg... racing weight puts me at 56 for cycling and slightly less for running.

what you wanna know about my hr or anything? I do kinda need advice as I have issues with eating and don't wanna start that again really tbh...

Sorry i wasnt meaning to ask for your hr but rather your estimated calories burnt.

Zangpakto

Umm on intervals maybe 400-500c...

For LSD maybe 1500-2500c

For normal runs maybe 600-800c

Warmups and cool downs maybe 150c

psuLemon

So your bmr is about 1450. If you are completely sedentary then your tdee before exercise is:

=1450 * 1.2 = 1740

Now you add the 700 calories for average runs

=1740 + 700 = 2440 <--- average amount of calories you burn. From there you cut 20%

Caloric requirements = 2440 * .8 = 1952

So on average you should be eating 1950 calories. On long runs, it would probably be another 400 calories.