Runners and Carbs

jrevels86

I run a lot. I try to run around three miles a day; one mile in the morning and two miles in the afternoon. Does that give me allowance to eat more carbs? When I say more carbs, I mean past my daily amount. Your thoughts...

erickirb

Once you add in your exercise MFP will allot you more calories in the same proportions. So if you burn 300 calories and you are set at 50% carbs you will get to eat 150 more calories from carbs. Just make sure you enter your exercise and eat those calories, or at least most of the extra calories from exercise.

jrevels86

I don't need to let 500 calories go at the end of the day? I should try to eat all of them?

lt_mrcook

Stick to your MFP plan. It has been a God send for me. I love this site. I'm training for a Triathlon, and some days can burn upwards of 1500 calories. MFP gives me those calories, and the additional grams of Carbs/Fats/Proteins that I should eat. If you're running 1-2 miles at a time, you shouldn't need to add carbs as fuel (like before and durring say a 10 miles run) but you'll still want to plan a small carbs/protein snack post run. Just stay within your guidelines once you've plugging in you exercise, and you should be golden. MFP ROCKS!!!

That's a subject that's been debated around here since the cavemen. Site says yes, some say no. Eat some and see how you feel. If you're sluggish, then you may need more energy so eat more of the calories. If you don't eat any and you feel good, then that's 500 extra calories in the bank.

erickirb

When yo singed up for MFP you would have set a goal i.e 1 pound lost per week, so your calories are set for you to loose that much, so if you eat your exercise calories you will still loose the 1 pound per week. So yes you get to eat all those extra calories, as being under you goal for an extended period of time will put your body at risk of going into "starvation" mode which will have it hold on to the calories making it harder to loose weight by slowing down your metabolism. There are a bunch of post regarding this in the newbie section of the discussion boards, take a look a lot of great information.

PoeRaven

I run too. 2 to 2.5 miles a day, 5 days a week. When I plug this info into the exercise it automatically increases my carbs for the day. I seldome get them all used! Calories too, I rarely eat up all of the calories alotted for all that running.
On a good note, I am 50 years old and I don't know a lot of women my age that run like this. LOL
I feel great!

Jan AKA PoeRaven

20 lbs lost since 04 Jan 2010

jrevels86

True to that Jan. Good job for running like that. Shoot, I won't be able to run like that when I'm 35. Bad knees run in the fam.

jenjrev

Okay little brother, I beg to differ! I am 38 years old, we have the same genes and I ran 6 miles the other day! Now granted, the knees are a bit on the "crunchy" side since then but hey, I'm not letting it stop me!

jrevels86

wow! 6 miles? I only run three miles a day but when I do I run it pretty hard. Also, I just started doing this like two weeks ago. give me a break I am a married man now. That automatically gives me a reason to be out of shape.

Azdak

To be honest, running 3 miles a day doesn't require any dietary adjustments. It's great exercise, but the total amount of work/calories expended is not enough to require any specific intervention.

mworld

I just started doing this like two weeks ago. give me a break I am a married man now. That automatically gives me a reason to be out of shape.

lol, i hear that one!

just watch out, I was running a lot each week, but I swear it seems that when I ran every day my appetite grew out of control...and after a year or two it seems like it doesnt take much effort to run <5miles.....or what my friend who got me into P90x would say, It had become "coast cardio" for me.