Eating Strategy

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artsystacey
artsystacey Posts: 16 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there!

So, I've begun a nice little running regime back in February. I have seen some great fitness gains from it, but I want to lose some vanity pounds. I'm not really overweight, but I'm on the larger side of healthy, and I'd like to lose about 10-15lbs of squish (I'm 5'8" so I'm fairly tall). One of my goals is also to play soccer again, so being leaner helps move faster and I just feel better at this particular weight.

Any time I start a more strict diet, it seems to become derailed, though. I start getting ravenously hungry and my fitness performance suffers. I'll work out and be so hungry that I come home and eat everything in sight, just completely wiping out the effort I've put in. I try to run, and I can only complete like 3/4 of my run before losing steam and becoming "hangry" and wiping out early for bed.

Any suggestions on when/how to eat so that I can maintain my energy throughout the day? Any advice is much appreciated!

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Set your goal to .5 lb. per week. Log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Eat "good" (whatever that means to you) 80% of the time. Fit yummy, portion-controlled treats into your calorie goal. Deprivation can lead to bingeing.

    Read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Edited to add that I'm less hungry when I use MFP's protein & fiber goals as minimums, and ignore fat & carbs. It will take trial & error to find what works for you.
  • artsystacey
    artsystacey Posts: 16 Member
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    @editorgrrl

    Thanks for the suggestion. One question - if you are only losing .5lbs a week, how can you tell if you are on track? Weight fluctuates so much that you could weigh yourself once a week and be eating well, only to weigh yourself again the next week and find out you weight 2lbs more just because of water weight or something to that effect. Just curious.
  • ekat120
    ekat120 Posts: 407 Member
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    I found some good tips in the book Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald. Increasing my protein and eating right after my runs has helped a lot. So has aiming for a pretty small deficit (.25-.5 lbs/wk).
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    If you are only losing .5lbs a week, how can you tell if you are on track? Weight fluctuates so much that you could weigh yourself one week and be eating well, only to weigh yourself again the next week and find out you weight 2lbs more just because of water weight or something to that effect.
    I have a Fitbit, so I use Trendweight.com. (It works with Withings, too.) It plots the trend without all the "noise."
  • artsystacey
    artsystacey Posts: 16 Member
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    If you are only losing .5lbs a week, how can you tell if you are on track? Weight fluctuates so much that you could weigh yourself one week and be eating well, only to weigh yourself again the next week and find out you weight 2lbs more just because of water weight or something to that effect.
    I have a Fitbit, so I use Trendweight.com. (It works with Withings, too.) It plots the trend without all the "noise."

    I have a fitbit myself, so I guess I shall start doing that. I wish things could go faster than .5lb/week though. Harrumph.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I wish things could go faster than .5lb/week though. Harrumph.
    I know, right? I also wish I was taller and my feet were smaller.

    It is what it is.
  • faeriecake
    faeriecake Posts: 18 Member
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    What I found is that if I start reducing my caloric intake too quickly, my stomach isn't used to it so it's hungry all the time. Maybe you could follow the recommendations for .5 one week, then 1.0 the following, then 1.5 the week after (or spread that timeline out if you haven't adjusted).

    Also, make sure you aren't filling up on carbs and sugar, and instead on protein and fiber. Protein takes longer to digest, so it can make you feel full longer. Carbs, however, don't keep you feeling full. So maybe switch up your meals to have more lean proteins and you'll be more complacent!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Don't go too low on calories. Eat a varied diet. Have some vegatables, protein and fat at every meal. Experiment with meal sizes/frequency.

    At least eat something! Your food diary is empty.
  • artsystacey
    artsystacey Posts: 16 Member
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    Don't go too low on calories. Eat a varied diet. Have some vegatables, protein and fat at every meal. Experiment with meal sizes/frequency.

    At least eat something! Your food diary is empty.

    Haha! I haven't been logging into myfitnesspal, but FitBit. I promise, I'm eating. :D
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    MFP has a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Connect your accounts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Log food & water in MFP. Log exercise in Fitbit. Follow your MFP calorie goal.
  • artsystacey
    artsystacey Posts: 16 Member
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    MFP has a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Connect your accounts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Log food & water in MFP. Log exercise in Fitbit. Follow your MFP calorie goal.

    I actually like the FitBit interface better. What's the reasoning behind logging food in MFP vs FB?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Food & water sync from MFP to Fitbit. If you log in MFP, you can see your calories in vs. calories out and nutrition in both apps.

    And no one in the MFP forums can offer you any feedback or personalized advice with an empty diary.

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