Eating more due to running/running to combat overeating
mimoumoses
Posts: 11 Member
How many of us use running to compensate eating? I know I do and yet running is something I also enjoy for it's own merits. I would like to keep up a regular running routine without mentally off setting this against food eaten so looking for tips and perhaps some people to become friends with to support my use of MFP and in return support you.
I also ran my first marathon this year in April but have recently been struggling with only 5 miles at a time due to the summer heat. Now the autumn is becoming nearer I am excited at the prospect of picking up some more miles again. Any tips you can give me regarding balancing this with a healthy eating regime would be gratefully received.
I also ran my first marathon this year in April but have recently been struggling with only 5 miles at a time due to the summer heat. Now the autumn is becoming nearer I am excited at the prospect of picking up some more miles again. Any tips you can give me regarding balancing this with a healthy eating regime would be gratefully received.
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It is hard to stay in control of eating during marathon training. I want to eat everything! I am training for #3 and I am up 5 lbs. ha!
I started to eat less during the day because I tend to want to eat more in the evening. That's what I do anyway. I0 -
I really try not to, but my husband should have a shirt "Will run for Brunch!" because that is all he thinks about, talks about, jokes about once we get past 3 miles. The only way I'm managing to control the "Eat EVERYTHING" is by being very careful with when I take in my carbs and trying to bracket my run with the majority of my carb intake for the day.0
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I definitely do this. I plan my food around my running schedule. Long run day=big meal day. I know you shouldn't reward yourself with food but I still do it. There has been many a long run I've only gotten through because I promised myself something delicious at the end. Maybe not the healthiest attitude toward food but still better than sitting on the couch and eating junk.0
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One thing that has helped me to dissociate running/exercise with food is to switch to the TDEE method. It takes a little trial and error to find your TDEE and it only works if you are pretty consistent in your exercise, but since switching, I no longer even think about the calories I burn through exercise. Exercise is for health and fitness and I am much better off mentally with this attitude. That said, I have based my TDEE on running approximately 30 miles per week, so my plan as I head into marathon training is to increase my weekly calorie consumption by 80 calories for every mile over 30 that I run. This is just to ensure that I am getting sufficient nutrition.0
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I think it is really hard to tell which comes first: the running? or the eating?
When I run, I get much more hungry. It can seem like I am running so that I can eat as much as I do without gaining weight. And, I LOVE eating and obsess about it a bit.
But then, when I do not run for a few days, i am not as hungry. I eat less, and wouldn't need to run to control my weight.
I don't know!0 -
I think it is really hard to tell which comes first: the running? or the eating?
When I run, I get much more hungry. It can seem like I am running so that I can eat as much as I do without gaining weight. And, I LOVE eating and obsess about it a bit.
But then, when I do not run for a few days, i am not as hungry. I eat less, and wouldn't need to run to control my weight.
I don't know!
This is me!!!!0 -
I actually find that as long as I fuel my long run properly (usually an energy bar before and sips of an energy drink during so total of around 400 cals) I don't often get excessively hungry. Ok I'm only running HM's atm so around 30-35miles a week training but its rare I'm really hungry afterwards. In fact after my Club sessions on Tues/ Thurs I often have to make myself eat when I get home as am used to training in a morning and having dinner around 6pm so come 8-8:30pm I'm not hungry. That said, when I do fancy something higher in calories its nice that I have them available
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I actually find that as long as I fuel my long run properly (usually an energy bar before and sips of an energy drink during so total of around 400 cals) I don't often get excessively hungry.
I agree with this. I've been eating a little after my harder or longer runs lately and I find it helps me stave off the crazy hungry feeling that can come later in the day or even the next day when you are logging a lot of quality or quantity in terms of miles. I'm still kind of experimenting, but just having a little something to eat after I run is really helpful (300 to 350 kcal, maybe). Also, I generally just try to eat back my exercise calories most days even if I'm not really hungry lately. Again, it seems to stop me from going nutso foodwise later in the week.0 -
Thank goodness for running. I think it's the only way I've been able to maintain a weight I'm happy with. Instead of wanting 2200ish Cals/day but only needing 2000 (=weight gain), I want 2500 but burn at least that much :bigsmile:
I've just kind of accepted that I'm a fat kid at heart and need to be extra active to compensate. So I guess I'm not much help re: what to do about it.
ETA: But I do love running for the sake of running, too. The eating is just a side benefit
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When i was running 6+ miles, I would make a chocolate milk drink including greek yoghurt, ground almonds, smooth PB to have post-run. I found it so filling it broke the cycle of get home, shower, get dressed, eat the contents of the fridge and cupboards and then make lunch...i had got into!
Note to self: I probably need to restart this!0 -
Most of the week, I just eat my regular breakfast and try to get a decent amount of protein, veggies, carbs, etc. I don't use my running to compensate for food the rest of the week, but rather use my food to fuel my running. When I don't eat well, I can REALLY feel it, because I'm hungry and my runs feel very blaaaah. But if I'm eating enough fruits/veggies and protein, I find that I'm not excessively hungry and I can net my 1400-ish without a problem and feel great for running.
However... on long run days? I eat whatever I want basically, after my post-run chocolate milk, scrambled eggs, and coffee. I still log everything, but sometimes it's hard to come close to the 2800-3400 (total) calories I'm allotted after my long runs. The only way I can get close is by eating some grotesque restaurant cheeseburger... and boy, is it delicious!0 -
Guilty...
This. So much this. Sometimes, while I'm running, I'm thinking about the ice cream I'll get to eat.I definitely do this. I plan my food around my running schedule. Long run day=big meal day. I know you shouldn't reward yourself with food but I still do it. There has been many a long run I've only gotten through because I promised myself something delicious at the end. Maybe not the healthiest attitude toward food but still better than sitting on the couch and eating junk.
edit: I'll second ekat. I do run for my betterment and because I enjoy it, but it sure is nice to be able to fit in more food.0 -
Guilty...
This. So much this. Sometimes, while I'm running, I'm thinking about the ice cream I'll get to eat.I definitely do this. I plan my food around my running schedule. Long run day=big meal day. I know you shouldn't reward yourself with food but I still do it. There has been many a long run I've only gotten through because I promised myself something delicious at the end. Maybe not the healthiest attitude toward food but still better than sitting on the couch and eating junk.
edit: I'll second ekat. I do run for my betterment and because I enjoy it, but it sure is nice to be able to fit in more food.
So much yes to the Oatmeal! I run past no less than 5 donut shops on my long run route. (it's Texas, what do you expect?) The smell alone is enough to make you crazy. I fantasize about those delicious donuts.0 -
I run right past a bakery (that makes very nice bread) many mornings and the smell of fresh baked bread can indeed be a distraction.0
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I'd hate to see what I'd weight if I didn't run. My appetite is constant.0
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Guilty...
This. So much this. Sometimes, while I'm running, I'm thinking about the ice cream I'll get to eat.I definitely do this. I plan my food around my running schedule. Long run day=big meal day. I know you shouldn't reward yourself with food but I still do it. There has been many a long run I've only gotten through because I promised myself something delicious at the end. Maybe not the healthiest attitude toward food but still better than sitting on the couch and eating junk.
edit: I'll second ekat. I do run for my betterment and because I enjoy it, but it sure is nice to be able to fit in more food.
So much yes to the Oatmeal! I run past no less than 5 donut shops on my long run route. (it's Texas, what do you expect?) The smell alone is enough to make you crazy. I fantasize about those delicious donuts.
In run past 5 Tim Hortons on my regular 6-10 miles runs... I'm not even talking about my long run route.0 -
Sometimes we have to accept that we are the way we are I suppose and if running helps you to enjoy your food that's not necessarily a bad thing. Thanks everyone, I want to 'like' all your posts (FB has ruined me) and glad to see I'm not the only one who struggles a little with food and exercise.0
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One thing that has helped me to dissociate running/exercise with food is to switch to the TDEE method. It takes a little trial and error to find your TDEE and it only works if you are pretty consistent in your exercise, but since switching, I no longer even think about the calories I burn through exercise. Exercise is for health and fitness and I am much better off mentally with this attitude. That said, I have based my TDEE on running approximately 30 miles per week, so my plan as I head into marathon training is to increase my weekly calorie consumption by 80 calories for every mile over 30 that I run. This is just to ensure that I am getting sufficient nutrition.
Sorry for my ignorance but what is TDEE? I'm intrigued0 -
I love running and I love eating and I think it's great that the two activities complement each other so well, but I don't have any hang-ups about either. OP, I think you just need to keep doing what you're doing until running is so much a part of your life that you don't have to mentally balance it against food. The difference between 'I will run extra miles today so I can eat more calories' and 'I'm running 5 miles today because that's what works best for my current trainng... hey, great, I can eat more calories too!'
TDEE is total daily energy expenditure and the method mentioned above is working out the average of what you burn over, say, a week (through general daily existence AND regular running) and just eating that every day, rather than having a lower daily goal and then adding back calories for exercise each day. That way exercise is already included and you don't have the temptation to do a couple of extra miles for a slice of cake or whatever.0 -
One thing that has helped me to dissociate running/exercise with food is to switch to the TDEE method. It takes a little trial and error to find your TDEE and it only works if you are pretty consistent in your exercise, but since switching, I no longer even think about the calories I burn through exercise. Exercise is for health and fitness and I am much better off mentally with this attitude. That said, I have based my TDEE on running approximately 30 miles per week, so my plan as I head into marathon training is to increase my weekly calorie consumption by 80 calories for every mile over 30 that I run. This is just to ensure that I am getting sufficient nutrition.
Sorry for my ignorance but what is TDEE? I'm intrigued
TDEE is "Total Daily Energy Expenditure". It is meant to be an average of your daily calorie burn. There are on-line calculators that can help you figure out, but it does take a bit of trial and error to hone in on exactly where you should be. But once you figure it out, you can aim to eat that amount every day (or shoot for a weekly average). The formula already accounts for your exercise, so you do not eat back exercise calories. It works well if you are fairly consistent in your exercise routine. Also, knowing that my exercise calories are already accounted for helps to keep me motivated to exercise, but I do not spend time obsessing about how many calories I burned with each workout.
For example, My TDEE is around 2000 calories per day (I am 42 yo, 100 lbs). Feel free to take a look at my diary, but last week (8/3-8/10) I was on vacation , so I went over almost everyday : )0 -
Like the chicken or the egg question, which came first!
This is something I battled for a LONG time. I've made a few changes that have helped me. I think of it as my running sandwich. I load my heavier carb meals before and after my runs. I run late afternoon so lunch is my opportunity to fuel up on carbs for a solid run. I eat a lot of sweet potatoes, but brown rice, quinoa, things like that work well, too. This is balanced out with some protein and veggies. If I am going to be running for an hour or more, I top off my stores w/ a little bit of quick carb from either a banana, vega energizer, 2 dates, or a few Clif shot blocks just before I run. After my run I immediately fuel up with quick absorbing carbs again, usually in the form of a shake or vega recovery accelerator.
I also can't stress enough how much tracking my intake here helps me.0 -
I love to run. I love to eat. I admit I run a lot so I can eat, drink, and be merry. I'm not one of those persons who "eats to live", I "live to eat". LOL.
Before starting MFP, I gained weight during marathon training by giving myself a free pass to eat as much as I wanted. I've been here on MFP for almost 3 years and maintaining my weight by tracking. When I wasn't tracking, I'm sure I ate as much as 4000 calories during those long run days.0 -
Thank goodness for running. I think it's the only way I've been able to maintain a weight I'm happy with. Instead of wanting 2200ish Cals/day but only needing 2000 (=weight gain), I want 2500 but burn at least that much :bigsmile:
I've just kind of accepted that I'm a fat kid at heart and need to be extra active to compensate. So I guess I'm not much help re: what to do about it.
ETA: But I do love running for the sake of running, too. The eating is just a side benefit
Ahhh, a fellow fat kid at heart! You better believe I enjoy my giant pieces of breakfast pizza after those long runs!0 -
I've read alot on MFP about TDEE, but never implemented it myself. I've calculated it and it seems like an insane amount of food, I'm sure as fellow runners you can agree. I only average 30 - 35 miles per week and my TDEE recommendation even with a reduction of 20% to reduce fat is around 2500. Curious how many people follow the TDEE and if it helped you lose weight.0
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I need to look into this TDEE. Looks like I'm not only running every training run too fast, but also not really watching what I eat. Those are a combination for success in running, right? Lol0
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I've read alot on MFP about TDEE, but never implemented it myself. I've calculated it and it seems like an insane amount of food, I'm sure as fellow runners you can agree. I only average 30 - 35 miles per week and my TDEE recommendation even with a reduction of 20% to reduce fat is around 2500. Curious how many people follow the TDEE and if it helped you lose weight.
When I follow it (and stick to it ) yes, it definitely works. Mine isn't nearly as high as yours though. 0 -
That TDEE stuff makes running and eating too complicated for me.... when I'm training for a race and get my weekly miles up over the 45 mark, I just eat as much as I feel I need to get ready to run the next day... MFP is just a gentle reminder to not get so medieval on the fridge....
I think I mostly run to drink....0 -
Whether you are using the MFP (count exercise calories) method or the TDEE method, it's going to require the same amount of food. It's six of one, half a dozen of the other.I've read alot on MFP about TDEE, but never implemented it myself. I've calculated it and it seems like an insane amount of food, I'm sure as fellow runners you can agree. I only average 30 - 35 miles per week and my TDEE recommendation even with a reduction of 20% to reduce fat is around 2500. Curious how many people follow the TDEE and if it helped you lose weight.
I personally have stuck with the MFP method, but that's because it works better for me because my TDEE changes regularly. I do go by my weekly average for intake and do not eat the same every day though. I typically eat more the day before/the day of my long run day and on the weekends.0 -
I personally have stuck with the MFP method, but that's because it works better for me because my TDEE changes regularly. I do go by my weekly average for intake and do not eat the same every day though. I typically eat more the day before/the day of my long run day and on the weekends.
Yeah... that is what works best for me...0 -
I love running and I love eating and I think it's great that the two activities complement each other so well, but I don't have any hang-ups about either. OP, I think you just need to keep doing what you're doing until running is so much a part of your life that you don't have to mentally balance it against food.
100000000% this.0
