XC_Guitar17

Yeah, I've noticed running does burn a lot of calories haha. Unfortunately, though, my training schedule is dictated by my coach, so I can't really control how much/how many miles I run. But I will talk to him about this new idea of vegetarianism to make sure we are on the same page with my training as well as my nutrition…

Ye That's a good point. Didn't think of all that awesome dairy. Yeah, I'll definitely keep an eye on my iron. I do take a multi-vitamin and eat oatmeal every morning, though, so hopefully I get some iron from those sources.

Yes we can!

You're so lucky haha. :) Yeah I'll just have to get more creative with my choices I guess. And try to tag along when my teammates with cars hit up Wal-Mart, like I did today, to get my Greek yogurt and granola. The DH only has some sort of nasty pink yogurt that I refuse to eat. But their oatmeal's good.

That's so cool! I am definitely willing and ready to try out some different sources of protein (unfortunately, this will be mostly limited by my dining hall until school ends in a month, but that's okay). It'll be a fun adventure for me haha. And I'll also talk to my coach about it to see if he has any advice.

Love it.

Awesome. Thanks. You just gave me so much hope.

I don't regularly eat wild game. I've had deer once that a friend hunted but that's it. So wild game is almost never included in my diet.

Not a dumb question at all. I'm referring to "meat" as chicken, beef, and pork. Especially beef. Fish doesn't seem to make me feel any different or "heavier" if that makes sense.

Sweet! Any athletes? I run cross country and track. And how do you eat healthy being confined to dining hall food? I'm still trying to figure that one out, especially after I've been logging my food for 4 days (with the majority being from our lovely DH) and realized my sodium is through the roof. Like today it was about…

Thank you for the response. I am totally cool with eating a larger quantity of non-animal based protein sources to hit my protein goal if I need to - I already love nuts, seeds, nut butters, spinach, broccoli, beans, hummus, quinoa, and protein bars! And I'm adventurous enough to try the rest.

Also, do I need to eat right at my recommended daily calorie and protien intake if I want to build muscle/strength, or eat at a calorie/protein surplus? From what you guys are saying it sounds like I need a surplus but I'm just clarifying.

I guess patience, persistent strength training, and getting enough protein are what I need to reach my goals then?

Just to clarify for everyone who's been saying "he" I'm a girl haha. That being said, I think females build muscle differently than males? Because I hear girls on my team worry about getting really "big" (meaning muscular like a guy) all the time. Similarly, my ultimate goal is to be toned. Toned in a "runner's way" if…

Hey. Glad you've found your way back. Good luck on your journey.

I'm okay with gaining weight and toning up as long as I'm gaining mostly muscle. And I understand that muscle weighs more than fat, so by gaining muscle, I would gain some weight. That's cool. I just need "strength gains," as you (ndj1979) put it, and from what I understand, gaining strength means gaining muscle. I hope…

I want to be the best cross country runner I can be, which means strengthening my core. And if I could ever run with the boys on my team, that'd be pretty sweet. ;)

Thanks for the response. I do try to eat protein rich foods that aren't animal-based, like lentils, eggs, and Greek yogurt, if I don't eat meat on a specific day, so it sounds like I'm on the right track.

Hey. :) I'm new too, and this board has been blowing up like crazy with people introducing themselves, so you're definitely not the only one.

Thanks! This is awesome advice.

Hey. I think being active on these forums is motivational.

Hey! That's awesome! It's great that you're making the choice to live healthier. While I'm not trying to lose weight, I've found that tracking everything on the MFP app and using these forums to be a part of the MFP community motivates me.

Hey Chelsea! Glad you're here. :)

Hey! Glad you're here. Not to creep on your conversation but I was curious about macros too, so I Googled it. This was the first result, from bodybuilders.com: "To macro" means tracking the number of grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats you consume on a particular day. Bodybuilders and physique competitors have…

Hey! :)

Hey! It's cool to meet you. I'm in college too, but I'm also an athlete in college - so I kind of understand where you're coming from. I hope using MFP helps you reach your goals! It's awesome that you were inspired by your brother to start incorporating healthier habits. Good luck.

Also, thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that your daughter is improving, even though the first therapist didn't work out. Best of luck.

I can't offer much advice, as I've never struggled with an eating disorder personally - but I have friends who have overcome eating disorders, and I've studied eating disorders extensively on my own. However, maggieramee just offered you some awesome advice (along with everyone else who has responded so far). Like I said,…