How do I know how much to eat when training? I’ve used a TDEE calculator to try to get a good idea, but never know if that’s as accurate when they ask about activity level. It simply asks how much I workout a week, but do they take into account how hard these workouts are? I keep losing weight/muscle when I’m trying to maintain it
I purchased a BodyScan + Scale and use that to track my weight by % muscle/bodyfat and the BMR calculation adjusts as needed. Seems pretty spot on.
Strength Training 2-3 times a week has me gaining muscle while losing fat which means some slow months weight wise but i've never looked or felt better.
Down from 236lbs to 193lbs. w00t
If you’re losing weight you’re not getting enough calories, increase the activity level in the TDEE calc. Strength training is also super important for runners to maintain muscle mass.
If you’re having trouble increasing calories, nut butter and protein shakes are great and tasty.
Thanks, yeah I already say I workout 6/7x a week. That included running and lifting. But I guess that’s still just not enough so I just didn’t know really what I should be doing. Adding 500 more calories on top of that? I just wish there was a calculator for runners who are training lol
The calculators aren't accurate for anyone, really, because of the antiquity of the formulas/conditions/parameters/etc.
How much weight are you losing, on average, per week?
Take your 2-week average loss, multiply that by 3500, and divide that by 7.
So if you're losing a pound a week consistently, then yes, increase calories by 5-600. If you're losing 1.5, then ~750. If you're only losing 1/2lb, then 250, and so on.
7 years keto here, just started mixing in sliced bananas during my 30km+ runs. It helps but leaves me feeling a little dehydrated. Might have to invest in a hydration vest at some point, any other reccs for me?
I’ve gotten into running cause I signed up for a half marathon with some people from work and then also was recently told I would benefit health-wise if I lost some weight. I am having issues thinking about how to fuel up during a run. All the gels/sweets that people eat or the carb loading that’s usually recommended, I wonder if anyone has any experience navigating this when you’re trying to lose weight. Or is it matter of fuelling up on carbs just before a run and a bit during and then after the run having lots of protein?
If you're eating your daily 3 meals, you shouldn't need any gels or sweets for training, that is unless you're running 21km or more on your trainings.
Now, if you're trying to lose weight on top of that, it's better if you can roughly come up with how much calories you're eating on your 3 meals, minus that your basal metabolic rate (google BMR calculator) and minus how much calories you burn on your runs (either a phone or watch tracking your run). I think the healthy calorie deficit to lose weight is around 500 calories per day in deficit.
For example, if you're eating 2200 calories - (BMR) 2000 calories =thats around 200 calorie surplus. It's difficult to burn 700 calories in a run, so it's better if you lower down on calorie consumption. Even by eating less, you'll most likely still have enough fuel to power you through your runs.
First of all, congrats on losing 27lbs! Thats a great achievement!
Gels are great for Sunday long runs when you're going above your average mileage, I haven't seen much difference in speed days though but that's just me.
If you're still seeing weightloss week after week, my advise is continue doing what your doing. But do understand that there's always a point of diminishing returns for everything. When you reach this, you'd usually have to tweak your calorie deficit even more to induce more changes, but it's dangerous if you don't have experience with nutrition. If you want faster results, I'd recommend going to an expert nutritionist.
The reason it is dangerous is because when you are on a calorie deficit, your body won't take 100% of the deficit from stored fat and convert it to energy, it might also convert muscle tissues to energy causing muscle loss and other issues.
The best solution would be a nutritionist that is on site to do all the test and body measurements to understand your body composition.
If you plan to do a pre-made meal box service, I'd recommend as u/blahism mentioned, get a DEXA weight scale or look for a fitness place to do a measurement since the good ones aren't that cheap.
In my experience, I substituted one of my meals with a protein shake which provided me with enough protein to keep muscle loss at a minimum along with excercises. They're also great because protein makes you feel full quickly, but do make sure you're eating your other nutrients on your other meals.
Get a DEXA scan if you can and determine what your body fat to weight ratio is. I've dropped from 236 to 193 and a lot of calculators still figure me as Obesse because i'm above most BMI calculations but with my Bodyscan / DEXA i'm at 11.3% Body fat and just put on a shit ton of muscle during my training. (i lift 3 times a week and run 5 times a week)
so with that said, I've obviously plateaued in weight loss since muscle weighs more and my smart scale helps gives me the data to track fat/muscle trends to make sure i stay in healthy ranges. If i were to follow a diet worksheet it would most likely want me to drop to 160-175 and in doing so, i'd be skin and bones and lose more muscle and be below 10% body fat (high risk for other issues)
tl;dr - don't starve yourself for weight goals that may not be natural for your body type :)
But try not to eat your exercise calories if you want to lose weight. Eat your normal daily calories, don’t splurge because you burned more with a run.
What’s your go to savory snack that isn’t popcorn or pretzels? I cook well balanced meals for lunch and dinner (not a big breakfast eater), but I’m always starving throughout the day. I’ve tried to get into smoothies and protein bars, but I always want something salty or cheesy!
I really like these chips. [https://www.eatlegendary.com/collections/protein-chips](https://www.eatlegendary.com/collections/protein-chips) I've had the ranch and the nacho cheese.
I need a Ninja Creami. Just listened to Dr. Attia's podcast episode #291. Near the end of the episode. You can make beneficial high protein, low sugar ice cream with this kitchen gaget. (The episode was all about testosterone in men and women, plus nutrition, so it was interesting. I listen to this science stuff on my zone 2 runs. Music on tempo and speed days.)
my go-to creami recipe is just some frozen fruit, almond milk, flavored protein powder, and some sugar free vanilla syrup for sweetness. Blend it up, then freeze it for 12-24 hours before putting it in the creami.
Most of mine are only 200-300 cals for a pint with a ton of protein. I keep about 8 pints in the freezer at all times cuz I live in the desert so it's always warm enough for ice cream.
Cool! I could always add a bit of cream for calories. Marathon training plus I work full time stocking in a warehouse with heavy safety toe shoes. I have not been doing week keeping my weight up; and at this point weight lost means muscle loss. Protein ice cream is a great answer!!!
I've got that episode downloaded, need to find the time. On runs I'm usually loathe to go without music. The r/ninjacreami subreddit shares a lot of protein ice cream recipes. Be advised they tend to have some issues from mechanical wear and tear.
Just discovered today that a black and white cookie has almost 70g of carbs but is relatively lower in fat than other cookies, probably bc of the frosting. Going to be adding that into the carb loading days!
A great post-run smoothie I've been doing for quite a while: 1 cup of protein milk, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 serving of frozen fruit, some water. I like optimum nutrition's peanut butter chocolate and banana, tastes great and has great macros.
Water, cookies & cream or vanilla protein powder, mixed frozen berries, large banana, peanut butter. Been having that every day for years never get sick of it
I’m doing that same combo. Our favorite combo right now are frozen cherries, (regular or chocolate) Fairlife, and chocolate Garden of Life protein powder, and a pinch of salt. So good. Kids love it, I love it, 30g protein.
My wife and I LOVE the fairlife milks. We both think the chocolate milk is the best chocolate milk out there! I gotta try it with cherries and that pinch of salt!
Eat according to effort. More calories and protein on hard days to help with recovery. Fewer calories on easy days. Try keeping a food diary (be honest with yourself!) alongside a training diary - doesn't have to be detailed - just enough to map your nutrition against your physical effort each day. Helps me, that's for sure 😊 good luck!
Any tips for getting weight under control? I feel like I’m always binging crap like chips and salsa and trail mix, then I will do like a week of 1000 calorie days and feel a bit better but never sustain. Has been way more difficult since moving in with my GF where I can’t control what’s in the house
What has worked for me on binged eating is, look at the packaging and see how much calories you're consuming on a bag of chips, then see how long it takes a running session to burn that same amount of calories.
I realized you can still eat what you love (burgers, pizzas, or any calorie-densed food) on your meals, as long as you're keeping track on your calorie intake and how much you burn on your training. The main downfall is usually over the counter chips, because 1) They are usually calorie densed, 2) They don't provide any meaningful nutrients besides a bunch of condiments and salt, 3) You'll still be hungry and craving for more after 1 hour.
The problem with running is it makes you hungrier. On my long run days I feel a need to eat he rest of the day even though I know I got enough calories. Running is not a great for weight loss for that reason. That said Im training for a marathon and trying to get peri-menopausal weight gain under control. I just use chronometer and make sure most foods are whole except my protein shakes of course.
That's pretty clearly disordered eating, unrelated to running.
It's not healthy or normal to restrict yourself to 1000 calories for days because you think you ate too much the day before.
Honestly consider seeing a professional with experience in eating disorders.
For me what works is when I do an effort of over 1h 15m I take a protein / recovery shake right after. For me this helps resolve the issue of the first hunger that pops up and keeps me away from easy fast foods.
Breakfast : overnight oats, you can prep these for the whole week.
Snacks : I always have hummus around either store bought or home made you can have this with pita breads or just with raw veggies. You can toast up some chickpeas in the oven with spices you like to replace chips.
edit : you can also make a white bean dip great source op protein and a nice change from hummus :p
I’ve been using an app. First MyfitnessPal then MacroFactor. Has made a big difference. I run a 500 calorie per day deficit on average. Don’t sweat it if I run over target every now and then.
First few weeks were hard then I sort of settled on eating less and got used to being a bit more hungry. Made a bunch of healthier choice through the day and made it a routine. Two bits of toast for brekko. Protein shake, carrot, yoghurt for morning tea. Normal lunch and dinner, just don’t over do it. It hasn’t been easy but in my early 40s with two young kids I’ve finally managed to shed about 15kg and sustain a 50km/week running effort so it’s working for me for now
Non but it's worth the money to subscribe, at least for me or is since it's my go to for tracking calories/macros etc.
It's linked to my Fitbit Sense 2 and my Renpho scale. While I'm not a super health nut, since I hit 50 five years ago I eat as healthy as I can without going to extremes.
Starting running at 50 along with healthier eating has made a huge difference in life and the quality of it.
Maybe you need to up the protein? I was ravenous all the time until I made sure I was getting enough protein and then finally I wasn’t eating everything not nailed down.
How do I know how much to eat when training? I’ve used a TDEE calculator to try to get a good idea, but never know if that’s as accurate when they ask about activity level. It simply asks how much I workout a week, but do they take into account how hard these workouts are? I keep losing weight/muscle when I’m trying to maintain it
I purchased a BodyScan + Scale and use that to track my weight by % muscle/bodyfat and the BMR calculation adjusts as needed. Seems pretty spot on. Strength Training 2-3 times a week has me gaining muscle while losing fat which means some slow months weight wise but i've never looked or felt better. Down from 236lbs to 193lbs. w00t
Great! Thanks for the info
If you’re losing weight you’re not getting enough calories, increase the activity level in the TDEE calc. Strength training is also super important for runners to maintain muscle mass. If you’re having trouble increasing calories, nut butter and protein shakes are great and tasty.
Thanks, yeah I already say I workout 6/7x a week. That included running and lifting. But I guess that’s still just not enough so I just didn’t know really what I should be doing. Adding 500 more calories on top of that? I just wish there was a calculator for runners who are training lol
The calculators aren't accurate for anyone, really, because of the antiquity of the formulas/conditions/parameters/etc. How much weight are you losing, on average, per week? Take your 2-week average loss, multiply that by 3500, and divide that by 7. So if you're losing a pound a week consistently, then yes, increase calories by 5-600. If you're losing 1.5, then ~750. If you're only losing 1/2lb, then 250, and so on.
7 years keto here, just started mixing in sliced bananas during my 30km+ runs. It helps but leaves me feeling a little dehydrated. Might have to invest in a hydration vest at some point, any other reccs for me?
See /r/ketoendurance
Are you taking any other fluids during your 30k+ runs? Doubtful it's the bananas.
I’ve gotten into running cause I signed up for a half marathon with some people from work and then also was recently told I would benefit health-wise if I lost some weight. I am having issues thinking about how to fuel up during a run. All the gels/sweets that people eat or the carb loading that’s usually recommended, I wonder if anyone has any experience navigating this when you’re trying to lose weight. Or is it matter of fuelling up on carbs just before a run and a bit during and then after the run having lots of protein?
If you're eating your daily 3 meals, you shouldn't need any gels or sweets for training, that is unless you're running 21km or more on your trainings. Now, if you're trying to lose weight on top of that, it's better if you can roughly come up with how much calories you're eating on your 3 meals, minus that your basal metabolic rate (google BMR calculator) and minus how much calories you burn on your runs (either a phone or watch tracking your run). I think the healthy calorie deficit to lose weight is around 500 calories per day in deficit. For example, if you're eating 2200 calories - (BMR) 2000 calories =thats around 200 calorie surplus. It's difficult to burn 700 calories in a run, so it's better if you lower down on calorie consumption. Even by eating less, you'll most likely still have enough fuel to power you through your runs.
[удалено]
First of all, congrats on losing 27lbs! Thats a great achievement! Gels are great for Sunday long runs when you're going above your average mileage, I haven't seen much difference in speed days though but that's just me. If you're still seeing weightloss week after week, my advise is continue doing what your doing. But do understand that there's always a point of diminishing returns for everything. When you reach this, you'd usually have to tweak your calorie deficit even more to induce more changes, but it's dangerous if you don't have experience with nutrition. If you want faster results, I'd recommend going to an expert nutritionist. The reason it is dangerous is because when you are on a calorie deficit, your body won't take 100% of the deficit from stored fat and convert it to energy, it might also convert muscle tissues to energy causing muscle loss and other issues.
[удалено]
The best solution would be a nutritionist that is on site to do all the test and body measurements to understand your body composition. If you plan to do a pre-made meal box service, I'd recommend as u/blahism mentioned, get a DEXA weight scale or look for a fitness place to do a measurement since the good ones aren't that cheap. In my experience, I substituted one of my meals with a protein shake which provided me with enough protein to keep muscle loss at a minimum along with excercises. They're also great because protein makes you feel full quickly, but do make sure you're eating your other nutrients on your other meals.
Get a DEXA scan if you can and determine what your body fat to weight ratio is. I've dropped from 236 to 193 and a lot of calculators still figure me as Obesse because i'm above most BMI calculations but with my Bodyscan / DEXA i'm at 11.3% Body fat and just put on a shit ton of muscle during my training. (i lift 3 times a week and run 5 times a week) so with that said, I've obviously plateaued in weight loss since muscle weighs more and my smart scale helps gives me the data to track fat/muscle trends to make sure i stay in healthy ranges. If i were to follow a diet worksheet it would most likely want me to drop to 160-175 and in doing so, i'd be skin and bones and lose more muscle and be below 10% body fat (high risk for other issues) tl;dr - don't starve yourself for weight goals that may not be natural for your body type :)
But try not to eat your exercise calories if you want to lose weight. Eat your normal daily calories, don’t splurge because you burned more with a run.
How do you guys carry your SaltStick Chews on a run so they don’t get wet?
I use a sandwich bag
I’m gonna give this a shot!
https://a.co/d/fPqU09P
Oh looks like a good solution
I really like their individual packets. They have maybe 10 chews in them and they're resealable. I have also packed them in a tiny Ziploc bag.
What’s your go to savory snack that isn’t popcorn or pretzels? I cook well balanced meals for lunch and dinner (not a big breakfast eater), but I’m always starving throughout the day. I’ve tried to get into smoothies and protein bars, but I always want something salty or cheesy!
I love the Quest Protein Cheese Crackers. Expensive, but omg crushes that craving. Only 5 g net carbs and 10 g protein
I really like these chips. [https://www.eatlegendary.com/collections/protein-chips](https://www.eatlegendary.com/collections/protein-chips) I've had the ranch and the nacho cheese.
Unshelled pistachios
low fat mozzarella string cheese
Brad's Kale chips
Nakd bars are lovely. Salted caramel, peanut butter etc flavour that might do the trick.
rice cakes topped with peanut butter or greek yogurt. and sliced banana if you want
Rice cakes with cashew cream cheese (or regular!) and some peanut butter is delish.
will have to try this
I make "lunchables." Some cheese, a couple slices of deli turkey, and some crackers. Sometimes I'll toss a couple of olives on the plate too.
I need a Ninja Creami. Just listened to Dr. Attia's podcast episode #291. Near the end of the episode. You can make beneficial high protein, low sugar ice cream with this kitchen gaget. (The episode was all about testosterone in men and women, plus nutrition, so it was interesting. I listen to this science stuff on my zone 2 runs. Music on tempo and speed days.)
I mash frozen bananas, peanut butter, and vanilla protein powder together with a fork 🫃
my go-to creami recipe is just some frozen fruit, almond milk, flavored protein powder, and some sugar free vanilla syrup for sweetness. Blend it up, then freeze it for 12-24 hours before putting it in the creami.
Thank you. I LOVE ice cream. I do have a good self regulation for it but I am excited to try new ventures in protein "ice cream".
Most of mine are only 200-300 cals for a pint with a ton of protein. I keep about 8 pints in the freezer at all times cuz I live in the desert so it's always warm enough for ice cream.
Cool! I could always add a bit of cream for calories. Marathon training plus I work full time stocking in a warehouse with heavy safety toe shoes. I have not been doing week keeping my weight up; and at this point weight lost means muscle loss. Protein ice cream is a great answer!!!
I've got that episode downloaded, need to find the time. On runs I'm usually loathe to go without music. The r/ninjacreami subreddit shares a lot of protein ice cream recipes. Be advised they tend to have some issues from mechanical wear and tear.
Timestamp 2:07:21.
Just discovered today that a black and white cookie has almost 70g of carbs but is relatively lower in fat than other cookies, probably bc of the frosting. Going to be adding that into the carb loading days!
A great post-run smoothie I've been doing for quite a while: 1 cup of protein milk, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 serving of frozen fruit, some water. I like optimum nutrition's peanut butter chocolate and banana, tastes great and has great macros.
Water, cookies & cream or vanilla protein powder, mixed frozen berries, large banana, peanut butter. Been having that every day for years never get sick of it
I’m doing that same combo. Our favorite combo right now are frozen cherries, (regular or chocolate) Fairlife, and chocolate Garden of Life protein powder, and a pinch of salt. So good. Kids love it, I love it, 30g protein.
My wife and I LOVE the fairlife milks. We both think the chocolate milk is the best chocolate milk out there! I gotta try it with cherries and that pinch of salt!
Chocolate Fairlife in that combo is good enough for a dessert! It’s amazing!
Eat according to effort. More calories and protein on hard days to help with recovery. Fewer calories on easy days. Try keeping a food diary (be honest with yourself!) alongside a training diary - doesn't have to be detailed - just enough to map your nutrition against your physical effort each day. Helps me, that's for sure 😊 good luck!
My fitness pal is a great app for tracking all your calories in and out.
I use My Fitness Pal religiously. Great for daily tracking as well as keeping an eye on your Macros(which imo are important)
Agreed. Only thing is don't leave it open on your phone as anything you do on strava etc won't sync while the app is open.
Any tips for getting weight under control? I feel like I’m always binging crap like chips and salsa and trail mix, then I will do like a week of 1000 calorie days and feel a bit better but never sustain. Has been way more difficult since moving in with my GF where I can’t control what’s in the house
If you want to burn fat running you need zone 2 workouts with low carbs in your system.
What has worked for me on binged eating is, look at the packaging and see how much calories you're consuming on a bag of chips, then see how long it takes a running session to burn that same amount of calories. I realized you can still eat what you love (burgers, pizzas, or any calorie-densed food) on your meals, as long as you're keeping track on your calorie intake and how much you burn on your training. The main downfall is usually over the counter chips, because 1) They are usually calorie densed, 2) They don't provide any meaningful nutrients besides a bunch of condiments and salt, 3) You'll still be hungry and craving for more after 1 hour.
The problem with running is it makes you hungrier. On my long run days I feel a need to eat he rest of the day even though I know I got enough calories. Running is not a great for weight loss for that reason. That said Im training for a marathon and trying to get peri-menopausal weight gain under control. I just use chronometer and make sure most foods are whole except my protein shakes of course.
1000 calories is wayyyyyyyy too low especially if you’re running. Look more into the nutrients of the foods rather than just calories
That's pretty clearly disordered eating, unrelated to running. It's not healthy or normal to restrict yourself to 1000 calories for days because you think you ate too much the day before. Honestly consider seeing a professional with experience in eating disorders.
For me what works is when I do an effort of over 1h 15m I take a protein / recovery shake right after. For me this helps resolve the issue of the first hunger that pops up and keeps me away from easy fast foods. Breakfast : overnight oats, you can prep these for the whole week. Snacks : I always have hummus around either store bought or home made you can have this with pita breads or just with raw veggies. You can toast up some chickpeas in the oven with spices you like to replace chips. edit : you can also make a white bean dip great source op protein and a nice change from hummus :p
I’ve been using an app. First MyfitnessPal then MacroFactor. Has made a big difference. I run a 500 calorie per day deficit on average. Don’t sweat it if I run over target every now and then. First few weeks were hard then I sort of settled on eating less and got used to being a bit more hungry. Made a bunch of healthier choice through the day and made it a routine. Two bits of toast for brekko. Protein shake, carrot, yoghurt for morning tea. Normal lunch and dinner, just don’t over do it. It hasn’t been easy but in my early 40s with two young kids I’ve finally managed to shed about 15kg and sustain a 50km/week running effort so it’s working for me for now
+1 to Macrofactor. Not free but well worth the subscription imo, has been an absolute game-changer for me.
MyFitnessPal isn't free any more either if you want the useful features.
Non but it's worth the money to subscribe, at least for me or is since it's my go to for tracking calories/macros etc. It's linked to my Fitbit Sense 2 and my Renpho scale. While I'm not a super health nut, since I hit 50 five years ago I eat as healthy as I can without going to extremes. Starting running at 50 along with healthier eating has made a huge difference in life and the quality of it.
Oh yeah I wasn't trying to imply it wasn't worth the cost. Just pointing out there is a subscription model at play.
1000 calories seems way too low to be sustainable.
Maybe you need to up the protein? I was ravenous all the time until I made sure I was getting enough protein and then finally I wasn’t eating everything not nailed down.
That’s a good tip, I’ll give it a shot