Perhaps you started running as a means to loose or control your weight. Since running burns so many calories, you found that you didn’t have to be as strict with your diet and you still lost weight. Now you’re hooked. Not only do you feel great and have surprised yourself by what your body can do, you can also eat whatever you want too. Hold on there sister! That’s not exactly true.
I learned the hard way that you can’t out run a bad diet!
For years I believed that because I ran I could eat whatever I wanted. Just run enough to burn all the extra calories and we’re good. Right? I set a goal to learn how to eat whatever I wanted in moderation. I learned to pay attention to my hunger and to emotions that triggered me to overeat. I got really good at eating only when I was hungry and not gorging myself when we went out to eat. I always felt satisfied and it was important to me not to deprive myself of foods I wanted.
I had arrived! I relished going out to eat with non-running friends and ordering the cheesiest carb laden meals and was thankful I didn’t have to order salads. I learned to make trade offs in my food choices. You know, don’t waste calories on foods you don’t like as much, so you can spend them on an extra glass of wine. I also ate fat sparingly. I truly believed I was healthy because I was not overweight.
It’s Not How Much You Eat, It’s What You Eat That Matters
Eventually my body began to break down. Every time I ramped up my training for a race, I got sick, injured, or both. It took me several years of this frustrating cycle before I realized that my eating habits were to blame! Everything I knew and believed about nutrition was wrong. It’s not about portion control; it’s about eating the right nutrients.
Running Puts a Lot of Stress on Your Body
Here’s the thing, running puts a lot of stress and demand on your body. It’s not enough to follow a good training program. (I know, I was even working with a coach!) Your muscles need the right nutrients to repair themselves. If you’re eating empty calories with little nutritional value, you will eventually breakdown. Pasta and pizza may be full of carbohydrates, but they don’t offer much in the way of nutrition. Your muscles still need protein, healthy fats, and the vitamins and minerals found in vegetables.
If you want to run consistently and improve your chances for hitting your PR goals, you should take a holistic approach to your training. That means that what you eat is just as important as important as what you run. You have to make sure you’re eating not just enough food to support your running schedule, but that you are eating foods that have a high nutritional value.
Two Shifts to Implement Immediately
As I began to make this shift I did two things. First, I focused on adding healthier foods rather than eliminating everything that was bad. Not depriving myself, mentally kept me in the game. I knew I could have those foods if I really wanted them. This also allowed me to gradually crowd them out in favor of better choices. Not going to lie though, this was a bit of a process for me. I was used to the convenience of processed and pre-packaged foods. And I was busy!
Second, in order to make sure I filled any nutritional gaps I switch brands of multi-vitamins to a high quality more effective brand, USANA Health Sciences. Unfortunately we don’t hold supplements to the same standards as pharmaceuticals so I needed to find one that consistently delivered the same quality and level of nutrients that would actually be absorbed by my body. You can Click Here to get your monthly supply.
If you are trying to outrun a bad diet, trust me, I know from experience it won’t work. Leave me a comment and let me know how I can help get on track to a more consistent, faster and healthier you.
