marathon training and running in general makes you hungry. i don’t know about the rest of you, but i am hungry. all. the. time. and its just getting worse right now with my mileage climbing.
i recently saw this article in runners world and this paragraph really stuck out to me:
Resolution: Think Like an Athlete, Not a Dieter
Your friend who “works out” at aerobics twice a week might get away with a meager 1,200 calories a day; you, Runner, cannot. Depriving yourself of calories will slow your metabolism and sap your energy, damaging your weight-loss and running efforts. Besides, diets don’t work: A July 2008 New England Journal of Medicine study set out to find whether a low-carb, low-fat, or Mediterranean diet worked best, and concluded that none were particularly effective. While dieters tend to drop weight fast only to regain it, athletes need to focus on slow, steady weight loss. This will provide energy for training while bolstering your chance of keeping the weight off for good. And don’t ditch carbs in an effort to get lean: Doing so will drain your glycogen supply (the energy in muscles derived from carbs), preventing you from running as long or hard as you want. Lewin kick-started a client’s weight loss by adding a high-quality carb to every meal, plus high-carb snacks like whole-grain crackers and fruit. Her energy skyrocketed, her workouts improved, and she lost weight. Now that’s a “diet” we can resolve to follow.
one of the reasons i love running, is i love feeling like an athlete and this article intensified that… training, eating, sleeping all have a purpose and are all part of our sport.
when i first started running, it was mostly to stay in shape and lose a couple pounds, but now running has become so much more than an exercise to keep weight off, it has become a sport and a passion. with that i want to make sure i am doing everything i can to keep myself healthy, and a big part of that is the right diet.
a little history on me, my eating and weight… i wasn’t always an exerciser or a good eater at all. as a kid i was extremely picky. i wouldn’t eat anything my mom made for me. my dinners pretty much consisted of mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches, and i look back on the lunches i made myself in early high school, i cannot imagine eating half that stuff now (think pb&j on white bread, cookies, chips, etc)! once i got into college my eating consisted of a lot of quick foods, bad carbs, and late night post-drinking binges. after a couple years of that (and quite a few pounds, my jeans were 4-5 sizes bigger than i wear now) i decided it was time to change and i started eating better and working out. i never was one of the “don’t eat to lose weight” people, i found that if i ate often, it was good things for you, and it was balanced, that the weight would come off (and stay off). once i found that combination i never went back, which is good for me since i loooooove to eat 
i have stuck to the eat frequently concept for a few years now, and it has helped me maintain weight, even when i wasn’t as good about exercise, and now being a runner it really helps me out even more. i can plan my snacks and meals around workouts and make sure my body has the fuel and nutrients it needs. it’s not an uncommon problem to gain weight when training for marathons because it makes you so hungry. for me, i just make sure to balance this hunger with good foods that have purpose, and to eat smaller meals frequently. i really try to focus on protein, fat, carbs, calcium, and of course all the nutrients fruits and vegetables… balance is good
i think another key for me has been gradually incorporating the good things and taking away the bad things to make it a lifestyle change instead of a diet. when you figure out how to satisfy some of those sweet tooth cravings and salty cravings without heading to the cookie jar or a bag of chips is a huge accomplishment. the other important thing for me is to reward myself. i work hard and i eat really well i definitely deserve to indulge every so often. i do try to keep those indulgences to after long runs when i have really earned them
i am hard on my body and i want to give it the best nutrition and fuel i can so i am able to train hard and smart.
does your eating change during training? what are your keys to nutrition success?
happy eating
I’ll be interested to see how I fuel when I start training for the marathon. I’m not a very intuitive eater, so I may have to keep track of things to make sure I’m getting adequate nutrition during the training process.
Yippee! Training like an athlete!
I try to eat a small snack every couple hours which keeps me from getting really hungry throughout the day. A big breakfast is key to starting the day off right.
I think chocolate milk is a great recovery drink and usually try to have a glass after a hard workout.
I find my hunger increases the most when I add weight training in addition to my running. I try to volumize my meals by adding a lot of extra veggies. Although sometimes I feel like I haved “earned” certain foods b/c of a particular workout. I am trying to stop that mentality, although once in a while it’s ok to splurge a bit.
I need to be better about the eating. All discipline goes out the window after a run, especially. I feel like the run gives me license to go all out, so I really need to watch it.
Garbage in, garbage out – I can’t ask my body to perform well if I pile trash in.
In the past I have gained weight training for marathons. This time I think the mileage is higher and I’m really watching my food intake – not so much quantity as quality as in what will help me run better and be stronger.. That seems to be working great for me and it sounds like you’ve been doing that for a while! I’m always late to something good…
I do eat moremoremore and listen to my body BUT I always eat more of the stuff I regularly eat.
more clean foods.
unless its a treat day
but I always listen to my body and if Im truly HUNGRY—-I eat.
MizFit
Clean eating every two hours of a complex carb and a protein is the way to go. You never go hungry and you keep the weight off and maintain peak performance. This is what works for me.
really great post….since I’ve never really trained for a race (until now) I am not sure what I should be doing/eating, but I am figuring it out….I think I probably cheat too much with treats here and there, need to cut those out…
I need to get better on the balance. During this past marathon training – I think I weighed 5 pound more than before it! I joked that I had to wait until the marathon was over to go on a diet. A work in progress…
Great post, Aron.
I have never struggled with weight, though after having my son I kept 5 extra pounds on. They don’t bother me, and I like a curvy built. I, too, am a healthy eater. I eat frequent meals, “all the time” as my husband says. During marathon training I am extra careful with what I eat, and make sure I eat within 30 minutes of finishing a run. After long runs, I eat a combo of protein and carbs even if I am not hungry. Interestingly, since starting marathon training I stopped craving sweets. Cookies, icecream are the last thing I want after a long run.
I don’t believe in diets. I think people have a set point of their weight, and with healthy eating and exercise the body will get to that point. Fighting that would be a lost battle. We should all be happier with who we are! Ana-Maria
This is a great post because I always gain weight when i train for a marathon. The hunger is insatiable. But then again, I figure I can eat whatever I want because of my weekly mileage…not true.
I too am seemingly always hungry when running high mileages. I’ve always been a snacker as opposed to a big meal eater and, like you, very picky. It’s interesting, now for the first time in years I’m doing more weight training than running and noticeably leaner. Not sure if it’s because I’m eating less (just not as hungry so less snacking) or because of the muscle increase. I have to really think about making sure to replenish after workouts, though, even if not hungry or else I will pay for it later on one of my few longer workouts!
When I was trianing for my marathon I read a Nancy Clark nutrition book specifically geared to marathon runners.
Her tip was to eat two smaller lunches, one at about 11 and the other about 2. Of course also snaking throughout the day, but these two lunches were a total success for me. (especially since I am an afternoon snacker, can’t stop thinking about food from 2-4)
What a great post!
I tend not to eat particularly different foods when I’m training, but I’m definitely more conscious of what I’m eating the day before a long run or a race, mostly in hopes of avoid stomach issues.
When I was training for the ironman last year, I couldn’t get enough food in me and I still ended up losing a few pounds. It took a few weeks for me to turn that off after the race, though, which sort of negated those few pounds
I notice the increase in hunger/metabolism more with adventure racing/triathlons than I do with marathons.
Excellent post, Aron. Some great advice!
I definitely think the key is lifestyle change. That, and MODERATION. It took me a long time to learn that but once I did, I was finally successful.
I tend to eat more when I’m in the thick of marathon training. However sadly it’s not always the best food that I choose.
Nice post. I’m all about the lifestyle change. A diet, in my mind, just doesn’t work. You need to adjust your overall look at things (and you need to be ready to do such an adjustment).
Running has made me realize that eating certain things just isn’t worth it. If I see some sort of 500 calorie muffin, I’m saying to myself “Gee, that’s 5 miles sitting right there”. Doing that, I can weigh whether or not I really want it.
Weight is such a big thing for me and I’ve been reading a lot in RW, too. I’m struggling with eating enough and when to eat it. Even with all the running, I don’t feel like I should let myself eat any more, which I know is not right. I just read an article yesterday in RW that said runners really don’t need to eat more just because they are running, it’s really the elite athletes that need that. And we should be careful because a power bar here and there adds up. Honestly, the article conflicted me even more. There are so many things out there, I think you just have to listen to your body and eat when you’re hungry…but eat the right things when you’re hungry, not crap.
Great post. Thanks for the insight and information.
training makes me starve. Seriously I could eat my worth in weight sometimes (or at least that’s how it feels lol)
Oh how I miss the athlete role.
When I was running hard core, I was definitely eating more but what was really good was that I wanted to eat healthy. It jsut seemed more natural to refuel my body with things that would benefit it. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly indulged because I felt justified but on a daily basis, I just ate healthier.
Now… well… forgetaboutit! HAHA!
I started paying attention to my eating habits when I started training for my first marathon, and it sort of stuck. I’m very aware of eating whole wheat carbs and tons of fruits and veg. My husband is totally on board and now it’s just habit. I am SO MUCH MORE hungry now that I’m training again though. I snack on these yummy “trek bars” from a local bread shop here, they are full of protein and dried fruit and grains, they are better than a granola bar!
I’ve actually gained 4 pounds training for this marathon but I feel like I look better!
Oh and thanks for answering my questions the other day, I appreciate it! It made me feel much better about it all… still sore this week though. BOO
Awesome post Aron! This has been an ongoing struggle for me, knowing how much to eat to not gain weight, and how to properly fuel my body. Have a great weekend!
I read that RW article too and thought it was great. Thanks for all of your eating insights.
I’m surprised to hear about your former eating style– it is cool to see how you went from being picky to being very healthy and taking good care of your body! I definitely eat to fuel my body, and although I’ve gained weight training for this marathon, I love the way my body looks– which, I’m sure even women with the most perfect bodies can agree is a great accomplishment, to find that acceptance.
Totally true! I haven’t read that article yet but I saw the mag came in the mail yesterday (I think OR mail is a bit behind).
I completely agree that not eating (or eating unhealthy) during training does not work, or at least it doesn’t for me. When I first started training for longer distances I couldn’t get over how many calories I was burning and I wanted to find a way to always have a deficit in my calorie count. BUT now that I’ve been in the game a little longer I know that I need the “good” calories. In fact, now that I have been worrrying less about how much I eat and more about WHAT I’m eating, I’m getting faster! Yah baby!
I think when I’m training for a race (which seems to be often lately) I’m much more likely to choose the “heathly” option knowing that it will help my running (even if part of it is psychological).
Sorry for my babbling =).
Great post. It made me so happy to read it, because awhile ago, I posted something similar, but do not have a lot of running bloggers reading my site, so I didn’t really get the feedback I needed.
But – I totally relate to this. Before, when I lost weight, it was fast. Now that I am running and have to eat more, it’s slow and steady. I like that. I like thinking about “fueling” my body. It makes me feel good!
- kilax
It’s so interesting to know how people have worked with perfecting their diets.
I thought that I’d lose weight adding in running 20-30 miles a week, but I’ve pretty much kept the same weight – which was a big surprise! Maybe it shouldn’t have been, since I LOVE to eat…
i REALLY appreciated this post. thank you for the article and your thoughts!!!! in college i really struggled with what to eat because i was a basketball player but so often would go to meals with my other friends who were always dieting,… it made me feel bad to eat so much!!!! since becoming a runner i have actually kept better track of what i’m eating and really been eating SO MUCH MORE but making it good foods with a purpose- like you said. i am pretty healthy and health-focused, but my main focus is fuel and recovery… and of course reward
LOVE this post!!!
I like the concept of eating like an athlete. Thinking about food as fuel has really helped me deal with the mindset of needing to diet or starve myself for weight reasons. Nice post!
Great post, Aron! Somehow, it seems like my body tends to crave healthier options when I am in training. Still, it can be kind of tough at work to find healthy snacking options. Since I eat pretty much constantly throughout the day, I always try to bring healthy snacks in with me–fruits, veggies, whole-grain crackers, etc. I do always allow myself a treat after a long run, though!
Sometimes during training I don’t realize that I am more hungry until I start acting hungry. What I mean is that my stomach may not feel it but all of a sudden I’ll get wiped out, or moody or get a headache. I eat a snack and everything starts to makes sense. It’s almost like a different type of hunger.
That is so true about running making you hungry, and remembering that you are fueling your body and not dieting/restricting nor cheating/binging. I bet you are starving with your mileage. I have a long way to go in the nutrition arena, but that’s ok because I’ve found that it really is a process. Great post!
Great stuff all around. It was a major shift for me to start seeking out GOOD foods instead of just avoiding BAD foods. Yes white bread is better than a crossant, but whole grain is what I should have been having.
That’s exactly how I managed to lose the weight too, slow and steady changes! I also like Nancy clark’s book about how we really NEED those carbs.
I do find I get hungrier with weight lifting and lots of running. I’m not sure I exactly know how to counteract it yet!
Oh geez, I’m still trying to figure out the whole nutrition thing for me! Probably the biggest thing is when I’m training pretty hard core I don’t tend to imbibe as much. Not because I’m making a point to cut it out, I actually just don’t want it that much.
Hey Aron, I like your attitude concerning food and nutrition. For me, I have the opposite problem. I tend to lose a lot of weight during training, which is a problem because I’m already a thin guy to begin with.
My philosophy about nutrition is just to think about how each food item is going to benefit/hurt my ultimate goal of being a good athlete. In my old days, I even give a point scale and have a daily running total of + and -. Now, I’m not so anal about it but more reflects a general lifestyle change.
Hungry all the time is exactly how I feel. I dont know if it is psycho-samatic (sp?) or what, but as soon as my training schedule begins, I am always hungry!!
And I, like you, was a very very picky eater. If a place didn’t serve grilled cheese or chicken fingers I was going hungry. And I thought Kraft Mac and Cheese WAS the real thing.
Also, like you, I gradually took out the bads and put in the goods. I would say I have very good eating habits these days. With that said, I will never stop believing in indulgences
Running went from what I had to do to get in shape, to what I want to do because I like it now.
Keep up the great work and the great blogs! I loved the article and your notes.
Ha!! I just posted about this!!
http://adamrisu.blogspot.com/2009/03/there-are-two-truths-about-running-lot.html
My eating doesn’t change so much as it increases – heavily. I eat 3 big meals and 2 smaller meals throughout the day. Soo much eating!
I love how a lot of us probably started running to lose a few pounds, and it turned into an addiction! I just don’t have tempting foods in my house. I hope that saves me from gaining training weight! I have lots of veggies, rice, and protien though!
this is a great post. sometimes i get caught up in trying to see number on the scale go down and i jeopardize my running abilities. i know i'd be more content with looking awesome no matter what the scale says, but sometimes it still creeps into my life and tries to take control.
on the other hand, just because i run does NOT mean i can eat 12 pounds of m&m's a day
i'm struggling with that one, but getting better.
I think we’re leading parallel lives! I used to have the worst eating habits…I think I went days without eating a single fruit or vegetable. A lot of that changed in college for me when I started keeping track of what I ate, and working out more. Definitely making an effort to control portions and follow the food pyramid helped for me!
Perfectly said. I used to try and limit my eating when I was training high mileage, but I found that it was counterproductive. Keep up the good work.
Great post!!! Makes me feel better about eating every 2-3 hours!!! hehe I need to remember carbs are a friend, not a foe and to get plenty before long runs!
I think I should get a mini fridge in my cube at work! haha
Hooray for eating
This was a great post. I tend to do the pbj/chip/cookie thing because it’s what I feed my kid when making morning lunches.
I’m really going to have to pay attention…just finished a great soup!
I have been sooo hungry, even this week with just cross-training. My biggest challenge is packing enough food for the workday.
Marathon training definitely makes me super hungry…even moreso than usual! I gained the most I’ve ever weighed (which, honestly, still isn’t that much) when I was training for my second marathon, then the weight all fell off within six weeks!
I remember on The Biggest Loser, two of the biggest guys weren’t losing weight, and Bob took them aside and told them that they need to eat MORE in order to lose weight. Since they were eating less than what was recommended, they were going into “starvation mode,” so their bodies were hanging onto everything instead of getting rid of anything. It sounds completely crazy, but it definitely makes sense. We need to fuel our bodies to make them do everything we ask them do to, whether it be losing weight or running a marathon!
Unfortunately, I found myself eating a lot of cookies, cupcakes and ice cream during training
Great post! I find that I put on wieght if I don’t eat as much as my body wants. I think we should let our bodies decide how much we eat…not our minds!
Great post! I love going to the grocery store and identifying why I need each item…protein, potassium, etc. Having a purpose for eating is so much healthier!
I’m hungry all the time too! Unfortunately I don’t always make the right choices because I’m constantly hungry. I’m trying to be better this time around.
Aron — I loved learning about your eating history! I was SHOCKED that I didn’t become rail thin when training for a marathon. I mean, come on — it’s a MARATHON for goodness sakes!
My vegan-ish diet really works for me. People who thought that distance running and no meat would mean the death of me have now quieted, which I’m very happy about. One of the things I’m conscious of is eating TONS of fruits and veggies. Yeah, I always indulge after any 10+ mile run.
But I’ve come a LONG way from 10 years ago when the mainstays of my diet were Balance bars, Diet Pepsi, donuts, and Doritos!
I think you do a GREAT job of being disciplined with both your nutrition and your training. That’s why you look and run as well as you do!
Hey Aron! I TOTALLY agree…running makes me HUNGRY! I used to come home from high school cross country practice and pretty much eat a loaf of bread, no joke.
Now, I still eat a LOT of bread, like a slice with jam or a bagel. I also try to eat a lot of fruit. Smoothies are the best in the summer, or on cereal.
Sometimes making trail mix with chocolate chips or chocolate-covered raisins helps a sweet tooth. I just made some with a whole buncha nuts, chocolate-covered raisins, sesame sticks AND marshmallows! I figure we run enough to afford sweets
I don’t run at all. Can this count for me. Lol. DAMN! I did start riding my bike to work on Wednesdays. Everyone made fun of me, but I just told myself that it’s because they are jealous they don’t have a little bell to chime and a wicker basket. Ha ha ha! I’m really proud of all your hard work My Little Butterfly.
I think it’s AWESOME!
Do cookies count as a high quality carb???
I eat like a maniac and I run like one too.
Keeps my weight in a normal range.
This was a great post! I basically eat pretty good (for the most part) most of the time, and don’t change much when I’m training but there is more GU, POWERBARS, etc. But I feel like I”m always training.
Great post! I eat so much healthier now that I run and I have kids. Having kids was a big one for me, because I want them to be healthy. They naturally need multiple small meals, so it was an easy transition to eating that way for me too.
Great post! One of the things I loved during marathon training was the way it changed the way I look at food and my body. Food was the fuel that was going to help me get through the next run successfully, and even if I didn’t have what I viewed as the “perfect body” that some girl at the pool had, I also realized that there was a good chance that she couldn’t run 10 blocks…..let alone the 10 or 15 miles that my body ran that morning…I learned to appreciate my body a lot more. Part of that appreciation was also “feeding” it right and enjoying food again!
WIth the long winter months and marathon training, I have been starving for the past two months.
I am not even going to tell you what I ate today, because it’s insane, but lets just say, I am totally stuffed three hours later.
I need to be careful after this half marathon. I always have a hard time getting out of “marathon eating mode” after a race is done.
Wonderful post! Thank you for this!
Yes, my desire to eat (ie: eat more) increases as my training increases. But, I just try to add a few more snacks (good snacks that is) and it seems to work!
I am exactly in the same boat as Petra. I watch my food intake in terms of quality, but don’t diet or anything like that. I do that most of the time however, so I usually don’t gain during training.
I actually gain AFTER training, when I stop running as much and, although I still eat healthy, eat entirely too much in quantity. LOL
Sounds like you are doing well!
And yes, healthy snacks and grazing throughout the day are KEY. I think especially for desk jobs!
I must have felt very strongly about my comment to post it 5 TIMES.
Sorry about that.
i read that article on my cruise! i loved it too!!!