Improving Your 5K

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What is your diet like (Read 964 times)


Slow-smooth-fast

    After looking at the correlation between speed and weight, I can obviously see there is a strong positive correlation between lower weight and faster race times. I am currently weighing in at 192lbs, and for the life of me cannot seem to get any lower. What on earth do you guys eat, or 'not eat' as it were to be so godamm light! My typical daily diet is: 7am, two slices of toast with jam, or small bowl of cereal, and a banana. Lunch: 2 sandwiches with tuna on. low fat packet of crisps. Mid afternoon, nutri grain, banana. After my run at night: jacket potato, with tuna, or pasta with tomato sauce etc. I am still trying to strip fat off, but cant seem to get to my ultimate goal of 168lbs. Any help would be great.

    "I've been following Eddy's improvement over the last two years on this site, and it's been pretty dang solid. Sure the weekly mileage has been up and down, but over the long haul he's getting out the door and has turned himself into quite a runner. He's only now just figuring out his potential. Consistency in running is measured in years, not weeks. And over the last couple of years, Eddy's made great strides" Jeff 14 Jan 2009

      Eddy... what is your body fat % 2 your breakfast is all carbs... and sugar... note: nutrigrain bar is alot of sugar again... My adice... eat food... more fiber... more veggies... add protein to your breakfast... Figure out your # of calories to maintain weight... by tracking what you are doing... then drop 200-300 calories off by cutting out sugary stuff... and replacing it with raw veggies. Make sure you eat a bit more on your hard days... and dont' scrimp on pre-post workout meals/recovery. example change... (just my opinion... take it or leave it) Breakfast... drop toast... and jam... change cereal to be higher protein, or eat an egg... maybe some unsweetened yogurt... but the cereal should be a good source of fiber (ex: Kashi go lean)... if you want fruit choose berries or something less sugary or with more fiber like an apple... lunch... screw low fat... IMHO... throw out the chips... 2 sandwhiches? really? what kind of bread... check ingredients does the bread have High fructose corn syrup? You want bread that says all natural or 100% natural to find one without HFCS. How about 1 can tuna... two slices of 100% whole grain bread with no HFCS...(a little mayo... and whatever)... and also eat some raw veggies... brocolli, carrots, califlower, asparagus... Or you say some unsweetened plain yogurt with some fruit and some ground flax... Or cottage cheese... (think lean protein... fiber... whole grains... veggies... ) afternoon stack... I should talk.. .but my fav has been pinch of raisins...and pinch of mixed nuts... experiment... but try something that is food (thow away the nutri grain bars)... I like nuts be cause they Dinner (where are the veggies... ) -- short answer -- Add protein to your breakfast... cut back on the simple sugars.. increase fiber... whole grains... cut out HFCS... drink water... eat more veggies
      jeffdonahue


        I'd have to agree - add some protein to your diet. Also, you have to make sure that you are actually eating enough calories. Your diet looks a bit on the light side I think. If you eat too few calories it can really hurt your weight loss as well - learned this from watching "The Biggest Loser" Also, I'd throw in a mid-morning snack - maybe some yogurt or something.
          Also, I'd throw in a mid-morning snack - maybe some yogurt or something.
          I don't think that is a good idea... unless you are going to go to a 5-6 meal program.. and then in that case you are not calling it a snack... If you eat breakfast at 8:00 and eat a solid... 500-600 calories with 20 grams of protien or so you will not be hungry until 11:30 or so when it is time for lunch... when you repeat... eating about 600 calories... and 20-30 grams of protien... But then you have to get from around 12:00 - 6:00 pm that is too long.. so the 3:30-4:00 200 calorie snack is in order... then 600-800 calorie dinner and you are in at about 2200 calories... throw in the running and room for another nibble or two and you are on track... I've gone from 264 down to 180... back up to 200 before I found runnig... now i am 150... The thing I have learned is to learn to make changes so they work for me... and my life... otherwise once I stop loosing I will go back to gaining... but that is just my experience... my experience is don't give up... if at first you don't suceed try try again... I put a post-it on the fridge door that says... "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"... One more thing... I have found that I have to string 4 good days of eating together to make progress... try to put together streaks of good (by good I mean sticking to your plan)... eating...
          jEfFgObLuE


          I've got a fever...

            I put a post-it on the fridge door that says... "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"...
            Awesome. Here's a weight loss running calculator. It was made by a guy who, sadly, no longer posts at RA. Pay careful attention to the units (miles/hour, hours/week). Based on how much and how fast you run, it will give you an approximate figure of how many calories you need to eat to attain a desired rate of weight loss.

            On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

              Here is my weekday diet: breakfast (~6:15am) oatmeal, banana, raisins, cheerios, fiber one, water. Hot water with 1 tsp of coconut oil (see http://www.coconutoil.com/) snack (~10:00am) prunes, apple (sometimes pear, banana, or orange), water lunch (~11:00am) lettuce, tomato, peppers, onions, and celery in a tortilla wrap, plus carrots and water snack (~2:00pm) prunes, apple (sometimes pear, banana, or orange), water dinner (before or after evening run) varies: hot chocolate, yogurt, hot water with 1 tsp of coconut oil, meat (chicken, fish, or beef), vegetable (broccoli, green beans, corn, or peas), garden salad with dressing, squash or potato, water Dinner is my down fall. I make dinner and have a habit of snacking when preparing the meal. If I only consume the hot chocolate, yogurt, and hot water with 1 tsp of coconut oil while cooking I would be happy. Often I eat junk food though. One thing I have tried is every other day move the breakfast to the afternoon. My wife and I had a fun/interesting discussion whether I should still call it "breakfast." I say yes, but technically I think her "no" is correct. I often have one cup of green tea during the day, and several cups of water. I try to eat similar on weekends/vacations, but don't often succeed.


              Slow-smooth-fast

                I don't think that is a good idea... unless you are going to go to a 5-6 meal program.. and then in that case you are not calling it a snack... If you eat breakfast at 8:00 and eat a solid... 500-600 calories with 20 grams of protien or so you will not be hungry until 11:30 or so when it is time for lunch... when you repeat... eating about 600 calories... and 20-30 grams of protien... But then you have to get from around 12:00 - 6:00 pm that is too long.. so the 3:30-4:00 200 calorie snack is in order... then 600-800 calorie dinner and you are in at about 2200 calories... throw in the running and room for another nibble or two and you are on track... I've gone from 264 down to 180... back up to 200 before I found runnig... now i am 150... The thing I have learned is to learn to make changes so they work for me... and my life... otherwise once I stop loosing I will go back to gaining... but that is just my experience... my experience is don't give up... if at first you don't suceed try try again... I put a post-it on the fridge door that says... "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"... One more thing... I have found that I have to string 4 good days of eating together to make progress... try to put together streaks of good (by good I mean sticking to your plan)... eating...
                that is inspirational, I have come down from 266lbs. I am going to give it a good go to get down to my desired weight though. can you give me a typical daily diet for yourself please? When you say a big breakfast, would this be ok? Cereal with skimmed milk, boiled egg, and an apple?

                "I've been following Eddy's improvement over the last two years on this site, and it's been pretty dang solid. Sure the weekly mileage has been up and down, but over the long haul he's getting out the door and has turned himself into quite a runner. He's only now just figuring out his potential. Consistency in running is measured in years, not weeks. And over the last couple of years, Eddy's made great strides" Jeff 14 Jan 2009


                Prince of Fatness

                  I'll chime in here. I've lost about 20 pounds in a little over a year. What worked for me is counting everything I eat. My wife had used Weight Watchers, so I tried that. They go on a points system, and you get so many points a day. There is a sliding scale thingy that we have that calculates the points for what you are eating. Basically calories and grams of fat add points and grams of fiber take away points. Stuff like white bread, potatoes, and pasta can add up. You can eat them, but you have to watch your portions. How much pasta do you have, for example? Much of the stuff that jsobo119 mentions you can eat alot of because it is very low on points (low fat, high fiber). You have to measure everything. In summary my suggestion would be to get on a structured diet (calories, points, anything that tracks what you eat) and start reading labels of the food you buy. You may think you don't eat much but then again you may be surprised. I know I was. I will say that losing the 20 pounds has had a positive effect on my running, and as jsobo119 says, I feel better. You can do it. Best of luck!

                  Not at it at all. 

                    Actually if you want to see my diet for the last week it is in the "racing" forum under cleveland marathon t-7 Hm... that being said though it was a week of trying to maintain weight... The point is to find what works for you... There are lots of ways to do it... some will include being hungry some will lessen that considerably. protein tends to satiate as does fat. Fiber helps slow digestion thus stretching out your meal... I try to avoid sugar spikes so eating sugar alone is something I avoid. A typical day trying to drop for the week would be... Breakfast Cup and a half of Kashi Go lean (Natures Path, rebound or power)... perhaps some blueberries on top or raisins (Love them raisins).. skim milk (note lately I have been trying to eat more at breakfast but that was what I was doing) ... like the idea of steal cut oats but I really like my cereal... Lunch Plain yogurt..(about 8 oz) with 1/2 banana sliced and a heaping tablespoon of ground flax with a few shakes of cinnamon... maybe a few more shakes... ;-)... sometime I'll add a table spoon of psylium husk as well (not for the faint of heart) OR 1 can tun, 100% natural, 100% whole grain bread with no hfcs... mayo (real thing)... (sometime clove of fresh garlic pressed... depends how soon I have to talk to anybody in person ) or cup of cottage cheese with fresh pineapple chuncks (ok one of those options and... ) 1/4 head of iceburg lettuce (not that nutritious but its bulk) or 5-6 romain leaves or 3 handfulls of butter lettuce or 3 handfulls baby spinish with some freshly chopped parsley and then balsamic vinegar (probably could add some oil too and nutritionally it is probably better but I like it with plain vinegar)... and then a bunch of fresh cracked pepper AND a handfull of baby carrots... or raw brocolli... or califlower... or a 1/2 dozen asapragas (raw)... --- snack... I would eat a pinch of raisins and a pinch of mixed nuts... by a pinch... like 15-20 raisins... and 1/2 handfull of nuts... Dinner --------------- think meat size of fist...(I like to think size of back of hand... ) so 1/2 large chicken breast... same size portion of starch if there is one... Veggies veggies as many veggies just about as much as you want (raw) or steamed .. as long as they are not coated in some fat like butter... if they are then take it in a ok portion... just know what you are eating... check out the nutrition facts on whatever you are going to eat ahead of time so you can be aware of what you are eating... Dessert --------------- I like to split a piece of fruit with my kids... so 1/3 orange or bannana, or some strawberries, or an apple, pair... a few figs, some prunes... fresh pinapple... a mango... and then my evening nibble is a piece of dark chocholate which is about 1/2 a serviing if you look at packaging... (NOTE: on hard days of training... like days with a run 2 hours or longer... I eat if I am hungry... but if it is a non hard day and it isn't time for me to eat... I start with fluids...) ------ SO this all boils down to be concious of what you are eating... and how much... I suggest using fitday.com for 2 weeks and log everything... you will learn alot about what you eat and where your calories really come from...
                    RunAsics


                    The Limping Jogger

                      After looking at the correlation between speed and weight, I can obviously see there is a strong positive correlation between lower weight and faster race times. I am currently weighing in at 192lbs, and for the life of me cannot seem to get any lower. What on earth do you guys eat, or 'not eat' as it were to be so godamm light! My typical daily diet is: 7am, two slices of toast with jam, or small bowl of cereal, and a banana. Lunch: 2 sandwiches with tuna on. low fat packet of crisps. Mid afternoon, nutri grain, banana. After my run at night: jacket potato, with tuna, or pasta with tomato sauce etc. I am still trying to strip fat off, but cant seem to get to my ultimate goal of 168lbs. Any help would be great.
                      I eat a lot but typically spread over the day. Protein at breakfast works well to curb appetite rather than the post carb hunger rush. If I have cold cereal for breakfast at around 6:30am I'll be eating my bagel w/peanut butter by 8:30am... Oatmeal on the other hand is better. Something with B vitamins in the afternoon keeps you going. Drop the crisps and soda (if you drink it). Soy or baked chips are a better choice and come in a miriad of flavors. Have regular crisps sparingly. Drink more water throughout the day. Here's a sampling of my meal plan: Breakfast: Eggs and toast (pancakes on Sunday) or cereal. Mid-morning - bagel & peanut butter. Maybe a banana if running at lunch. Maybe add a boiled egg or two. Lunch: spinach salad with chicken or turkey breast sandwich with cheese and cucumber/spinach. Early-afternoon: cottage cheese / yoghurt / banana Late afternoon: yoghurt / instant oatmeal if running later Dinner: Fish or chicken with rice and/or veggies/spinach salad. Occasional steak and potatoes or pizza. Snack (pre or post dinner): wasabi almonds... sooo good. I eat less when running less...

                      "Only a few more laps to go and then the action will begin, unless this is the action, which it is."

                      jEfFgObLuE


                      I've got a fever...

                        I dropped from about 220 lb on 1/1/07 to 185 by June of that year (35 lb in less than 6 months). I did what I like to call the "2/3 diet." Meaning 2/3 of my meals were "diet" meals were I tried to really control calories and eat very diet friendly foods (lots of turkey bacon, cottage cheese, nuts, protein bars, low glycemic fruits). The other meal, dinner, was unrestricted as far as food type, but I tried to keep it down to one helping. And of course, I started running again. I found that it felt far less restrictive if dinner didn't feel like I was dieting. With breakfast and lunch being fast meals anyway, it was no big deal to make them healthier, even if they weren't quite as tasty. A diet won't be successful if it feels too restrictive.

                        On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.


                        Prince of Fatness

                          A diet won't be successful if it feels too restrictive.
                          That's a good point. I try to be strict with the diet during the week but on weekends if I want to stray a little I do, as long as it is within reason. One other thing I try to do is go to bed a little hungry. Evening snacking was my downfall. I found that was where I was taking in all of those extra calories, and sleeping on a full stomach is the worst thing you can do.

                          Not at it at all. 

                            I was thinking about this again last night and I remembered that Brown rice and black beens with hot sauce was a lunch I like as well. One thing... which you may already know... Eat before you go shopping for your food. Plan your meals ahead of time after you have eaten. There is a psychogical thing going on there... I saw something about a study that says given a choice of spending money you are give right now or saving it... folks tend to spend it... if given the chance to save or spend money they will get in the future... folks generally save. Same thing applies here with food. If you wait until it is time to eat to decide what to eat then... too much and the wrong foods end up being mass consumed... if you plan ahead of time you are more likely to be less impulse driven!
                            JerryBZA


                            Runs with the pack

                              When I started up running seriously again, I started keeping track of everything I ate. It's a PITA, but once you get in the habit - not so bad. There are several on-line places that allow you to track calories but someone on RA suggested "SparkPeople" and I've been on their since. Using some of the calculators available I set my calorie level according to the running distance I'm doing and my current weight. It's helped me see where the calories are coming from and limit the fat and junk food. I've dropped from 180 to 165 (5'9" tall) and I hope to drop another 10 lbs by the end of the year.