Nutrition / Diet advice

3 messages
12/06/2009 at 12:38

Hi,

I've been running for about 3 months now and done a couple of 5K races.  I've gained about half a stone in weight but remained the same dress size so I'm not sure if it's muscle or fat or both!  I'm now outside my healthy weight range and I'm looking to lose a few pounds but I'm so confused about if I need a special runner's diet.  I've lost over 4 stone before using Weight Watchers and other methods but these diets tend to involve limiting carbs, but I've read that carbs are basically what fuels running.  Does anyone have any advice please?   

 Thanks.

12/06/2009 at 13:33

Hi

If your dress size has stayed the same then I reckon you've lost some fat and gained some muscle.  How do you feel about your size (size, not weight)?  If you're happy as you are then don't make any dramatic changes.  Just stick to a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and veg, some high quality protein and enough carbs to fuel your running.

  

If you do want to change your size then you need to reduce the calories you're eating while maintaining a balanced diet.  Try keeping a food diary for a week to work out how many calories you have now.  Then reduce that by cutting out any junk or reducing your portion size.  Don't try to reduce it by too much as you won't have energy to run.

  

I should add that the BMI figures (which I guess you've used to determine if you're a healthy weight) aren't designed for people doing lots of sport so as you run more and build muscle you can expect to be in the upper levels of the range.  I'm very slim but still manage to be well into the upper half of my "normal" range.

16/06/2009 at 10:48
Thanks  for the reply - that's really helpful.  Certainly Weight Watchers and I imagine other popular diets are not designed for people who do lots of sports.  I'll keep a food diary for a week and see how I get on.

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