Do you eat enough?

I run in the mornings and burn 600-1400 worth of calories off.  I tend to eat healthily and don't have a huge appetite so it can often be tea time before I am actually is positive calories for the day.  The only trouble being that I get very tired at points during the day as I feel my body needing energy as it struggle with being in "negative calories".

Surely this must be a common problem with runners, it can't just be me?  The obvious solution is to eat when you feel the dip and this isn't always possible and even when it is, the only easy options often seem to be junk food (which I simply don't do).  Anyone come up with high calorie but healthy snacks to combat this (seeds are good but useless when in the car - I drive a fair bit for my job)?

Why should junk food be the only choice when you hit the dip?  Plenty of handy portable healthy bits such as fruit or nuts

I have to say if you are waiting until the evening before you have a reasonable meal then you know where the issue lies

A healthy 'balanced' diet means balancing the right times as well as the right types

Eat well & perform well

600-1400 Kc.. I doubt that.

I eat plenty of fruit but it's not high in calories.

Think about it.  A 12 mile run burns 1200 calories, roughly.

My breakfast - Porridge or Granola - 300-400 calories (I use skimmed milk)

So in negative calories after breakfast.

Lunch - A sandwhich or maybe baked beans on a spud + an apple.  That will fill me but still unlikely to top 600 calories.  I'm still yet to surpass the 1200 calories that i've burned yet have enjoyed a balanced diet so far (don't get much from drink as I drink water or tea with skimmed milk)

Even if I ate more fruit in between, i'd be struggling to get past what I've burnt off before tea.  I have tried nuts but seem to struggle to eat them after 5 or 6.  Seeds I can and do eat a lot of when I can.

Why kittenkat, that is somewhere in the middle of what my treadmill, Garmin and various guides seem to suggest.  Maybe they are over-egging the cake?  Do you know different?

Sorry, this was based on between 6-14 miles.  Probably more 500-1400

  Two bacon butties for brunch after my 14 miles but still almost certainly in negative today.  Sure the roast beef and yorkshires will soon sort that out!

Millsy, the difficulty is appetite.  The answer of just eat larger portions isn't as easy as it sounds!  I do add dried fruit though. 

Guess this must be more unique than I thought.

Sometimes eating too much carbohydrate can make you feel tired and hungry! Eating protein and fat (as Womble says) is sometimes a good move. Have a look at the Optimum Nutrition 4 Sport website; lots of good advice and it works for me!

Adding extra calories is pretty straightforward.  In times of dire need I am prepared to adopt the 2 dessert strategy: 1 with lunch and 1 with dinner.  It's a sacrifice I'm prepared to make to fuel my running.

For a start, use full-fat milk to make the porridge, increase the portion in general and add some nuts, seeds and dried fruit or have a piece of toast and honey with the porridge.

Have snacks between meals.  Have nuts/seeds/biscuits - anything with more calories than a piece of fruit.  Or if you're worried about not hitting your 5 a day, have something in addition to the fruit.

Eat more than just a sandwich and an apple at lunch.  Add some crisps or chocolate.  If your exercise is really burning 1000kcal/day, you have to start eating energy dense meals.

Make sure you have a decent sized dinner.

You are having difficulty ingesting enough calories during the day?

As the old Jewish saying goes - I should have your problem.

I have recently signed up to 'my fitness pal'. It's free to use, easy to add food intake and exercise to your daily log and if you fall into the negative calorie trap you can soon work out what to snack on while making sure you get the right amount of protein and fat in your diet. It may not be the best but it's free, i'm definitely eating healthier, as well as more often and losing weight.

Yeah, you want to drop this concept of ''negative calories''.  You're not running on anti-matter.  I managed 16 miles before breakfast this morning, partly because I ate a frankly rude amount of home-made ginger cake last night whilst watching the fireworks.

The only problem here appears to be eating the right things at the right times to avoid dips during the day.  Re-fuel with carbs and protein after a run, and eat healthy snacks between meals.  Being on the road is no real excuse, healthy snacks are easily prepared in advance.

BTW, I dread to think how many calories I can get through at breakfast. I'll eat fruit 'n nut muesli till the cows come home.

+1 to Muttley

Running.makes.me.hungry. Being.idle.make.me.hungry.  Bonus of running 12 miles is guilt free eating at the end