Dieting & Running

Re: Dieting & Running

• EllaBelle2010 member

  January 2012

  Wow! Awesome on your first upcoming half! I'll be running a half in June... we'll I'm supposed to be but I'm incredibly intimidated. The most I've ever run was a 10k.

  You sound like you're a pretty healthy person in general. I say use your best judgment. If you feel the calories they're recommending are too low then by all means add a couple extra healthy snacks between meals, like a handful of almonds and an apple. Our bodies know what they need, we just need to listen.

  And remember, its not just about calorie counting but rather providing our bodies with the proper nutrients. The example I always use is, would you feel better about eating 200 calories of something like greek yogurt and fruit, or 200 calories of potato chips and candy.
  

  I hope that helps a little bit. Good luck! 
  

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• Arnegard member

  January 2012

  Thanks!  I really try to be healthy, the Christmas baking got to me!!  Ahh!!  I need a Oct/Nov/Dec resolution to workout despite life!!

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• carlab44 member

  January 2012

  I used sparkpeople a few years ago to lose 20lbs, and like you was also training for a half marathon. Have you adjusted your exercise goals to match reality? You say it recommends 3 days of 30 minutes of cardio, but I'd actually enter in how much exercise you really anticipate doing. When I did sparkpeople I estimated how many calories I was going to be burning each week and entered that into my fitness goals. I upped it every few weeks as my training progressed. It generally had my calorie goal between 1800-2100 calores per day.

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• shaindelr member

  January 2012

  I don't know if this would help at all, but you might want to check out https://dailymile.com if you feel like Spark People is sort of "too much." I've never used Spark People, so I can't compare them.

  
  Mac and cheese lover!
  
  
  
  

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• Sara1373

  January 2012

  I can only speak from my experience, but even when I am in marathon training mode and running 4-5 days a week and strength training 2 days a week, I rarely ever eat 1800 calories. Even as I sit here now pregnant, I track all my food intake and I average 1500-1700 calories a day.   I think it really depends on your starting weight, your goals, how fit you already are and how much muscle mass you have.  Its about 3000 calories for every pound of body weight loss and you should aim for only 1-2 lbs loss a week.  I always believe in listening to your body and eating when you are hungry and to fuel your workouts.  A program can only give you approximations because they give general guidelines.  Best of luck to you, running is my passion and I LOVE to see new people taking it up and rocking it!!
  

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• melodramatic26 member

  January 2012

  To be honest, training for your first long distance race and lose weight is going to be difficult. I had lost 40 lbs before I started training for my first 1/2 marathon. In the 12 weeks of training, I managed to lose only another 6 or 7 lbs, which was super slow compared to how I was doing.

  It's going to be a lot of trial and error. You are going to need to figure out what food fuels you well enough for your long runs. Not to mention the hunger beast that shows up after the run...

  Try with 1800 calories for now and then slow start adding in more calories after your long runs and see how that works with you. And good luck on your 1/2!!

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