Running and Weight Loss

Tip from Runners World! 

Golden Rules of Weight Loss while Training

Runners know the miles they log on the pavement, trails, and the treadmill is great for keeping them fit and healthy. High on the list of the sport's many virtues? It is an amazing tool for weight control. But weight loss is a different story. Because you run, you may think you can eat whatever you want and still drop pounds. Unfortunately, that's not true. Running is only half of the equation. You have to look hard at what and how you eat, too.

RULE 1: TAKE REALLY GOOD NOTES - Record everything you eat for at least one week (and then doing so again every few weeks after that), making sure to include important details, such as when, where, why, and how much you eat. "Reviewing these details will help you glean important information about your habits, and highlight ways you can make healthier choices."

RULE 2: MEASURE WHAT YOU EAT - Get out a cereal bowl. Fill it as you normally would with your favorite brand. Read the label to find out the serving size and the calories per serving. Is what more than a recommended serving size is in the bowl? Pour it into a measuring cup to find out. People eat whatever is in front of them, it pays to know what an appropriate serving should look like. The only way to know that is to measure what you're eating.

RULE 3: BEEF UP YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE - Protein is essential for a healthy body; it builds muscle and preserves lean body mass. Runners need at least a half gram of protein daily per pound of weight. For a 150-pound person, that's 75 grams. Protein also takes longer to digest, so you feel fuller longer, and it helps keep blood-sugar levels steady, so you don't get ravenously hungry and feel the need to overeat. Spread your protein intake throug hout the day, eating some at each meal.

RULE 4: ADD COLOR TO EVERY MEAL - Eat red, yellow, orange, green, or purple food—that doesn't mean Skittles. Pack your diet with fruits and vegetables. They're low-calorie and loaded with vitamins and minerals your body needs to function, keep your immune system up, and maintain strong bones and muscles. They're also rich in fiber, which is key for slimming down. People who eat high-fiber diets are less hungry and lose more weight than people who eat less fiber.

 RULE 5: STOP GRAZING! - A few years back, "grazing" came into vogue in dieting circles. The idea seemed reasonable: You'd never get too hungry, and then you wouldn't eat too much at any one meal. But 2010 study found that people who eat low-calorie diets feel more satisfied and less hungry when they eat three times a day compared six, suggesting that mini meals aren't beneficial for appetite control. People also tend to graze on unhealthy foods like crackers or cookies.  "Cows graze. People shouldn't."

RULE 6: ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN - Runners—like anyone else—encounter trouble when there's nothing healthy at home. Y ou can whack a lot of calories by creating a menu and making a meal plan and then shopping ahead of time for the ingredients you need to execute that plan. That doesn't mean you have to be rigid about your menu if, say, you get held up at work. But you should have a sense of what you're going to eat over the next seven days.

 RULE 7: SLOW DOWN! - Here's another mealtime experiment for you – time yourself during eating. The longer, the better. It takes 15 to 20 minutes for nerve endings in the gut to send the signal to the brain that says you’re full. Wolfing down a meal faster than that can lead to overeating—and that can pack on serious pounds. People who eat quickly and eat until they feel full are more than three times as likely to be overweight than people who take their time and eat slowly.

 RULE 8: DO NOT RUSH WEIGHT LOSS - You need three months to train your brain to make a habit of good consumption behaviors. You need three months to get used to reading labels at the grocery store, to learn how to plan your meals and shop, to figure out how to add in more fruits and vegetables. It takes time to develop these habits. Remember, you're a work in progress, as an eater and an athlete.