How to lose fat without messing up energy for training?

You could keep eating like you do but substitute water for the juice and probably lose some weight.

Dude, you are 6'2" and 170lbs. You're already very skinny--just focus on running fast. Then, when you're done running competitively, put some weight on.

I don't feel very skinny. I feel like I bulk up really easily. And I am just very big, I don't look like a distance runner, I look like a Peter Snell or Chris Solinsky.

But really your responding to weight. I'm talking about losing fat! I wanna get cut. And Feel lighter.

It's pretty straightforward - decrease your fat intake and you will lose fat. Don't decrease or increase your carb or protein intake though. The easiest way to do this is to use fat free substitutes. Like skim milk instead of whole.

Bump

Literally in the exact same situation (except I'm 2nd year in Uni). To be honest, I really don't miss being skinny. It feels nice to not look like a typical runner and hey definitely doesn't hurt to get girls. Still I'm considering losing a few pounds during the season (174 right now). Any health input would be appreciated. I'm currently decreasing my weight training but have always ate healthy.

Don't decrease your fat intake! The best way to lose fat would be to limit the juice and any excess carbs/sugar you don't need.

You should really just focus on running fast, and the msot important thing for your nutrition would be to eat real food (meat/fish/eggs/vegetables/root vegetables/rice/fruits/nuts) for the bulk of your diet. That, along with training smart and hard should be the best thing for your running and your body.

Cut out most or all candy, cookies, cake, high fat ice cream, soda, i.e. junk

Avoid super high cal/ high fat fast food ( you know big bacon cheeseburgers and the like)

If you really do that, you should lose a couple lbs/bit of fat (depending on how much of the above you previously consumed).

Drink low fat milk. Juice is fine as a recovery or pre-run drink, but don't go too crazy.

You don't want to cut carbs too much, but eat the majority of them within a few hours of running, to max glycogen re-synthesis. Right before bed would to be best time.

Don't overdo protein if you are weight training. No need to put on too much upper body muscle (though protein is important for recovery for your legs from running)

Drink green tea: a bit of a fat burner/metabolism booster and has loads of antioxidants. Small caffeine boost (don't drink right before bed. Way less caffeine than coffee, but a small amount. Like a coke)

These are all very small tweaks. You are right: cutting calories too much will hurt your recovery and energy.

Tyrannosaurus Rexing wrote:

You don't want to cut carbs too much, but eat the majority of them within a few hours of running, to max glycogen re-synthesis. Right before bed would *NOT* be best time.

fixed

MAX219 wrote:

Don't decrease your fat intake! The best way to lose fat would be to limit the juice and any excess carbs/sugar you don't need.

You should really just focus on running fast, and the msot important thing for your nutrition would be to eat real food (meat/fish/eggs/vegetables/root vegetables/rice/fruits/nuts) for the bulk of your diet. That, along with training smart and hard should be the best thing for your running and your body.

This post is spot on. If you're "chugging a carton" of juice a day then that's several hundred calories you're taking in which are basically 'empty'.

Eating fruit is the way to go because you get all the same stuff you do from juice, plus extra fiber. If you must drink juice it'd probably be best as some of the other posters have mentioned to do it fairly soon (within ~45 mins) of running.

Good luck!

That post is not spot on. It says to not decrease your fat intake if you want to lose fat. That makes no sense at all. If I'm wrong, please explain it to me.

Well eating fat does not make you fat, and never has made you fat. Fat is stored through excessive carbohydrate and sugar intake. We have been eating fatty foods for thousands of years, and only had a weight problem recently when sugary drinks and processed foods (mostly junk food with a lot of crabs) became a stable in many people's diet.

Anyway lets not get off topic. The best thing for the OP to do is train right and eat real food.

max219 wrote:

Well eating fat does not make you fat, and never has made you fat. Fat is stored through excessive carbohydrate and sugar intake. We have been eating fatty foods for thousands of years, and only had a weight problem recently when sugary drinks and processed foods (mostly junk food with a lot of crabs) became a stable in many people's diet.

Anyway lets not get off topic. The best thing for the OP to do is train right and eat real food.

Fat can make you fat just like carbs can. If you want to get rid of your fat, you need to create a deficit. That deficit can either come directly from fat utilization or through indirectly from a carb deficit.

But since you want to maintain enough energy for training, you should NOT reduce your carbs. So that leaves only the other option - losing fat directly through a fat deficit. High end aerobic training is dependent on carbs so that's why you don't want to reduce your carb intake.

Reduce your carbs and watch your workouts suffer.

I didn't say eliminate carbs, I said reduce EXCESS carbs, meaning carbs that are not helping him fuel/refuel from his runs. And anyway I was referring to the general fat people who don't race competitively, they could lose fat by lowering carbs dramatically.

For the OP, reducing his juice and junk food intake, meaning his EXCESS carb intake, will help him lose the fat he wants while still feeling good. Lowering his fat intake will make him feel crappy, hungry, and tired. He could still eat carbs prior to and after a workout and get all the energy from carbohydrates he needs.

Fat makes you fat only when it is paired with excess sugar and carbs (like in the majority of junk foods). Eating fat from meat, fish, and eggs will NOT prevent fat loss. Putting natural fats like butter or olive oil on his food will not prevent his fat loss. Drinking a gallon of juice will.

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It will be a lot easier to eliminate some fat from his diet rather than accurately figure out how much "excess" means for carbs.

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lowering fat intake will NOT make him feel crappy or hungry. That will only happen if he lowers his protein to inadequate levels (I could be wrong though). You don't NEED fat above 5-10% body fat composition.

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There is nothing special about "natural fats" (whatever "natural" means). Any fat will make you fat if it is excess.

How is that possible that far makes you fat? Haven't we thrived on eating meat for thousands of years. Did we just toss away the fat on the animals and only eat the lean sections?

Eating fat from natural sources is great for you, and does not make you fat. How can eating fatty meat cause fat gain? Before we had high sugar drinks and junk we ate a lot of fatty meat, eggs, and fish, and thrived on it. Fat helps the absorption of vitamins and minerals, and it provides energy. Limiting it will make him hungry while training.

Senior wrote:

I don't look like a distance runner, I look like a Peter Snell or Chris Solinsky.

and we all know that neither of those two men ever amounted to anything in the world of distance running.

Don't drink your calories. The carton of juice should go for a start. Eat a balanced diet - if you have anything lacking then you'll start getting cravings. Make sure you eat plenty of fruit and veg.

Keep sugar intake low. As far as complex carbs go eat brown stuff over white - brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice ...

High GI stuff makes it hard to maintain an even blood sugar level and so can make you feel hungry once the initial sugar rush has passed.

You don't mention booze - but it's highly calorific and has no nutrition and messes with testosterone production.

Drink water and keep eating as you currently do. You say you feel fresher, thats fine!

You seem to be a bulkier 800-3k runner, no problem with that. You dont get pushed aroung in races and benefit from strength, no from an economic/lightweight posture. Look at guys like Mekhissi-Benabbad. If they are able to run 3:35 1500 off 6'3 and 170lbs, weight should not be your primary concern.

Just eat healthy and ones the mpw goes up you will eventually lose some more but keep on eating!

I already said it but im on the lower end with 155lbs and 6'2 and if I dont eat well I instantly get injured.