Runners that don't/can't eat much. How are you handling the training?

what?

You have an ED.

missing screws wrote:

You have an ED.

I most definitely do not. I enjoy good food (and beer). I just can't fit much of it in cause u know, i have runner proportions.

See a counselor or at least a nutritionist.

you shouldn't eat much if you want to get faster

You need to eat enough, or you need to back off on training. There is no other way. If your problem is more can't than don't, maybe try some easily digestible, high-cal protein shakes.

Be careful. I once went through a couple months of poor eating habits (not eating enough, not eating soon enough following a run, eating too much junk) and eventually wound up with a serious injury. I can't be sure of the cause but my diet was the only thing that changed.

There was the time I wound up in the hospital because I had starved myself to the point that I was in danger of heart failure. I was still running, if you can call it that. It was difficult for me to get up hills by that time.

It's not "stuffing yourself" if you consume the calories you need. If you cant stomach them, then drink Ensure Plus or Boost Plus. This is what they use for Eating Disorder patients who refuse to eat. When things get really bad, they run it through an NG tube.

Eat more often.

Phread wrote:

Eat more often.

yeah, I've been doing that. but the need to stick to that regimen throughout the day diverts attention from things that are actually important, like getting stuff done. part of what i am also trying to accommodate is less time diverted to running-related concerns outside of the actual running. like i could stand spending less time on here...

maybe what an(other) poster(s) suggested, getting the calories in liquid form, is the way to go, but that's tough to deal with outside the home (plus there are expenses associated with that).

maybe the answer i was as looking for is that there is plenty of fuel inside of a person's body for 55 mpw (incl. workouts) so long as there is some minor effort to fuel for the longer efforts, but the calorie estimators on some run tracking websites really cast doubt on that. like yesterday, i did a workout totaling 65 mins/9.5 miles (incl. 36 minutes total of easy running) and the estimate i got is 975 calories, which is actually slightly lower than my typical workout. that's a lot of food unless i go for bacon or something.

and my clients expect that i get stuff done timely for them so i can't be thinking about small portions of food throughout the day.

7.83/10, you got some nibbles.

I like how "getting things done" and bootlicking for clients makes the list of things that are "actually important" while seeing to your organism's nutritional and caloric needs is deemed "getting in the way." Is there any portion of natural human existence you americans can't pervert?

I am actually the same way. Cannot tolerate a ton of food at once and am more productive on a somewhat empty stomach (not starving however). I probably run 40-45 miles a week at this point and find I eat small snacks throughout the day and a larger/meal snack in the evening when I don't have to be productive. Liquid calories also help me a lot..I probably have a 400-500 cal shake every night. Since I run in the morning, I am decently fueled from the night before. How many calories do you think you eat currently?

I am not sure (if u were actually asking me), it probably varies widely by day, but unless I have a burger/fries/beer at a restaurant, I just don't see how I ever would exceed 1500 calories, and that's being generous.

How do you feel?

When I first started running I pretty much immediately got to 40mpw without eating more and was miserable all the time. When I really began putting thought into eating more I felt a lot better. I probably get around 4000-4500 cal/day and run around 80mpw currently but I am constantly eating.

Go for dense foods. Snack on peanuts which are also pretty cheap and not messy. Powerbars are a little more expensive, but again they're not messy so they won't interrupt your work if you just get a side car of them going next to your desk. Also, liquids can really help. If you're drinking 12oz whole milk 3 times a day that's already 600 calories.

Finally, I haven't done too much looking into Soylent, but I'd be curious as to if any runner used it with success. It's basically a liquid you drink to get all your daily calories/nutrients so you don't have to eat or prepare anything.

Also, is it really so hard to eat WHILE you work? Or to take a literal 1 minute break while you shove a Clif bar in your mouth? OP is ridiculous.

This is such a stupid question. All you have to do is eat more. It does not take any time at all, and it will taste good. I don't understand the issue.

aerobic outhouse wrote:

missing screws wrote:

You have an ED.

I most definitely do not. I enjoy good food (and beer). I just can't fit much of it in cause u know, i have runner proportions.

People with eating disorders always have a rationalization for it. Get counseling ASAP please.

See a nutrionist. It can't hurt right, they're going to help you optimize your diet for performance. I expect they'll tell you that you're not eating enough or have an eating disorder. But if you're not going to listen to people on letsrun trying to help you, you can go the next step and see an expert. Just so you know, if you don't eat enough your performance will flatline or regress and your life will be miserable. You will develop anemia or other nutritional deficits and have 0 energy.

Mush wrote:

This is such a stupid question. All you have to do is eat more. It does not take any time at all, and it will taste good. I don't understand the issue.

You don't understand it because the other posters here are right about the OP. Rationalizations, calorie estimates and being in disbelief of some estimators... It's pretty clear cut. This thread is exciting for the OP, I don't know how else to explain it, but having others weigh in on their expenditure and how much they eat is a thrill for the eating disorder patient. He/she may feel superior, or use the estimates of others to encourage further restriction and motivate their ED. 975 calories is NOT a lot, in fact for most people here it's one of the THREE meals during the day, likely with snacks placed around it, and believe it or not, you can easily achieve a 1000 calorie meal without gobbling piles of bacon.

OP, listen to the others. Get help. This is a much more serious issue than you realize, and you're in full-blown denial.

I once was too.