Anybody here not eat beef or pork on a regular basis?

meat is murder

I run better without meat, dairy, and eggs. Too much saturated fat that decreases arterial function, which is obviously super important for running. On top of that, since these foods have no fiber in them, they're much harder to digest that fruits and vegetables. So not only is your body spending a lot of extra energy trying to digest food but you'll likely have a decent amount of food in your stomach which is gonna weigh you down and cause stomach cramps.

I ate a strict vegetarian diet for half a year while focusing on the marathon.

I also cut out dairy quite a bit but my personal preferences wouldn't allow me to eliminate it comfortably.

I don' t know how much it added to my atheltic performance quite honestly. I know many vegetarians want to prove that it will, but I just didn't experience much of a difference. I just know that I felt healthier. I wasn't tired as much. I consistently felt more energized. My digestive health was better.

IT really depends how you go about it. Lots of the time, being vegetarian can end up making you more unhealthy than a meat eater. People just end up eating more breads, cheese, etc. The idea is to just eat a ton of vegtables and fruit and only get part of your nutrition from grains. This is much more difficult because people(americans for the most part) don't know alot about cooking with vegggies or preparing veggie based meals.

Please include your PBs along with your diet information.

Okee Run wrote:

I run better without meat, dairy, and eggs. Too much saturated fat that decreases arterial function, which is obviously super important for running. On top of that, since these foods have no fiber in them, they're much harder to digest that fruits and vegetables. So not only is your body spending a lot of extra energy trying to digest food but you'll likely have a decent amount of food in your stomach which is gonna weigh you down and cause stomach cramps.

Yeah, I regularly don't eat meat on Monday and Thursday. The rest of the time I'm chowing down.

I eat red meat about once a week usually.

When I ran 2:24 and 3:59 about 6 months apart I was probably eating it less.

No Way wrote:

I eat red meat about once a week usually.

What about pork?

I went vegetarian for a few months, I didn't supplement and my iron levels went down the pan.

Chicken makes me ill. My staple meats are beef and pork.

Randy Oldman wrote:

No Way wrote:

I eat red meat about once a week usually.

What about pork?

I went vegetarian for a few months, I didn't supplement and my iron levels went down the pan.

Chicken makes me ill. My staple meats are beef and pork.

No beef, pork, lamb, bison, or gorilla. Not that much poultry or fish either. I've just never been a big meat guy (that's what she said). I get a full blood panel every year because for my job I could potentially be exposed to hazardous materials and have never had anything out of the ordinary. Maybe I'm just genetically lucky, or the foods I eat instead of meat are different from the ones that you did. For what it's worth I eat a lot of beans, rice, and quinoa. Most leafy greens are pretty high in iron as well.

Black Med Student wrote:

Or is there anything you exclude from your diet, because you run better if you don't eat it? This is a fairly educated and fit population so I'm expecting most people here will have a better diet, not Taco Bell and Mcdonalds every night.

Don't look for things to eliminate, look for things to add. Variety is key. If you eat zero pork (and don't object to eating meat), then I suggest pork chops once a week. Same with any whole food - fruits, veggies, meats, eggs, dairy, whatever. All in moderation, lots of variety.

Beer, too. I like beer, and you gotta eat some carbs. I tend to stick with high-carb, low-ABV (less than 5%) stuff, preferably dark, but summer beers are good right now. I probably average 3-4 beers a week, but don't let anyone tell you a beer a day is bad for your running. (Unless you're talking a 20oz or two of some 8-10% beer).

Good idea. My PBs aren't incredible by any means but I think the way I eat makes it easier to train and race.

4:54 1600m (off of one month of training after a winter of doing nothing)

11:13 3200m (same season as the 1600)

18:28 5k (before I went vegan)

I eat as many carbs as possible with low protein (relatively) and lowish fat.I do not eat any red meat but eat chicken from time to time. Pork very rarely.I became leaner and faster when I upped the carbs and cut the fats.Runners have so much to learn from bodybuilders.

Black Med Student wrote:

Or is there anything you exclude from your diet, because you run better if you don't eat it? This is a fairly educated and fit population so I'm expecting most people here will have a better diet, not Taco Bell and Mcdonalds every night.

No Way wrote:

I eat red meat about once a week usually.

When I ran 2:24 and 3:59 about 6 months apart I was probably eating it less.

o.o

What DID you eat? Don't hold out on us buddy.

whaaaat wrote:

No Way wrote:

I eat red meat about once a week usually.

When I ran 2:24 and 3:59 about 6 months apart I was probably eating it less.

o.o

What DID you eat? Don't hold out on us buddy.

PVSSY!

I am not religious, but a billion Jews and Muslims can't be all wrong. I don't eat pork.

When I ran 2:18 in 2002 I was mainly eating rice, noodles and pasta, but I ate lean beef about 2 or 3 times a week as well. As some of you know, I was training in Yunnan Province, China, where there is a significant Tibetan population as well as a significant Muslim population. Beef and Yak are popular dishes in these cultures. I remember eating 2 bowls of Yak stew sometimes.

When I ran 28:36, I was eating a lot more meat, but no pork, since my cook was a Muslim woman. She's the wife of a friend of mine, and she'd make me these wonderful high-protein, high-calorie meals about 2 or 3 times a week, such as Mussaman beef curry with a lot of herbs and spices, which have a natural anti-inflammatory effect (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Turmeric, Clove)

I know people who run well on a steady diet of junk food, but I can't do it.

Godalmighty you people are nuts. Have a steak. Have a pork chop. Have a grilled chicken chest. Meat is good!

you had it coming wrote:

whaaaat wrote:

o.o

What DID you eat? Don't hold out on us buddy.

PVSSY!

Of course I had it coming, I am married stupid.

whaaaat wrote:

No Way wrote:

I eat red meat about once a week usually.

When I ran 2:24 and 3:59 about 6 months apart I was probably eating it less.

o.o

What DID you eat? Don't hold out on us buddy.

Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast most days, eggs on the weekends.

Dinner could be beans, rice, veggies, quinoa.

Lunch would be leftovers from previous dinner.

I'm not saying meat is bad or anything like that, I just prefer other foods and ran pretty well for a year after college.

Muslims and Jews just didn't know how to keep the meat clean, that's why they don't eat pork.

They apparently don't know how to keep their own meat clean either but that's another topic.

There are religions that say don't eat pork. There are religions that say don't eat beef. They are almost mutually exclusive and some of them point nuclear weapons at each other.

Don't get sucked into a religious war. Eat both beef and pork. And no going vegetarian like some eastern monk either. If you are a sensible secular person, eat meat dammit.