weight management for competitive runners

Have you even heard of low-carb? All the symptoms you describe are of high carbs combined with overtraining (high cortisol).

Whole Foods

Buy stuff at the store that doesnt have an ingredient label

Quality Qontrol wrote:

Have you even heard of low-carb? All the symptoms you describe are of high carbs combined with overtraining (high cortisol).

I do eat a load of carbs... how would you go about decreasing carbs? I feel like carbohydrates give me the energy to go out and run 10-12 miles at 6:30 pace every day

You must be popular with the ladies... Cuck!

Carbs do give you the energy...to chronically overtrain like that. You need to teach your body to burn fat. Heavy carbs and chronic training too near your 5K pace is like using gasoline to warm yourself. It is quick, fun, but inneficient in the long haul and eventually you will get burned (injuries, bad body composition, illness, etc.) Burning fat is like a nice dry log of hardwood. You need enough firestarter (i.e. gasoline=carbs) to get things gong, but after that it is a nice steady flame that is easy to manage.

To burn more fat, you need to eat more fat, healthy fats like pastured animal products, coconut oil, butter, olive oil (eliminate all seed/grain oils) and to restrict your carbs, especially dirty-burners like grains and sugar. Embrace veggies in quantity and select fruits (no not five bananas a day). Basically you eat food that is in it's original form in the store. Shop the perimeter of store; the aisles are full of fat-making death food (nuts are OK though).

The beauty of this is healthy fats fill you quickly, and you will no longer need to snack or eat more than twice a day. It takes a few weeks to switch over, and you will feel withdrawl symptoms, but it is the best effort you will ever make for your running and your health.

So eat high fat most of the week, but prime the pump with healthy carbs the meal or two before a hard session or a race (two-three times/week). An added benefit is with better polarized training you will recover better and have better sessions on your important workouts.

amazing analysis with very scientific/mechanistic explanations. can you explain how vaccines cause autism next?

Cujo wrote:

I'm a junior in college, low 15 5k/high 25 8k XC type. I'd like to make the jump to sub 15, and to do that I think I have to look at some things I've never paid attention to before, such as my diet.

I've never really paid attention to my diet, and I'm just not very lean for a distance runner. I have man-boobs, no abs, and some flab on my back. A lot of the time, I feel bloated and my stomach juts out almost like a pregnant woman. Between running 70-80 miles per week, lifting and doing core, I feel like I should be pretty lean and cut, but I am not. In fact, I am the definition of what XFIT guy would call "skinny fat." I am about 6'0 and 150 lbs; what changes can I make in my diet to maximize my performance?

I second the sound advice about switching carbs to fats. I personally eat a ton of avocado, oily fish, nuts, olive oil... however you need a little load up of carbs before a heavy session and YOU MUST GET CARBS RIGHT AFTER ONE (I have a sports drink and then eat solid food after shower etc) or you might find your immune going down.

Also... I would start eating a little more proteins than usual, some 10-20 grams shots during the day in addition to your main meal. For example have a shot right before going to bed does wonder for your recovery while you sleep.

The carb scientists are chatting bullshit again. If you wanna stop being fat stop eating fat. I bet you put a lot of oil on your carbs through sauces and condiments. I bet you cook your carbs in oil. Eat like an African high carb low fat. I eat very very high carb and I'm 6'4" 158lb there isn't even any fat on my buttcheeks. I am over 900g a day in carbs, for god sake I pour 200g of sugar on my 250g (dry weight) rice meals. That's after my lunch smoothie of 1800cals of banana smoothie.

Stop putting crap on your carbs and blaming the carbs. My friend from Uganda doesn't diet slip he eats nothing but posh n beans twice a day because he can't afford anything else and he's lean as shit.

Cujo wrote:

Quality Qontrol wrote:

Have you even heard of low-carb? All the symptoms you describe are of high carbs combined with overtraining (high cortisol).

I do eat a load of carbs... how would you go about decreasing carbs? I feel like carbohydrates give me the energy to go out and run 10-12 miles at 6:30 pace every day

Lots of crackpot diet hypotheses already posted.

.The goal is to eat roughly as many calories as you need. Chances are excellent, you are eating more.

Keep a food diary for 3 weeks. Make sure it is detailed and includes times and snacks. The point is not to judge/shame yourself. The point is to figure out how many calories you take in. And then swap some, not all, of the most calorie intensive foods for fruits and vegetables.

The point is not to deprive yourself. The only point is to learn how you eat and bring more variation to your diet. Then you understand what you are eating to meet your bigger goals. No shame. No judgement.

It is very important to understand it isn't about shaming yourself.

Forget the low carb/high protein/grapefruit only/organic for breakfast fads. Calories in have to be < calories out to lose weight. Sounds like you're already doing plenty of cardio (70+mpw running) and strength training. Just cut the calories. Easy place to start -- don't drink any calories. No soda, juice, sports drinks, or alcohol. Most people will lose weight if they do that and nothing else.

Absolutely change your diet. What core exercises do you do? Do you have an anterior pelvic tilt?

Run more, eat less.

As for any "tricks", the bigger my breakfast, the less I eat through the day. Protein heavy to keep me full. Also, eat what makes you feel good. If that is vegetables, eat vegetables. If that is spaghetti, eat spaghetti. Don't over think it or you won't be focusing on what is really important, working hard for workouts. Nobody gained fitness from eating food.

Cujo wrote:

I'm a junior in college, low 15 5k/high 25 8k XC type. I'd like to make the jump to sub 15, and to do that I think I have to look at some things I've never paid attention to before, such as my diet.

I've never really paid attention to my diet, and I'm just not very lean for a distance runner. I have man-boobs, no abs, and some flab on my back. A lot of the time, I feel bloated and my stomach juts out almost like a pregnant woman. Between running 70-80 miles per week, lifting and doing core, I feel like I should be pretty lean and cut, but I am not. In fact, I am the definition of what XFIT guy would call "skinny fat." I am about 6'0 and 150 lbs; what changes can I make in my diet to maximize my performance?

I am calling troll. 4/10, rehashing an old topic but you have got quite a few bites, if you will pardon the pun.

And I you are not trolling then I suggest you Google 'body dysmorphia'.

Okay, 5/10.

Buy this book and read it.

https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Weight-Lean-Peak-Performance/dp/1934030996/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1484449146&sr=8-4&keywords=matt+fitzgerald+training