Correct diet for running

The JEL diet.

Bump.. can’t wait to hear replies

Yeah, I'm bracing myself for a few "fatty" jibes. However, although 80% of replies on LRC are trolls, the best advice tends to come from here too.

I'm just an middle aged hobby jogger, but my advice is simple. Just eat normal, with a focus on a balanced healthy diet of lean meats, eggs, beans & nuts for protein; and lots of grains, veggies and fruit for carbs. You'll naturally be eating fats that you need in moderation if you eat those normal foods. And, Limit processed foods.

I also make tradeoffs so I don't have to give up things I like. For example I drink mainly water and black coffee and avoid sweetened drinks, so that I can have a few beers now and then without taking in too many extra calories with fluids.

If you're not fat, then don't force the weight loss with a restrictive "diet". I think if you eat smart and healthy and continue to progress in your running, you will trim down to a better race weight. What that final weight is is another thing.

I wouldn’t count calories or be super restrictive to start out. In 4 weeks time, evaluate how your progress is going. If you haven’t lost any of the unwanted weight, it might be wise to begin a more structured eating plan.

"Should I be eating almost entirely protein and veg, or would this inhibit running?"

No. That would definitely inhibit any sport activity. Eat balanced diet, you need carbs and fats. 50/30/20 or something similar. Google it.

"Should I count calories, or should I just assume that the increased exercise will compensate?"

Yes. At least at the start. Since you ask about diet I assume you don't have tons of experience how your body reacts to food while being active. Over time you'll know how much you need almost intuitively.

"I am a student - I can't really afford much fancy stuff. What is the best way to eat super-healthy on a budget?"

Cook home your own food. It's the key.

Buy for example:

Protein - chicken, tuna, eggs, beans,

Carbs - beans again, lentils, rice, potatoes, whole grain bread (if you're into breads)

Good and cheap fruits and veggies - apples, bananas, lettuce, celery, carrots, etc.

Fats - nuts can be expensive but you can live without them. Olive oil, butter.

There is always some good stuff on sale.

Thanks everyone. I have heard conflicting opinions about fruit - is it good for you? The sugar content is obviously high. I eat like 5-6 pieces a day but never really eat chocolates or other such stuff - but at that point is it essentially just doing the same thing?

Low fat high carb. Ideally in the form of a plant based diet w at least 90% of calories from non animal sources (100% is best!) imho.

HM guy wrote:

Thanks everyone. I have heard conflicting opinions about fruit - is it good for you? The sugar content is obviously high. I eat like 5-6 pieces a day but never really eat chocolates or other such stuff - but at that point is it essentially just doing the same thing?

Sugars from fruit are natural, as opposed to refined sugars found in sweets/junk food.

I honestly can't tell if you are trolling? We've evolved on fruit...it is a near ideal food for the human body. Forget what the "4 hour body" says. Fruit juice concentrate? No. Whole fruits...with all the fiber (most Americans need more fiber). Someone posted some rough macro %s above. Well a diet around 50% carbs, 25% fat and 25% protein is pretty much in line with the Standard American Diet (SAD)....often Americans probably hit 30% fat and protein as well when "carb restricting" to 40%. The average American is not that healthy and of course macros don't tell the whole story. All calories are not created equal and sources/types of carbohydrates/fats matter. Focus on antioxidants and nutrient density (fruits and veggies). Whole grains for carbs. Avoid highly refined/processed/packaged foods (high in oils/fat and refined sugar and sodium). If you eat a balanced diet and get enough calories then you don't have to worry about fat and protein intake...you should get enough of that. For some reason most Americans are brainwashed into thinking that " the more protein the better" and then they also start labeling bacon as a "healthy fat." 1.0g/kg of body weight is plenty of protein IMO.

HM guy wrote:

Thanks everyone. I have heard conflicting opinions about fruit - is it good for you? The sugar content is obviously high. I eat like 5-6 pieces a day but never really eat chocolates or other such stuff - but at that point is it essentially just doing the same thing?

Bacon is not that high in protein. The reason to up protein in a weight loss diet because it is a satiating macro, and has a real high TEF rate, meaning less calories go into the blood. I n addition, it supplies amino acids, such as l-carnitine, essential for fat burning. Protein is much much more than just for muscle

HM guy wrote:Correct diet for running

SeeFood diet. See food, eat it.

Thank you - always an honour to have Sage weigh in! And no, I'm not a troll - just a guy who is totally clueless on diet with 20lb to lose ;)

"Someone posted some rough macro %s above. Well a diet around 50% carbs, 25% fat and 25% protein is pretty much in line with the Standard American Diet (SAD)....often Americans probably hit 30% fat and protein as well when "carb restricting" to 40%. The average American is not that healthy and of course macros don't tell the whole story. All calories are not created equal and sources/types of carbohydrates/fats matter."

Sage, you say what feeds your point of view and you don't read carefully. I meant not any kind - esp. bad fats identified with SAD. Later I mention olive and butter. You don't like them? Fine. But don't twist other peoples posts and try to accept that there's no best diet that works for everyone. What we post are merely suggestions and OP will choose what works for him.

hey Sage, im also HCLF follower and vegetarian (I do not eat any animal protein at all)

the problem i have is relatively low ferritin (30) and hgb (144) with hct 43% and struggling to up it though i supplement myself with iron, c vit. daily

how do you get yours up - i remember from your posts you were around 70, 150+ and 50%?

masterofdisaster wrote:

"Someone posted some rough macro %s above. Well a diet around 50% carbs, 25% fat and 25% protein is pretty much in line with the Standard American Diet (SAD)....often Americans probably hit 30% fat and protein as well when "carb restricting" to 40%. The average American is not that healthy and of course macros don't tell the whole story. All calories are not created equal and sources/types of carbohydrates/fats matter."

Sage, you say what feeds your point of view and you don't read carefully. I meant not any kind - esp. bad fats identified with SAD. Later I mention olive and butter. You don't like them? Fine. But don't twist other peoples posts and try to accept that there's no best diet that works for everyone. What we post are merely suggestions and OP will choose what works for him.

I wasn't specifically addressing your post. Mainly I wanted to say fruit is a health food.

In general, macro %'s aren't the end-all in how to identify diet quality anyway as like I mentioned there are different sources of all those in varying degrees of quality.

What am I saying that "feeds my point of view"? I'm stating what macro %'s represent what has been defined as the Standard American Diet. I'm also saying the average American who follows SAD has a fairly unhealthy diet. Are these not facts? If someone is "carb restricting" and hitting over 35% in fat then I will also say that generally that is not a healthy or sustainable diet.

I also notice you mentioned Tuna in your protein column....depending on it's source that could be full of a lot of heavy metals and would not be something I'd recommend for protein. Legumes are very good generally though.

I'd also disagree with butter being any type of "healthy fat" that a person needs. Again, most Americans (following SAD esp) get plenty of fat and protein....there is not concern for deficiency with proteins and fats...and "adding in butter" is way more of a risk for other health complications/weight gain. No doubt it tastes good though!

As far as iron/ferritin goes (addressing the other poser). That's a tricky one. Too much iron (esp heme) will kill you and likely increase risk for cancers long-term. Synthetic iron supplements can also be very dangerous and you certainly do not want to take too much. It appears high mileage runners are generally prone to lowering red blood cell count through training stress and foot strike hemolysis. I've seen it happen with a lot of my college teammates and teammates at Hansons-Brooks (guys that ate red meat 3+ times per week). So it is an "all runner" type of problem regardless of diet. I've constantly monitored by ferritin count, total iron stores, % saturation etc. It's been a lot higher and a lot more stable since I've been running more on soft surfaces (trails) and eating more veggies (spinach, kale, etc.), oats, lentils, and fruit (vitamin C helps absorb iron and you can rack up a lot in non-heme plant forms). I still take a iron supplement (consult your doctor before trying anything new), but not very much and only a few times a week. B12 and Vitamin D levels are other things to look into. I'd also say most Americans (regardless of diet) are probably low in vitamin D.

mr sage. it seems you recently went vegan. did you eat animal based foods when you did hit OTQ for marathon?

I was born and raised vegetarian....32 years now. I had some eggs/cheese still when I ran 2:16 in the marathon....and also when got 16th at Boston in 2015. Aside from an experiment month during Hansons-Brooks I've been vegetarian my whole running career. High carb. Eggs and cheese though? I don't think that makes any difference and it is healthier to cut them out from my diet. Not missing much there.I'll still eat the occasional baked good and try fondue in France though because I'm not a stickler 100% to a plant-based diet. I say I'm a "98%" vegan. As for an OTQ...well I'll try again on Houston on Sunday. I think it will be close. Maybe a matter of seconds. You know what though? I don't like n=1 stories or studies. Not compelling evidence and poor sample size.

San Diego Hobby Jogger wrote:

mr sage. it seems you recently went vegan. did you eat animal based foods when you did hit OTQ for marathon?

A balance diet with plenty of whole grains, legumes,fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

I.e. a whole foods, plant-based diet.