mini binges after dinner

MiniSpoon wrote:

haha great response their Jimmy John. That fake sugar stuff that they put in yogurt is the worst as well - straight to your hips and belly and just stays there freakin permanently!

It's a good joke from a great comedian. Don't think too hard.

Eat dinner later. Dinner at 6 only makes sense if you're asleep by 10. Eat dinner around 8 p.m.

Thank you for some great feedback. I will definitely add more protein to my diet. And i do currently purchase fat free things which evidently are not filling and so maybe causing the binges in the first place. What kind of protein do you tend to include at breakfast?

No problem...

Currently, I tend to eat a lot of eggwhite omelletes. I will literally use 4-6 eggwhites to get a good amount of protein, but then will also throw in a serving of cheese for fat. But obviously having 4-6 eggyolks a day is a lot of cholesterol and saturated fat, which is why I just use the yolks.

About twice a week I'll have some smoked salmon on a bagel (although I realize not everyone is a fan of fish). But it's a GREAT source of Omega Fats as well as one of the leanest sources of protein you can get.

Greek yogurt, all day... FTW.

I am not a fan of protein powder because it is mostly whey or soy which not only leaves me feeling gassy for runs, but it digests almost as quickly as carbs which is not ideal.

One other thing I love is getting the packages of sausage that is chicken/turkey. It's usually about 90-140 cals a link, low in cholesterol, and high in protein. I don't eat them everyday but they are quick to heat up for breakfast, esp. when you are on the run to class or work.

I've also learned, when all else fails and you are super busy, make a smoothie and memorize a recipe you are sure to love. My favorite is 8 oz skim milk, 1 TBS peanut butter, 1 package of instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal, and 1 banana (preferably chopped and frozen ahead of time). It's DELICIOUS and a great combination of protein:carb:fats. You can also add honey/cinnamon to taste. And no, you do not need to cook the oatmeal at all. You literally just tear open the packet and dump it in the blender.

Also, in response to the fake sugars...

Not only are they just all around terrible for you and suspected of causing multiple health problems, but they taste horrible.

But more importantly, you should realize a calorie is a calorie and it's not necessarily about how many grams of fat is in something, especially if it is mostly a healthy food. But here is where you are messing up by eating the sugar free food:

Essentially, your body is like a machine. The way it physiologically responds to exercise is going to depend on not only the activity (running) that you are doing, but also your health, environment, DIET, etc.

Fuel is probably one of the most important factors besides recovery. Now, lets say your Dad just bought you a fully restored 1969 Shelby GT Cobra for graduating college. Are you going to fill her with 12 gallons of sugar water or are you going to fill her with 12 gallons of Supreme?

Treat your body the same. Are you going to run one of those intense workouts better off 100 calories of "fat free" and "sugarfree" yogurt, or are you going to run better off 100 calories a lowfat yogurt with adequate protein and carbs and sugar your body can metabolize?

I don't blame you for unknowingly believing that sugar free or fat free is good for you, but it's not the case. You want your body to perform optimally, not crash and burn or even perform at 90% of what you are capable of. I am saying this because I have been there, done that. I was once in your position...if you can make an honest effort to change a few things you'll love the effects, I promise.

when having protein with breakfast, or any meal, it will stick with you longer if you eat it with some fat. It doesnt have to be bacon or anything heavy if you'd rather avoid that, but toast with some butter or cream cheese, or some non-low fat yogurt. Have this with some eggs.

"If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything." You're running 55-65 miles per week, of course you're not gaining weight. Your body is telling you it needs more fuel, so listen and don't fret about each calorie sister

I've done that too. There's a good chance you think you eat a lot during the day, but it's not actually enough for your activity level. The solution is to eat more during the day, bigger breakfast, good lunch, plenty of snacks. And then have a smaller, protein-rich snack after dinner before you go to bed.

Great thread - Neliah, thanks for great information.

I'm male, mid-forties and running 70-75mpw (until recently it was usually 50-60).

I have exactly the same thing and have constantly surprised my wife by needing 'second supper' over the years at 10pm. I've recently been dieting and recording everything I ate, and concluded that the days I get hungriest are simply ones where I ate less earlier in the day, or didn't eat enough carbs with dinner. The body knows it's low on energy, but I'm busy all day, then when things quiet down it reminds me.

If I make an effort to eat more and eat better throughout the day, then I can get away with a small snack at 10:00 instead of trying to pile down the 1000+ calories I might still be missing.

I would thoroughly recommend using an online calorie counter for a week or two as a learning exercise (I use

http://www.livestrong.com/myplate

- Lance, if nothing else survives I hope this does!). Use its estimate of basic needs, record your training and food, and take a look before leaving work. It means you have a rough idea how much you actually need when you sit down to dinner. If you had doubles and a busy day, you might still be needing a lot of calories.

The cheese is a good idea, I'll try that...

female runner wrote:

hello,

so recently i've been feeling hungry about 1-2 hours after dinner and literally binge on a stupid amount of granola/cereal bars or something similar. its mainly after a hard workout on th track or a day of doubling. i am worried i will gain weight, however im hungry and cannot sleep when i am hungry. does anyone else ever experiwnce a similar problem?

thanks

concerned citizen wrote:

I really hope this is trolling. If not, you all are on the way to eating disorders.

I think this is the proper answer. It sounds like you have some body image issues if you are running 55-65mpw and worrying about weight gain and bingeing on cereal (my guess kashi golean) because you are starving later. If I had to guess I'd say you are 5'5 ~105 pounds who eats lots of salad, cereal, and very little meat (no a couple egg whites a day don't count). Your body being hungry is telling you that you aren't eating enough during the day. Try eating more food rich in protein and that should leave you feeling better.

"I think this is the proper answer. It sounds like you have some body image issues if you are running 55-65mpw and worrying about weight gain and bingeing on cereal (my guess kashi golean) because you are starving later. If I had to guess I'd say you are 5'5 ~105 pounds who eats lots of salad, cereal, and very little meat (no a couple egg whites a day don't count). Your body being hungry is telling you that you aren't eating enough during the day. Try eating more food rich in protein and that should leave you feeling better."

First off, don't ever attempt at telling someone they have a body image issue without having met them. Secondly, this girl is asking how she can BETTER her current nutrition. Third, eggwhites are literally one of the cleanest forms of protein you can consume (esp if you buy organic eggs). Buying organic eggs is not nearly as expensive as cuts of meat. ALSO, they not only contain about 25gms of protein/cup, but they also pack in a decent amount of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc. This isn't to say that it's not beneficial to include red meat in your diet once a week or so, because it is. But lets be honest, I don't know too many competive athletes eating a cut of steak EVERY morning for breakfast. I never said have eggwhites for breakfast and that's it. She's not training for Mr. Universe. It's not unhealthy to conciously want to remain lean but HEALTHY if you are a competitive runner. Anyone on this message board who is serious about running would lie if they said they didn't care if they were overweight.

And in response to Eurodonkey, that is a great tip regarding the logging of training and food. I was debating mentioning that but did not for two reasons, but I am glad you did. I used to eat a lot of empty calories and my training suffered. Over the winter I decided to keep a food diary (like you are proposing). However there is two IMPORTANT things you should make sure to do before you start this caloric diary:

1. Calculate your BMR. If you are unaware of how many calories your body even requires to function BEFORE you exercise, the amount of food you count up at the end of the day is going to seem like a lot and chances are you will try and eat less the next day.

To do this, I suggest this calculator:

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

After you find out your Basal Metabolic Rate (the energy you require simply to function), THEN add on your daily activity level and miles you run to get what you really need.

ExRx is a great website with loads of information

2. Mentally reassure yourself that the point to this diary is to get a better understanding of your caloric needs. It's not to be used to calorie count and restrict your diet. It's to get a better appreciation (as Eurodonkey has said) of what your body needs to properly fuel itself and recover.

I definitely agree with the armstrong website Eurodonkey mentioned. It's great for looking up foods that are hard to calorie count (like veggies/fruits/etc) that don't normally have a label.

Sorry this post is so long...

But one more thing to share, this food diary was extremely helpful to me because it would help me balance out my day and recognize if I was undereating. Sometimes even if I was not hungry at 2pm I would have a snack anyways because I know my body needed it. I don't think my recovery level was ever so good as it was when I was logging what I ate and what my training was.

Nancy Clark has an article on the cookie monster on active.com. I eat 3 cookies every night. They are homemade and have oatmeal, walnuts and dark chocolate (recipe on superfoodsrx.com--really good for you). I make them every weekend. The granola bars are bad--lots of processed stuff that is bad for you and increases cravings; many of them have high fructose corn syrup. Anyway, the point is that Nancy Clark (nutritionist for athletes has written several books available in most track stores) says that it is 100% normal for athletes to crave sweets at night b/c they don't get enough calories during the day to fuel their high activity level. So she says go ahead and eat them--it's okay. As long as you aren't gaining weight and don't want to lose weight, I wouldn't worry about it--although I would ditch the granola for something that tastes better and is healthier for you.

That was a very wrong perception of myself. I include protein/meat in most evenig meals eg chicken, fish or red meat. If i eat salad it is a side with the main meal. I dont have body image issues i just want to know how i can better my diet to not get these cravings and how it can benefit my running.

Thanks

Hey Hey Neliah. How's the recovery coming along?

Just FYI that I didn't see your above posts before I posted. I was in a hurry so didn't read the whole thread before.

FYI to anyone reading this thread--Neliah knows what she is talking about re all things related to running. :)

You have not portrayed a wrong perception of yourself. For a young woman who is forced to face fairly ridiculous media-based and athletic standards on a daily basis, you are still a perfectly normal and healthy individual. Don't let a negative post or two make you regret asking some great health-related questions. In my years as an athlete (soccer player, swimming, and now runner) I've yet to meet a girl OR a guy who did not fret to some extent over what they were or were not eating. You've recognized what is possibly a flaw in balance in your daily diet, and simply want to help fix that.

In response to cookie lady, great point. Far too many people do not know when to treat themselves. I like the idea of the food log for this reason - it reminds me that there is room in my day for a treat and I can feel comfortable knowing this because the proof is written down before me. Unhappy athletes do not tend to perform well. So go ahead and have those cookies and treat yourself. But I would not eat them for my bedtime snack. I don't think organic cookies are going to help my muscles repair over the course of the night. I would still opt for the protein :)

Neliah2507 wrote:

1. Calculate your BMR....THEN add on your daily activity level and miles you run to get what you really need.

FWIW, that's exactly what MyPlate does if you create a profile (or login with Facebook, if you have too many online accounts already). You input stuff like height, sex, weight, goals (stay level, lose 1lb/week etc), and your activity level (apart from any sports), and it computes a daily target.

What really blew me away is that it knows about every supermarket meal or product in the UK, not just the US.

Yeah, there is probably a better nighttime snack. But I prefer cookies. :)

I wonder about the protein content. They have oats, eggs, walnuts, dark chocolate.

I just can't count every protein gram. I may be a little light on the protein in my diet. This thread has me thinking. But most of the things I eat aren't packaged, so I can't read the protein content on any label.

I eat yogurt as part of my breakfast, often salmon as part of my lunch lunch, some kind of protein with dinner...also snack has some protein, nuts here and there. So anyway right or wrong my cookie habit is prolly not changing. :)