How do these lean girls do it?- nutrition advice please

I added that this may not be true for the average letsrunner. For the average population, however, they don't cover enough distance in an hour to burn the same calories they would burn in the gym doing a good lifting routine with compound movements, low reps, and high weight. There are calorie counters all over the internet, educate yourself a little and see what happens to the body running 10 minute miles for an hour vs. a few maximal outbursts of energy. A fat weightlifter's body? Please. Most runners are skinnyfat, no fat, but no muscle either. That bodytype will put on softness before it gets leaner. People who actually follow a good routine in the weightroom don't get fat, they get strong, and in the case of the men they get muscular.

Chanel Iman, Adrianna Lima, Heidi Klum, the list goes on and on. These women all incorporate squats, deadlifts, and out heavy compound motions into their routines. This stuff isn't hard to look up. I will openly acknowledge that there is an issue with eating disorders in the modeling world. But that doesn't invalidate the effect that this kind of training has on the best of the best, and your negative portrayal of these women doesn't invalidate the science of what happens to the female body when it is exposed to this kind of training.

And yes, I am using models for demonstrating how to get, not thin, but lean. Most runner girls I know aren't lean, they're skinny. Being lean implies some musculature. Take it from someone who has been exposed to both Division 1 running, elite level high school running, and the fashion industry; eating disorders are no more prevalent in any one of these groups than the other.

As a sidenote, do you think that the best runners don't lift weights? Have you ever watched the flotrack videos with Shalane Flanagan? Lauren Fleshman? Coaching from Vig, Gags, and others? Heavy, low rep, compound lifting has both functional and aesthetic benefits for runners, and whichever the OP was looking for, my recommendations will achieve.

I also provided links with helpful information as well as what I consider to be a great motivational story of a girl who got healthy for all the right reasons. What have you contributed to this thread other than unfounded vitriol?

not a great weight wrote:

For a runner, you are definitely on the big side. And way to make this thread about you.

Neliah2507 wrote:

I used to eat as little as you do now (was 5'2'' and 114 lbs and wanted to get "lean").

I've always been on the "big" side. I've also had decent running performances, so I tend not to worry about it. And if giving my personal experience is too much for you, my apologies. It was meant in reply to the OP (if she is not a troll). I do not feel like sharing a healthy experience with losing weight is narcissistic. I tend to take the advice of personal experiences more than fads I read about or magical advice.

Also to the first reply to my post, I by no means said it was a scientific diet plan. I put "diet" in quotes because as I first stated, it's all common sense. Eat smart, cut out junk, and do other things besides just run (i.e. strength train). I don't think there was anything magical about it. And the extra little things DID make a difference. Eating 6 times a day instead of 3-4 made my energy levels better. Having a splurge kept me mentally sane. Eccentric lifting helped me tone out quite a bit more than just the regular 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps. Eating before bed made me feel more recovered on a regular basis. I suppose this could all be in my head but seeing as how I installed these changes every so often and also kept a journal of my training and saw dramatic changes I am going to jump out on a limb and say there is a chance they had a positive effect.

Elite Coach wrote:

She didn't ask how super-models are so lean. She asked how the elite D1 runners are so lean. There is absolutely no question that it's because of their high training volumes.

I agree that the training volume is what makes these girls slim. But the OP didn't start a thread asking "how can I run faster." She started a thread asking "how do I look slimmer."

Your answer made more sense than I gave it credit for. I overreacted because I see runners (and female runners in particular) pass over a terrific training tool in lifting, which also happens to have aesthetic benefits (again, especially for females).

Sorry if I came off as harsh towards you. But between upping her mileage to elite levels vs. weightlifting, for what I suspect the OP wants, weightlifting is the indisputable better option, as well as an increase in calories, which I will credit you with having mentioned before me.

How the heck do people running 70-80mpw eat 3,500-4,000+ cals/day and not put on tons of weight?

Running that same mileage I'd put on weight in a hurry even if I ate anything more than 3K per day; at that's as a male.

Eat when you are hungry and don't when you are not. You said you run 2 workouts and a long run. What are you doing on the other days, and how long is a "long run" for you? Some people say a 4 mile run is a long run, others say that is a very short run for any day of the week.

It's also not how much you eat, it is what you eat. I don't know how old you are, but in high school and college, there is a really high incidence of eating disorders in women's cross country. Don't count calories, don't stop eating if you are still hungry. Eat slowly, and often. And remember, high fiber, and lots of fruits and vegetables.

Oh and increase your mileage. Do something everyday, even if it isn't running, swim or bike or elliptical. Core workouts will help tone up and give you are strong lean look, as well as make you faster.

Casual

You have no credibility since you have mentioned several times that a woman should look sexy or worry about aeshtetics. A woman runner's first priority should be health and then possibly performance (if she so chooses). She should not worry about if she looks sexy in a pair of booty shorts so some pervert can enjoy the high school girl's race.

nbd wrote:

Casual

You have no credibility since you have mentioned several times that a woman should look sexy or worry about aeshtetics. A woman runner's first priority should be health and then possibly performance (if she so chooses). She should not worry about if she looks sexy in a pair of booty shorts so some pervert can enjoy the high school girl's race.

The OP didn't ask how to be able to run like the top girls, she asked how to look like the top girls. I'm giving her what she asked for.

Health and performance should precede looks, if that's what she values. There is nothing wrong with sticking looks in between those two, though I would argue that putting looks before health is foolish.

What exactly is unhealthy about me recommending that she lift weights and eat more?

And she shouldn't care, but it sounds like she does. And why do you assume she is in HS? I assumed she was a college runner, or post college. Projecting a little bit are we?

A functional body is a healthy body. A girl who runs, lifts, and eats a lot is likely more functional and more healthy than a girl who only runs. Why are sex appeal and health mutually exclusive to you?

I run 65-75 miles per week (the usual speed, tempo, long runs, and "easy" runs plus strength training) and I pack on the pounds if I eat more than 2300 calories per day, which my nutritionist said was about maintenance for a sedentary person of my height. (Life isn't fair.) Elite runners are thin because they don't eat very much and because they work out a lot. Truth.

Every try eating at the D1 NCAA banquets? Since when does dinner consist of an iceberg lettuce salad and half a brownie for almost every girl? Or being in the same hotel with 4-5 other xc teams at the continental breakfast? Coffee with a splash of soy milk and aspartame-laden yogurt are pretty much the norm for breakfast. If you have ever spent the weekend or lived with a girl's D1 college cross country team, you would notice that people act like you are the team fatty if you have half of what a normal college girl does/should eat. Heaven forbid you want more than a salad the night before a big race! People kid themselves if they think that D1 runners are thin only because they run out a lot and because of genetics. Nope. No food for you... But that is the nature of the sport and you do what you will to be good or even just decent.

TX- Anonymous Coward is a very common user name. Go to FloTrack and post without giving a name. It automatically gives you that name.

LM wrote:

How the heck do people running 70-80mpw eat 3,500-4,000+ cals/day and not put on tons of weight?

Running that same mileage I'd put on weight in a hurry even if I ate anything more than 3K per day; at that's as a male.

Because they train harder than you?

Thanks for the opinions. I run about 55-60mpw with easy mileage between hard days and do core every other day. From what i've read and thought about I've concluded that in order to lose some weight I should:

- not eat junk

- try some strength training

- and still am unsure of how much to eat to get lean considering my size and how much i train, considering that 1500 cal/day is enough for me to maintain my weight. Since I am trying to lose a few pounds should i count calories, or make sure that i dont eat certain things etc?

Honestly your probably fine. I bet your leaner than most any non runner at your school. Maybe you are a little bigger like a soccer player but thats FINE.

Do not count calories. Just eat healthy and train hard and you will be GOOD.

Trust me :)

I know this sounds crazy, but you should eat more to lose weight because it will speed up your metabolism. I don't mean stuff yourself with junk, but if you eat something every 2-3 hours, it will speed up your metabolism. Either that or stay with the amount you eat now and don't run. Like I said before, you are not consuming enough calories for your activity level, so your body will hang on to everything (not lose weight).

Talk to a nutritionist if you need to, but there are also some online tools to calculate caloric needs. Try not to obsess over it though. Everything in moderation, even junk food. If you eat enough healthy protein and fat, fruit and vegetables, etc. you won't crave much junk anyway. If you starve yourself, you are more likely to binge later on junk.

And once again, people are built differently. Different metabolisms, different bone structure, different body compositions. You can still be lean and healthy, but don't mistake muscle and bone for weight that needs to be lost.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

I know this sounds crazy, but you should eat more to lose weight because it will speed up your metabolism.

Have you lost weight by eating more food?

anonymous coward wrote:

- and still am unsure of how much to eat to get lean considering my size and how much i train, considering that 1500 cal/day is enough for me to maintain my weight. Since I am trying to lose a few pounds should i count calories, or make sure that i dont eat certain things etc?

Try eating a caloric surplus of exactly 500 calories per day more than you do now, without changing activity. Weigh yourself under set conditions at the start of the week. Repeat at the end of the week, and the week after that, and the week after that. See what those calories do. If your body is in starvation mode you won't gain very much weight. If your caloric maintanence level really is that low, you'll put on almost exactly a pound per week doing that caloric surplus. Experiment with how your body responds to various stimuli.

Actually, I think this is true under certain circumstances and it was true for me as well.

If you, as a female runner doing 50-60 miles a week, are only eating 1500 cal./day, your body will hold onto weight like you are starving. (She is likely burning around 800 day just from running - that doesn't leave a lot for the remaining 23 hours/day). I didn't eat enough (and not enough good stuff) and ran a lot (60-75 mpw) and was constantly hungry and not losing weight.

Anecdotally, I think there are lots of examples of women who found that eating more and not being quite so restrictive actually helped them be leaner and lighter. Personally, for me this has true. Not only wouldn't my weight budge despite lots of miles and a low consumption of calories, but I felt puffy too as if not only was my body trying to retain as much fat as it could, but also as much water.

She could see a nutritionist who could give her a better estimate of what she needs to maintain her weight (and I bet it's a lot closer to 2000 calories or more than less). I know it seems counter-intuitive, but I was completely starving my body and yet not losing weight and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case with the OP.

Neilah's tips, while not scientifically proven, are good mental tricks that might work especially well for women.

One thing that does help - get more sleep (really).

muddy girl wrote: Neilah's tips, while not scientifically proven, are good mental tricks that might work especially well for women.

One thing that does help - get more sleep (really).

Another thing. Being mastered regularly also helps maintain oxytocin levels and promotes well-being, confidence and stamina in women.

Kendra Shaff is a prime example. She has gotten very thin, yet is still doing alright 15th at NCAAs. This, though, is maybe the reason she hasn't improved in the last 3 years.

Kenda Shaaf

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=kendra+shaaf+skinny&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=DXy2k8Zx_QKBnM:&imgrefurl=http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php%3Fthread%3D4086657%26page%3D12&docid=4v3mhAcB78LtuM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAyKHKrpECs/TeIIHUzpXbI/AAAAAAAACow/OKpebqPaaNY/s1600/256882_834402603474_14304428_41380100_6210279_o.jpg&w=1000&h=666&ei=lHHVTpHsMYfKiALm5MDCDg&zoom=1&biw=1280&bih=841&iact=rc&dur=203&sig=110027472699330637614&page=1&tbnh=149&tbnw=205&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=122&ty=79

More Kendra

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