Im fairly new to running and find Im tired, thought increased exercise was suposed to increase energy levels? Ive had thyroid and iron tests all ok, I dont eat meat or fish and find bread bloats me. Im also trying to lose wieght, not alot just 1/2 stone and its not turning to muscle, Ive still got a tummy! I eat cereal, pasta, jacket pots, rice, salad, veg and bananas. Any suggestions what to eat to get more energy and lose weight? I walk my dog for extra excercise 1-1 1/2 miles 2x a week longer at weekends, run with club 2 x week and do core stabity exercises with a ball and hand weights. Any help appreciated.
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Are you vegetarian?
Years ago, my brother gave up sweets and cakes to train for the army. Trouble was, though he ate the right foods, he still ate as much as he needed to sate his appetite.
Can I ask...dare I ask...what weight are you now?
Try another sport. I don't mean give up running, just supplement your training. I find cycling, swimming and squash have the weight dropping off me.
Sounds like you have the food side licked - try kiwi fruits, they're supposed to be good for promoting weight loss. Don't ask me why, it's just what I read somewhere.
there is a feature in this mmonth's Zest magazine about measuring how many calories you need and how many you eat which might be helpful (although I didn't read how you calculate how many calories you need)
Here is a website which will help you work out how many calories you use in a day. Then if you keep a food diary for a few days and see how many calories you take in you will see if you are taking in more than you are expending or not. The general advice I have read seems to be look for a calorie deficit of around 500 calories to lose a pound a week.
Dont forget that if you find that you are eating way below your calorie needs the body apparently can go into starvation mode where it hangs on to every calorie it can and stores it as fat.
One more point is that you can not choose where you lose body fat from. In my experience the tummy was the last place to show results. As well as your runing keep up your resistance training (core and weights) as the more lean muscle you build the more fat your body will burn even when not exercising.
Finally eats lost of fresh fruit and veg and try to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals a day rather than 3 larger ones (grazing). I have found this works for me. I reduced my portion sizes somewhat and eat fruit with almost every meal.
I have to say that I found my energy level rose as a result of cutting out the junk from my diet, grazing throughout the day and taking exercise. Think it is something to do with keeping blood sugar levels as constant as possible. I am sure some of the more professional peeps on here will have the proper explaination.
Here is a typical day for me:
Male 5' 6" 10st 6lb
06:15
3oz Cereal with full fat milk (50/50 Kellogs fruit and fiber and a musili from health food store), 1 banana, 1 mandrin orange, 1 pro biotic yogurt and mug of coffee.
10:00
2 slices Mc Cambridges whole wheat bread with scraping of flora, 1 banana, 1 mandrin, 1 apple and mug of tea.
13:00
Tuna, Chicken, lean beef salad sandwhich on wholemeal bread, 1 kiwi and one Activa low fat yogurt,
15:30
1 banana and 1 apple
19:30
Dinner after training, consisting usually of wholemeal pasta or brown rice with fresh veg and meat, 1 apple and 1 low fat yogurt,
21:00 2 slices McCambridges wholemeal bread with scraping of flora.
Also throughout the day I will sip constantly on water. I try to get my 1.5/2 liters a day . I dont always manage it but using the urine test (pale/clear = hydrated) I am usually ok.
Fitday.com is another site which allows you to enter what you eat in a day and it show you the breakdown of protein, carbs fat etc. It is mostly geared to the US but you also have the option to fill in the foods you eat. You can use the nutritional information from the packs for this.
Sorry this is a bit long but I hope some of this helps.
MK
I do cycle as well and when I get the chance I do go swimming which I have only just learnt to do!!
Im about 5'4" and around 10- 10 1/2 stone and average build but I reckon I must take my weight in my bone structure!!
I will look at the websites suggested and thanks everyone for your help, will let you know how I get on!!
You've made a lifestyle change in running, whereas if she stops with the machine thingy, if she's made no change to her diet all the weight will go back on again.
Have found that switching my food lifestle to the GI plan has removed all cravings / urges as it is all about maintaining a balanced sugar/ insulin balance. This is not a diet but a different way to eat for life.
Like MK does above this involves eating 3 smallish meals a day & 3 snacks a day. Do not miss any meals as this creates cravings.
I eat huge amounts of fruit and salad, which satisfies my hunger pangs. In bookshops there's a traffic light guide to low GI foods and I used that, sticking with all green food and the occasional amber.
I find that when I ate some protein, not very much, I ate less carbs and was fuller quicker. I know it's easier for me as I eat meat but I go through phrases when I can't stand certain meats and eat pulses/beans instead. I also avoid dairy products as I am lactose intolerant.
Another thing I have some really skinny female friends who have big tums. They lose weight from their tummy last and moan at me cos even though I am fatter I can get a flat stomach quite easily if I am exercising.
At 6ft I weigh 12st4 and have done for ages. Over the last year I haven't lost a bean - despite training for the Paris marathon last year, then after that slowly building my base mileage to 25 mpw, and now up to 30 mpw.
When I was marathon training I definately was eating more - I was starving all the time - so I reckoned that was why I didn't lose any weight, but now, I don't think I do eat any more, so why am I not losing any weight? How can it be?
And like you say - it doesn't seem fair, especially when you compare yourself to people who do no exercise, eat terrible food, and don't seem to gain any weight.
Bah.
About 18 months ago I developed insulin resistance due to prescription drug, and now, even though I've been training for a marathon am still nearly a stone and a half heavier than I was before the insulin resistance. Moreover, because I've been eating more carbs due to the training, I've even put ON weight.
Sometimes as much as 3lbs in one week, for instance a fortnight ago after running 16 miles, 4 miles, 6 miles and 18 miles in the nine days between weigh-ins!
And other people I know keep complaining that they're getting so 'lean' what with all the running and all. Grrr.
"oooh, the weight just falls off", well great, lucky you. (although I'm sure there are people this is a problem for - and really, I am sympathetic.......)
Sounds tough though Gar - are you going to have trouble forever now? Or will it get better?
Like the person earlier walking / running - it does work! Stick with it!
last year when I first went running i could only do 90 sec run sets but got up to 3 miles straight - ok v.slow but that is because i get a burning chest (possibly asthma) if i go too fast - has been that way since a kid.
Onwards and upwards eh!
Well done everyone.