Runners, what's your nutrition plan?

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AreaCode707

Lifer
Sep 21, 2001
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I'm a little concerned about my sister. Background info:

She's running 6-10 miles per day and walking more
Was vegetarian for 7 years and recently went back to eating meat, no complications but still eating pretty small portions and not regularly
Is apparently addicted to peanut butter (natural) and cottage cheese since it seems to be most of what she eats
Has acid reflux and is careful to not trigger it when it's avoidable (is under doctor care and on meds)
Was a dancer when she was young (through college) but isn't anorexic or bulemic. (I've lived with her the last few years and I'm absolutely sure, plus she worries she's too thin, not too fat.)
Is UNDERWEIGHT. I mean, she's got the typical thin runner legs and arms but it goes beyond that. She's about 5'7" and probably 105-115 lbs right now.

She hasn't seen a nutritionist and, whatever else is going on, I'm sure that she's not consuming enough calories for the activity she's doing. She says she's eating enough, she thinks - "800 calories at breakfast, etc" - but she eats mostly carbs. Lots of toast, peanut butter, nuts, cheese, veggies, sometimes eggs.

What's YOUR nutritional plan if you do a lot of running? I'd just like to get some comparisons.
 
Mar 22, 2002
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I'm a little concerned about my sister. Background info:

She's running 6-10 miles per day and walking more
Was vegetarian for 7 years and recently went back to eating meat, no complications but still eating pretty small portions and not regularly
Is apparently addicted to peanut butter (natural) and cottage cheese since it seems to be most of what she eats
Has acid reflux and is careful to not trigger it when it's avoidable (is under doctor care and on meds)
Was a dancer when she was young (through college) but isn't anorexic or bulemic. (I've lived with her the last few years and I'm absolutely sure, plus she worries she's too thin, not too fat.)
Is UNDERWEIGHT. I mean, she's got the typical thin runner legs and arms but it goes beyond that. She's about 5'7" and probably 105-115 lbs right now.

She hasn't seen a nutritionist and, whatever else is going on, I'm sure that she's not consuming enough calories for the activity she's doing. She says she's eating enough, she thinks - "800 calories at breakfast, etc" - but she eats mostly carbs. Lots of toast, peanut butter, nuts, cheese, veggies, sometimes eggs.

What's YOUR nutritional plan if you do a lot of running? I'd just like to get some comparisons.

When I was running track and field, I was eating quite a bit more. Probably ~2700 calories, about 50% carbs. Let me pose to you something though. Some people have what's called an exercise addiction. They're addicted to the rush of endorphins that actually come from endurance exercise.

Many people, especially those who have had weight problem or image problems before, can use this to manage their weight. They undereat and continually overexercise. I saw a girl who was probably 5'5", 100 pound and she was on the treadmill for way over an hour. She wasn't training for anything - just was "getting rid of breakfast." It's a very real problem especially if she thinks she eats enough. Tell her to record her calories. An active female should be taking in well over 2000 calories, but keep in mind that distance runners in general are often "underweight."
 

Megatomic

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
20,127
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AreaCode707, I'm a long distance runner but not underweight. I'm about 5'11" and weigh 183 pounds in the mornings. By nature I have a low metabolism and would still be obese if I hadn't changed my life back in 2006. But from reading what you wrote in the OP it's my opinion that the foods she's eating are healthy. Cottage cheese and peanut butter are two of my own personal staples. Nuts, eggs, cheese, and veggies are all great foods, too. If she's eating conservative portions of meat along with those items then she's getting all the nutrients she likely needs. Cheese, nuts, and eggs are all high in protein.

The only question really is this: is she eating enough of the right foods? 800 calories at breakfast is pretty good IMHO, but how's her lunch and dinner? Is she eating snacks in between meals to keep her energy levels up throughout the day?

Personally, I eat the same foods as your sister but add more meat to my own diet. I get about 2500 to 3000 calories worth per day, but I do splurge on occassion and enjoy it when I do. I eat 6 times per, 3 big meals and 3 snacks. Now that I'm not dieting my strategy isn't very scientific. All I can say is thank god for running. :)
 

InflatableBuddha

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2007
7,416
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It would probably be a good idea for her to track her calories and specific food intake so you know exactly how much of a deficit she's at.

At 6-10 miles per day (every day - does she take any rest days?), she'd be covering about 55-60 miles per week on average I would guess. That's not an excessive amount for a competitive runner, but if she's merely a weekend warrior that's certainly more than average.

I agree that she is underweight, but she probably should have a body fat analysis too. Weight is only one indicator and not the most accurate on it's own. As a female athlete, she should be targeting 14-20% BF.

I'm a male competitive distance runner. I'm 5'9", 136-139 lbs, at about 8% BF.

I don't have a specific nutrition plan, but each day I eat 2 medium sized meals (breakfast, lunch), 1 large meal (dinner) and I snack 2-3 times.

I'm flexitarian, so I eat almost no red meat, but I do eat fish and poultry at least a couple times per week. Protein is key for muscle recovery and rebuilding - I eat tofu, beans and eggs as well the fish and poultry. I also eat cottage cheese and natural PB, but they are supplemental sources. Sounds like your sister needs a lot more protein in her diet.

Carbs are of course important - I eat cereal and oatmeal, multigrain toast and bagels, rice, couscous, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially spinach, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli.

I have one serving of yogurt and 2-3 servings of milk every day. For snacks, I have trail mix, almonds, nuts, and dried/fresh fruit.

I tracked my calories during my longest training week leading up to my previous marathon, and I was taking in 3500 calories per day. That week I did 7 runs totaling 75 miles and I was in the gym twice. Her ideal intake will obviously be less than this.

It is possible to be a high-level athlete and a vegetarian (for example, champion ultramarathoner Scott Jurek is VEGAN, which is even more restrictive), but it takes a lot of effort to make sure you have enough calories and nutrients.

Some recommendations for your sister:
More protein
More regular meals and snacks
Pay attention to iron intake (whether red meat, spinach, legumes etc.) - very important for runners but especially female runners

SC raised an important point about exercise addiction. Does your sister compete in races or other sports, or is she simply exercising a lot to stay thin (you mentioned she was concerned about that). The rationale behind her training regimen could reveal whether it is healthy or not.

One thing you can point out to her is that even weighing a few pounds more can make a huge difference in her ability to run well. I now weigh 10 lbs more than I did in university as a result of additional lean muscle mass and core strength/stability training and I am not only a much faster runner, but I have suffered far fewer injuries.

Good luck!
 

AreaCode707

Lifer
Sep 21, 2001
18,445
128
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SC raised an important point about exercise addiction. Does your sister compete in races or other sports, or is she simply exercising a lot to stay thin (you mentioned she was concerned about that). The rationale behind her training regimen could reveal whether it is healthy or not.

Thanks! That's a really informative post (as are the others in this thread.)

She doesn't run competitively, just hates being cooped up inside and likes getting out there. She LOVES being outside, even when it's pouring rain, and is in a much better mood after she goes and runs than beforehand. She's not really worried about weight/looks beyond the health concerns. Like I said, I'm not worried about anorexia or bulimia with her. Exercise addition is a new concept for me though, maybe I'll have to go do some research on that.

Kalrith, I value my life and I'm not done with it yet. So no pics. :)
 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,618
2
76
AreaCode - like others said - without knowing the exact number of calories or what she intakes on a daily basis, "a lot of peanut butter" isn't helpful in determining health.

I've had pretty much the same diet the past 4-5 years with some slight tweaks on Fridays before long runs - normally protein shake + bagel after a workout, brown rice, lean meats, and green fiberous veggies for my two lunches/dinner.

The day before a long run I'll normally have whole wheat pasta during the day, and pizza/beer for dinner. Say what you want about my choice of pizza/beer, but it's what I've always done.

If you run a lot and don't monitor what you eat, you're going to lose weight. I lost over 30lbs when I started running from just being more calorie deficient than I had thought. I've since put back on the muscle I've lost and paid more attention to what I'm taking in.

In your sister's case - 5'7", 110 doesn't sound that thin/anorexic. Sounds pretty typical for an active female runner.
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,582
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As the others have said, without actual calorie count, impossible to really gauge if she's eating enough.

My diet is not unlike most of the people here. I eat a lot of veggies and whole grains and most of the meat we eat is poultry or fish with pork mixed in. Occasionally have a good steak.

6-10 miles a day 7 days a week is a lot for someone who is not competitively runnning..and will definitely take off the weight if she is not eating any more than she was prior to running that kind of miles. I run closer to 25 miles a week and can't put weight on with a fairly high calorie intake. I've been hovering around ~180 for a long time (6'5").
 
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