Running and eating low-carb?

This Fat Girl Runs · 19-11-2014 12:21pm

groovyg wrote: »

From 6am to 9am, you have 2 bananas, 2 wheat biscuits and a glass of milk! just looking at that brekkie though, its mostly sugar, don't get me wrong bananas are great, I eat loads of them pre/post and as a snack but I wouldn't be relying on them for breakfast. Would you not eat oats or eggs or something thats more filling?

If you are looking for stuff to read on nutrition for runners, Runnersworld has a good section on their website, some good books out there are Matt Fitzgerald - Racing Weight, Anita Bean - Complete guide to sports nutrition. Derval O Rourke recently released a book which has some healthy recipes for those on the go.

Yes, I'm starting to realize I need to re-think my breakfast! In winter I do have oats instead of the wheat biscuits. I have the banana with my cereal in place of sugar.

Thanks for the book tips. I will look them up! I was at the library yesterday and tried to find something suitable but hadn't a clue really where to start!

jebuz · 19-11-2014 12:40pm

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Thanks for that information. It's brilliant to see what a low carb day would actually look like. Does your 3 egg omelette include the yolks?

I do think I really need to change my morning eating habits, and eat before I get to work rather than waiting until I get there.

What I've been doing over the last 3 years is really thinking about what I'm putting into my body. Before I eat anything I ask myself 'do I need this? What's in this that's good for me?' and if the answer is 'nothing' or 'not a lot' then I don't eat it. Now that I'm a runner I'm asking myself additional questions about what I'm eating and how it will benefit my running.

The bottom line is, I just want to be healthy!

No problem and fair play to you for wanting to make the change, your enthusiasm is fantastic. It's obvious your motivation is extremely high so just choose the nutritional advice that you think suits you, experiment a little and just continue what you're doing, persist and the rewards are there. Sub 30 minute 5k next

The good news is running and being healthy go hand in hand. You're right to question the foods you put in your body but at the same time remember it's not going to harm you to treat yourself also. It's about creating healthy eating as a habit, where you automatically reach for the healthier option when you have a choice and no longer crave the crap or 'food-like' products as I heard them referred to.

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat and all that goodness is in the yolk. Leaving the yolk out is a criminal offence and you could possibly face arrest. See #5 here, actually they're all good read them all

http://authoritynutrition.com/20-nutrition-facts-that-should-be-common-sense/

This Fat Girl Runs · 19-11-2014 12:49pm

jebuz wrote: »

No problem and fair play to you for wanting to make the change, your enthusiasm is fantastic. It's obvious your motivation is extremely high so just choose the nutritional advice that you think suits you, experiment a little and just continue what you're doing, persist and the rewards are there. Sub 30 minute 5k next

The good news is running and being healthy go hand in hand. You're right to question the foods you put in your body but at the same time remember it's not going to harm you to treat yourself also. It's about creating healthy eating as a habit, where you automatically reach for the healthier option when you have a choice and no longer crave the crap or 'food-like' products as I heard them referred to.

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat and all that goodness is in the yolk. Leaving the yolk out is a criminal offence and you could possibly face arrest. See #5 here, actually they're all good read them all
http://authoritynutrition.com/20-nutrition-facts-that-should-be-common-sense/

I do treat myself the odd time, but it's funny, the last time I had a packet of crisps I was thinking it'd be a great treat and it turns out I didn't really like them, they felt greasy and tasted gross and I ended up not even finishing the packet! I'd rather have a cold, crisp apple!

Sub-30 5k. Wouldn't that be something! But thanks! I really feel confident about where I'm going with my running and health, considering how far I've already come!

Firedance · 19-11-2014 1:19pm

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Yes, I'm starting to realize I need to re-think my breakfast! In winter I do have oats instead of the wheat biscuits. I have the banana with my cereal in place of sugar.

Thanks for the book tips. I will look them up! I was at the library yesterday and tried to find something suitable but hadn't a clue really where to start!

+1 to this, the wheat biscuits are the same as eating bread, so are the ryvita. If I were you I'd be looking to eat better carbs rather than reduce your carb intake, this goes for everything, eat better sources of protein, fats etc. So while cereals contain carbs, oats are a much better source of carbs.

On carbs, I try go get mine from veg, lots of veg, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, courgettes, butternut squash, sweet potatoes etc. I see very little veg in your menu. Also I try to eat max two fruit portions a day, an apple and some berries (with my porridge), bananas I save for post run, i wouldn't eat one on a day I'm not burning excess calories. Likewise with the peanut butter, use it sparingly and again a small amount post run is good for recovery (although some folk would eat banana & peanut butter pre run too, I just don't for digestion reasons)

As others have said don't be afraid of fat. Your low fat milk contains more carbs (in the form of sugars) than the full fat version. There is nothing wrong with full fat when used in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Most Low Fat products contain high sugars, which are far worse for you than the fat you're trying to avoid.

You will read a lot of conflicting information. For me its about having variety on my plate and eating the best version when I can, my breakfast is porridge with berries, lunch is chicken/tuna/turkey with lettuce/tomatoes/peppers etc etc on maybe a wholewheat wrap or with rice cakes. My dinner is meat again chicken/beef/salmon/pork etc with a mix of different coloured veg (lots of greens!) which I stir fry. Sometimes I'll have rice or Quinoa depending on whether I've run that day or not. Veg is great for filling you up at lunch and dinner and you really can't eat too much of it (I know it contains calories but its all good especially when you don't add sauces/butter etc, I like the taste of the veg on its own with just pepper to season).

Best of luck with the food and the running, its all good :-)

inigo · 19-11-2014 1:44pm

Lots of food for thought in this thread.

+1000 to eggs, they are delicious, very versatile and you can have them every day! I read recently that eating eggs daily not only improves your fat profile (ratio of different fats, good and not so good) but there's some research out there that links it with a reduced risk of developing breast cancer. Must look that up!

Other ways in which I add protein are to my "diet", as someone posted, canned tuna, salmon and mackerel, always in brine. They're perfect in salads. I prefer the last two because they still have some omega oils, unlike tuna. BTW, canned mackerel is not as strong as fresh and it's boneless.

While I don't follow any particular diet (I "just" skip meat altogether), I like reading the basis of the different ones out there, and more important, I think they are great to rob ideas and recipes, particularly for breakfast. I've got tons of recipes from paleo, raw, Noakes, Atkins, Davis, vegans...

One big change I made about a year ago was to stop eating common wheat, just to see what happened. In a couple of months I'd lost a stone (I was 11 stone). I had indirectly stop eating buscuits, pastries, baguettes, pizzas, you name it! I still have pasta (different variety of wheat) but far less often. So I went looking for healthy alternatives and found many tasty ones (see above diets).

Edit: cottage cheese, seeds, nuts, legumes, tofu...

blackwhite · 19-11-2014 2:21pm

Run and Jump wrote: »

I consulted a nutritionist this year, who advised me to stick to a balanced diet with good hydration and where every meal is 1/3 protein, 1/3 fruit or veg and 1/3 carb. Carbs are necessary for everyone, including runners, for physical and mental energy, but I think I had been overdoing the bread, pasta and sugary fruit. A balanced diet saw me reduce my excess carb intake while still having enough carbs. Before long runs and races I topped up the carbs a little but not with huge extra plates of pasta.

As a result I had a good diet and I shed a few kilos and a few minutes off my race times.

The major caveat here, of course, is that diet is a personal thing and any radical changes should be checked with a doctor or nutritionist first. What works for some mightn't work for others.

Whilst the above is nearly all solid advice, I would hope you mean to recommend people consult a dietitian, and not a nutritionist.

http://www.nutritionalconcepts.ie/blog/whats-the-difference-between-a-dietitian-and-a-nutritionist-2/

Dubgal72 · 20-11-2014 4:10pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I don't think you're getting the whole unprocessed foods thing. Putting 5 ingredients into a food processor, hitting the 'blitz' button and giving it a rinse out afterwards wouldn't pose a significant challenge for someone who goes to the trouble of making their own lentil/barley soup. But here's the important part: Tesco Value Hummus contains 45% chickpeas. The rest is largely water and cornflour (and some undetermined vegetable oil). This is where Tesco puts the 'value' in. Tesco value Hummus provided 5.4g of protein for every 100g of product. Tesco's own non-value product contains 7.7g of protein/100g. Cooked chickpeas (which should make up 90% of one's hummus), contain 8.8g protein/100g. Tesco 'value' hummus costs '£1'/300g. I made enough hummus this morning for two people (3 minutes work including wash-up), and I reckon it cost less than half that. My closing argument: Taste.

I'm sold. Where are you setting up your stall?

Dubgal72 · 20-11-2014 4:25pm

This is a great thread. I have had the 'fat is bad' angle too (it came from a slightly different angle, I flirted heavily with eating disorders in my teens) and for years went for 'low fat' versions. Now I eat full fat everything: milk, butter, yoghurt (natural, full fat Greek-style with a small spoon of jam or honey and raisins) etc. so much more satisfying.
My favourite protein foods are a handful of nuts and raisins or cubed cheese after a long run, tinned mackerel in oil...yummm, and +1000 also to the eggs, the variety of ways to cook eggs is endless (and for Christmas, I want Jebuz to chef for me...).
One thing that struck me on your food diary was the drinks section...just coffee or did you omit water cos of course you do?
I agree with some posters, your calorific intake is very low compared with your output. If you can't think where in the day to eat more, perhaps increase portion size with veg as Firedance (I think) suggested. Can't go wrong there.
You've loads of great advice here, your task now is to find out what's going to work for you! Best of luck :-)

conavitzky · 20-11-2014 4:47pm

Dubgal72 wrote: »

This is a great thread. I have had the 'fat is bad' angle too (it came from a slightly different angle, I flirted heavily with eating disorders in my teens) and for years went for 'low fat' versions. Now I eat full fat everything: milk, butter, yoghurt (natural, full fat Greek-style with a small spoon of jam or honey and raisins) etc. so much more satisfying.
My favourite protein foods are a handful of nuts and raisins or cubed cheese after a long run, tinned mackerel in oil...yummm, and +1000 also to the eggs, the variety of ways to cook eggs is endless (and for Christmas, I want Jebuz to chef for me...).
One thing that struck me on your food diary was the drinks section...just coffee or did you omit water cos of course you do?
I agree with some posters, your calorific intake is very low compared with your output. If you can't think where in the day to eat more, perhaps increase portion size with veg as Firedance (I think) suggested. Can't go wrong there.
You've loads of great advice here, your task now is to find out what's going to work for you! Best of luck :-)

Have you had your cholesterol checked lately? I got a shock recently when I got mine checked! I would go through twenty boiled eggs easily in a week, butter and peanut butter by the truck load, full fat mayo on my sambos as i have high metabolism and very prone to losing weight! Loads of porridge, mccambridge bread, fruit ,veg,nuts, lean chicken, fish. Red meat once a week.
How can somebody keep weight on without all the full fat stuff? I am getting in on the advocados and almond butter (just not the same buzz eating that stuff!)

This Fat Girl Runs · 20-11-2014 6:01pm

Dubgal72 wrote: »

This is a great thread. I have had the 'fat is bad' angle too (it came from a slightly different angle, I flirted heavily with eating disorders in my teens) and for years went for 'low fat' versions. Now I eat full fat everything: milk, butter, yoghurt (natural, full fat Greek-style with a small spoon of jam or honey and raisins) etc. so much more satisfying.
My favourite protein foods are a handful of nuts and raisins or cubed cheese after a long run, tinned mackerel in oil...yummm, and +1000 also to the eggs, the variety of ways to cook eggs is endless (and for Christmas, I want Jebuz to chef for me...).
One thing that struck me on your food diary was the drinks section...just coffee or did you omit water cos of course you do?
I agree with some posters, your calorific intake is very low compared with your output. If you can't think where in the day to eat more, perhaps increase portion size with veg as Firedance (I think) suggested. Can't go wrong there.
You've loads of great advice here, your task now is to find out what's going to work for you! Best of luck :-)

Thanks for that. Some great ideas for food that I will add to my list! I don't always reach for the 'low fat' option because it is 'low fat'. I read the labels and sometimes low fat is higher in other areas than regular! I don't eat a lot of butter, cheese, nuts, yoghurt etc anyway so never had to think about it.

It's really hard to imagine how I could stuff myself anymore than I already do! Your tip in increasing portion size is great, I'll have to use that, particularly when it comes to my vegetables (which I know I need more of!).

Regarding water, there's a section for that at the end of my day on my spreadsheet. I usually drink 3 litres a day of water. I don't drink anything else, just water and my two cups of decaf.

conavitzky wrote: »

Have you had your cholesterol checked lately? I got a shock recently when I got mine checked! I would go through twenty boiled eggs easily in a week, butter and peanut butter by the truck load, full fat mayo on my sambos as i have high metabolism and very prone to losing weight! Loads of porridge, mccambridge bread, fruit ,veg,nuts, lean chicken, fish. Red meat once a week.
How can somebody keep weight on without all the full fat stuff? I am getting in on the advocados and almond butter (just not the same buzz eating that stuff!)

My cholesterol is normal and well within acceptable levels. No worries there! As I mentioned in a previous post, everything checks out and is normal. My weight doesn't fluctuate, I neither gain nor lose. No real reason for it except that my metabolism is probably slow. Hence the desire to work out and tone my muscles because I know that will help matters.

Dubgal72 · 20-11-2014 6:12pm

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

Thanks for that. Some great ideas for food that I will add to my list! I don't always reach for the 'low fat' option because it is 'low fat'. I read the labels and sometimes low fat is higher in other areas than regular! I don't eat a lot of butter, cheese, nuts, yoghurt etc anyway so never had to think about it.

It's really hard to imagine how I could stuff myself anymore than I already do! Your tip in increasing portion size is great, I'll have to use that, particularly when it comes to my vegetables (which I know I need more of!).

Regarding water, there's a section for that at the end of my day on my spreadsheet. I usually drink 3 litres a day of water. I don't drink anything else, just water and my two cups of decaf.

My cholesterol is normal and well within acceptable levels. No worries there! As I mentioned in a previous post, everything checks out and is normal. My weight doesn't fluctuate, I neither gain nor lose. No real reason for it except that my metabolism is probably slow. Hence the desire to work out and tone my muscles because I know that will help matters.

Was the cholesterol check suggestion for me conavitzky?! I don't eat a huge amount of saturated fats but when I have a sandwich, I make sure it's with real butter (have you read the sh&te that's in spreads?!), rarely mayonnaise. When I get onto 20 eggs a week I might check it out. Isn't cholesterol hereditary as well as diet based? My point was that you don't have to avoid fats but it is good to be wise to the more beneficial ones

ford2600 · 20-11-2014 6:36pm

http://books.google.ie/books?id=qaMCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT38&lpg=PT38&dq=saturated+fat+cholesterol+ancel+keys+quote&source=bl&ots=vv-ktRFpyi&sig=s9zcggfMJ9awYabKv17rfCjZmOc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tyVuVLj7K4rmaMy2gNAN&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBg

Quote from Malcom Kendricks book quoting the man most often blamed for demonising saturated fat, Ancel Keys.

conavitzky · 20-11-2014 7:32pm

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Was the cholesterol check suggestion for me conavitzky?! I don't eat a huge amount of saturated fats but when I have a sandwich, I make sure it's with real butter (have you read the sh&te that's in spreads?!), rarely mayonnaise. When I get onto 20 eggs a week I might check it out. Isn't cholesterol hereditary as well as diet based? My point was that you don't have to avoid fats but it is good to be wise to the more beneficial ones

Ya, just in case! Mine went up dramatically (by 2 points) since I introduced butter, mayo, more eggs and peanut butter in an effort to keep my weight normal. I thought my diet was fairly healthy and varied. I think im suffering from the hereditary variety!

SamforMayo · 20-11-2014 11:42pm

Dubgal72 wrote: »

Was the cholesterol check suggestion for me conavitzky?! I don't eat a huge amount of saturated fats but when I have a sandwich, I make sure it's with real butter (have you read the sh&te that's in spreads?!), rarely mayonnaise. When I get onto 20 eggs a week I might check it out. Isn't cholesterol hereditary as well as diet based? My point was that you don't have to avoid fats but it is good to be wise to the more beneficial ones

I'm inclined to agree with cholesterol been heriditary. My father is nearly 80, eats 2 eggs a day, proper butter etc and has a cholesterol reading of 3.2. My mother is the opposite with low fat spread etc and has a reading of 6. The difference is family history I think. Heart disease runs in her family but not his.

ford2600 · 18-12-2014 5:23pm

http://www.ultrarunning.com/features/health-and-nutrition/the-emerging-science-on-fat-adaptation/

New study in elite ultra endurance running and fat adaptation. Will be published next year.

Krusty_Clown · 18-12-2014 9:29pm

ford2600 wrote: »

http://www.ultrarunning.com/features/health-and-nutrition/the-emerging-science-on-fat-adaptation/

New study in elite ultra endurance running and fat adaptation. Will be published next year.

I haven't read the article yet, but... It's written by Peter Defty, President of VESPA, whose naturally-occurring “wasp extract” peptide provides a safe & effective way to tap into the virtually limitless power of “fat as fuel” for natural human high-performance (has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration). Article references publications by Dr. Jeff Volek, whose book 'The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living' is available on the shelves, right now! Statistical data presented by 'Peak Performance' (check out this fantastic offer to get 2 complete issues of my premium sports performance and training magazine Peak Performance PLUS 2 more free reports (worth £54) all for just 97p!).

It could be all above board, but.... when the revolution comes in 2015, I'll probably be the first one up against the wall.

Summation kind of says it all:

These charts and graphs provide a strong visual of the significance such a shift can have for the ultra-endurance athlete, particularly for the athlete who is experiencing fueling/energy and/or gastrointestinal issues while other athletes do quite well on a conventional high carb diet for athletes. Remember, in the real world, every athlete is different and you are your own N=1.

Running and eating low-carb?

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