Training to eat or eating to train??

The Bad Pawn

On a light note,

As I reflect on the size and frequency of my portions I have to admit, part of me may be training so that I can eat more.

Don't get me wrong, i like to see my times improving etc.. but (nutritionists close your eyes) I also enjoy pigging out with 2 lbs of pasta covered in parmasan cheese, followed by a monster serving of choclate cake after a big session - just because I can!

So what about the others, are you self disciplined and only eat the foods to improve your training, or do you train to eat??? (and if so whats your favorite "bad meal");)

RayCun

Started by running off the bad food, but the more I run the faster I want to run and the better my diet becomes.

wfdrun

chip shop fish and chip - always think of "alf tupper" - 70's 80's vintage me

huskerdu

The odd time I will treat myself to a pig out and know that I ran off far
more calories that week, but doing it regularly is fooling yourself.

If you are running enough to run off 100's of calories every week, you are running enough to take your diet a bit seriously.

Balance in all things is important, but you can't run off a bad diet.

TFBubendorfer

huskerdu wrote: »

Balance in all things is important, but you can't run off a bad diet.

Well .. up to a point.

I found when I did 100 miles per week I could eat what I want, however much I want, and still lose a pound per week.

Having said that, the diet was still full of healthy food. But I was able to let my inner chocoholic run riot and get away with it.

RacoonQueen

Little bit of both really. I've a fairly healthy diet anyway. If I crave sugar I'll usually eat fruit to counter that. It's nice to be able to eat a bar of choc and not 'worry' about it though. I'm not really a sit down and pig out sorta person anyway.

Pisco Sour

I'd like to think I eat reasonably healthy, but this has nothing to do with running. I haven't changed my diet once since I began running a few years ago.

I'm fortunate that I have quick metabolism, i.e I weigh less than 10 stone, yet eat more than somebody who is approaching 20 stone. I literally have the appetite of a pig, yet don't put on weight. It's great

But not sure how much focus amateur athletes need to be putting on diet. Sure if an elite of the level of Ciaran O'Lionaird doesn't think it to be too relevant then perhaps getting that perfect diet isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Nutrition obviously plays an important part in the life of a professional athlete. What would be your typical dieting habits in the lead up to a big race?
Ciaran: I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to it. I eat when I’m hungry and I try to eat well but I also like going into a race feeling good and will eat what I want if there is something I really want to eat. Prior to my 3:34 I stayed in Leuven for a month and not one evening went by where I wasnt at the ice-cream shop getting a waffle cone with Speculoos ice cream. It’s about balance, like everything else in running and in life.

EDIT: At the Melbourne Track Classic last March I witnessed Mr Rudisha drinking a can of Coca-Cola. Shock shock, horror horror!

shay2010

I wouldn't get too hung up on it, pig out once or twice a week, you'll be fine

GKiraly

But not sure how much focus amateur athletes need to be putting on diet. Sure if an elite of the level of Ciaran O'Lionaird doesn't think it to be too relevant then perhaps getting that perfect diet isn't all it's cracked up to be.

...and to back that up I think we can add this dude and his tactics to the equation, http://www.beermatt.blogspot.com/ hes got it nailed on perfectly!

Between the two of them speedsters I think that in itself says something.

Personally, I wouldnt say im strict, just disciplined, I do like my odd treats now and then. I enjoy my running and am improving all the time but look, its only a hobby that has a bigger addictive pull than most others and a few treats here and there isnt exactly gonna have a megabucks-contract-wrecking effect. Its about getting the right balance between not fooling ourself by running to eat, and being fuelled properly.

RayCun

04072511 wrote: »

I'm fortunate that I have quick metabolism, i.e I weigh less than 10 stone, yet eat more than somebody who is approaching 20 stone. I literally have the appetite of a pig, yet don't put on weight. It's great

hmm, linking to a point in time doesn't seem to work - go to 1 minute 10 seconds...

Pisco Sour

RayCun wrote: »

hmm, linking to a point in time doesn't seem to work - go to 1 minute 10 seconds...

In Australia Telstra have the population by the balls and internet is an absolute rip off, so as a result I have a download limit (ridiculous stuff), so to watch that youtube clip would take up about 60mb of my 3gb monthly allowance, so please give me the jist of said clip?

RayCun

"When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like, and still climb into your 26" waist trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24-25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard"

Pisco Sour

RayCun wrote: »

"When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like, and still climb into your 26" waist trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24-25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard"

I'm 26 and a half

RayCun

04072511 wrote: »

I'm 26 and a half

Better go out tomorrow and buy a bunch of clothes in a bigger size - you're about to be hit by the fat wagon :pac:

(in all seriousness - I run 40-50 miles a week and watch my diet, but I was skinnier 10-15 years ago when my fitness plan was smoking 20 a day and going clubbing on the weekend...)

Iron Enthusiast

Generally I eat well, but could polish off half an apple tart along with ice cream on a good day:pac:

Pisco Sour

RayCun wrote: »

Better go out tomorrow and buy a bunch of clothes in a bigger size - you're about to be hit by the fat wagon :pac:

(in all seriousness - I run 40-50 miles a week and watch my diet, but I was skinnier 10-15 years ago when my fitness plan was smoking 20 a day and going clubbing on the weekend...)

Doesnt smoking cause people to lose weight?

RayCun

04072511 wrote: »

Doesnt smoking cause people to lose weight?

It's an appetite suppressant, yes.
But the fat bastard rule applies even without it. I don't know how much is lifestyle changes - more sedentary jobs, more time driving, less sport, dancing - and how much is base metabolism slowing down, but nearly everyone puts on weight as they move into their 30s. There comes a time when you can no longer eat what you like without seeing any consequences.

couerdelion

RayCun wrote: »

"When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like, and still climb into your 26" waist trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24-25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard"

I'm going dig that album out when I get home now. cheers

Gringo78

04072511 wrote: »

I'm fortunate that I have quick metabolism, i.e I weigh less than 10 stone, yet eat more than somebody who is approaching 20 stone. I literally have the appetite of a pig, yet don't put on weight. It's great

Ah...the ol quick metabolism....which is getting slower by the year. Very subtle changes but year on year you require 5cal/day less - may seem insignificant, but fast forward 5 years, you are burning 25cal/day less, unless you are eating less than now or exercising more, you will have put on 9lb in the intervening years.

jester1980

This thread is making me hungry for Chippper followed by some apple tart..

TFBubendorfer

RayCun wrote: »

"When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like, and still climb into your 26" waist trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24-25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard"

I'm almost 42 and 15 pounds lighter than I was at 24. And I wasn't overweight back then either. Stuff like the above is just making excuses.
(not meant as a personal attack. Christ, I've been typing that phrase about 6 times in the last 24 hours. What's happening?)

Ruu_Old

I have always been a healthy eater, even before I took up running. I don't really spoil myself very much, once every few months is fine. I go out for a meal and share a dessert of some sort. That is more than enough for me.

RayCun

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I'm almost 42 and 15 pounds lighter than I was at 24. And I wasn't overweight back then either. Stuff like the above is just making excuses.
(not meant as a personal attack. Christ, I've been typing that phrase about 6 times in the last 24 hours. What's happening?)

It's because you keep attacking people :(:(


I don't mean that its inevitable that you will put on weight, just that the eat what you like, drink what you like, and still climb into your 26" waist trousers and zip them closed" era doesn't last forever. You can still wear the trousers, but you have to start paying more attention to diet and exercise.

RoverHogan

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I'm almost 42 and 15 pounds lighter than I was at 24. And I wasn't overweight back then either. Stuff like the above is just making excuses.
(not meant as a personal attack. Christ, I've been typing that phrase about 6 times in the last 24 hours. What's happening?)

+1
I'm 39 and probably 1 stone lighter then when I was in my twenties. I wouldn't have been overweight back then, but I wasn't running and I was drinking a lot more. I enjoy healthy food, my only vices are good beer & dark chocolate!

Krusty_Clown

RoverHogan wrote: »

+1
I'm 39 and probably 1 stone lighter then when I was in my twenties. I wouldn't have been overweight back then, but I wasn't running and I was drinking a lot more. I enjoy healthy food, my only vices are good beer & dark chocolate!

Are you sure you're not me?

BeepBeep67

I'm in the balance bucket as someone said before we're not elite athletes so don't get too hung up. If I'm training for an A race I'll be more carefully what I eat and cut out alcohol. I've no A races for the rest of the year so I'm having a Chinese and a glass of wine (only 1 though as I just got a text from someone looking to hook up for 90mins at 08:30).
Guilty pleasure is a homemade burger with all the trimmings and chunky chips with a nice beer, plus I can make a bag of bread sticks and a bowl of hummus disappear before you can say 600 calories.

BeepBeep67

There was a before and after thread on here before - some impressive results on that.

RoverHogan

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Are you sure you're not me?

If only I could run your times:D