Running to Lose Weight or Running to Not Gain Weight? That is the Question.
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The other night a friend of mine was hungry after a late night at work where she hadn’t eaten dinner so she ordered a plate of french fries. The time of the order was actually at 1 in the morning. My first reaction was, “that sounds great! I wonder if they have any honey mustard here?” But then I thought, “wait, a meal of just fries? Aren’t fries supposed to be a side?….of course they have honey mustard, it’s a restaurant.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for breaking the social norms when it comes to eating; I used to put sprite or orange juice on my rice checks cereal when I a kid, but a fried side as a meal? That was a bit too much for me to swallow…literally. Ok, so it wasn’t that hard to swallow. I had some of them without being offered any at all. No honey mustard though.
I have found that there are two types of eating habits of runners. There are those who run to be able to eat whatever they want and those that eat whatever they want and THEN decide to lose weight so they start running. The first group is typically the more serious runners. I am a member of the first group. That doesn’t mean I can eat any type of food after a long run, it’s just that I don’t have to worry about the portions and can cheat a little bit on the types of food I eat. A good treat after a long run would be a humongous burrito, chips and salsa, and a couple of Dos Equis. However, although I have always been a runner, I haven’t always been a runner of the first group. I haven’t ever run to necessarily lose weight either, I just didn’t coincide my eating habits with my running calorie burn. About 2 years ago I weighed 30 more pounds than I do now. Although I was still running, and doing about the same distances that I run today, I was doing all of the other things that would immensely offset my intense workouts, helping me maintain a more roundish figure. Now I’m more like a V! I’m thinking of changing my middle initial to “V” but keeping my same middle name; which doesn’t have a V in it at all. Don’t think that’s impossible. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be the first time that I have successfully had everyone refer to me as a name other than my legal one. I am the proud owner of a successful alias!
I used to eat fast food at least 10 times a week. It was good, cheap, and convenient. I don’t cook. I still don’t cook but I don’t eat fast food either. I eat meals out about 2-3 times per week, depending on what my coupon situation is. When I eat at home, I eat mostly cereal, soup, Spaghetti O’s, tuna and other items that come out of a can or box and you can eat in a bowl. I honestly have not had one plate in my dishwasher in the past month. Not one. I’m thinking about investing in some more bowls. I’m a simple man, that’s probably why I enjoy the simplicity of running.
So I decided I needed to shed the extra weight I was carrying around. It actually wasn’t as fun being large as I thought it would be. I thought I would be a lot more jolly. So what did I do about it? How have I been able to lose 30 pounds and keep it off? Well, I took my simple style to my diet. I don’t eat fast food and I don’t drink soft drinks that are not diet. Plus I keep running. Same distances, same schedule, same speed as I did before; the difference is what I put into my body. If you are seeking to lose weight, running or other exercise won’t do it alone. That is why runners who are looking to merely maintain their size, running and eating unhealthy becomes a zero sum game and you remain the same size. So, if you want to decrease your size, you MUST eat healthy.
I’m not a nutritionist, so I can’t tell you want to eat, but I can tell you to eat healthy if you want to lose weight. From my experience, if you are tired after you eat, you either ate too much or ate a lot of fat. Wake up and eat a carrot! Then go for a run and burn that carrot plus some!
How about group #3….those of us who eat what we darn well please including a lot of manaioaise which I cannot spell…and all fried foods…and we run because we know it is healthy and we feel better after we run..and we drink water from the tap…yes ….you can drink water from the tap…does not HAVE to come from a bottle Gen Xer….and if before 1 PM….. sweet tea.
I think weight loss is all about three things – attitude, diet and exercise. From my experience, reducing carb intake and doing aerobic exercises are keys to successful weight loss.
I agree diet and exercise are very important for weight loss but attitude may be the overall driver of weight loss. You have to be determined to do it. You should want to “cheat” on your diet or exercise. Your healthy habits must become a way of life for you to maintain your weight loss.
UGH! I hate that voice of reason. LOL!!!
Don’t worry, my voice is typically not reasonable.
The gross rate of success of these weight loss courses of study which are perpetually contending with from each one other is more or less the same. And the most comic part is that these programs all fail at the one hurdle in cattiness of working really tall demands. This occurs because the consistency gets used to the stiffness through which it is invest and conforms itself to the new routine and the metabolic process slows down. You have to be brainier than nature to be able to magic the body into turning a loss weight. Without following this step then you will always question why you cannot fall back weightiness.
i am a couple of months, but i have came across your blog. i am loving the blog man!
i have to say, “we are one in the same when it comes to cooking.” i don’t cook, but don’t get me wrong i am a healthy eater. cooking is something i don’t do. i keep eating healthy simple except for a couple of red bulls and a good pint or two of micro brew. i eat no fast food, period. when i hit up the grocery stores, tuna, fish, vegetables, fruits, bread, pasta, nuts are simple to remember. whole foods and trader joe’s are a time and life saver.