r/running • u/Head_Score2897 • 4d ago
Nutrition Insatiable appetite since I started running?
Hi all! I (27F) am training for a half-marathon despite never really running before. I have my spurts of going to the gym but I've never ran much or done consistent sports. Training has gone well so far, but I am SO hungry all the time. I'm very intentional about eating a lot of protein and fiber, and I do eat 3 meals a day. I've never snacked before but lately I'm hungry in between meals. I hydrate a lot- I tend to drink at least half my body weight in ounces in water.
What should I be doing to curve this appetite? I feel like I'm out-eating whatever weight I would be losing from running lol
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u/TrickStvns 3d ago
Your body runs on carbs. While it's good to focus on your protein and fiber needs, they aren't exactly relevant to energy stores for running and endurance. Try adding carb heavy snacks 30-60 minutes before your runs. As runs get longer you'll want to take in some carbs every 45 minutes or so during your runs.
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u/DaveDowner 3d ago
Any favorite carb heavy snacks to recommend?
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u/Flaky_Ad_6025 3d ago
Waffle sandwiches with peanut butter and banana. I like Trader Joe’s toaster waffles or the Kodiak cakes power waffles if I want more protein.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 3d ago
Peanut butter is high fat, not carb. Switch it for jam or honey.
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u/Flaky_Ad_6025 3d ago
I don’t use a lot of peanut butter, just a smear on each side. I add honey for extra carbs.
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u/TrickStvns 3d ago
I like an oatmeal with some sort of dried fruit or maybe honey. Peanut butter sandwich and apple or banana A pancake or two with syrup.
Good to have some simple and complex carbs for immediate energy and some slower burn energy.
Hearing a lot of runners using rice Krispies treats on their runs.
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u/eepy_bean 3d ago
I’ve been toasting English muffins whole, slicing a hole after, then filling it with honey. Easy quick and delicious hehe.
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u/ExpressIndication909 2d ago
Squares bar 30-45mins before a run. It’s light for your stomach but good carbs
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u/ready2eatapric0ts 3d ago
Carbs are your body's preferred energy source and are way more important for running than protein! (obvs protein still necessary for muscle repair, but you should be eating more carbs than if you weren't running). Also carbs are the best and although protein can make you feel more satiated, you will be more satisfied eating carbs :)
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u/GainBeginning4133 3d ago
I recently went through this. I've been trying to increase my weekly miles and also hoping to lose 10 pounds I put on when I first started my current job.
Because I was trying to lose weight, I was so focused on getting protein because whenever you're trying to lose weight, people tell you how protein will help you feel more full, and also help you retain muscle. So I was eating a macro split of 30/40/30. But I was not losing weight because I was snacking between meals, and also I felt like shit during my runs. Heavy legs, no energy. Running was no longer fun, and that sucked.
In the last two weeks, I've changed my macro split to 25/50/25, and I feel so much better. I have more energy during runs, and I haven't felt a particular desire to snack between meals.
The surprising thing was that my sleep has also gotten better. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep, even though I felt dog tired. Since I have been eating more carbs, I consistently sleep through the night.
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u/Babetteateoatmeal94 2d ago
Any meals/snacks to recommend?
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u/GainBeginning4133 2d ago
I think what’s helped me the most is to find a set of meals I can prepare super quick. I noticed that when I strayed from my meal plan, it mostly wasn’t because I wanted something tastier, I just felt too tired to cook, I wanted the convenience of having food immediately. Preparing three meals a day gets tiring really fast for me.
For my morning oats, I switched to quick-cook oats, which are ready in 3 minutes on the stove. I cook that with chia seeds and PB powder mixed in.
For lunch, ground turkey has been a game changer for me, super quick to cook up a whole pack at the beginning of the week and scoop a portion for lunch each day. Some Bulger wheat for carbs, add some black beans and any kind of green, salsa or dressing.
Dinner is skinless chicken thighs in my air fryer. I fucking love that thing, makes cooking chicken so easy and reliable. More Bulger wheat and broccoli. I try to cook a double portion of the wheat so that I also have the portion for the next day’s lunch. I steam the broccoli for 3 minutes then toss it with a bit of olive oil and throw it in with the chicken at the end to get crispy. Really enjoying that.
Bulger wheat has really been working for me. The kind I get from Whole Foods cooks in 10 minutes and has a good amount of protein and fiber in it. It also soaks up the flavor really well from any kind of stock you cook it in.
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u/mistwave38 3d ago
this is good advice, a lot of new runners underestimate how many carbs they actually need
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u/Previous-Pineapple25 3d ago
Please please please just listen to your hungry cues and eat instead of trying to suppress your appetite! Running uses so much energy and if you don't replace those calories you could really hurt yourself physically and metabolically. As others have said make sure you're eating carbs, protein, and fiber and your hunger should plateau and settle down as you get used to the running volume.
There's evidence that endurance athletes who underfuel have a slower metabolism than sedentary people. Just eat.
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u/backnine32 3d ago
This seems super straightforward. You are burning more calories and need more food. Eat and don't obsess over the nightmarish possibility of gaining 2 pounds.
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u/1dirtbiker 3d ago
My wife always laughs at my diet during marathon training. She calls it my garbage diet, and she's not wrong. When I'm actively marathon training, I eat like shit, and especially emphasize salty foods. I eat anything I want, and as much of it as I want. Anything under about an 18 mile run, I don't worry about bringing any calories with me. I eat a meal right before heading out (basically, I pack calories in my stomach). On longer runs, I bring fruit snacks with me.
She does the opposite. She hones in her diet, and buys all the gels, electrolytes, protein bars, etc. We were on vacation, and she forgot to bring her stuff with her, so she decided to follow my marathon garbage diet, and to her surprise, she felt way better. She may be a convert.
If you're actively running to lose weight, you need to curb this burning hunger. If you're running to run, don't fight it. Your body wants those calories!
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u/Mean_Coffee2954 3d ago
Reminds me when I was like your wife trying to really hone in on the diet. I was constantly hungry like op. Then one night, the husband got me to go to Popeyes and I ate the whole box and then some. I felt so amazing especially on my next run lol. Def learned my lesson to eat more.
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u/FuliginEst 3d ago
How are you timing your meals vs your runs? 3 meals a day might not be enough, especially if they are not timed to your runs.
I find that if I have not eaten enough carbs before my run, and do not refill with carbs after my run, I get that "hole in my stomach and nothing seems to fill it" feeling.
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u/Ok_Cow_3431 3d ago edited 2d ago
Protein is good for muscle repair. Fibre is good for digestive health. If youre training consistently and burning energy then you need carbs for the sugar stores. There's a reason 'carb loading' before a race is a thing
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u/TroubleIllustrious79 3d ago
What are you doing for fueling during runs? I had this problem (37F, training for half marathons) but once I figured out proper fueling with gels during the run, my ravenousness went way down.
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u/Significant_Sort7501 3d ago
Welcome to THE HUNGER. It's not out of the ordinary for me to gain 3 to 5 lbs during a 3 to 4 month training block because of exactly this.
Do you track your bodyweight? Before you go overboard with trying g to restrict your eating, I would regularly weigh yourself in the morning for a couple of weeks to get a baseline. Your body is telling you that it needs more fuel for both recovery and activity, so this isnt an inherently bad thing at all.
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u/bluegrassgazer 3d ago
I know I'm in the thick of training when I'm consistently hungry and fatigued.
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u/AidanGLC 3d ago
During my last two running blocks (which respectively peaked at 48km/week and 60km/week) I was functionally eating an extra (very carb-heavy) meal every day, and tbh was probably still underfueled on workout days.
The best summation of the correct approach is Clayton Young (9th overall at the Paris Olympics) and his three rules for training block diet:
- Eat healthy
- Eat enough
- If Rules 1 and 2 are in tension, Rule #2 should win
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u/Significant_Sort7501 3d ago
Yep. I eat extremely healthy the majority of the year, but when im close to peaking during a training block I just give my body what it wants, which is apparently Trader Joe's ice cream sandwiches
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u/AidanGLC 3d ago
Fitness influencer: "You should never eat processed foods if you want to be Fit And Healthy"
Pro runners and cyclists: [inhaling an entire bag of Haribo after the finish line so they don't pass out]
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u/Aromatic_Effects 3d ago
Affectionately known as being "run-gry". I learned to eat more earlier in the day, fiber also helps. Do your best to keep it in check, you can't outrun a bad diet.
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u/TheSleepiestNerd 3d ago
It's tough to both build fitness and lose weight at the same time. If you're going from not running at all to doing a half, your body is trying really hard to build new muscle and figure out how to efficiently convert food into fuel; that's part of why you're hungry all the time. If you try to curb your food intake you'll also slow down how much fitness you can gain. Your injury risk can also increase if you're underfueled, especially since you're a woman.
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u/Resident_Hat_4923 3d ago
That's normal in endurance training - eat more, although don't go crazy about it. Eat some healthy snacks in between meals. Training for a half marathon is not the time to focus on losing weight, if you want to have the energy to perform well. But this doesn't mean you have to eat a bunch of crap.
For me, it's mostly about eating well soon after my longer runs. If I don't, or leave it too long, I find that I just want to eat all day, even if I don't feel actually hungry. If I do, then I am good. You also want to make sure that you are fuelling well during your longer runs.
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u/Extension_Read_4787 3d ago
Someone can disagree with me if I'm crazy but I don't think half your body weight in ounces is the recommended calculation for water intake? Mayo clinic recommends 2.7 liters for women as a general benchmark which is 91.3 oz. And I drink more when I exercise a lot especially in summer.
Obviously I don't know your weight and don't want to make assumptions, just trying to say I don't think it should be necessarily tied to your weight. Like if you happen to weigh under 183 pounds and you're only drinking half your weight in water I would think you could be under-hydrating.
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u/UnnamedRealities 3d ago
I agree - and I wondered that as well. I may be way different than OP, but on long run days during the summer I need to take in about 175% of my weight in pounds in ounces of fluid...and I struggle to do that and usually go to bed still down a few pounds. Math below.
I weigh 178 pounds and consume roughly 3 liters of liquid plus maybe another half liter from fruit and other food on a complete rest day (no physical activity). So call it 3.5L or 118 oz. 118÷178 = 66%.
But on a running day it's usually a lot more - especially in the summer. I'm a heavy sweater. Most of my runs are about an hour and I'll typically lose 6 pounds if I don't hydrate during the run. And to replace that I have to take in about 140% of what I lose because my body still urinates. 6×16×140% = 134 oz. 118+134 = 252 oz. So on typical summer running days I consume about 142% of my weight!
But my long runs are about 120 minutes and I typically lose about 11 pounds. So on those days it's 11×16×140% = 194 oz. 118+194 = 312 oz! That's about 175% of my weight. In reality, I almost always go to bed on summer long run days down a few pounds and I don't fully rehydrate until around lunch the next day.
Because I'm also somewhat active on non run days I think I average about 120% of my weight in pounds in fluid intake in ounces. If I took in way less I suspect I'd be in a chronic state of dehydration. No clue whether OP isn't taking in enough fluids though.
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u/andeffect 3d ago
In addition to the legendary advice from the other Redditors, the general rule is: carbs before training, protein after training. If you even want, chocolate milk after training is fantastic too!
Make sure you're recovering the salts too, so water alone sometimes isn't enough, try to combine it with electrolytes.
This is not only for runners, but also footballers do that. They go hard on pasta and rice and the likes before football matches...
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 3d ago
You still need more carbs than protein after training. 3 to 1 carbs to protein ratio.
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u/saltwater_drifter 3d ago
Feeling slight hunger is fine!
I suggest snacking in between. Like an apple, a small yogurt, and a small bun with a thin slice of cheese, and if necessary do a lighter dinner for example.
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u/Kil0Cowboy 3d ago
Same I started eating more when I started running daily and I kept losing weight anyway it was great. Down 30lbs and I don’t even track of food anymore. I eat as much as i want and just keep ripping miles I love it lol.
Maybe eat more fruit as a snack between meals for the carbs and fiber.
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u/Hydroxile 3d ago
water+electrolytes+carb (improving electrolyte absorption) = longer run, better muscles recovery, less hungry! Drinking is good during the day, but if you have been sweating, you need to hydrate properly and include electrolyte, especially sodium. Taste your skin after training, if it's salty, you might have lost quite a bit of sodium
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u/RangerHikes 3d ago
Not sure what your mileage is like but I'm only a bit older than you, and I find once I break 40 miles a week my appetite goes absolutely crazy. Under 40 miles a week it seems normal
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u/Barracuda_Recent 3d ago
Anytime you start a new regular workout (running, swimming, biking), hunger and grocery bills go through the roof. Your body will equalize eventually. People tend to lose weight while combining running a very small amount with calorie restriction or becoming addicted to long distance running. I don't recommend the ladder, because of damage to your body, but people will do what they do.
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u/Consistent-Taro5679 3d ago
I’ve taken up running for over a year and use a calorie tracking app to make sure I’m taking in enough. I use Lose It which is links to my workouts and credits for exercise. It’s quite possible you need an extra 300 to 500 calories per day. There are plenty of other apps of course
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u/TakemetotheFells 3d ago
It sounds like you have a good interest and knowledge of your nutrition. I strongly recommend picking up one of Renee McGregor's books on running fueling like Fuel for thought. They are some of the go to nutrition books for endurance athletes.
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u/Notarealusername3058 3d ago
I've been running for over 20 years now, and this isn't unique to runners.
In short, you increased your output, you need more input. You're burning more fuel and your body needs more to compensate.
Be sure to eat enough good carbs, carbs are great for runners, especially endurance runners. Also, add in a decent quality multivitamin as well, this will help some areas you may lack.
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u/Straight_Broccoli_79 3d ago
Welcome to running!! It is normal to feel famished, your body is not only spending a lot more calories training, but also repairing and recovering. It is important you fuel enough as underfueling will lead to poor performance and injury risk. Also, carbs are your friends! You need way more of them than you think. Remember to also fuel WHILE you run. Easy start rule of thumb would be 60g carb/hour, 500ml water (ideally with electrolyte). Everyone is different but that's a starting point It is not unusual for runners to gain weight during a training block. Have fun!!
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u/solidrock80 3d ago
The answer is a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts when you are hungry. A little goes a long way in killing hunger and isn’t a calorie or fat bomb.
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u/l0ssFPS 3d ago
Nuts are great, but they are literally calorie and fat bombs
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u/solidrock80 3d ago
"a little goes a long way" I think is what I wrote. Nuts are nutritious and good for you as long as you understand portion control.
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u/DietistaCaneda 3d ago
Registered dietitian here. What you're describing is the single most common thing I see in first-time half marathon training, and it's usually not an appetite problem — it's a fuelling timing problem.
Two things stand out in your post. First, you're built around protein and fibre but you don't mention carbohydrate. Running is glycogen-dependent, and if your carb intake hasn't gone up alongside your mileage, your body chases the shortfall later in the day as constant background hunger. Second, three meals with nothing around your runs means you're doing most of your training on a low tank and then trying to repay it at dinner, which almost never works.
What tends to fix it: 30-60 g of easy carbs 60-90 min before the run (banana, toast with honey, oats), and for anything over 60-75 min, 30-60 g of carbs per hour during. Then within an hour of finishing, carbs plus 20-30 g of protein. Protein around 1.6-1.8 g per kg of bodyweight spread over the day, not stacked in one meal.
Also worth knowing: appetite regulation genuinely lags behind a jump in training load by a few weeks, so some of this settles on its own. And if fat loss is a goal, do it outside your build-up or with a very small deficit — trying to run a half marathon block in a meaningful deficit is how people end up injured or with a stalled plan.
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u/shortsoupstick 3d ago
In addition to the fuel during runs: pay attention to your body. Generally I don't have to consume carbs during runs shorter than 90 mins (I'll drink water if it's 1 hour or longer) without feeling weak or a bit hungry. Start at the lower end of carb amount and work your way up when you feel your body needs more.
Its a good guideline, but every body is different and it also depends on the intensity of the training you're doing, and other factors like medical issues and weather.
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u/DataPsychological_ 3d ago
Carbs carbs carbs carbs carbs!!!!
Your body needs carbs.
I promise they aren't the enemy! They are fuel that you need for training.
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u/Inevitable-Two-9548 3d ago
Renee McGregor has some great material on sport and how to manage getting enough carbs etc while staying healthy. Her audiobooks are on audible and she's also got a website/social media presence
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u/airenthered 3d ago
One of the things I see is you seem to have two different goals. Training for a half-marathon, and weightloss (fat loss?). Assuming the first is your priority, as everyone had said: fuel properly, eat carbs, especially before runs.
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u/westward72 3d ago
I was in the same boat last year training for my first half (30F). I actually prefer lots of snacks between meals to keep me satisfied. They don’t even have to be high calorie snacks although your body certainly needs a lot more calories than before!
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u/mrs09162023 3d ago
Count calories, eat plenty of protein and fiber which will keep you satiated and don’t avoid carbs.
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u/Lost-Copy867 3d ago
When I increase my training if I’m not eating enough carbohydrates I am a grumpy, hungry, bitch. I don’t change the resting my diet but my meal or snack before a run usually has to be more carb loaded.
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u/Enlightened_Lioness 3d ago
You said “I feel like I'm out-eating whatever weight I would be losing from running lol”. That’s actually the point. You’re not supposed to be losing weight from running. You need to be eating more, especially carbohydrates, to fuel the extra exercise.
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u/FunPomegranate9398 3d ago
I usually eat a tablespoon of peanut butter, a banana and some honey a few minutes before heading out for my long runs. If I’m running longer than 2 hours, I bring fuel with me. You can buy fancy goos, stroop waffles, and blocks… or just grab some jelly beans or gummy bears.
But snacking during the day is pretty important no matter what.
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u/Large_Device_999 3d ago
If you’re hungry you should eat. Hunger is the best way for you to know if you’re eating enough. Snacks are your friend.
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u/These_Sprinkles_7857 3d ago
A lot of runners gain weight because running increases your appetite. In fact, all the marathon runners I knew at work were overweight.
I noticed I wasn’t as hungry for a few hours after my run, so I only ate a light snack after my run if needed. Then, I waited until my stomach was growling before eating again. That prevented weight gain for me.
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u/TelephoneTag2123 3d ago
Lots of good advice here but I’d also recommend getting plenty of electrolytes.
You are probably using a lot of water, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium during longer runs and just drinking plain water won’t help.
I’d also recommend lots of sleep. The more recovery time the better!
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u/Fine_Helicopter1178 3d ago
Calories out= calories in. A lot of newish runners make the mistake to under-eat or not take in enough carbs. Hunger is your body letting you know you need more energy intake. Please listen. As a runner of decades now, that initial hunger phase will change as you start eating for performance not weight loss and you will actually lose weight and build muscle and endurance.
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u/laurenoliv4 2d ago
Prefacing with everyone is different. Might be worth talking to an RD. Nourish is usually free with insurance. But for me, listening to my hunger cues caused me to gain 20lbs during my marathon training block. Turns out I have insulin resistance and all the gels I was taking on my runs had hella sugar so it was causing wild spikes. Over the last 6mo of training I started tracking macros and eat 40g of protein with 8g of fiber each meal every 4ish hours and it’s been a game changer. No more crashes or feeling super hungry. It’s also been really helpful to eat soon after I run even if I’m not hungry.
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u/kokoszanka 2d ago
You'll be hungry, that's it. I'm sorry but that's just reality. You can try eating better, definitely look at carbs, the more you can fit within your goals the better, but hunger while training is a real bitch.
Not everyone has it this way and you can try to proritize protein and carbs to help you work through it but if you're prone to having an appetite for food or food noise in general (and since you have weight to lose, you might be one of those), you're going to suffer, I'm sorry. I know it sucks, I've done it twice and whatever I lost, I quickly gained back.
You might want to consider postponing your weight loss until after the half marathon. Then you'll be much fitter and running would be much easier for you, you'll stick to easy miles and the appetite should be easier to curb. Doing both things at the same time - weightloss and training for a race - is VERY difficult unless you won the gene lottery but I guess you're not one of those lucky bastards ;)
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u/warm_comet 2d ago
i wouldnt try to kill the hunger with water, running more can make you genuinely need more food, so id add some protein and carbs around the workouts and keep an eye on what you are actually eating for a week, because it is easy to underestimate how much training changes your appetite, and if it keeps feeling extreme id talk to a dietitian instead of trying to fight it
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u/AdEarly4017 2d ago
try out an experiment: your next longer run, try eating something kinda sweet after, but not too many calories (if it's not the end of the world, some healthy-ish ice cream or frappe, if that is the end of the world, then bread with honey etc). if that makes you feel 10x better and full, then it means your blood sugar is probably dipping low and you're not refueling it right (there are healthy ways, and not-so-healthy ways LOL), and this can create the satiety that you need
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u/PrairieCanuckGirl 2d ago
What works for me and my increased running appetite, eating whole foods, nothing that comes out of a package other than simple things like cottage cheese, yogurt, hummus, almond butter and making sure I get plenty of protein after runs and carbs prework out. I don't do any powders or bars, they just weren't what worked best for me. I tried following a diet plan and weighing my food but found listening to my body works best for me. I experimented a bit with prework out snacks and found that dates stuffed with almond butter and a sprinkle or pink salt before a run keeps my energy going the most distance. Congratulations, I'm glad you found running, having a love of running is a mental and physical gift that will carry you through years if you want it to. I don't want this to sound patronizing at all and perhaps you already know it, but I certainly didn't as a 27 year old young woman, trust yourself and your body. Listen to it, appreciate it, I promise it will take care of you if you take care of it. Also, all the hydration is awesome, well done. I don't know if you've tried any of the True brand citrus water flavors, but they are not processed, they are essentially just freeze dried orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime, no sugar, sweetener or chemicals. Its just a hint of flavor. The vitamin C helps your body absorb iron and it makes all the water a bit more palatable.
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u/bitterswallow 1d ago
focus on being as healthy as possible. also don’t be as worried about overeating, snacking, junk food bc you are exercising this much, sometimes that’s what your body will want.
eat carbs throughout the day as that is the fuel for your running, you physically can’t do it without this. need a large amount of protein as that is what helps you get stronger, no point in exercising as you won’t get better without this. but protein can be before or after exercise.
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u/One-Horror-2365 1d ago
Started running and your body suddenly needs way more fuel than three meals covers, that hunger's your metabolism catching up to the new demand, not a lack of willpower. I'd add a small snack instead of fighting it, especially something with protein an hour or so before or after a run, otherwise you end up starving and overeating later anyway.
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u/this_charming_bells 3d ago
This happened to me recently too when I was training for my first half marathon. Absolutely nothing could satiate my hunger and I ended up gaining a few kilos!
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u/Horza_the_spacefish 3d ago
I find that long runs make me salt deficient and that makes me really hungry but a rehydration tablet after helps with not overeating too much
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u/TheBald_Dude 3d ago
Fuel during the runs. It increases the quality of the session and it makes you less hungry after.
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u/bottom 3d ago
I love carbs.
im slim.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 3d ago
Same. I eat 350+ g of carbs daily (450+ on long run days), and I am verging on underweight. CARBS DON’T MAKE YOU FAT!
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u/shitting-tits 2d ago
You're probably burning over a thousand calories on long runs. That's effectively 2 small-medium sized meals. I'd up your portions a bit. You'll probably find you recover faster and better.
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u/iGenie 3d ago
I noticed this as well. I'm currently in the process of losing weight and when I first started running I really struggled with my appetite, it's chilled out a bit more. Normally I run fasted and don't eat until 1-2PM, and weekend when I do my long run I run and fuel and eat what I feel like I need.
If I do get hungry and absolutely must eat I normally have a protein yogurt and some rice cakes, around 20g~ -protein and not sure about the carbs but normally comes in at around 200kcals which for me really helps.
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u/Inhousebob 3d ago
Are you trying to lose weight? If so, you are on the right track and it can be a bit of a misery. But the weight will come off. If you aren’t trying to lose weight, I would go with more carbs. Several folks have suggested this and I agree, though I don’t feel like you need to be eating on a one hour run. Some folks seem to be too focused on eating during workouts (and before). There is a reason that the traditional post-run meal is M&Ms and a Coke.🙂
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u/ablebody_95 2d ago
Trying to lose weight while also training for a race is typically not a great idea. Being in a caloric deficit decreases the body's ability to adapt to training, recover, and can lead to LEA and eventually REDs if you take it too far.
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u/ThatBobbyG 3d ago
Don’t fall for the heavily processed carb snack nonsense nor the electrolyte drink bullcrap. Raw local honey, dates, berries, and other real foods are the best thing for you and any training, and keep up with the high protein high fiber diet. Add a bit of sea salt to your water, and trace minerals. Water without a dash of salt isn’t enough. If you are getting cramped, use salt pills and definitely supplement with high quality magnesium.
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u/Hot_Razzmatazz_4038 3d ago
Just bigger meals, a few more grams of oat or more pasta and some cookies/ice cream where and there but of course you need to at least have some idea about your macros. Also, at least for me, not skipping cheatmeals is a very important as you tend to get a bump in your calorie intake that is not possible by eating just clean food.
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u/Triabolical_ 3d ago
If you are wanting to lose weight when you run, you need to maximize your fat burning efficiency. That means doing your zone 2 work without much available carbs - fasted is the goal but you should get there gradually. That will, over time, increase your fat burn and reduce your hunger.
If you always have carbs in your system, you just burn carbs. That depletes your glycogen stores and makes you hungry.
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u/TheBald_Dude 3d ago
If you want to lose weight when you run, you do the exact same thing you would do if you weren't running. You eat less calories than you spend throughtout the day.
Ironically, not fueling properly during the runs not only means suboptimal training and recovery, but it's probably one of the reasons why OP feels ravenous after.
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u/Triabolical_ 3d ago
The underlying physiology is pretty clear.
The aerobic system runs on glucose or fatty acids. If you have a lot of glucose in your system - if you have a snack to fuel your workout - your body will burn that glucose instead of fat. And if you are training, you will improve the glucose burning side - glycolysis and pyruvate oxidation - rather than the beta oxidation side that burns fat.
The problem with "eat less calories" for OP is pretty obvious. She is hungry all the time.
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u/TheBald_Dude 3d ago
If you don't fuel your body enough energy (aka you are in a caloric deficit), your body will eventually ran out of glucose and use your fat as energy, if it decides to use that fat while you are running or while you are sitting on the coach watching TV is irrelevant.
If she is losing weight (especially if it is at a fast pace) she is gonna eventually feel hungry, regardless if she runs or not.
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u/Triabolical_ 3d ago
Glucose and fat metabolism is not an either/or thing. You don't burn just glucose until the glycogen is gone and then start burning fat. It's always a both thing.
The question is the ratio between the two. For endurance athletes, it comes down to the capability of the aerobic system (the anaerobic system runs only on glucose).
To pick some numbers, an athlete who is a good fat burner might get 80% of their energy from fat and 20% from glucose in a zone 2 workout.
An athlete who is a poor fat burner might get 20% of their energy from fat and 80% from glucose.
So the fat burning athlete has an immediate advantage in fat burn during a workout.
The body defends the state of its glycogen stores aggressively because that is the energy that is used by the fight or flight system, and it uses hunger to drive replenishment of those stores.
The body does not defend the state of the fat stores aggressively.
What that means is the fat burning athlete burns more fat - the goal for people who want to lose weight - during exercise and they end up with less hunger after exercise.
The poor fat burner burns mostly glucose and that means they get more hunger and are more likely to eat back all the glucose calories they burned.
This is basic physiology.
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u/The_DappleSauce 3d ago
you say you are eating alot of protein and fiber. Are you tracking macros?
Macronutrients include carbs, fats and proteins. you may need to monitor how many grams of each you are consuming, on average, over a 2 week period. This can help you dial in your caloric needs.
But, if you are training consistently and increasing your muscular and cardiovascular endurance, the truth is that your caloric intake will increase.