I often get asked about weight as a coach.
I am no nutritionist, but from experience setting a goal is very important to prevent slipping back into hold habits. Work back from your long-term goal and break it into smaller weekly/monthly goals. Get into a habit of weighing yourself without becoming obsessed with it. Knowing you have to hit the scales every few days helps focus the mind when making good decisions when it comes to food.
There are also some great apps out there to help in this regard such as MyFitnessPal. The metrics function in TrainingPeaks allows you to graph your weight over time.
As with everything in life set positive goals rather than restrictions. For example a goal could be eating 3 pieces of fruit per day. This is much easier to manage than a goal such as avoiding chocolate for 2-weeks! I’ve tried it, it’s hard! Like ‘run streaks’ I find sticking to positive goals are much more effective. How many days can you eat 3 pieces of fruit for?
Be honest with yourself. You don’t cut corners in your training so why cheat and cut corners when it comes to your diet?
Eat more green and less brown! We train a lot and need calories to fuel the fire but we also need the nutrients to boost our recovery and improve our immune systems. Instead of going for the club sandwich consider the chicken salad next time you’re eating out. Also if it comes out of the ground, it’s normally good for you and will help you avoid processed foods.
Avoid the office sweet tin. Take the temptation away by removing the biscuits or sweets out of your line of sight. Instead replace it for healthy options on your desk at work such as nuts of fruit. When you get hungry instead of reaching for another chocolate digestive you can give yourself a fighting chance by reaching for a healthy alternative.
Staying hydrated is very important as runners, however it can also help keep hunger away between meal times by filling up empty space in your stomach.
Set a curfew at night and give your body time to digest food before bed. Never go to bed on a full stomach and instead wake up with an appetite for a healthy breakfast to start the day.
Weight isn’t everything as a runner and you should always opt for a healthy balanced diet as an athlete to avoid injury and illness. Checkout a range of healthy meal options in the nutrition section of JM Run Club.
