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Racing Weight or Underfueling? Get Lean and Strong

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running weight loss

Is there a perfect racing weight? Can you maintain muscle mass and be a distance runner? Will being stronger make you a better runner?

These are all questions that have been coming up more and more lately, which is why you’ve seen more about them! I reached out once again for answers to a phenomenal coach – Elizabeth at Inpny Coaching for tips because I’ve seen her athletes and they define Get lean, Get Fast and Stay Strong.

As a lifelong competitive athlete and in more recent years nutrition coach, I’ve seen my share of runners struggling with proper fueling.

Most of my clients come to me with a three-part request “I want to lose x-amount weight, I want to PR and I want XYZ (more energy/better sleep/less injuries). ”

Part of that is the ongoing idea that lighter runners race faster.

It’s true, but only to a point. Then you begin to sacrifice both health, speed and strength, which leads to a downward spiral of poor performance and often eventually to the female athlete triad.

So yes, you can achieve all three, but only if you train smart and create a very balanced eating plan. As much as we’d all love it, there is no magic bullet, no headline grabbing diet and no easy path to success.racing weight

I’m going to remind you of some of the dangers of not eating enough, warning signs to look out for that your body is suffering and then offer 7 valuable tips for getting on the fast track… pun intended!

Racing Weight or Underfueled?

I’ve never been to a race where you have to step on a scale before you are allowed to start– your results are based on your time and no one factors in your weight when determining that number.

While it’s true that a ‘leaner’ athlete can run faster, it’s a fine line between lean and thin. If you’re not eating enough, your body will suffer in the long run.

Some real and very serious consequences of restricting calories when training for endurance events include:

  • reduced cardiac output
  • low energy
  • muscle breakdown
  • nutrient deficiencies
  • a weakened immune system
  • hormonal imbalances
  • lowered bone density
  • injury

What you eat can make the difference between performing at your best or sitting on the sidelines.

Tired, sore muscles and stuck in a training plateau? – I call this the new normal. In our quest to get tougher, suffer more and be warrior athletes, we tend to ignore the red flags that something isn’t right.

Signs that you’re not fueling correctly include:

  • Your body isn’t recovering from workouts
  • You’re constantly getting sick
  • You aren’t sleeping through the night
  • Your performance isn’t improving despite increased training
  • You’ve lost the motivation to work out.

Get Leaner Without Sacrificing Health and Performance

Because this is such a massive topic, you’ll find links to additional information under each item. That way you can decide which one’s are most important to help you make the right changes and then dive in!racing weight

Consider this your guide to being smart about weight loss as a runner who wants to perform. Running weight loss is a tricky topic and these tips are going to ensure that you come out the other side healthier, faster, and stronger!

Food Journal
Take one week to write down everything you eat, how you feel and how that influenced your training. Many athletes don’t realize the direct correlation between food and performance and often have no idea what they are actually consuming.

Being aware is the first step towards making positive changes. After that week, make a plan that gives your body everything it needs (or have a nutritionist help you) and then stop obsessing.

Read more >> Who To Work with for Sports Nutrition

Know Your Numbers (Calories and Weight)
While I don’t encourage people to count calories you should know about how many you need to eat during the day and make sure you’re getting enough. I recommend focusing on macro/micro nutrients – fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Because yes, weight loss is still that age old adage of calories in and calories out for the most part. How much does extra weight slow you down??

The idea is thrown around that you can cut 2 seconds per mile for every pound of fat, which is a lot at the elite level and could add up if you genuinely have excess weight to lose.

BUT THE FLIPSIDE which isn’t discussed is what happens when you start to lose weight that’s actually muscle?

  • Losing muscle means losing power
  • Losing muscle means higher injury chances
  • Losing muscles lower metabolic rate

In other words, stop thinking about the scale as your sign that you’ve hit your best “racing weight”.

Read more >> Understanding your calorie burn and needs

Choose Food Wisely
Whole, real, unprocessed foods should be the building blocks and foundation of your diet. You’d never buy cheap running shoes; why put fake, low cost food into your body?

Nutrient rich vegetables, grains, fruits and fats are an essential part of your training plan. Runners need vitamins and minerals – make food choices that provide you with ample amounts of iron, magnesium, folate, Omega 3’s and Vitamins D,A,C and E.
Read more >> Ideas for fueling runs with whole foods lose weight runningLimit Sports Products
While they can be big a convenience, they aren’t always the right choice. Gels, blocks, bars and sugary caffeine-heavy hydration beverages not only get in the way of your weight goals but they also do a number on your gut. There is a time and place for these products but a 45 minute run isn’t it.

Eat correctly throughout the day and your body will have enough energy to get through that workout. And in fact when people say they gain weight running, it’s often related to all these additional products that weren’t needed, rather than the hunger we get from running longer miles.

If you’re training longer, try making your own snacks with nut butter, dried fruit and salted sweet potato chunks. Look for sports products made from whole food ingredients and include them only when your training calls for it.

Read more >> Ideal post workout meals for recovery

Fuel Smart
The most important meal of the day is…all of them. It’s true, but especially so for the meal you have directly after your workout.

Plan your healthiest eating around your training runs and workouts. After you’ve exercised, your body is in a weakened state and needs all the help it can get to repair and rebuild. If you want that PR this is the best gift you can give your body.

Read more >> 17 protein packed post workout green smoothies

Skipping Is For suckers
No one wins when you skip meals! You are setting yourself up for overeating later, impairing your bodies ability to recover and rebuild muscle, raising cortisol levels and disrupting your hormonal system. Make sure you eat on a regular basis throughout the day.

Tired of trying to figure this whole thing out on your own? Get this Running for Weight Loss ebook with specific small changes you can make >>

Have Role Models
I find it incredibly valuable to have a sports/nutrition role model. Look at other athletes that are leaders in their field (professional or amateur) who are performing at their best, not promoting crazy diets and achieving that fueling balance.

Mine is Meredith Kessler – a professional triathlete and all around incredible woman. Her body is a vehicle for performance and she trains harder than any human being I’ve ever met.female athlete fueling

Meredith maintains that healthy, strong and fast body by eating enough of all the right foods. She doesn’t diet, she doesn’t cut calories and she doesn’t obsess over a number on the scale.

Not eating correctly will fail to make you leaner and sabotage your training by leaving your muscles under-fueled for maximum performance.

The key to achieving your goal of getting lean while running fast is about finding a balance between training and nutrition. I hope this has helped raise awareness on the importance of food in nailing your running goals.

Sacrificing performance for weight loss? Sports Nutritionist @INPYN shows how to do both on @runtothefinish #bibchat #womensrunning Click To Tweet

Read More:

  • Is your workout causing weight gain?
  • Ultimate guide to managing marathon hunger
  • Understanding Metabolic Efficiency to Burn more Fat

MEET COACH ELIZABETHcoach INPYN
Hi Run To The Finish readers– when Amanda contacted me about writing a post around fueling for performance I jumped at the chance, having been a loyal reader for years.

Elizabeth Inpyn is a Sports Nutritionist, former NCAA collegiate swimmer and water polo player and multiple 70.3 and Olympic distance triathlete. She works with endurance athletes, triathlon/run clubs and coaches to dial in training and race day nutrition plans from pros to amateurs.

Get connected: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Let’s talk!
What’s your biggest issue with weight while training?

Do you have and ideal race weight you think you need to be?

Other ways to connect with Amanda
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Posted by amanda Categories: running coach, sports nutrition, weight loss

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelcy says

    September 1, 2019 at 8:18 am

    Hey – great post, I’m so glad you’re addressing this. I have a question about what you mean when you say ‘eat correctly’, could you be more specific? I know it will be different for each person, but you could you expound in what you mean in this context?

    • amanda says

      September 3, 2019 at 7:00 am

      I think one of the notes above focuses on this. Meaning eat high quality foods, not junk to fuel your day. If you mean something else, let me know!

  2. Alexis says

    September 8, 2019 at 11:08 am

    I love so much about this article! We get so wrapped up in weight loss that it can actually hinder our goals by underfueling in the name of calorie restriction. After over 2 years on my journey of running and weight loss, I’ve learned many valuable lessons. One of them is that we need to focus on being healthy and strong FIRST, and weight loss tends to come in cycles: https://runningmybestlife.com/running-and-weight-loss/.

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Amanda Brooks : Run Coach
A NEW PLAN DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING. You might alr A NEW PLAN DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING. You might already know what’s best for you, but aren’t doing it consistently. That’s the only way we really make changes.
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A PLAN can help, but I often don’t think that’s step one to making lasting change.
//
HABITS AND ROUTINES✴️
-Eliminate the need to make decisions.
-Which reduces brain fatigue.
-Which increases your chance of success.
//
TINY HABITS✴️
This is the smallest step you can take towards your goal. Often so small it seems insignificant, but is easy to make it a habit.
🌟
That leads you to another tiny habit, then another and suddenly it’s just your lifestyle.
👆👆👆
When people ask how I easily kept off 35lbs for over 15 years, while enjoying pizza, taking rest days and not obsessing about food.
👇👇👇👇
When people ask how I stay motivated to run year round and rarely race. Tiny habits.
//
Day one isn’t eat perfect or run for an hour.
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Day one IS drink a glass of water when I wake up. Put on my running clothes.
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Day 30 is then more like after I drink my glass of water, I do 5 push ups. After I put on my running clothes, I do a 5 minute warm up.
//
SLOW PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NO PROGRESS, it builds momentum and is sustainable.
❔❔❔
Have you ever practiced creating tiny habits???
1️⃣ WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING THIS YEAR? M 1️⃣ WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING THIS YEAR?
Mine... satisfying.
😊
1900 miles blows away previous years.
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(swipe to see...because yes I love tracking.) Unfortunately I’m not positive what it was 2001-2007 because I wrote it on calendars.
//
SATISFYING
🥰I needed the long miles early on to process my business being thrown for a loop. Bye bye book tour and partnerships.
😊I needed it after that to get away from the news and pretend I wasn’t spending all day alone. Then as my business shifted again to keep ideas flowing.
🌲I loved the time outside to think, get lost in a comedy podcast or audiobook. Otherwise I’m at home working!
🤩Without a single race, I still checked a big goal off my list of running an ultra distance (solo was very interesting!).
//
I’ve seen some posts that make it seem like we’re wrong for talking about what we achieved this year.
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It was a HARD FCKIN year for everyone, but guess what lots of years are. And not every year is great even without a pandemic.
//
For all the lows this year, I also worked my ass off to make some really good things happen. And I’m extra proud of that.
//
So let’s hear your word for fitness in 2020??
⬇️
Hard, easy, strong, powerful, consistent, cleansing, relaxing, nature, grace, grit, grind, triumph, building...
HAIR EMOJI POLL!!! Seriously hair...it’s a lot r HAIR EMOJI POLL!!! Seriously hair...it’s a lot right?! Figuring out what to do with it, color it don’t color it, keep it healthy, breakage from ponytails, long, short. And yet a good hair day😃 🔥 🌟
//
POLL:
🥰Love your hair
🤪Frustrated with your hair
1️⃣Natural curls
2️⃣Stick straight
👇👇👇
Curly friends: share your favorite tips!!
Long hair friends: what helps you keep it healthy?
👆👆👆
//
At 7 I could sit in my hair it was so long.
At 10 we started perms.
At 16 I had a full mane of hair I loved.
At 20 I learned I have naturally curly hair 😂after years of perms as a kid.
At 25 I was going blonde blonde blonde.
At 29 I began losing hair and it got so brittle I had to chop it off, due to the hormone issues.😭
At 35 my hair started to recover (as did my body), but never like that mane I loved as a teen.
At 39 I got my first curly haircut! I’m still figuring it out, but was amazed at how it looked.
//
I don’t wear much make up, but I do admit to really caring about my hair and it was a tough time when it felt so unhealthy.
//
I’m still struggling to figure out this new curly style 😂but keep hearing from other curly girls ya just gotta stick it out. So we’ll see.
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#curlygirlmethod #hairtalk
ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO RUN? Why don’t you just ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO RUN? Why don’t you just enjoy a day off? Don’t you feel guilty about the time apart?
//
Yes.
It makes me happy.
No, if I’m happy our time together is better.
👇👇👇
MY VIEW IS THIS...
❌If you aren’t working out because of food guilt
❌If you aren’t missing big moments because you must workout
✅If you enjoy it and it improves your day
✅THEN GO FORTH and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for improving your mental and physical health.
//
❓Do you have guilt or get guilted about workouts for n holidays?❓
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This has been my lifestyle so long that our families just know to expect that I’m gonna sweat. And of course, I’m lucky David wants this lifestyle too.
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BUTTTTT I remember those first trips to David’s family, where it really threw them for a loop. They still find it weird, but I sneak out before everyone gets up or have gotten them to do family things like the rec center.
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My best advice when asked has always been to try and calmly explain why it matters to you and then just go. They get over it or used to it.
🎁 🎄🕎
TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIZZA MY HEART 😂a reminder TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIZZA MY HEART 😂a reminder this holiday season that we all need to be loved differently...and pizza transcends all.
//
🍕Do you have a favorite local pizza place?🍕🍕
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Yes, I knead to know for when we can travel again.
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Here we fell in love in love with @saucyspizza and I wouldn’t be sad if I got it as a gift 😆
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#pizzamemes #eatlocal #denvercolorado #ilovepizza #lovememes #pizzagram #digiorno #papajohns #foodisfuel #longrun #womenwhoeat #carbsarelife
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