what is up with my appetite??? Nutrition and Runners/Work out experts questions for you

[kcoursolle]

Hi everyone,
A couple of years ago I started running for exercise. I ran about 1-2 times a week 3-4 miles and did some kind of cross training like yoga or swimming and weights another couple of times a week.

Lately I''ve upped my mileage and how often I run because I''m considering running a half marithon or at least a 10k in Dec. I now run an average of 4.5 miles 5-6 days a week. Since upping my mileage and my workouts my appetite has gone CRAZY!!! I can''t even control it!!!

At first I thought this was natural...my body was just asking for more fuel since it was using more. However, in the past couple of months I''ve GAINED about 4 pounds (I''m petite, so that''s a lot for me) and about an inch and a half around the belly!!! My pants are too tight and my belly is BIGGER...arg...and not in a muscular way LOL!

What is going on with my appetite and how do I keep it under control?

By the way, I am generally a very healthy eater during the week, but I eat less healthy food during the weekend. Usually, this kept me on track and I maintained my weight pretty well. During the week I eat a couple of eggs for breakfast, a salad, soup, or sandwhich with fruit for lunch, and a protein with veggies for dinner sometimes with a little extra carbs if I feel I need it for the run like wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, etc. During the weekend I eat more of what I would like to and I drink slightly more when I socialize and I''ll have more sweets over the weekend.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Well, I'm not a nutritionist, but do exercise regularly (so that's my level of expertise) lol and it sounds like you're eating too many carbs. When you up the exercise, you really need to up your protein intake and keep your carbs to at the same level (IF you're gaining weight - if not, you'd be fine with what you are eating). If you're only having eggs for breakfast and a protein at dinner, you may want to alter your diet to include more protein as either a snack or as part of your lunch.

I'm a firm believer in balancing exercise and food and being sure to enjoy the pleasures of life. You need to keep your carbs in check however and make sure the sweets you're eating do not include transfats. I'm 5' 4" and weigh 110 and exercise 5 X per week for an hour. I eat at least three to five servings of protein per day, which seems to keep my weight balanced out. The ONLY foods that cause me to gain any weight around my waist are scones and other goodies from the bakery! Those trans fats add up FAST so be sure to read labels. If the bakery product doesn't have a nutritional guide label DO NOT buy it!

Also fruit, no matter how good it is for you, still has sugar. An easy option is to switch the fruit for a veggie serving at lunch time.

And, just one more thing. . . be sure the whole wheat bread you're eating has very little sugar. Most regular breads are not true whole wheat and have 8 grams or more of sugar per slice. Most stores now carry sprouted grain bread and that not only has less than 2 grams of sugar per slice, it's also made w/out flour, but instead is pure grains and it's SO good for you.

 

[Mara]

i agree with what MC said.

i have read things recently that have indicated that too much cardio can be bad for you in the way of increased appetite and weight gain. why do you see so many marathoners that are not in primo condition? if you run at 5mph for an hour you can burn like 600-700 cals. so when you are done, you are probably famished. a lot of runners eat too much to compensate for how starving they feel after a big long run. are you eating the RIGHT types of things? are you eating enough of the right types of things? you probably need a fair amount of protein and not as many carbs, or if you do eat carbs, eat the right types of carbs, aka complex carbs that give your body fuel, not too much sugar. also, on the flip side, think about if you are you eating enough to sustain your runs? gaining weight might mean you are eating too much and too much of the wrong things but it also could mean that you are not eating enough to fuel your body and it thinks it's starving and will retain whatever fat you eat. sounds weird i know but i had this happen to me! i was in really good shape, working out a lot, and i was not eating enough cals, not enough of the right stuff, so my body was burning my muscles as fuel and storing FAT. i started gaining weight and losing muscle. amazingly enough when i eat more (and of the right things), i can maintain or lose even.

i also believe in your body telling you what it needs, if you can only listen. if you are starving, your body wants fuel. not a donut or something you want. IT wants something. you have to figure out what. lean proteins? complex carbs? before i work out i try to eat something to fuel my workout and within 30 min after my workout, i eat a lean protein like a protein shake or 2% cheese to feed my muscles. i also try to eat more of my carbs during the day rather than at night when my body is less efficient at processing them since i'm winding down to sleep.

it's kind of an unprecise science, but i would experiment a bit with your diet in terms of eating more lean proteins, less uncomplex carbs and sweets, and maybe eating a bit more of the right stuff. good luck!