A Runner's Hungry Mindset

[Solson124]

Eating according to a schedule is beneficial to everyone—but especially runners. Your body is a machine, and you can think of food as the fuel that keeps the engine running smoothly. You never want the tank to run low. Three meals and three snacks are the best way to go. You never should go more than three hours between eating. The benefits are a faster metabolism, which triggers the body to release body fat. And the bonus for runners is that a steady blood sugar level translates to steady energy. Many people are reluctant to adopt this eating pattern for fear of increasing their daily caloric intake. In reality, your net caloric intake drops because when you get to your meal times, you are not starving and you wind up eating less. The other benefit of not starving is that you will make better food choices. When we are hungry, we tend to go for whatever is quickest and not necessarily the healthiest, which is why it's so important to plan ahead!

 

[jacque_mich]

I totally agree with this! In my case, it is for bodybuilding/weight-lifting. Wanting to maintain a healthy physique requires some forethought to make it happen. Planning meals is the easiest way for me. I never go anywhere without at least a healthy snack in my car, so that I don't get that starved, eat whatever is closest feeling. It keeps metabolism up and avoids drops in blood sugar definitely. For me, the easiest way to maintain regular meals (for me it is 5-6 small meals/snacks per day depending on schedule and the workout for the day) is to meal prep on Sundays. My husband and I work on it together so we both have meals for the week. We also work a lot, so dinners are for the most part already prepared as well. Usually it's fairly simple, grilling a big batch of marinated chicken and making a couple of different things on the side, and all done!