Here is the basic plan, My basic diet. I got it from
Runnersworld and it has worked for me very well. Coming in to it to be honest I wasn't happy with the "gut area" and this has worked wonders. I lost no energy on runs and on long days I have
GU so energy is good. This is the basics.
Step 1:Determine Your Daily Calorie GoalTo estimate your daily calorie needs for maintaining your current weight, take your present weight and multiply by 13. That number covers your metabolic needs for the day, factoring in a bit of light activity. So if you weigh 180 pounds, you need about 2,340 calories per day. To lose a pound a week, you must then create a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day (3,500 calories equals one pound). How many calories you can cut from your diet depends a lot on how much you're eating right now. There's a big difference between cutting 500 calories if you're eating 1,500 a day than if you're eating 3,000. But remember: Weight loss is a lot easier when you factor in your running mileage (1 mile = 100 calories). So your calorie deficit can--and should--be created by eliminating some calories from your daily diet and increasing the number you burn per day through running.
Step 2: Distributing Your CaloriesAfter you've determined the total number of calories you should be consuming per day to meet your weight-loss goals, divide those calories so that 50 percent of them come from carbohydrates, 25 percent come from protein, and 25 percent come from fat. So, for example, if you've determined that your daily calorie goal is 1,800 calories, then 900 of those calories should come from carbohydrates, 450 from protein, and 450 from fat. Remember: You're not striving to have every food you eat meet this ratio. You're simply aiming to get your total daily calorie intake to fall within these guidelines.
Step 3:Selecting CarbohydratesLots of runners will look at the 50-percent carbohydrate guideline and think they'll go into macaroni withdrawal. They'll argue it's not enough--that they need 60 percent or more. After all, carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source. While it's true that elite runners need a very high percentage of calories from carbohydrates, recreational runners simply don't need as many carbs. Taking in 50 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrate sources will provide you with all the energy you need.Because high-carb foods sustain you during your workouts, they are best eaten just before and just after your runs. When choosing which carbs to eat, opt for those that are fiber- rich and have a high water content to keep you feeling full.
Fruits (about 60 calories per serving)
Apple, orange, pear, nectarine: 1 small (tennis ball size)
Banana: 1 small (5 inch)
Peach, plum: 1 medium (fist size)
Grapefruit: 1/2 whole fruit
Canteloupe: 1 cupBerries:
1 cupFresh pineapple: 3/4 cup
Canned fruit (in its own juice):
1/2 cup Low-Starch Vegetables (about 25 calories per serving)Carrots, celery, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, leeks, onions, green beans:
1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked Green pepper: 1 whole Asparagus: 7 spears cooked or 14 spears rawLettuce/raw greens:
1 cup 100-percent vegetable juice:
1/3 cupCarbs to Choose with Caution (watch those portions!)
High-Starch Vegetables (about 80 calories per serving)
Beans (lima, navy, pinto): 1/3 cupCorn:
1/2 cupPeas/lentils:
1/2 cupBaked white or sweet potato with skin:
1 small (tennis ball size)Pasta/Rice (about 80 calories per serving)
Couscous (cooked):
1/3 cupBrown or white rice (cooked):
1/3 cupNoodles/pasta (cooked):
1/2 cup Bulgur (cooked):
1/2 cupBreads/Cereal/Crackers (about 80 calories per serving)
Tortilla (white or wheat): 1100-percent whole-wheat bread:
1 sliceMini-bagel: 1 English muffin:
1/2 Pretzels: 3/4 ounce or 8 sourdough nuggets Popcorn (air popped):
3 cupsSaltine crackers:
6 Rice cakes (all varieties, large):
2High-fiber cereals:
3/4 cupOatmeal:
2/3 cup cooked or 1 instant packet
Step 4 Selecting ProteinWhile protein's primary role is maintaining muscle integrity, it also satisfies hunger. Protein provides a greater feeling of fullness, ounce for ounce, than an equivalent amount of carbohydrate. The effect: You're content with fewer calories. That's why 25 percent of your calories should come from protein.When you choose proteins, lean is always best. Fat adds flavor to protein--but also calories. So be sure to limit the number of calories in the protein sources you choose. A good rule of thumb: The fattier the protein, the smaller the serving. Protein PicksVery lean (about 35 calories per serving)
Chicken or turkey breast (skinless):
1 ounceFish fillet (all whitefish):
1 ounce Canned, water-packed tuna:
1 ounceShellfish: 1 ounceEgg whites:
2 largeEgg substitute: 1/4 cupLean (about 55 calories per serving)
Chicken or turkey (skinless dark meat):
1 ounce Salmon, swordfish, herring, trout, bluefish:
1 ounceLean beef (flank steak, top round, ground sirloin):
1 ounceVeal or lamb (roast or lean chop):
1 ouncePork (tenderloin):
1 ounceCanadian bacon: 1 ounceLow-fat hot dogs:
1 Low-fat luncheon meats:
1 ounceDairy Products (about 90 calories per serving)Fat-free or 1-percent-fat cottage cheese (calcium fortified):
1 cupLow-fat, sugar-free yogurt:
3/4 cupFat-free, sugar-free yogurt:
1 cupLow-fat cheese (all types):
Step 5
Selecting Fats
Most dieters immediately start cutting fat. But instead of just cutting out junk-food sources of fat, they also cut fatty foods that are healthy, including nuts and nut butters, and olives and olive oil. Foods with a little fat help slow the rate of digestion and provide a sense of fullness. Try to get 25 percent of your daily calories from good fats by selecting heart-healthy vegetable, nut, and fish sources.
Fats of Choice
Full-Calorie sources (about 50 calories per serving)
All oils: 1 teaspoon Avacado (medium):
1/8 Almonds, cashews, filberts:
6 Peanuts:
10Pistachios:
15Olives (green or black):
8 medium Peanut butter (creamy or chunky):
1 teaspoonReduced-Calorie sources (about 25 calories per serving)Light tub margarine:
1 teaspoonLight mayonnaise/salad dressing:
1 teaspoonLight cream cheese:
1 teaspoonFat-free salad dressing:
1 tablespoon
Step 6
Establish an Eating/Running Pattern
The wild card in the 50-25-25 eating plan is how you distribute your calories throughout the day. That depends on your running schedule. Because you want to eat the bulk of your carbohydrate calories around the times when you will be active, you need to know ahead of time when you're going to exercise each day. Then select mostly carbohydrate-rich foods to fuel up beforehand or afterward. By eating most of your carbohydrate calories around your runs, you'll then eat most of your protein and fat calories the rest of the day when you're more sedentary.Remember one other guideline when establishing your daily eating pattern: Don't go too many hours without eating or your brain will signal starvation mode and stimulate your appetite. So go ahead and have a morning, afternoon, and evening meal, along with snacks. Just make sure that when you tally up all your eating, you're still within your daily calorie range.
Adapted from Runner's World The Runner's Diet by Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S. (Rodale 2005). Available in May '05 at rodalestore.com and at bookstores nationwide.
This is the basics but it is not etched in stone I make changes all the time and trying to maintain those exact ratios is not easy. But do your best and you will be happy. I might start enlighting you with recipes I use maybe?
be careful outthere
me
“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
