If you are a runner

If you want to improve your time try your local park run on a Saturday Morning .

I’ve run for years, never been on a diet but don’t overindulge on a regular basis. Still 8 stone in my 50s. Running is the quickest and simplest way to health and ideal weight in my experience

Run for your health and don’t overeat. Eat as wholesome as you can without adding unnecessary fat and suger. Job done 😀

At weekends I run first thing and don't eat beforehand.

Weekdays I run in my lunch break.

Week day menu looks like:
B: yoghurt and granola or porridge or a croissant

L: lentil curry and rice or salad or hot chicken wrap plus chocolate bar and coffee

S: poached egg on toast plus chocolate or beans on toast or soup

Snacks: apple, Wotaits, couple of biscuits

...worthwhile noting that low carb diets have been in the press recently for not being healthy for the vast majority of people. Too little fibre, too few whole grains, too much saturated fat, too much animal produce, and most often unsustainable for both the person doing the diet, and the planet. Curiously, this is never discussed on Mumsnet.

I don’t ever do low carb but I tend to put limitations on it. Eg I’ll weigh out the pasta before I cook it, rather than just dump it in the water, same with rice etc- it always gets measured out. It’s easy to make portions too large, so if you measure out the carbs and protein, then it’s easier to bulk a meal/plate out with vegetables. I eat very little sugar too- chocolate is usually a couple of squares of dark chocolate at most, and I’d find a bowl of sultana bran way too sweet! If you drastically reduced uneccesary sugar rather than eliminating carbs, you might notice a difference.

At your pace and mileage, you definitely don’t need to be adding extra food. Just keep on with the running and regular healthy meals. Fasted running is good for fat burning, but be aware it doesn’t work for everyone and the usual running advice is not to do it more than once a week. I can’t do it as it makes me puke...must be a genetic thing as my son is the same!

I think of one slice of bread equals 1 mile. No butter or jam. To lose weight I don't eat any more, just eat it before I go running if it is over 5-6 miles. I do carry emergency rations but rarely use them.

I lost 3 stone last year from running and doing a low carb diet. I do eat carbs, I aim for less than 50g a day, but I avoid pasta, bread, potatoes, cereal etc. I always run 'fasted' before I eat.

However running makes me mega hungry, and I have only managed to lose weight because I was quite meticulous with my diet for 6 months, and still fairly meticulous now in maintenance. I also do twice weekly strength training which I think helps. It's a revelation just how few calories a run can burn, even if you feel like you've worked so hard. I did 10k today, quite fast for me at sub 58mins, and it burned less than 600 cals. I could literally eat that standing at the fridge, deciding what to eat!!

Very easily done. A friend at work who's started running 3 miles x 3 times a week has been moaning she isn't loosing weight. Turns out she's been eating shed loads of pasta to "fuel" her.

Even when I've ran a half marathon I've never touched gels etc. Just kept myself well hydrated during the race. Plus I struggle to eat before as they always used to be so early and I can't run after I eat for ages. Maybe a banana and that it.

I guess your body gets used to performing on what you've provided it with.

Although when I ran every day and trained hard I did used to eat bread and pasta. Which I rarely touch now.

It's easy done op!

My times are best when I’m doing regular core work, too. Dunno why that works but I think it does.

I think just eat what makes you feel good (carbs and all) and gradually up your distance. I eat like a horse (though am still breastfeeding as well) and since my long runs have broken about 5 miles the last of my (16 month old) baby weight is gone. My times are getting closer to pre-baby as my distance goes up and weight comes back to racing weight as well.

So I think just do what feels good, go a bit further each weekend, and let your body do what it likes.

If I'm just running to keep healthy and slim, I'll stick to my low carb diet. I can run perfectly well without carbs.

If I was training for a race and was concerned about times etc, I'd up my carbs.

I think a lot of people over estimate just how many carbs they need when exercising.

Oh I usually take a SIS isotonic gel or two on runs over 15km but find them a bit rank to swallow and then they swirl round and I have sticky hands and literally all I can think of is sticky hands.

Marble cake and 2 cups of coffee this morning followed by 15km run.
Porridge/banana/Brazil nut smoothies for breakfast regardless of whether not running or running 5 or 25km.

I’m vegan so a good amount of carbs. Doing a variety of workouts made me lose a bit (not deliberately). So intervals once a week, a run with a bit of tempo run included as well as long and slow and general pootling. That should improve your pace too. I just stick to normal meals/fruit snacks unless I’ve done a hard long run...for a 2 hour slow run I might have a gel or 2 if I feel it’s necessary. And generally make sure there is a good amount of protein as well as carbs.

chase* times....

I always do my fastest shorter distance (5km or 10km) on the first run after a long run. Font know why, but it's usually the case.

As for running and losing weight - most weight loss comes from diet, not exercise.

I have lost 8 stone while low carb and low fat dieting (so high protein and veg mostly), whilst running every day. But I don't chance times, instead build stamina and distance.

You don’t necessarily need to ditch the LCHF. I eat LCHF and last year ran over 1000 miles including training for a marathon. I run

If you want to improve your time, you should do a variety or runs, not just trying to run the same 5K a little bit faster. You want to mix it up. Here's one sample plan for this: www.runnersworld.com/training/a20782988/run-a-5k-faster-with-these-five-fun-workouts/

For myself and others I know who do 16/8 I think it works because you don't cut out meals as such but there's no time to fit in snacking on rubbish.
That and I make sure I brush my teeth after tea as I'm too lazy to do them again so that stops me grazing in the evening

It's tricky. I did a half marathon last year and put on weight as I was over compensating. I ran another 1/2 marathon last week but only had a cup of tea beforehand - no idea how I did it.

For stitch I think it's hydration beforehand that's crucial.

To improve my time I do shorter runs but run faster. I found it helped to run with someone who normally runs faster than you.
With regards diet, lots of water when you finished your runs, fills the tummy rather than food.