If you train reasonably intensively, tell me about your diet?

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

I am hardly an Olympic athlete, but for context, I do one heavy weights session, 2 intensive circuit training sessions (lots of box jumps, lunges, press ups etc etc), and a medium distance run (10-15k) every week. Plus around 40-60 mins of yoga each night.

i also just generally have a busy life, so longish hours job, 3 young active kids and I do stuff with them like Junior Park Run and indoor climbing.

I want to keep my training properly fuelled and my energy up. But I'm also 46 not a 25yo male soldier or rugby player or something.

If you have a semi- demanding training load....tell me how you keep yourself fuelled?

I run 35-45 miles a week plus a lot of dog walking and chasing after kids. I don't do anything other than make sure I have adequate protein, and if I get hungry/grumpy between meals I don't begrudge myself a snack.

I was saying earlier today that I should be skinny. But I am not. 47 and weigh 10 stone. I run 30-40 miles a week and cycle another 35. Maybe a gym or spin class also. I don't count calories and eat three decent meals each day. Bit of chocolate nearly every night. Barely any alcohol. I snack on cereal bars, oatcakes etc. I should pay more attention to what I'm eating so interested to hear what others do. I definitely have too many sugary things.

Do you have any issues with your diet/fuelling at the moment? i.e are you trying to lose or gain weight, do you feel like you don’t have enough energy during your training sessions? That will influence the advice.

In general though, I’m a big advocate of fuelling sessions with carbs! They are your primary energy source when you are very active, and definitely not the enemy. Protein obsession driven by social media has got out of control imo. Most people will get plenty just by eating a balanced diet.

Hi, thanks for responses!

So I def don't do the same duration of cardio as some of you, but my training has a high intensity/ work rate.

I feel pretty good but always aware I barely have time to think about food!

@ilovepicnmix same. I eat okay and try to avoid upfs but I do fasted training as I train at 6am before work and only have black coffee beforehand. I tey and eat a banana or sometimes a homemade energy ball after but it's hit n miss.

@DownThePubWithStevieNicks great name... I am currently less lean than I would like. I mean you'd never say I was fat, but bit of a mum tum despite a lot of hard work!

I hear you on being a 40-something woman with some stubborn belly fat!

If you wanted to lose some fat - to show off the muscle from your weight training! - you could try a calorie deficit for a few months. My advice there would be to carefully plan your eating around sessions. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of having quick snacks before a session for fuel and still eating my meal after, and the result is more calories than I need. If I have my normal meal before, I can sit with some hunger afterwards because I don’t need the energy.

Late 40s, 30 miles run a week, 3 strength sessions and a netball match per week.

I eat porridge or granola and yoghurt for breakfast, 2 hard boiled eggs (with salad cream lol) mid morning, batch made soup and a plate of chicken for lunch, fruit mid afternoon and then a normal family dinner albeit a smallish portion.

If im the night before a longer run, 10 miles or more, then I will eat a bit more for dinner and add a banana to breakfast. I fuel with energy bars mid long run and make sure I add some refuel carbs into my post run meal. I will chuck in a protein shake occasionally.

I also have a busy social life and eat and drink whatever I want on those occasions. I don't tend to eat cakes and biscuits as im not drawn to them but crisps and dip on cadburys can lead me astray once every few weeks.

I batch cook the soup and a large chicken on the weekend so that is lunch for the week.

Every few days when work gets in the way im prone to under eating by accident which I am trying to address as I can totally connect being under fuelled with general menopausal fatigue solve managed to reeducate my brain to see calories as fuel rather than the enemy, which is where I spent my younger years.

For clarity re typo...I dont eat crisps and dip ON cadburys... 🤣

Heavy weights 3/wk, circuits 1/wk, gym session 2/wk and maybe 1/2 yoga/pilates if I can get it in. Plus a dog walk every day.

breakfast
greek yog, berries, banana and home made granola. Beet juice, ginger shot, latte and 2 glasses of water

mid morning
Pop corn, 2 satsumas and some nuts

lunch-
buddah bowl- chicken or fish, loads of veggies, seeds,nuts, green leaves and some rice
home made bean soups
home made gyoza
rice paper wraps

snickers bar. My vice

dinner
Midweek - not much maybe a small carb free of what kids are having
weekends- anything goes

maybe 4 units of alcohol total. Sometimes none. I am sober curious

@Desmondo2021 do you eat before you run, can I ask? Right now I am up at 5am to run, out door by 5.25ish, and back for breakfast at 0645 ish. But nothing beforehand

@Peclet ooh I am envious of your routine! My kids are young still and with work, I just cannot fit in so many sessions but I really want to up my game when they are a bit older.

I like your day's meals too. I also make my own granola! That is similarish to what I eat but I think I have fewer mid morning snacks and a junkier supper. I might change up some stuff based on your meals.

Also used to have beetroot juice, should start that up again.

Very low alcohol here, haven't had anything since Xmas.

Mostly toast and tea - see my Lean eating post 🤣
I do 2-3 bootcamp style fitness sessions a week plus hockey 2-3 times a week, plus dog walks, plus 30+ hours work, plus kids. My nutrition needs serious work!

I run around 30 miles a week usually but currently marathon training so it’s more like 40-45 at present. Gym twice a week for weights classes. Resistance band work outs at home 2-3 times a week and 15-20 mins of yoga most mornings.

age 40. My diet is fairly pants compared to some on here. I will have a slice of toast and fruit for breakfast. A sandwich or salad with maybe some crisps and more fruit at lunch. If I’m running before tea I’ll have a snack such as a protein bar (peanut ones from Aldi which are about 190 calories rather than the 400 calorie ones). Dinner is generally made from scratch but is often pasta or rice based. Most evenings I will eat a chocolate bar. Last night was a toffee crisp.

I feel fuelled enough for what I do and generally sit at the same weight. I’m a size 6-8 and weight about 8 stone. I do think once you’ve had kids many people won’t have a flat stomach. My kids are older so it’s not like I’ve been pregnant recently but my skin is over stretched and so the bottom of my stomach is saggy, despite the top part having a 6 pack 🤷‍♀️. It is what it is.

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato yeah my tummy is exactly like that! If I am wearing high waisted shorts I look like I have a six pack. But if I take them off.... 😱

Can I ask, do any of you do fasted training? I know it is not ideal but it is how I normally train and wondering if I should change that.

I am 2d post period (heavy blood loss) and definitely felt a bit shaky/ lightheaded during the more intensive bits of my training this morning!

I don’t train fasted. Apart from a bit of yoga which isn’t really training. I just feel a bit weak and wobbly and I don’t really like it.

im not a huge fan of fuelling too much during runs and tend to avoid gels but I’ll always eat 2 bits of toast and peanut butter before a morning run. I lucky that I can run on a full stomach without too many issues. I know some people can’t. I mainly exercise in the evening during the week and so I’ll have had breakfast and lunch and if running more than 5 miles a little snack before that. I wouldn’t bother with a snack before shorter runs or a gym class though.

Yes I do, but only because I usually run at 5.30 and I'm not getting up any earlier to eat and digest before that. I'm fine up to about 15 miles without anything.

That is interesting @Lighterandbrighter and @Whataninterestinglookingpotato

I am re discovering running atm after years away with injury. My longest distance atm is 10-11 miles. Probably doesn't need anything beforehand.

My circuits are trickier - they will typically be before 7am, quite intense so maybe 1h ish of strictly times sets of say 25 press ups, followed by weighted box jumps, 50m of sandbag lunges blah blah on loop. By the end I feel like I've worked hard and sometimes verging on queasy. I feel like I need something else in the tank but also like I might be actually sick in the gym 😆

It's not for everyone, but I've got an electrolyte carb loading sports drink powder thing that I use to sip on during longer runs and for the night before a race. Maybe that might be enough to sip on during a more intense training session without adding to the nausea?

Thanks, I don't normally have any UPFs but I might think about that too!

I run 5 or so days a week. I don’t like to run fasted so breakfasts are usually something carby: porridge with nuts and banana or something. Then the rest of the day I try to be more mindful of protein, so I eat quite a lot of chicken and lean protein and snacks are things like cooked chicken, cheese, nuts, fruit with nut butter, Greek yoghurt, etc and I am partial to a Barebells protein bar as they taste exactly like a chocolate bar.

For long runs I take some jelly babies to eat every so often (cheaper than gels!).