Best way to lose weight as a runner

[CokeZeroPlease]

I usually run about 15-20 miles a week , longest one being between 8-10 miles with shorter ones in between
however I’m definitely overcompensating in the food front !
ironically I was slimmer before running when I do low carb but Im reluctant to give it up as it does wonders for my mental health. Is lower carb compatible with these sorts of distances ? I have a half planned for March and I know I’d run better if I was a stone lighter.

It sounds like you know where you are overeating so just need to cut back there! (I know that ‘just’ not eating is hard!)
I think you need to listen to your body and be prepared to have more carbs as you increase your training.

What time do you run? Can you run closer to a meal time so you can reduce snacking by having less time to wait for your next meal?

Have a read of The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance

... which will outline why low carbing can/will/should work for you

Hello, I think everyone is different since we all have dos and donts that may or may not agree with us. You have to do whats right for you and listen to your body. Always recommend speaking to your doctors for advice too.

Not sure if this would help but I've been following this low carb brand for quite some time as I'm really into running myself, trained for marathons etc. I really enjoy low carb as a general lifestyle change like you it started mainly for my mental health and grew from there. They are srslylowcarb.com if you wanted to have a look.

I'm also an advocate of that company - their low carb sliced bread and wraps are really good. Albeit a bit pricey.

Run less. You will subconsciously be hungrier after periods of heavy sustained exercise. It's very very common that people actually gain weight during marathon training!

@BIWI i have ordered that book, thank you
@louise297 can I ask do you find low carb works ok with the running ? Do you have a set amount of carbs per day ? I’m wondering if a more moderate approach so legumes / beans / butternut squash etc but cut bread pasta sweets sugary stuff might be a good balance

@Vegetus i have considered this, but I can’t afford a gym or classes and nothing gives me the same buzz and / or mental clarity as running plus I do it with friends and I love the social aspect . I don’t even want to be super slim just a medium bmi and I see so many slim runners I wonder where I’m going wrong !

You can definitely cut back on calories and run those distances. What time of day are you running? Do you run fasted?

Try and work and when/why you overeat/eT beyond ‘fullness’ and go from there.

@Scarydinosaurs i generally run in the mornings , between 8-10 x4 days p week
I do run fasted mostly , if I’m going over 10k I’d have a bagel or some toast before .

the overeating it genuinely is just greediness / I’ll just have one / go on it’s fine mindset 😭 generally I think my meals are ok . alcohol as well , I have a stressful job (social worker) and I love my glass of wine or two on a Friday and Saturday night , a soft drink just doesn’t cut it

I eat low carb. My macros split is carbs 20%, protein 30%, fat 50% (split 50:50 between processed fats like cheese/dairy and natural fats like nuts, avocados).

I do Iron distance triathlon at a competitive level.

The science is that carbs fuel short intense energy bursts (eg sprinting) but for long endurance energy you want your body to use its fats stores. The reason is that if you try to eat carbs at the same rate you burn them off you will get gastric distress.

So if I was doing short fast sprint sets to work on my speed I'd eat carbs beforehand. For a long steady run or race I eat more fat.

Have a look up Endure IQ "right fuel right time" and listen to the corresponding podcast.

Could you switch to something less calorific for your drink? (I’m the same - wine gets me!) and get more ‘good’ choice snacks in so you’re less likely to make self sabotaging choices?

Carb cycling can work with running where you plan your carb intake around your exercise.

I've never counted macros, but do exercise better if there are carbs in my system for a longer session; I've always had a tendency to go woozy if I skimp on energy. I can go to parkrun fasted as it's only 30ish mins and early in the day, but that's about my limit. I can then reduce my carbs portion in the evening and fill up on veg/ protein. I generally try and keep breakfast low carb as that stops the mid-morning munchies kicking in.