Everyday Systems

I stumbled on this site today and I'm curious if anyone on here is an athlete or works out with intensity 5-6 days per week. Here's the deal: I'm a 25 year old female. My BMI is on the lower end of normal (19-19.5ish). I'm not looking to lose more than 7 lbs because then I would be teetering on the edge of underweight. I know that some of you are probably reading this and wondering why on earth I want to lose weight. The issue is that I'm a runner and I also have an insatiable sweet tooth. If I can lose a bit of weight in a healthy manner (i.e. cutting out most of my cookie intake), it will be good for me from a nutrition standpoint and could also help me shave a few seconds off of my mile time. I know I don't need to lose weight, so my motivation for this is mostly so I can eat better and feel better.

So I'm fine with no sweets and no seconds but I'm not sure about no snacks. I run 30-40 miles per week and sometimes I run after work (usually it's first thing in the morning). Unless I move my lunch to 3PM, there's no way I'd get through an afternoon run without a snack (like a granola bar or some crackers with peanut butter) around an hour beforehand. When I'm training for a half marathon and running 10+ miles every Sunday, I'm used to eating some toast and peanut butter pre-run and then a homemade smoothie afterward. Sweets are my downfall (seconds aren't too much of an issue), so I really like the idea of limiting my indulgences, especially when it's very easy for me to say "oh, I ran 13 miles, I deserve a whole cake!" But considering the energy that I need to get through some of my workouts, I'd like to know how other active people have fared with sticking to this food philosophy.

Welcome to No S!

I've been able to blend No S with running marathons pretty easily.

My long runs or races are done on weekends. Weekends is when the No Snacks, Seconds and Sweets rules are lifted. I eat whatever I need to get me through the workouts.

I don't need a snack before my weekday workouts, probably because I do them in the morning, before breakfast.

If you need an afternoon snack to fuel your runs, I think you should go ahead and have it. Many people on the forum have personalized modifications to fit their lifestyle.

Happy running!
Lori

My take on the philosophy behind the "no snacks" part of NoS is that it's mostly aimed at removing random, unplanned eating from your day (and thus removing all the calories one tends to consume absent-mindedly while snacking). From that perspective, a planned "mini-meal" at 3pm (or whenever) fits right in with NoS, and if it allows you to work out, that seems worthwhile.

I'm considering something similar since there's a fitness class at 1pm on some N days that I like to attend, and that creates some trouble for me: I have to eat about two hours before any such exercise, which means either a super-early lunch or a too-late one. I'm noticing that some days my desire to eat lunch is leading me not to go to the workout, so it may make sense for me to plan a small, healthy snack at 11am on those days.

I've been struggling with this same problem myself since I started running and cycling a couple of months after starting No S. With the running (very minimal ~2 miles at at time about 3 times or more a week) I could easily stay green. I would use the juice and milk trick, but it worked great for me. And I would often be slightly less hungry after running.

Now however in the past month and a half, my husband and I have bought bikes and have been cycling as much 2-3 hours in a day as much as 4-5 times a week and staying green just doesn't happen. I've allowed myself to have a food bar during our long rides since there is no other way to make it and have considered those days green. Of course, after a ride like that, one plate often does not cut it. And only 1 or 2 rides will be weekend ones. Passing on sweets has been harder and I'm trimming up still.

So, I've been toying with different ideas and how to continue to make No S work for me. On the upside, if I do very little to no exercise for 2 days, I can only eat about 2 meals a day comfortably!

Thanks for the advice! I think that the planned "mini meal" approach (or small breakfast #1 and small breakfast #2) would be good for me on those days when I need to eat both before and after a run.