04/06/2026
Instead of focusing on calories in / calories out to lose weight as a runner. Focus on these things instead.
Calorie maths works in theory and breaks in practice. Especially for runners, who need fuel for performance, recovery, and hormonal health. Under eat to chase a number on the scale and your training falls apart.
Eat real food first. Whole grains, oats, rice, potatoes, fruit, veg, eggs, dairy, fish, meat, beans, nuts, seeds. The more your diet leans on whole foods, the less you need to worry about calories at all.
Get enough protein. 1.6 to 2g per kg of bodyweight per day, spread across meals. Keeps you full, protects muscle, supports recovery. Most runners under eat it.
Fuel around training, not away from it. Carbs before quality sessions and long runs. Carbs and protein within an hour after. Under fuelling the session is where most go wrong, then they snack all evening because they’re chronically hungry.
Eat enough fibre. 30g a day from veg, fruit, oats, beans, whole grains. Regulates appetite, supports gut health, stabilises energy.
Cut ultra processed food back, not out. Ready meals, packaged snacks, sugary cereals. Don’t ban them, just stop building meals around them.
Sleep before snack. Tiredness drives appetite more than hunger does. 7 to 9 hours makes every nutrition decision easier.
Be patient. Sustainable change for a runner happens over months, not weeks. Crash diets cost you fitness, muscle, and hormonal health.
Focus on the quality of what’s on your plate. The numbers sort themselves out.
