Changes in activity level or diet can sometimes result in unintended consequences. Unlike with exercise, it’s not as easy to pinpoint when a nutrition plan isn’t meeting your needs since there are many ways symptoms of inadequate nutrition can manifest. Poor nutrition can negatively impact your workout sessions, sleep, energy levels, and total health if maintained over the long term. If you’re experiencing any of these red flags then it’s time to reevaluate how you’re eating and make changes to better meet your energy and nutrient needs.
You’re hungry “all of the time.”
Increasing your activity level will result in increased energy needs. If you’re not used to the increase in activity (such is often the case when starting a new training plan) then the increased hunger may feel unfamiliar. However, feeling hungry “all of the time” is a good sign that your plan isn’t working. Sometimes this is a result of nutrient composition in a meal and other times it’s a result of inadequate energy intake. If it’s inadequate energy intake that is causing the bottomless hunger then try increasing calories incrementally. If it’s meal compositions, try combining food groups to diversify nutrients and increase satiety after a meal. Think protein + fat + carbs or a combination of two or more in each meal to help fill you up and keep you full. This problem is best solved by working with a registered dietitian.
You feel unusually exhausted during a workout.
Training is hard, but it shouldn’t be impossible. Some signs of inadequate energy intake include extreme exhaustion, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, increased injuries, and more. Be sue to follow a training plan that takes your fitness level into account as it progresses and allow yourself adequate time to recover between sessions. Stay hydrated throughout the day and eat to meet your calorie needs. Meal timing can also help with ensuring adequate energy is available during a workout and can help to speed recovery after a workout.
You’re losing weight rapidly.
If weight loss is your goal then rapid weight loss may sound like a great idea, however rapid weight loss is more often a red flag than it is a positive result of a new diet. Rapid weight loss (greater than 2lb per week) is typically seen on extremely low carbohydrate diets due to water loss from reduced carbohydrate intake. Other extremely low calorie diets can also result in water loss, but may also lead to muscle loss. More importantly, if weight loss is rapid then it’s likely that the diet will not be sustainable due to the extreme change to total calorie intake. Reconsider any diet that results in extreme weight loss over a short period of time.
You feel out of control around food.
Any time you feel out of control around food, sound the alarm. A good nutrition plan should not leave you feeling out of control, obsessed, or preoccupied. If you feel like you’re missing out on your favorite foods then you’re unlikely to maintain the diet or eating plan over the long term. Take a critical look at the why behind the feeling. Are you eating enough calories? Do you feel deprived? Are you truly hungry?
You require a “cheat day.”
Similar to feeling out of control, diets that restrict your intake to an extreme can often result in the “cheat day” mentality. This type of approach can damage your relationship with food and may result in a binge/restrict cycle. The idea of any eating pattern is that it can be sustained and is consistent over a long period of time. Remember, cheating in any area of our life is considered a red flag, so why is the diet an exception?
Ronald Boos is a member of Team Ordinary and the United States Marine Corps. A whiz at trivia, he can be found frequently on our Early Morning Zwift Training Rides.This is Final Part of a 3-part series. If you missed the first two, you can see Part 1 hereand Part 2 here.
3 strikes, you’re out:
18 miles down, 32 to go. I find myself leaving the drop bag area refreshed, restocked and still invigorated. I pass by the Start/Finish line heading towards the southern portion of the modified out-and-back lollypop course, immediately dropping into a single-track trail through the woods. Small shoutout to the event organizers, every trail that I found myself on during the race had been cleared of leaves and debris in the weeks before the race. A small gesture, that took them a lot of time and effort, and was greatly appreciated.
The next 5 miles were downhill on technical switchback trails, with a couple of decent climbs to keep us honest. As I ran along, I had the honor of getting to know the competitors around me. I passed some, some passed me, some played accordion along the way, but we were all in the experience together and more than a few conversations passed the time and miles nicely.
As I fell back into a rhythm, I picked up a running mate that had never even completed a marathon but signed up for the full 50 miles. And some people call me crazy!
I allowed myself the time to appreciate the environment, the views, and the oddities such as the Chattanooga skyline from the ridgeline or the waterfall right beside the trail somewhere around mile 22. Technically, this is strike 3 I think, but I wouldn’t have changed enjoying the experience, no matter what the cost.
At the marathon mark there was an aid station containing some very welcome pickles, potato and bacon soup, smores, peanut butter pretzels, and some tailwind for my bottles. If you’ve never had the pleasure of coming across an Ultra aid station, it’s a sight to behold. Everything you would never expect a runner to even eat on a cheat day is available in bulk during an actual event. This is where my race day partner and I split up. I didn’t want to spend more time than necessary to load up and go, and I knew that he had his own race to run. The next aid station was just over 6 miles away, through more narrow technical terrain, with a fresh pair of shoes and socks waiting for me in my drop bag.
Transition area… MILE 33
The wheels began to fall off somewhere around mile 30. My feet were starting to feel like I was stepping on glass with every step, as I found myself coming out of a clearing and onto the shoulder of a sweet stretch of paved, downhill, road. Ecstatic, I began to slowly run through the pain down the hill but had to slow to a walk more times than I liked. I turned at the base of the hill at the access of a trailhead and back onto trails for another mile to the aid station. I limped my way into the corral, saw my brother waiting for me, got a much needed hug, asked him to get me a couple of quesadillas from the food point (seriously, Ultra aid stations alone are worth the pain). The I went to work on fixing my feet with some KT tape and fresh footwear.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that the dry, padded, shoes made me feel like I was walking on clouds compared to my trail shoes. Maybe if I had decided to change shoes at mile 18 it would have saved my race. (Strike 2.5?) I downed some food, took some for the trail, refilled my water and nutrition and continued.
I spent 8 minutes in transition and had a 4-mile loop I had to get through to make the cutoff of 9 hours and 30 minutes back at the same aid station at mile 37. I had an hour, and I was determined that the pain wouldn’t stop me.
I began the slowest 4 miles of my life. The busted knee coming back to haunt me, and feet were just absolutely done. At this point, even the fresh shoes couldn’t keep the pain at bay for more than a few hundred feet of running at a time. My mind wandered to all the downhill portions of the course that I had covered during the last 20 miles and the realization that I would have to now go up those hills on an injured carriage to the finish line.
When my watch told me that the cutoff time had passed with just over half a mile to go, I felt defeated and limped my way the rest of the distance. I came out of the woods 1/10 of a mile from the transition point to cheers and encouragement, telling me to run. Confused, I ran through the pain up to the barn, and crossed the line at 9 hours 50 minutes and 17 seconds. I didn’t know it but at some point during the day the cut off times got extended by 20 minutes, I missed the new cut off by 17 seconds. If I hadn’t felt defeated during the last half mile, I would have made it. (Strike 4, one for good measure)
I was welcomed to the line, turned down a sly offer to continue even though I missed the time. Knowing that there was no way I would make the next cutoff if I foolishly tried, I simply asked for one of the cold beers sitting there in a cooler at the line.
Me with another DNF racer, talking about knowing one’s limits
My limit, that day, was 37.12 miles in 9:50:17 and 7,037 ft of elevation gain. Could I have physically continued? Yes, but I would not have made the limit and kept volunteers on the course longer than necessary, possibly even sparked a search for me when I wasn’t on time. I accepted that limit, vowed to learn from my mistakes, and come back for revenge on the mountain that claimed my spirit. I’m proud of myself for knowing when enough was enough but know that there’s more in me.
37 miles in, a half marathon away.
Where do we go from here? Finding my way forward.
Lessons learned:
-Don’t start out too fast, you’ll pay for it later.
-Train for terrain, hills with pavement and developed trails are fine but if you’re going to be running a technical trail, train on technical trails.
-Pay attention when running and pick up your feet, so you don’t bust your knee.
-Pace yourself based off a plan, not those around you.
-Change shoes way earlier than you think you need to.
-Don’t give up until you’re told it’s over.
-Do an Ultra, the food stations are worth it.
Maybe don’t try to run 50 miles less than 2 months after a 50k race? (I’ll probably ignore this one though, to be honest).
Looking forward, as I said before, I’m taking the base that I gained from my year of running and leveraging it towards expanding my endeavors. Endurance doesn’t care how you’re using at as long as you are doing something. I’ve shifted gears (pun intended) to focusing on cycling this year as a new format, and plan to branch into triathlon as a discipline. My lovely wife is starting to get into endurance sports also. I’ve found that trying to be an example and encourage without being pushy is a great way to get supplemental discipline with needed motivation.
Oh well, we’ll get ’em next time.
Morning training rides with Coach Scott and other Team Ordinary members have been an incredibly helpful way to balance training with my home and work life. 5 am really comes early but sweating with friends is an awesome way to start the day. Great things are in my future, keeping it fresh and adding new goals to strive for will be key in maintaining my desire. Revenge is coming, not this year because I’m trying to balance my crazy with being smart, when called for. But the next time I find myself in Tennessee, late December, standing on frost tipped grass, waiting for that starting horn, will 37 miles be all I have?
I know the answer, but I plan to find out for sure.
Ronald Boos is a member of Team Ordinary and the United States Marine Corps. A whiz at trivia, he can be found frequently on our Early Morning Zwift Training Rides.This is Part 2 of a 3-part series. If you missed Part 1, you can see it here.
The folly of the ignorant:
The miles were ticking off one by one. I felt good, really good. I came upon the first aid station at mile 8 feeling a little cocky. I was ahead of my goal pace but figured that if I felt good it wasn’t an issue. (Strike 1).
I grabbed some orange slices, refilled my water and continued forward. At some point in this first stretch I wasn’t paying full attention while removing warming layers and I slipped on the trail, banging and cutting my knee. I’ve run through injuries small and large before, this would be no big deal. I rinsed it off and kept moving forward, a little tenderly at first but shortly after it was as if nothing happened.
I found myself keeping pace with a group of runners that had experience on this course from years prior. What I didn’t realize at the time was that they were completing the 18 mile race, not the 50, and that they were pacing themselves accordingly. (Strike 2).
Around mile 14 I started going uphill, and kept going, and kept going. After 4 miles, and 1,110ft of climbing, I came back upon the starting line, which was also the first drop bag area. I swapped my hydration bladder, grabbed my stage 2 bag of nutrition, received encouragement from my brother-in-law / last minute crew, and pushed ahead.
The New Normal
COVID has obviously thrown a shadow across sports worldwide. How does one find the motivation to train when there’s no event to train for; worse yet when faced with the disappointment of full calendars suddenly empty?
I’ve always had the luxury of training for a monster in the distance – some big scary beast that I must prepare for. When events began falling off the horizon there wasn’t anything to keep me honest with training. I try to live by the concept that when motivation fails, discipline prevails. It’s hard to use that mantra when you feel like it’s your discipline that failed you. Faced with a lack of motivation and underlying doubt of discipline, I simply stopped.
For the first time in 3 years I missed more than 2 days in a row of training, and that snowballed into over 2 months. But there was something, the Ordinary Marathon was there to get me back into the swing of things. Sure, it’s a 10-day virtual race. There’s no starting cannon or finishing arch, but there’s a midnight madness mile, and a crazy final day (for two people this year at least). I poured everything I had into ticking off the miles, determined to exact revenge for the year prior. 163 running and 116 cycling miles later I came out on top of an epic back and forth battle that relit the pilot light of my discipline.
The Ordinary Marathon, combined with the shiny new habit of cycling, kicked me out of my funk and gave me new purpose in our crazy corner of sports. After years of wanting to attempt a triathlon but not having a bike or time, a new determination, a road bike, and being furloughed left me with no excuses to not get back at it. I committed to completing a full IronMan distance triathlon in 2021, of course (see Part 1).
The monster on the horizon has been reacquired, and it’s guiding me in towards revenge.
I have been running seriously for four years. Prior to that, I didn’t do much of anything. I played at going to the gym for 30-40 minutes, but I never really applied myself to any sort of organized activity. I tried to eat well, but fell into fad diet after fad diet. Soon, I was in my mid-30s and just not happy with what I saw in the mirror, or felt in my clothing. So, I ran, and I kept running. If you’ve been on Team Ordinary or Ordinary Marathoners FB group, you’re probably familiar with my story.
Here I am, four years later, running hundreds of miles, three full marathons, dozen half marathons, and so many 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks. I am finally sidelined with a real injury. I have a probable stress fracture in my heel that I have to have verified by bone scan. Statistically speaking, I really was due for an injury given the amount of running I do. Surprisingly, I am more at peace with this new development than I really thought I’d be. I am hoping it’ll turn me into a decent cyclist and swimmer, since those are weaker areas for me. I’m hoping I will have more time to dedicate to yoga and strength training, another weak spot for me. I will work on my nutrition, and ensure that I am doing the best, most healthy eating for me and my activity. I will work on my goals, short term and long term, to make sure I am on the path that I desire. The only way to get back to running is to go through it.
Looking again at Mr. Frost’s quote, think about how this applies to you. What have you gone through to get around? I know for many people that run marathons, this quote becomes applicable at mile 22. For others, it might be just getting out that door for a run or bike For others still, it may just be getting out of bed in the morning. All of that is okay, as long as you do it, and you can find an upside to doing so.
Allison Knott is the Official Dietitian of Team Ordinary and is the founder of ANewWell.co, where this article was originally posted.
Calorie-counting apps aren’t known for their stellar reputation. Proponents point to research that shows tracking can have positive health effects including increasing mindfulness, providing education, and improving awareness. Some even compare calorie tracking to financial tracking with success being applied to both. Those against the apps point to a risk for obsession, restriction, binging, or a reductionist approach.
Note: All of these risks are real and should not be ignored. Anyone who has a risk for developing disordered eating behaviors or a history of an eating disorder should not turn to a calorie tracking app.
No matter which side of the argument you’re on, the fact remains: these apps aren’t going away. According to the Journal of Medical Internet Research, there were over 325,000 health-related apps in the app store as of 2017. Apps continue to be developed as technology becomes an integral part of our daily lives. And the demand isn’t slowing anytime soon with the American interest in tracking everything from heart rate to sleep. So is an app right for you? These lessons learned may help you find the answer.
You may learn more about your food.
The data on calorie-tracking apps goes beyond calories alone. Many apps offer macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein) plus fiber, sodium, micronutrients and other useful nutrient data that can provide more detailed education on your food.
But, the data may not always be accurate.
Check to see if the nutrient content has been verified before relying on the app to make a decision. Many apps crowdsource their nutrient information which may lead to inaccurate data.
You won’t always meet your daily goal.
Sometimes you’ll be under and sometimes you’ll be over. The takeaway? Using an app is a tool, not a rule. Your hunger cues are always paramount to what the app is telling you. In other words, if you’re hungry – eat. If you’re not hungry, but still have plenty of calories remaining for the day – don’t eat. Remain aware of your internal cues no matter what the app is telling you.
You might find dietary patterns.
Some apps offer the option to identify patterns of healthy eating. Unfortunately, many of these patterns are limited to the connection between the food and total calories you’ve eaten for the day, but this can still be a useful tool. Seek out and focus on patterns that connect certain foods to other nutrients such as grams of fiber or milligrams of sodium. If you have a goal to stay within a certain range or increase one or more nutrients then it’s important to understand which foods and eating patterns will help you reach that goal.
You may increase your awareness.
Tracking can help with raising awareness about the foods you’re choosing. Couple that with the ability to critically look at why you’re choosing the foods you’re choosing and you are on your way to understanding behaviors and how to change them. Caution, this awareness can be a slippery slope to obsession for some. Know when to walk away or find help if you realize you’re becoming obsessed.
You could increase your physical activity.
Calorie tracking apps track calories in, but also calories out via exercise. However, this can quickly become a problem if you’re choosing to eat or not eat based on the amount of time you’ve spent exercising. If you risk looking at food as a reward for exercise or exercise as a punishment for food then using a calorie tracking app for exercise is not for you. However, if you can separate the two and see the app as a way to track your activity goals then it may offer a useful tool for increasing activity overall.
Daily calorie numbers are a tool, not a rule.
The app will calculate your daily calorie needs based on age, weight, and an activity factor using a standard calculation. If you’re more active one day then your calorie needs will increase. And if you’re less active then the needs will decrease. This becomes extremely important when using apps for tracking intake for sports nutrition purposes. For the majority of us who aren’t training for a race or increasing energy expenditure significantly, calorie goals can be used as a range and hunger can guide decisions. For sports nutrition purposes, apps can be an integral part to ensuring you’re meeting your energy needs.
Your estimate of calories burned is probably too high.
There are many factors that influence calories burned during exercise. Intensity, type of exercise, and environmental factors are just a few. Not to mention your perceived effort may skew your estimate of intensity when tracking in the app. Add all of this together and you could end up estimating that you burned more calories than you actually did in reality. Research out of Stanford University found that some apps can be off in their estimates of calories burned by 27 percent to as much as 93 percent. This is a significant range of error, so take that into consideration when estimating calories burned.
Health is more than a number on a scale or a calorie on a screen.
Weight loss is not linear nor is it a simple calculation of calories in and calories out. Tracking apps provide a constant reminder of this fact if you’re tracking your weight (aka a graphical representation). Remember, health behavior change may or may not result in weight loss, so make sure to keep your goal reasonable and minimize its effect on your decisions and motivations for change.
The bottom line: calorie-tracking apps can be useful for some people, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all approach. Choosing to work with a dietitian on health behavior change is the ideal scenario. Remember, if you do decide to use a calorie-tracking app, consider it a single tool in a much bigger toolbox to be used for changing behavior.
