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Why Running to Eat Hinders Success | My Running Diary

By Mandi Mellen

Posted on July 24, 2018

The most common reason one starts to run is so they can eat whatever they want. You do need to feed your body properly in order to be able to run, but that should not be the main reason you start running. Here’s why running to eat hinders your success and is not sustainable.

My Running Diary: July 24th, 2018

Running to eat hinders your fitness success and will ultimately derail your goals. The main reason is because it’s not sustainable. I know many people who pick up running throughout a given year. What I mean by this is that they go through portions of their life as a “runner” and then even larger portions trying to get back to being a “runner.” So many of us runners have fallen into this cycle at some point and it’s because our motivations were misguided.

There is a trick to not falling into this cycle, of avoiding just running to eat. It boils down to learning how to eat so you can be you. All of us have a perfect “diet” that allows us to eat the styles of food we want without feeling deprived and still being able to indulge. This diet also allows us to maintain our healthy bodies, whatever that looks like. You need to learn what you can eat and still be happy. It’s definitely a lot easier than you think.

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Personally, I know that I can eat carbs, but I have to be realistic about the amount and frequency. As long as I keep those in check, I really don’t have to worry too much about what I eat. Let me clarify on this, I don’t gravitate towards unhealthy foods, especially when I’m in a groove of cooking at home. When I’m eating a lot at home, even when I go out I still want to eat healthy and I never feel like over indulging. I will now and again, but it’s much less frequent.

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A really easy way to figure out what kind of eater you are is to log your calories for 7 days. I use Myfitnesspal and every time I dedicate myself to overhauling my diet, I always see which spots I’m indulging in. It’s those spots that I can dial back on, which allows me to separate running and eating. I no longer equate the two and I’m not running to eat.

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Committing yourself to evaluating what you eat makes it impossible to lie to yourself. It also puts into perspective what your body really needs. Once you set your diet to what your body really needs, then you’ll know how much you should run, how much is too little, and how much is too much. I always make sure that I am just at the happy medium for me and my body.

I also figure out the best tweaks to my diet every few months and it allows me to not use my running as a force for my eating, but something I can enjoy on its own. It makes running so much easier too. If I’m eating the right amount, it makes me feel great, especially when I’m running. Once I learned this, it was obvious that running to eat hinders success and I knew I had to end the cycle for good.

Escape your cycle and set yourself free. You’ll enjoy so much running success! I know I am currently enjoying mine.

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Mandi Mellen is Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Host at BuzzChomp. She’s also an Actress, Writer, Director and Producer. Get lost in her Youtube comedy channel PillowTalk TV. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram

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