Recipes for Runners – Healthy and Lean
Back in 2010 I weighed in at 215 lb’s. For a man of 5’10”, that was tipping the scales in the obese range. I had sore knees and a sore back. I started my weight loss program by coming to grips with what I was doing wrong. Later, my life got taken over by the sport of running. Once I had these two pieces put together, my body composition made amazing changes. Recipes for Runners – Healthy and Lean, is the part of this blog, and my social media accounts, where I share my passion for cooking. Eating and fuelling my running life are very important to me.
The Formula for Success
Weight loss isn’t rocket science. It can be difficult to pull off though, but it doesn’t have to be. It all comes down to being willing to be a little uncomfortable in the short term, for long term success. Despite what a lot of influencers try to tell you, it all comes down to being in a calorie deficit. Believe me, I’m a great example of what a calorie deficit can do. A week or two of sacrifice is all it takes before your body becomes accustomed to consuming fewer calories.
Within the first year of watching what I ate, I dropped 45 lb’s and felt great. There is nothing more motivational than progress. The first step I took was tracking my food consumption using an app called MyFitnessPal. This was a real eye opener. I had a number in mind for what I thought I was eating in a day. The fact was that I was so far off it was crazy. I think this is the most thought provoking thing I’ve done in my life. I’m pretty sure most people, no matter what their weight, don’t fully appreciate what they are putting through their body. Tracking what you eat throughout the day for a couple of weeks may shock you. Try it.
Once I knew what I was eating, and the nutritional profile of the foods consumed, I could make better decisions. I put a cap on my daily intake of 1600 calories, as this is what the app calculated for me. It calculated that this would give me a deficit allowing me to lose 2 lb’s per week. Did I hit this every day? No, but more often than not.
Recipes for Runners – Healthy and Lean Made Things Fun
Now that I had a number of calories I could consume, it forced me to get creative with my food choices. I made substitutes with lower calorie options. Cooking more nutritious foods from scratch made me more creative. It also kept things interesting and fun. I had to make the calories I consumed go farther and be more delicious. The whole process was enjoyable after the first few weeks.
Adding Exercise to the Mix
In addition to coming up with new recipes I needed to burn more calories. Having fewer calories in was only half the battle. More calories out was the second part. Once again, this challenge was grasped with both hands. On the days I didn’t run, there was always some sort of exercise thrown in. Whether it was a weightlifting session, cardio workout, stationary bike, there was always something. The key factor with this was to not then consume the calories the app said I burned. It wasn’t as if I earned extra calories on that day. If I just consumed the calories burned, I would have put the weight straight back on.
How Can Recipes for Runners Healthy and Lean Help You?
There are three main goals for posting these recipes. First and foremost is to share some delicious recipes that are healthy and nutritious. Why consume food that is bland and dull? There is no need. If you stick within your calorie goals for the day, then these recipes will optimize your consumption. You will be kept satisfied for longer.
The second goal is to help you run better. By fuelling your running with energy rich, nutritious foods you will make big improvements with your running. Maybe weight loss isn’t your goal. By eating these recipes for runners healthy and lean meals, you are giving yourself a better chance of improving. However, healthy weight loss will help you run faster.
Third, these will be easy to follow and anyone can make them. It is surprising how easy healthy eating can be. You don’t have to eat chicken and broccoli every meal in order to lose weight or run faster. You don’t need that to build muscle either. Those are two excellent foods, but B.O.R.I.N.G. Let’s mix it up a bit and bring some excitement to your healthy and lean meals.
Please follow me on tiktok at achieverunningclub and on Instagram at achieverunningclub in order to get all these recipe ideas. You may get a wee laugh as well.