Jogging and running is a great way to live healthy and happy lifestyles, but is it the be all and end all to weight loss and strength goals? No, unfortunately not. As you would be hearing more and more often, food is, in a lot of cases as important as the exercise done. Don’t take this to mean that you have to eat chicken and rice for 6 meals a day like bodybuilders and endurance athletes. Simply understand that in order to reach these goals you have set in mind, sacrifices must be made, but also treat yourself when possible. The things to consider when understanding the balance between food and training revolve mainly around what your goals are and how motivated and dedicated you will be. After all, you would be eating different things and training differently to if you were running a marathon to if you wanted to lift over 500kg in a deadlift world record like Eddie Hall.

Training

What are you training for? Are you running a half or full marathon? Do you want to be the next highest jumper in the world or do you just want to slim down slightly for yourself or for health reasons? As long as you know what you want to clearly achieve, then you will be able to confidently eat the correct food accordingly. For example, people who are running huge distances burn massive amounts of calories. A marathon runner is expected to burn around 2,600 calories through just the run itself. Now imagine the training involved prior and add it all up; that is a lot of food and a lot of training.

Some simple rules of thumb when it comes to deciding what to eat to best suit your training schedule are as follows: the more distance and time you spend running, the more energy you burn, to simply put, you need more carbohydrates and slow burning sources of energy. This is a brief answer that requires a little more detail. So what are good sources for carbs? Bread, pasta, sweet and regular potato and oats for example. What makes carbs so great for longer distances? Carbohydrates burn slower than other types of energy, this means that when you are running a longer distance, the energy gained is prolonged and stretched out as much as possible. This results in giving you the stamina to take you to the finish line.

For someone who trains purely for health and weight loss benefits, and is slowly getting more interested and serious about their health, then to start is not as hard as everyone thinks. You do not need to jump head first into a 6 month meal plan that outlines the measurements and ingredients you NEED to eat. Granted an outlined plan is more beneficial, it is daunting and hard to stick to for beginners. Majority of people who decide to stick to a meal plan end up failing within the first week after all. So we would recommend to simply understand what to eat and how much first rather than doing something you.

Meal sizes

To reach fitness goals through weight loss or muscle and strength building is a tremendous feeling, putting in the work and seeing the results is what the team at Joggers World reinforces. Food preparation and meal sizing is a key component that you need to understand in depth in order to maximise the benefits from every bite. For example, imagine cooking some spaghetti bolognese, yum right? Some carbs are good for you in moderation but you end up eating 3 servings worth. This is taking something potentially good your body and is now turning the excess of carbs into fat because you aren’t burning it off. However, if you split your daily intake of food into multiple meals then you are boosting the fat burning power of your body.

Boosting your metabolism is what I mean by “fat burning power” and it is what happens when eating smaller meals. Your body is constantly breaking down food and creating energy from the food at a consistent rate. Compared to eating fewer larger meals where the body and digestion process bottlenecks. Studies have shown the benefits that this type of eating has on weight loss and general health as a whole. Also it is the key option for those in the health and fitness industry also because they too understand the benefits; Dwayne ‘the rock’ Johnson being a key example.

What is the right amount of food? To be honest, there is no exact amount. After all, everyone is different in terms of height, weight and even genetics to name a few. Everything impacts the way in which our bodies digest certain types of food. But this being said, take what you would normally eat in a typical ‘three meal day’ and cut that in half with the goal to eat 5 or 6 meals when possible. Be aware though that when eating smaller portioned foods, metabolism will make you hungrier more often as your body begins to get used to that type of eating. The important thing is to never give in to ‘pantry food’. Snacking will not only throw off your meal consistently but is also, in most cases not good for you, especially the products that are high in sugar.

Ingredients

What do you need to sacrifice to reach such goals? Simply fast food and pantry snacks mainly. Eating fresh food in meal sizes that you cook yourself is the ultimate goal when it comes to fitness. Of course healthy foods like vegetables, fruit and some meats being the focus of the meals is essential. If you are picturing a boring plate with bland chicken and some beans then you need to diversify your cooking knowledge and experiment. The element of fun involved with such eating healthy where you get to learn to cook new things and old things different ways is exciting and should be celebrated. Challenge yourself, especially if you think you are a bad cook; this is the time to experiment.

So no sweats ever again? This is not possible, you can’t just eat healthy 24/7, especially if you have just suddenly gone from a less healthy diet. You can still eat the things you love but the point of the healthy lifestyle is to make sure that is not often and also not indulgent. You should eat everything in moderation. What that means is, “sure have that dessert, you have earned it!” and “just one more slice” are two different things. You are not being punished by having a healthy lifestyle, so celebrate with ‘cheat meals’ or even ‘cheat days’ if you have been really good! Soon enough you will find that you won’t need to eat food that you previously did and the healthier the food, the healthier and better you will feel.

The types of foods that we should aim for are all based on a natural, clean and fresh category. Of course this will all be different depending if you eat meat, are vegetarian or vegan. For example however, non-processed meats that are low in fat and high in nutrients like protein are key. Vegetables of course are also a high priority, some people might cringe at the thought of the word ‘vegetables’ but those who are dedicated about a healthy lifestyle will eat them. When cooked properly, vegetables don’t taste bad. There are a countless number of ways to cook vegetables. Again, get experimenting!

The important thing to remember is that if you simply want to transition and start making healthier life choices, then you don’t need to give up everything all at once. Just move at your own speed into a diet and exercise routine that fits what your goals are. At Joggers World, we offer the supplies you need to enable you to reach such fitness goals. Compliment your healthy eating with sorting yourself out with new gear, whether it be new Nike joggers or even some 2XU compression tights. After all, feeling great with new goals and weight loss plans almost requires fresh fitness outfits and joggers to match.

Enjoying an improved lifestyle wholeheartedly by treating yourself when necessary, ensuring that you enjoy the new and improved lifestyle is the most important part of balancing diet and training. As long as you’re enjoying the journey and where its taking you, then every small sacrifice to do with ‘sweets’ will be worth it. If you are consistent and enjoying the healthy eating lifestyle you will notice difference that range from weight, skin, mood and overall feeling and quality of life. At Joggers World, we can help you choose new shoes, clothes and gear to kick start your new lifestyle. Our team of friendly and experienced representatives will help you find exactly what you are looking for. Don’t wait for that healthy lifestyle to start itself. Check out Joggers World today for all your athletic wear needs!