I had someone ask me about dealing with increased hunger while training and still being able to lose/maintain weight.  Great question!

When I was training for my half marathons (3 in 2 months) last Spring I was logging in some pretty serious miles.  I also seemed to be hungry all the time! I actually ended up gaining a few pounds training for the first half marathon before I took second look at what I was eating.

*Remember, I am not a RD, MD, or anything else but an aspiring JD.  These are my own personal tips and experiences.

Dealing with Hunger While Training

• Write it down. Sometimes you are so ravenous after a long training run or serious speed drill that you walk in the door and shove down half a bagel just so you have the energy to stretch/shower/etc.  Twenty minutes later when it is lunch time you will remember you just ate a bagel.  Writing down what you eat while training is also a great way to adjust your diet to improve performance.  Tracking food for a few days was how I learned what to eat before a race for my best performance.
• Wear a HR monitor. I almost always wear my Garmin and HR strap.  This helps me determine  how many calories my run burns each day.  One of the biggest pitfalls of long-distance runner is the notion “I am running so much that I can eat whatever I want”. False.  If you want to maintain/lose weight you cannot eat more calories than you burn.
• Carb loading caution. I will come right out and admit that I use the ol’ “I am carb loading for my race” excuse to eat an oversized portion of pasta or refined flour pastry that I normally would not eat.  I don’t really think you need to massively carbload for a race (although maybe for an Ironman or ultra-race).  I have found that it is best to eat a little bit more for dinner starting 2 days before your race.  Add an extra 1/2 cup rice or 1/2 sweet potato.  The evening before a race I do treat myself to a bigger-than-usual dinner (an early dinner works best to prevent stomach issues) but I don’t use it as an excuse to order fired appetizer, oversized entre, and dessert.
• Plan the increase. Once you get into your training program you could be running anywhere from 3-10+ miles any given day.  You are going to be hungry (especially if you are new to running) and it is okay to eat extra!  I found that what works best for me is planning in an extra snack (or two) a day to make-up for the extra I burned.  The key is to make these snacks worth their calories!  Plan a balanced snack with carbs, protein, and fat necessary to hold you over and give you energy!
• Enjoy! You are kicking your butt with training so if you feel like eating a big bowl of ice cream on Sunday night after a 12 mile run then eat it!  And add some chocolate sauce!

Got a question for me?  I know all the other “big bloggers” did this whole anonymous question forum awhile ago…but whatever, I am doing it now.  If you have a question for me click here to ask it anonymously! I will do my best to answer as long as they aren’t perv-y or inappropriate.  [FYI, I cannot give you legal advice, so don't bother asking].