What should a x country runner eat?

Question

i run cross country and im trying to get back in shape but since i work at a restaurant i eat a lot and also gained some weight, so what should i eat to help me get in shape and stay in shape?..

Answer 1

Huh, well, if you're a serious cross country runner, that weight should come off as soon as you begin to eat a bit better, obviously. Now, personally, I'd suggest large quantities of carbs, but only if you seriously are running a lot every week. Like, my girls xc team runs about 30 miles a week and the guys team runs a lot more. So, as long as you do a lot of physical activities, the carbs you eat will actually be better for your weight. Also, stick with the obviously healthy stuff for awhile, like veggies and fruits. You can also try some health bars, like luna bars or cliff bars. They really are pretty good.

You don't necessarily have to totally ditch any unhealthy food. Just refrain from totally living off of it. You'd be surprised by how good some of the healthy supplements for unhealthy foods really are. I definitely was.

Answer 2

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Tough situation, working in a restaurant and trying to lose weight.  

It sounds like you need to consider not only what to eat, but when to eat, and how much to eat at each meal.

"Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper." (Not original with me.)

"Eat food; not too much; plants mostly." (Not original with me, either.)

Consider the following recommendations:

-eat breakfast!  Sounds simple, but there is a direct relationship between eating breakfast and maintaining or losing weight.

-eat right before going to work!  That way you won't be as tempted by what your restaurant has to offer.

-don't eat within 2 or 3 hours of going to bed!  Late meals aren't transformed into energy, but instead, as you sleep, into cellulite (fat).

-when you eat, eat slowly.  It takes about 20 minutes for the average stomach to register that food has arrived.  Eating too quickly means that you will "overfill" your stomach before it has a chance to tell you that "enough is enough."

-that's where salads come to play.  Eat a salad as a first course - the low-calorie bulk will fill up your stomach fairly quickly, giving you a full feeling without making you feel like you need to eat a lot more food to fill it up.

-eat deliberately.  Essentially this means, when you eat, eat.  Don't watch TV or drive or . . . do anything that makes you forget that you are actually putting food into your mouth.

-eat fewer calories (less food) than you metabolize (burn off through running and your daily activities) each day.  Often easier said than done.  

-avoid empty calories - things that you put in your mouth that taste good, smell good, have a good "mouth feel," but don't provide nourishment (minerals, vitamins, carbs, proteins).

-avoid the whites - milk, flour, sugar, salt, fats.

-you've heard the basics of good nutrition:  fruits, vegetables, minimal red meat, chicken, fish, whole grains.  And some will suggest other highly nutritious foods.  Return to making nutritious foods the focus of your diet.  "Eat food."

Following this advice of course is more difficult than hearing it.  And getting back in shape, you realize, is more than losing weight, it's gaining fitness, which only comes through running and other physical activity.

Regards,

Running_Dad

Answer 3

you should go to a near vegetarian diet during the season. stay away from the junk food and snacks.

Answer 4

doritos

Answer 5

lots are starch to give you energy, fruits vegetables just the normal healthy diet stuff!