I just wanted a lil advice on this topic.

I'd think I eat a fairly balanced and healthy diet, and as such I've felt no need as of yet to change what I eat for the sake of my running (I've not seen any trends with what I eat and how I run thus far), but I've started training for my first half marathon and I'm basically bamboozled by all the advice for pre and post-run snacks and pre-race meals, etc, etc, etc. I thought maybe keeping a food diary might shed some light on whether what I'm eating is affecting my runs, as I break into higher mileages than I've done before (currently 9.5 miles). There is kind of one sticky point of this... I used to be really overweight, and generally speaking I'm happy with my body, but the only reason I haven't just went ahead and started keeping a log is because I think it might just make me think about my food just a bit too much, and I don't want to trigger a vague eating-disorder again... that is unless it will actually be of benefit. Does anyone keep a food log? Has it helped at all? Any other advice on the matter?

Some runners seem to become really anal about tracking every mile run, every gradient on said run, and every morsel ingested before, during and after every run. Personally, I think life is too short and this kind of obsession takes the fun out of running. I track my miles and times on occasion, and make sure I eat something filling before and after a long run. Porridge before a run, and try to eat some carbs the day before. After a run I will usually have a balanced meal, and sometimes coffee and cake, since it will all be burned off pretty quickly. The joys of running! I would say log your food intake if you are naturally the type of person who likes to log stuff. If not, don't bother.

Never kept a food log in my log and can't see that changing either!

I think anything in moderation is probably the key thing, my diet is not that of a professional athelete but its a mile better than it was before I started running. As for post and pre run meals, if I going on a long one / 1/2 marathon I tend to have a big pasta mela the night before and then OJ, bananas and toast for breckie. posr run is normally the same but with a bar of chocolate.

Different people respond to different foods as trial and error is the best bet to find what works for you.

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My immediate feeling is that if you have the energy to do the running that you want to do, then there's no need to worry. I'm afraid that's as scientific as I can go on the matter, and the only approach I've ever felt the need to use.

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Nay..........

Oh, am I going to be the first to say that I do keep a food diary?! I must admit that its not something that I do to aid my training or control weight, I struggled with a pretty serious eating disorder throughout my teens, pretty much the only way I have found to keep me eating the meals I know I must is to strictly plan and write down what I eat the way they make you in treatment, otherwise I tend to just make excuses and not bother. Though despite not being primarily as a training aid, it has helped at various times, there are various foods that I cant eat if Im planning on exercising later in the day because they give me really bad stomach pains, dunno why I think its just my body being freaky and quimsical!!! Obviously having a pretty detailed and organised food diary meant I could figure out what was doing this to me..and now I avoid them!
So I think unless you do find that sometimes you are struggling on runs and think its food related Im not sure that keeping one necesarily would have much benefit! I think as a rule your body tends to know what it needs or wants, and if you listen to it you should be fine, it must be said that running and exercising sensibly have been pretty vital in me learning to listen to my bodies hunger needs.
I think if your slightly concerned that jotting down everything you eat might lead to pre-occupation with food or possibly trigger issues its probably something to avoid! I think one of the downsides to food diaries is that we often tend to underestimate how much eat - I get days where I majorly freak out at how much I have eaten, even if I can semi-rationalise it because I went for a run, or I was out in the cold, or I didnt eat much in the previous days - theres often that horribly irrational bit of your mind that makes you feel bad about it!
Dunno if that helps at all..

That's quite helpful... I can get a bit irrational about things, so I'm guessing that on a day to day basis I'll be able to remember what I ate before a run if I find it easier or tougher I guess. There was a big article in this month's US Runners' World about keeping a food diary, but if not many people bother then I guess I won't either... just to be on the safe side if anything Anyway seemed like far too much effort, the dude was saying you should keep a tab on EVERYTHING, from serving sizes, how long it took you to eat it... all that kind of bollocks. I think having looked over it again they were suggesting you do this in order to better your eating habits, but I think I have good eating habits from their lil quiz lol.

To replicate some of the points already mentioned... far too much hassle for no real returns in my circumstances! It obviously helps Kat on a day to day basis so a good example that it can be beneficial, but unless you feel a need too I wouldn't worry. It certainly won't knock 10mins off your 10k PB

I have had (or in the process of now) to re-programme myself to eat better and more.

Doing 12 half mile runs on around 800-1000 calories a day is no good for me or my body.

I am so used to watching the carbs, fats etc with diets that i never thought about upping my calorie intake.

Hard to reprogramme yourself after 8 years of being careful.

I started to get light headed and dizzy at times on runs (even the sunday just gone) and feeling burnt out, had chats with Steve (running boss) who said what i knew really is YOUR not eating enough and the right foods to fuel yourself.

So for my personal health, it would be a good ideal, even though i have not started one yet

I have enough paperwork to do during the day let alone more hassle...

Kind of hard to eat more energy foods also when you have a wheat allergy and IBS

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Er yeah, that seems to sum it all up nicely I think.

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