How to Eat for Endurance in exercise

I was paid to share this post with you to help you eat for endurance to lose weight.

Active runners don’t see food as ‘regular’ people do. To them, food is fuel and they time their meals to perfection so they would have enough energy to complete their workout or finish a race.

If running is your new hobby and you want to lose weight but not at the expense of your endurance, you’ll probably need to make some nutrition changes. Unfortunately, most people who want to get rid of those extra pounds start skipping their meals and working out like crazy. However, this combo can greatly affect your health and you might end up looking like an exhausted zombie.  Instead of torturing your body, follow these tips and learn how to improve your endurance and boost your strength while losing weight.

It is a marathon, not a sprint 

Short-term diets can seriously backfire and make you gain even more weight than you have lost. Maybe you will be able to drop 20 pounds in no time, but not only will you shock your body,  you will also mess up your metabolism and cause long-term damage. Keep in mind that if you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you need to steer clear of ‘miracle’ diets and change your lifestyle.

Making unsustainable cuts in calories and avoiding anything that might be considered unhealthy is not a solution and you will be back to your old habits in a blink of an eye. Instead of following a restrictive meal plan, change your mindset about food. Try to eat healthily as much as you can, but don’t be afraid to indulge yourself every now and then. Pick your battles wisely and you will be on the right track.

Fill up your fridge with real food

We all have that kitchen cabinet or a drawer where we keep our stash of junk food. Unless you empty it completely, it will be calling your name until you finally cave and eat everything in one sitting.

Therefore get rid of unhealthy stuff and stock up your fridge with healthy, unprocessed food such as high-quality meat, fresh fruit, and vegetables, beans, nuts, rice or quinoa. This way you won’t be so tempted to stuff your face with candy and potato chips. For high protein foods how about eggs in ham?

Feel free to cheat

As mentioned, you shouldn’t be obsessed with healthy foods and avoid unhealthy stuff like the plague. Feel free to have a cheat meal every once in a while, especially after long runs or hard workouts. 

Carbs are (not) your enemy 

If you want to lose weight by running you shouldn’t forget about carbs. In fact, every athlete knows that carbohydrates are the best fuel for running because they give you a boost in glycogen and enable you to work out for longer.

This is why a lot of runners eat carbs before and during a workout. However, if you want to lose weight, you need to find a balance. Drinking sugary beverages on a daily basis or eating a plate of pasta on a day when you didn’t run at all is a recipe for disaster. 

Eat vegetables on a daily basis

This food group is best for active runners since vegetables don’t have many calories and they are nutrient-dense. For example, kale is a great source of iron, broccoli is full of calcium, while spinach is high in Vitamin B6. If you are looking for vegetables that are rich in Vitamin C, opt for Brussels sprouts. Try to eat at least two portions of vegetables a day if you want to boost your health as well as your endurance.

Hydrate

It is important to remember that dehydration can reduce your performance. Therefore, if you want to boost your endurance as well as lose those extra pounds, make sure you are getting enough water before, during and after your workouts.

With some healthy lifestyle choices, you will be able to easily increase your stamina and lose weight without losing your nerves as well.