It’s a lot harder to decide how best to go about your running and diet schedule. Everybody has different experiences and makes mistakes. Here are some weight loss mistakes that even the most healthy-savvy runners might make:
Miscounting Calories
It is a known fact that running helps you burn far more calories than any other activity. A male can burn up to 124 calories in a mile and a female can burn 104. So, if you are running 3 miles you will have around 315 to 372 worth of calorie deficit. You sure wouldn’t want to lose this deficit by overeating post-run. A good idea is to find ‘reward’ foods whose quantity can be controlled, like bite-size cookies or chips with a single-serving. Additionally, always keep track of your calorie burn through various mobile apps or a GPS watch to help you avoid one of the most common weight loss mistakes.
Skimping the Fat
You need fats to be able to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K to manage your hunger. Fats are digested comparatively slower than proteins and carbs and keep your hunger from disturbing you. Fat also controls the appetite regulating hormones in your body so a no-fat or low-fat diet would leave those hormones unattended. There should be 20 to 30% of fat in your daily calorie intake whilst avoiding trans fats and limited saturated fats altogether. Polyunsaturated fats are your friends as they provide protection to your heart.
Running on an Empty Stomach
You might believe running on an empty stomach would help boost your calorie burn but it’s one of the common weight loss mistakes runners make. The less noted remark is your body doesn’t immediately start burning fat when you run on an empty stomach. Instead, it first makes use of the stored carbs in your muscles and when they run out, the body goes on to choose the stored fat. This lowers your energy level and you slow down.
In the end, you have lost fewer calories than you would have had you fueled up properly. If you are going for a 30-minute run, you can skip the pre-run snack but if you are going out for a longer and stronger run, skipping a snack is not a good idea. You need to have a store of at least 100 to 200 calories,which you can easily get from a snack comprising of a banana with peanut butter and water.