Anonymous wrote:I am 4 weeks into a 10 week 5k program and have gained nearly 5 pounds. I intended to at least maintain, if not lose a vanity 5lbs. My appetite is through the roof on training days, which are 4x/ a week. How do you overcome being "rungry"? I am ravenous on 2-3 mile days running intervals. At this rate, I will be 20lbs heavier when I run that 5 k. Please help!
At this point in your journey here, your body is not very efficient at using its various energy systems. And, you really aren’t using very much energy to run 2-3 miles anyways.
The solution here - while trying not to be snarky - is to eat real food. That should have been a solution before all this. Lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and water. And no, for 2-3 miles you absolutely do not need to use sugar products during the workouts.
The truth is that by the time calorie expenditure becomes something to even consider in connection with running, most people are low body fat and eating around those workouts to support them. When I do my long runs at 6:30-7/mile for 12-14 miles, I am not ravenous for anything beyond what one would expect. And, at 175 lbs, that’s a significant amount of energy output. But, I’ve been doing this for years.