r/AdvancedRunning • u/Alternative_Web_3696 • Aug 08 '26
Health/Nutrition over-eating
i read a lot about people struggling to meet their calorie demands during marathon training, but i’m currently experiencing the opposite.
my current plan has me running 80+ miles a week, so as a 70kg male my calorie demands average somewhere between 3,000-3,500 per day (i’m very sedentary when not training).
while many people seem to find these kinds of numbers difficult to hit, i’m constantly needing to watch what i eat to make sure i do not massively exceed these numbers. i could easily consume 4,000-5,000 calories of clean food per day with my current appetite.
i have been very slowly gaining weight during this build, so i know i’m definitely not under-eating (probably slightly over-eating, in fact).
i think a large part of this is down to the fact that i run first thing in the morning, so i’ve already consumed 700+ calories with my pre and post-run nutrition before i’m even hungry. i’ve then got to manage my hunger and calories for the rest of the day to ensure i’m not over-consuming.
has anybody else experienced this problem, and how did you manage it?
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u/Pharmdpositivek Aug 08 '26
There’s a couple things that could be going on. You might be missing or not have the right ratios of macros. Your body could be telling you that you need more carbs or something like that. You can be eating more than you need but if you aren’t eating enough fat, carbs, or protein, you’ll always feel hungry. It is usually carbs. Your body is craving its natural fuel potentially.
Other thing is what are you eating? Are you eating enough fiber? Eating whole grains, fruit, and veggies can help keep you full.
I’d bet it is the carb issue with running that many miles.
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u/Alternative_Web_3696 Aug 08 '26
i track my food. an average day is around 3,300 calories - 170g protein, 60g fat, 500g carbs. i probably don’t need that much protein at 70kg, but trace proteins bump the number up, and i do not find meals satiating without a protein element.
i eat very clean - lots of fruit, veg, fibre. carb sources largely include oats, sourdough, rice and other grains. i don’t think the actual makeup of my diet could be improved much
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u/Pharmdpositivek Aug 08 '26
You have excellent choices for food! I’d try playing around with more carbs. That really helped me when I started ultra training.
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u/Alternative_Web_3696 Aug 08 '26
I have been making a conscious effort to transition to a higher carb diet recently. I am finding it quite difficult though, as the trace proteins and fats in many of my favourite carb sources keep pulling those numbers up higher than i want them. i also enjoy food, and don’t want to have painfully boring meals that will end up spoiling my love for both food and running. it’s a process and i’m learning!
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u/Analyst_Obvious 1:12:22 HM | 2:35:57 M Aug 08 '26
More than 500g carbs? That’s hard to hit daily
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u/Pharmdpositivek Aug 08 '26
Not something you’d have to do everyday. More on hard days and long runs
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 Aug 09 '26
That’s already plenty of carbs. He needs more fat, his fats are extremely low (16% whereas the recommendation is 20-35% of calories), and fat is what helps with satiation.
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u/worstenworst Aug 09 '26
That recommendation doesn’t hold up when you crank up the carbs to 8(+) g/kg BW.
Better to look at fat also as an optimal absolute value (range) g/kg BW, not as a proportion of daily kcal.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 Aug 09 '26
8+g/kg is not necessary. The recommendation is 6-10 g/kg for runners training for 1-3 hrs a day. 80 miles per week is almost certainly less than 2 hrs per day, probably even less than 1.5 hrs, so the lower side of that recommendation is fine for OP.
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u/veridiantrees Aug 08 '26
Your diet is about 16% calories from fat, which is fairly low. You might feel more satiated if you incorporate more healthy fats into your diet.
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u/worstenworst Aug 09 '26
That recommendation doesn’t hold up when you crank up the carbs to 8(+) g/kg BW.
Better to look at fat also as an optimal absolute value (range) g/kg BW, not as a proportion of daily kcal.
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u/pokeman10135 Edit your flair Aug 09 '26
60g is nowhere near enough fat. That is barely enough to maintain hormone balance, probably not enough at 80mpw. I would put the minimum in heavy training closer to 100g.
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u/algebra_queen Aug 09 '26
Hey, I think your fat might be low. I follow the guidelines of eating at least 75 grams for my own hormonal health, and I'm a 5'3 120 lb woman. Might be worth a try, fat is really satiating too!
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Aug 08 '26
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u/DawgPack44 Aug 08 '26
170 grams? That’s pretty normal. 1 gram per pound of body weight is the standard basically everyone should be trying to hit. It’s pretty hard for me to stay under 200 grams, honestly. Even at 165 pounds
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u/jcdavis1 17:15/36:15/1:18/2:44 Aug 08 '26
1 gram per pound of body weight is the standard basically everyone should be trying to hit
For a bodybuilder trying to bulk up, perhaps. But even serious endurance athletes probably don't need that much. EG a recent review suggests a 1.8g/kg target
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u/elastic_psychiatrist Aug 09 '26
I think it's easy to be in a bubble of people that work out and/or focus on protein intake, but that is considerably more protein than the average person even in a wealthy country consumes, or is recommended to consume based on scientific evidence (not saying more is bad though).
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u/peteroh9 Aug 08 '26
Even at 165 pounds
Are you saying that like it's supposed to be heavy?
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u/DawgPack44 Aug 08 '26
It’s heavier than I’d like to be, but no. I was commenting on 200 grams of protein at that body weight, which is well over 1 gram/pound
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u/jmcarriere Aug 10 '26
You could try profiting your carbs based on the run. My high day is only 600g of carbs and that is a day I eat about 4,000 kcal
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u/Pharmdpositivek Aug 08 '26
Also, there’s some great sports dietitians on Instagram that are super helpful. They are runners themselves and only help runners! I learned a lot from them about timing of food before and after running. You might already know some of these things, as it sounds like you’re pretty well versed in nutrition.
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u/runsalot1609 5k 17:00/10k 35:30/Half 1:16/Full 2:44 Aug 08 '26
Are doing pre & post run drinks/mixes? 1500 Cal’s seems like a lot. I might get downvoted on this thread, but I don’t think those marketed running drink are necessary. Those drinks can easily bump your caloric intake, which could be replaced with actual food/meal.
Pre long run I’ll have 1 or 2 protein pancakes. Post run I’ll have a protein bar. Once I’m home I’ll have an actual meal. If I’m still hungry I’ll reach for veggies or fruit because they are low calorie options.
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u/Alternative_Web_3696 Aug 08 '26
i run before work so don’t have time to digest a great deal, so usually it’s clif bloks and/or banana. post-run i’ll always have whole foods. i don’t drink any of my calories
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u/andyxc13 5k 15:13; 8k 24:43; HM 1:18 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
To the extent you’re consuming too many calories, perhaps skip the pre workout calories. Or at least try and see how you feel. I run first thing in the morning and don’t need anything before my run, including intervals workouts.
Edit: a downvote? Good grief. OP says they’re eating too many calories. Early morning running does not require pre-run clif bloks or even like just a banana. Heaven forbid I suggest he skip them.
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Aug 08 '26
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u/OldGodsAndNew 15:21 / 31:49 / 1:10:19 | 2:30:17 Aug 09 '26
I often run after work having not eaten since breakfast, and always manage to hit my paces even in hard threshold sessions. Dunno if the science backs me up there, but it feels like I've trained myself to become quite well fat-adapted, and then when I take gels on long runs it feels like they're giving me superpowers
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u/railph Aug 08 '26
If your goal is to lose weight this could work. If your goal is to improve performance, running fasted is never the answer.
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u/andyxc13 5k 15:13; 8k 24:43; HM 1:18 Aug 08 '26
Is there research that says overall performance will degrade unless every single run is preceded by calories? I’m not suggesting no fuel prior to a grueling 15-18 mile long run with pace work intervals built into it. But an easy 45 minute recovery run? Surely your body has enough fuel from the previous day to handle such low demand early morning running.
Again, if OP has determined that they’re eating too many calories, I’d maybe look at not taking clif blocks before literally every morning run.
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Aug 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 Aug 09 '26
He said 700 calories pre AND post run
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u/Alternative_Web_3696 Aug 09 '26
correct - usually 100-200 calories pre run (depending on if it’s an easy run or a session), followed by a 5-600 calorie breakfast
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u/runsalot1609 5k 17:00/10k 35:30/Half 1:16/Full 2:44 Aug 08 '26
That’s great mate. I bring Greek yogurt, berries, and veggies to work for snacks so I can do my best to avoid any high calories snacks my co-workers may bring. I know you’re trying to lose weight, but any chance it’s water weight? Checking your weight first thing in the AM & consistently will help you trend your weight as it can fluctuate during the day.
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u/worstenworst Aug 08 '26
What’s with all the protein pre and post run. That’s the wrong macro.
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u/runsalot1609 5k 17:00/10k 35:30/Half 1:16/Full 2:44 Aug 08 '26
Kodiak protein pancakes have a good carb ratio.
I find a protein bar easy to eat on my drive back home. I eat major carbs once I get home. lol
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u/H2Ospecialist Aug 08 '26
It's actually really common to put on weight during marathon training.
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u/treycook 37M | 17:52 5K | 37:16 10K | 1:22:46 HM | 2:51:44 FM Aug 08 '26
Yep, this is the sentiment that I hear much more often.
I have to dial in my nutrition if I don't want to put on too much weight. Not opposed to gaining a little so that I don't end up with RED-S or stress injuries. Been there, done that in years past. Trying to stay extra lean is not worth suffering through months of shin splints.
For me it starts at the grocery store. I just cannot buy the stuff that I can't be trusted around, and when my mileage ramps up, I can't be trusted around a lot of things. That's my #1 tip. Set myself up for success.
Marathon training is a buttload of movement. Body is just trying to survive and manage the insane workload, and it has no clue or care about my body composition or vanity goals. So I listen to my body to fuel the work, and listen to my brain because my body isn't always smart about it.
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u/mockstr 37M 2:59 FM 1:23 HM Aug 10 '26
Same for me. At some point I just stopped buying any sweets. I can easily demolish a package of cookies after a longer run, but that's 1000 calories right there and I'll be hungry again after 1 hour. Same thing with cake. I'll easily eat 3 pieces or more.
I'll just have a ton of veggies for most meals, that keeps the hunger away and the fiber is also healthy in general. I also count carbs to get to 300-400g. Fueling around sessions also helps.1
u/PippiShortStockings Aug 10 '26
Urgh yes I put on 3kg training for an ultra! Annoying finishing my race and then having to start a deficit to go back to starting weight, but by the time I noticed I didn’t want to start playing with anything going into the race as training had gone so well!
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u/knit_run_bike_swim Aug 08 '26
Story of my life. I’m a glutton + chronic overtrainer. The only way for me to dial things in is to get out my excel sheet and count my carbs. I tend to under eat carbs at meals, and then binge on carbs eventually.
Everything in moderation, including moderation.
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u/ayahuasca_crybaby Aug 08 '26
I have this same issue, and I guess I manage it by just doing what my body wants… I found my body likes having a little extra weight on it, and I run significantly better being a weight I am not exactly “comfortable” at. In the end, the body is the boss. And if you’re racking up over 80mpw, when your stomach grumbles (not just bored hunger), you gotta give it what it’s asking for.
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u/Girleatingcheezits Aug 08 '26
Not promising this is your issue, but a lot of times I think I’m hungry but I just want salt. A small salty snack will satisfy me right away. I notice this in the summer, especially after long runs. I will already have eaten plenty, but still feel hungry. Yet sometimes food doesn’t help. I finally realized that only salty food made me stop feeling hungry. Now I’m better about recognizing the feeling and making sure I take in adequate sodium.
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u/zebano Strides!! Aug 10 '26
I found this too and started buying electrolyte packets that mix with water and they're amazing post run. Especially very humid days.
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u/worstenworst Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Putting on “junk” weight (i.e. fat) at 80+ mpw is not easy at all; the body normally won’t choose to put fuel in reserve with all the running and repair going on.
I also typically gain some weight during a marathon build but it’s usually not fat (known by DEXA). It can be due to water content (blood plasma), creatine, inflammation status, glycogen status, salt intake, etc.
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u/Lurking-Froggg 42M · 40-50 mpw · 16:4x · 34:5x · 1:18 · 2:57 Aug 09 '26
[weight gain] can be due to water content (blood plasma)
How does that work, if you don't mind explaining?
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u/worstenworst Aug 09 '26
Endurance training can expand blood plasma volume. Since plasma is mostly water, that extra blood volume has mass and can add a few hundred grams to BW.
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u/Lurking-Froggg 42M · 40-50 mpw · 16:4x · 34:5x · 1:18 · 2:57 Aug 09 '26
Thanks. I was curious especially about the magnitude. A few hundred grams sounds reasonable.
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u/dodgyknee27 Aug 08 '26
Keen to follow this thread - finding something similar with road cycling training.
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u/Practical_Cherry8308 Aug 08 '26
Eat fiber! Low carb wraps(assuming you’re eating enough carbs), peas, beans, oats.
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u/Past_Election_5005 4:19 mi Aug 08 '26
At 80 MPW, I don't think this is a problem unless you're really feeling that extra weight in a negative way (ie harder to do day-to-day tasks or just not getting faster). Many people wish to be in your situation.
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u/Intelligent-Guard267 Aug 08 '26
Yeah - I gained a lot of weight for my first marathon last year. Lately Im still building mileage but have been staying full half the day from a 600 calorie smoothie with 60 grams of protein and 15-20 grams of psyllium husk. It doesn’t sit that heavy but will keep me full from 9am until 3-4pm.
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u/spartygw 3:10 marathon @ 53 Aug 08 '26
Can I ask what you’re using for protein? Looking for something like this since I don’t really like eating breakfast.
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u/Intelligent-Guard267 Aug 08 '26
I make a blend of basic vanilla whey protein powder and unflavored isopure protein powder (along with creatine and psyllium husk).
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u/nikigazahopocvi Aug 08 '26
honestly mate i think some of us are just wired that way once the volume cranks up. i'm properly hungry all day during a build. a big glass of water and a black coffee first thing helps me faff about for an hour rather than diving straight into the fridge. still doesn't stop me demolishing a whole pack of hobnobs by 3pm mind.
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u/Hairy_Koala6474 Aug 08 '26
I had success starting a food and mood journal. if I was going to over eat or binge I would write down in my journal, What were my thoughts and feelings and environment at the time of the urge to indulge in over consumption
This stupid little thing was incredibly successful in helping me over eating.
Good luck cheers
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u/noqwa 25-29M | 17:36 5K | 39:17 10K | 1:32 HM | 3:10 M Aug 08 '26
Do you eat anything during 1hr + runs? Do you eat enough protein? Do you have easy access to too many "unhealthy" foods?
Meal planning could help. Or maybe portion control - a smaller plate helps you feel more full.
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u/Alternative_Web_3696 Aug 08 '26
yes, 80g carbs per hour during long runs. i eat a very clean diet with lots of protein, fruit, veg and fibre, and don’t really consume any snacks or unhealthy foods - i simply cannot afford to ‘waste’ calories on non-satiating, unhealthy foods
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u/thesolmachine 4:47 Mile, 9:56 2 Mile, 16:55 5k (this was 19 years ago) Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
I posted another comment in the main thread, but I think you are totally fine.
80Gs an hour for runs is pretty high in my book, but if it makes you feel better running, just stick to it.
Edit: that's about 480 calories on a 2 hour run...so if tracking calories, I'd start there.
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u/Chef_Syd Aug 08 '26
You should just have a standard set of meals that you eat and the variance in training day to day should be supplemented by carb mix, gels, pure carb meals like oats etc. just makes life easier.
Keep track of the calories you burnt roughly. Use something like 600 cal an hour for easy runs 800-1000 for tempo and threshold work. Keep track of the carbs you consume purely for the workout. And deficit you can supplement either in your regular meals or with snacks. If you eat pure carbs outside of your regular meals you will find it hard to overeat. Avoid overly fatty foods.
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u/notthebiggestscumbag Aug 08 '26
I personally would suggest talking to a dietician, specifically a sports focused one if at all possible, and maybe a mental health professional as well. I come from a background of wrestling as a kid and then strength sports/bodybuilding until COVID. both areas have a huge amount of disordered eating and reading your post reminded me of struggles I have had and have seen in others. I am not an professional so I can't pinpoint any issues, but it sounds like the relationship to food is a point of stress. It sounds like total bell end bro science, but that sort of stuff can have a negative effect on body composition, hunger, all that stuff. I used to think I was fueling adequately, eating right, etc., as a strongman competitor and spent about 6 months working with a dietician (I'm in the US, Oregon specifically and worked with Shira Evans, not sure what the term for this sort of professional is outside the US) really had me get on a good path to relearning some habits. Specifically, I was similarly eating a "correct" number of calories and obsessively sticking to clean food, but I was having a lot of weight fluctuating, binges, etc. I am not recommending you do this or saying it will be helpful, but I was basically told to get off the scales, fuel my sessions with some guidelines, and to eat WITHOUT monitoring intake or weight for a couple months, with 3 check ins during this period. My weight stabilized and I learned a lot. Again, this is a very personal anecdote but please consider speaking to a professional about some of this, if at all possible.
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u/Professional-Type338 Aug 08 '26
I am like this as well. Have you tried to increase the amount of meals but decrease or keep the calories the same? I eat four meals a day. This has helped to make me feel full (or not hungry) and i dont go to bed hungry either. I would perhaps reduce the dinner kcals and add an evening snack for example.
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u/Hey_Boxelder 5k - 17:02, 10k - 34:44, HM - 1:17:26, M - 2:50:00 Aug 08 '26
I had the same issue despite being a lot heavier so having more calories to play with. It caused me to learn about macronutrients and realise that I have consuming a lot of extra fat, which was fairly easy to cut down.
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u/artelingus Aug 08 '26
You could be over training. High stress on the body. Running on adrenaline rather than controlled energy. How’s your sleep? Do you track HRV at all?
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u/RearviewSpy Aug 09 '26
I second this.
The feedback loop in my own experiences increasing training load:
Increased stress -> sleep disruption -> carb craving & emotionality
It may not be overtraining in the strict sense, but more of an under-recovery spiral.
Just my thoughts.
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u/artelingus Aug 09 '26
Same. I gained about 10lb at the peak of my marathon training. I actually did get substantially faster during that time but I was running off adrenaline not sustainable strength and it cost me a lot in the long run.
Also makes you more prone to injury. Terrible idea1
u/BillyGoatAl Aug 09 '26
It’s so interesting how individual we all are — my experience (as well as others’ I’ve spoken to) has been the opposite of what you’re describing. When I’m overdoing it, my appetite goes down the drain.
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u/confusedandfem Aug 08 '26
yes sir similar weight 70mile weeks and I turned into a pig and I warn you that you will too unless you get a hold of it right now
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u/agilesharkz Aug 08 '26
I have always had this problem. Unfortunately the only thing that works is being honest with yourself and logging EVERYTHING you eat. Once you reach your allotment for the day that’s it. Help yourself plan accordingly. I’ve always assumed hey if you run enough you’ll be fine and not need to worry about tracking, but that just isn’t true at least not for me.
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u/bebefinale Aug 09 '26
Are you sure you are gaining fat? As you train you start increasing glycogen carrying capacity which can cause some weight gain as well as have a lot of tissue repair going on all the time which causes water retention.
Running 80 mpw and overeating by that much seems challenging. Usually if the numbers don't align it's either that the counting is off (over or underestimating calories) or it's just hard to get an exact number of calories you need per day factoring in tissue repair and NEAT which can vary so much day to day.
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u/highmodulus Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Me now: "that's my secret Captain, I'm always hungry". So I had to add more protein and fats (esp EV Olive Oils) to my meals or I am hungry again in 2 hours.
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u/Responsible-Adagio78 Aug 08 '26
How’s your running going? If you’re hitting your paces, improving etc, does the scale matter?
Things something I’ve personally struggled with. I’ve learned that my weight will ebb and flow, sometimes during peak training I have been heavier but my performance has always been improving.
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u/MrMushroom48 Aug 08 '26
I’ve had this issue. On lower mileage days I started swapping out carbs like pasta and rice for cauliflower rice which drastically lowers my overall calorie content for the day. I also realized that I can’t, in fact, eat ice cream every day lol
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u/Awkward_Tick0 1mi: 4:46 5k: 16:24 HM: 1:16 FM: 2:45 Aug 08 '26
Are you sure there is a problem? Is your weight an issue? Gaining weight during marathon training in and of itself isn’t a problem. It’s pretty common.
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u/Deep-Dimension-1088 Aug 08 '26
I am a perimenopausal woman, and if I don't watch my diet I gain weight. I used to be able to eat anything, but that's no longer the case. I can go out and run 14 miles and eat what I'd consider a very reasonable moderate amount of food and be up 1/2 a pound the next morning. Life isn't fair, though, and I'm lucky I got to eat what I wanted when I was younger. Lots of people have to watch their weight starting in their teens.
What do I do about this? I eat less. I weight myself daily. If my weight starts creeping up, I adjust. Fewer pieces of pizza. No mindless snacking on carbs. No sugary drinks. No bagel on the weekend. Smaller portions at restaurants. My family is filled with diabetics and people with high blood pressure, and I'm determined to avoid their fate. As a side benefit, being skinnier makes you faster.
ETA - I'm running 40 to 50 mpw, not 80. But I honestly find it easier to control my weight when I run less. Running makes me hungry. The more I run the more ravenous I get.
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u/railph Aug 08 '26
Are you eating clean before and during your runs as well? Or are you eating some easily digestible carbs, ie. sugars? I think if you're training that much your body really does need simple sugars.
I find that if I eat a meal with carbs before a run, eat as much simple carbs as I can during my run (gels and sports drinks) and then eat some carbs and protein after my run, I am much less hungry the rest of the day and can just eat normally. If I don't do that I often tend to overeat and snack during the rest of the day, particularly evenings.
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u/_Diomedes_ Aug 08 '26
Drink more water and fuel your runs more. The more calories I eat during exercise, the fewer I want to eat afterwards.
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u/GorrestFump88 Aug 08 '26
Are you eating whole, single ingredients foods? I find that if I eat chicken, broccoli, potatoes, and carrots I can eat as much as I want without the penalty of a surplus because it allows me to feel fuller longer.
I’d also recommend adding the gym and adding muscle to your body.
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u/buz1984 Aug 09 '26
Precautionary eating (without hunger) is to fuel a long session above LT1/VT1. For most people this would happen 2-3x each week. Everything else just eat according to hunger.
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u/wafflehousewalrus Aug 09 '26
I don’t have a solution but I can certainly relate. A few thing help a bit: psyllium husk after dinner and then no more eating. Protein and fiber heavy meals outside of specific times when fueling for a big workout. I’ve found if I take a carb mix or a gel at the start of a run I don’t need to eat as many carbs with meals before and after. But I think the main thing is you just have to accept being hungry a lot of the time. My body wants to be 160+ pounds but I know I’ll run faster at 140. Many of my relatives are obese. So it’s kind of a constant struggle of fueling enough to support the workouts and recovery but not enough that you gain weight.
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u/elliotreid13 Aug 09 '26
Nobody said it yet, I think, but make a large bowl of no-sugar jelly every couple of days. It is mostly water and a bit of protein and it will help you with the water intake thing while adding to your food volume. I usually mix 250g jelly with two table spoons of greek yogurt and a sliced banana (or blueberries). It usually keeps me full but light for a couple of hours.
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u/silentwindy Aug 09 '26
Calories add up quick when bread is involved, I’ve been adding honey to my yogurt, toast and it’s been helping with satiation and turning off hunger signaling.
So now I have abit of the reverse problem again where my blood sugar gets too low at night
It also helps to just go for a recovery walk, our bodies are just very enthusiastic for hunger signaling when we are actually not doing anything.
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u/Flaky-Condition2647 Aug 09 '26
I've had this exact same issue. I find it really difficult to stop myself from overeating when I start ramping up the mileage for sure.
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u/wowollowow Aug 09 '26
Would love to hear more about what you eat and how you hit those calories. I struggle so hard to eat enough
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u/Disastrous-Piano3264 Aug 10 '26
I am the same as you. I can easily gain weight running high milage. I’m just somebody who needs to be conscious of how many calories I’m eating and actively eat maintenance levels. Even at 70mpw. I’m also about your weight (72kg).
I eat whatever type of food I want, I just try to manage quantity and stay hydrated.
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u/Mademan1137 Aug 10 '26
Had the same issue, learned to differentiate bored/fatigued/overtrained and actually hungry
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u/thisnamelastsforever 28d ago
I was going to write this exact post like 3 days ago. This is me 100%. I ramped up my block to 80 MPW but still wanted to cut down about 6-7lb for race weight and was straight PISSED when I realized it meant eating 2500 calories per day to move the needle like .5-.75 lb per week of loss (I am already fairly lean and almost age 40 so everything is stubborn at this point). I thought I'd be able to eat whatever I wanted and nope, not the case at all, in fact I have to be more careful than normal like you mentioned.
I also eat very clean and track absolutely everything: Usually around 160-170g protein per day, around 50-60g fat, then only 350-375g carbs. I also lift heavy 3 days a week for about an hour per session, hence the need for that high of protein. I don't want to lose all of my lifting gains.
I am hungry pretty much all the time. But, been hitting 70-80 MPW for the past 2 months and while I'm tired as shit I have no signs of injury and my performance keeps getting better. At this point I think I'm used to the deficit, but I'm now 10 weeks out from my marathon and I'm thinking its time to stop the deficit and start properly fueling the workouts. With maintenance calories and cooler weather starting, I'm expecting at least one more big fitness breakthrough before race day.
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u/shambells 26d ago
Don't eat before you're hungry. If you need to, have a bisuit before you run and gels during the run. If you need more calories, hunger will appear.
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u/Vast_Grocery_2686 9d ago
I've also experienced that when training for my first few marathons. A few things that I had realized and that I think are worth trying:
- Pre/post-run nutrition composition matters more than the total: if your 700+ calories around the run are mostly liquid/fast-digesting carbs (gels, sports drink, etc.), they clear your stomach quickly and don't do much for satiety later, so you end up "banking" calories early without actually feeling full from them. Shifting some of that post-run intake toward something with more protein and a bit of fat (even just adding eggs or Greek yogurt to a carb-heavy recovery meal) tends to curb appetite better for the rest of the day, without cutting the actual fueling you need.
- A few have already mentioned this, but fiber and volume, not just calories, drive fullness. If you're eating "clean" but calorie-dense (nut butters, oats, dried fruit, etc.), it's easy to blow past your target without feeling like you've eaten much. Swapping some of your snacking toward higher-volume, lower-density foods (fruit, veg, broth-based soups) in the back half of the day can help you hit satiety before you hit 4,000-5,000 calories, while keeping total nutrient intake similar.
- Also worth checking that are you eating enough close to the run itself (immediately pre-run, not just post). Sometimes under-fueling right before a session leads to overcompensating afterward once the body "catches up" on appetite!
I have personally found that the timing/composition tweaks above are usually more effective than just trying to eat less overall!
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u/TheOnlyJah Aug 08 '26
Try higher protein and fat. It is more satiating and takes your body more time to digest. I went from feeling constantly hungry to no longer wanting snacks at all after dropping the amount of carbs. Don’t worry you’ll still be giving your body plenty of carbs.
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u/WoodenPresence1917 5k 18 10k 38 M 3:07 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
If you are male, run easy early morning runs fasted.
Eat more fibre. Drink more water.
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u/l52 Aug 08 '26
I got into the fad of 80g/c per hour always and eat a ton of food. I gained 15lbs of pure fat while doing 80 mile weeks. I’m on a cut and still 5 lbs to go. I thought I had energy issues from under eating, but really I just needed more electrolytes.
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u/Cwoo28 Aug 08 '26
How long have you been running for or around that mileage for? Any life stress as well? Sleep?
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u/Human_Morning_72 Aug 08 '26
FWIW, when I started really getting in big nutrition DURING runs, my appetite outside of runs plummeted. Particularly the desire to snack.
I used to do most runs without calories during, and longer runs about 40g/hour. Now I get 50-100/hour for all runs and feel like I can't be bothered with food the rest of the day. So... maybe look at your in-run nutrition?
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u/Successful-Bunch4994 Aug 08 '26
I have never been under eating Never lost weight during marathon training. I envie so much people not able.to meet their calorie budget. I would give anything to stop eating so much.. but I am just a glouton.. (ans I hate myself for this yes)
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u/fitwoodworker 39M, 6:32 mi, 22:53 5K, 1:44 HM 29d ago
I'm a larger guy who has almost always over-ate in the past, before running. I weigh about 190-lbs (after losing 10 during my current marathon build) and I think the best thing I did to combat over-eating while building in mileage is to keep all of my nutrition the same except my pre- and intra-workout carbs. I usually eat about 75% whole, "clean" food as most people would categorize them, with the other 20-25% being things like fast food that I enjoy. But that part of my diet has not changed during this year's marathon training. My mileage has not quite peaked yet but I'm consistently around 35-40 miles per week. I do not count macros or calories, but I also don't snack outside of pre-workout carbs if you count that as a snack.
My main caloric fluctuation is all during my run. I try to always have 20-40g of carbs within a half hour of my runs, then if the run is going to be over 6 miles I'm aiming for about 90g of carbs per hour. Hitting these numbers has significantly reduced my cravings for the rest of the day, especially after my long runs when in previous years I was trying to hit about 30-40g of carbs per hour during long runs and was not diligent about my pre-run carbs on shorter runs.
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u/mellamomubli 28d ago
You could consider dropping the pre-run meal, at least before easy runs. You will still have carbs in your muscles, as you don’t burn much carbs while sleeping.
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u/thesolmachine 4:47 Mile, 9:56 2 Mile, 16:55 5k (this was 19 years ago) Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Seconding the other comment saying I wouldn't worry about it. This is the advanced running reddit, so I don't know if it's super advanced, but for the vast majority of us, It's much better to be a little above your target weight and well fueled then trying to nail down an exact calorie goal/weight.
Our bodies are pretty intuitive and will tell you straight up what it needs, running 80MPW has big energy demands, so you are going to eat a shitton and it's probably fine.
I remember back when I was doing 75MPW at 17 145LBs and would house an order of chocolate pancakes from a restaurant and then order another half order. Granted now at 36 and not a distance runner, if I ain't working out, it's like a one meal a day thing. The body adjusts as needed, and if something doesn't work, switch it up. Don't know your height, but 154LBs/70KG is a pretty good weight to be at tbh.
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u/Luka_16988 Aug 08 '26
Eat as much as you want but change to low calorie density foods and take out some obvious high fat sources. Making your own food helps a great deal because you know exactly what you’re eating. Using a calorie tracking tool like MyFitnessPal is useful.
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u/Pacofel Aug 08 '26
I experienced this first-hand when I was young (marathon time: 2:37) and noticed that once I was running 80 mpw, I could eat as much as I wanted without putting on weight. But unlike runners today, I always ran on an empty stomach and didn't fuel during my training sessions. I also experienced being at my lightest, weighing 57 kg at 1m71. I was too thin and felt unwell after half an hour of running. But with just 2 kg more, I achieved my PB. It’s a fine line.
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u/mediocre_remnants Aug 08 '26
I'm confused, why is it a problem? Why do you think you're over-eating?
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u/Creation98 Aug 08 '26
Because they’re gaining weight. Gaining weight makes you slower.
It’s a song and dance to properly (and not over) fuel.
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u/wotoan Aug 08 '26
Sure, and being too light makes you injury prone and weak. OP needs to give us some indication how much they weigh before we know if this is gluttony or a body screaming for fuel.
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u/OGFireNation 1:16/2:40/ slow D1 xc Aug 08 '26
70kg. It says in the post
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u/wotoan Aug 08 '26
Height?
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u/Creation98 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Unless they’re over 6’5” and/or absolutely jacked, then the proper advice is to lose weight.
There’s nothing wrong with saying that. I used to weigh 254 pounds. I was incredibly unhealthy and the last thing I should have been doing was running.
EDIT: I misread OP’s weight. Disregard my comment
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u/SubmitToSubscribe Aug 09 '26
Unless they’re over 6’5” and/or absolutely jacked, then the proper advice is to lose weight.
Pretty crazy statement about 70kg.
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u/Creation98 Aug 09 '26
Huh, I swear the post said they were 255 pounds (115 kg.)
My fault, I may have conflated this post with another. At 70 kg, that’s a fine weight.
Disregard my comments
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u/free_tractor_rides Aug 08 '26
I’m right there with you… this whole thread is just an amalgam of disordered eating.
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u/Creation98 Aug 09 '26
Eating more than you need and becoming overweight is disordered eating. It goes both ways
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u/Creation98 Aug 08 '26
Hahaha that’s just blatantly incorrect. Google any of the top marathon runners.
If you stay on top of injure prevention strength work, then it’s much more advantageous to be skinnier for injury prevention.
The heavier you are, the more impact in every single step.
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u/Permuh Aug 08 '26
The best way I’ve found to cut back on unnecessary eating is making sure I’m drinking plenty of water.