The Skinny on Running
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Running is a great tool for losing weight. As one of the best forms of aerobic exercise, it can fire up weight loss or maintenance efforts. But you can’t expect to lose it or even stay thing just by running. If you’re in it for what you can get off your hips (or thighs, waist, or anyplace else) you’re going to need to follow healthy eating and lifestyle habits, too.
If you want to drop the weight, you’ve got to watch your portion size. You’ve got to push away from the table before you get too full. (Who likes that uncomfortable feeling of being overstuffed?) Runners who want to stay thin watch their portion sizes. They often take a doggie bag home when dining out, because typical restaurant portions are usually oversized these days. Those runners make sure they eat slowly and pay attention to when they start to feel full.
Runners Tips for Getting and Staying Skinny:
Get familiar with standard portion sizes. They may actually be smaller than you think. For example, three ounces of meat is about the size of the palm (just the palm, not the fingers) of your hand. And a standard portion of pasta or rice is about the size of a tennis ball.
Pay attention to what you’re eating. Eat slowly and without distraction. You’re much more likely to overeat if you’re sitting in front of a tv or computer. Chew slowly, pay attention to what you’re eating. You’ll enjoy it more and eat less.
Use smaller plates. Put smaller amounts of food on smaller plates. If you put more food on the plate, you’ll eat it because it’s there.
Start with a few bites of protein. It takes a few minutes for the information about what you’re eating to reach your brain. Protein gives a sensation of being satisfied, so a few bites of that first, then eat your veggies and fruits. They’re lower in calories and often, higher in fiber and bulk to fill you up. You’ll be less tempted to overeat if you feel full.
You can lose weight and stay thin with running and by guiding your eating to lesser portions.
Running Relieves Stress
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Running can help relieve stress. If you haven’t noticed what’s going on in the economy or aren’t feeling it, you undoubtedly have noticed that friends, parents, and loved ones are more anxious right now because of the twists and turns in the economy. The stockmarket has lost a significant amount of its value along with many people It’s a tough time for a lot of people and stress is piling up. So yes, “TGIF” is the pertinent saying.
Exercise increases blood flow and with it, inhibits the release of certain other hormones. One of those hormones is cortisol: the body’s natural stress hormone. It increases release of endorphins, which are our “feel good hormones” which cause that other effect known as runners’ high. We all know about that, don’t we?
Running also distracts us from our problems. It alleviates our worries because we focus our attention in other directions. Running takes you down familiar, comfortable paths, or off exploring new ones. Either way, both are good for our attitudes.
And finally, one other positive effect of running on our attitude. It helps us lose weight and trim our physiques. Which whether we admit it or not, makes us feel better. Who doesn’t like feeling better about themselves and their appearance. You can say it’s shallow, but this does make people feel better about them appearance, and act more confident.
So the next time the stockmarket gets you down, take an extra lap. Or two.
This is Number 8 in our periodic series of “The Golden Rules of Running,” which are tested, tried, and true rules of running that work for every runner, with some minor, occasional exceptions.
The Heads-Beats-Tails Rule
A headwind always slows you down more than a tailwind speeds you up.
You’ve noticed this works on airplanes, so it makes sense that it would also work in running, right? We’ve all heard the pilot come on and say that “we’re experiencing a strong headwind. We may be arriving a little later than expected, but we’ll try to pick up some speed.”
So expect to run slower on windy days. You’re likely going to meet the same wind coming as you are going, so one way you’ll benefit; the other direction will find you struggling.
“I disregard the watch on really windy days because headwinds cost me 15 to 25 seconds a mile, and I only get a portion of that back after I turn around,” says Monte Wells, a longtime runner in Amarillo, Texas, America’s windiest city. “The key is to monitor your effort, not your pace. Start against the wind, so it’s at your back in the second half.”
The Exception: On point-to-point runs with the wind at your back, you’ll fly along faster than usual.
And keep a weather eye out for that turbulence. It can almost knock you out of the sky somedays. Have a great run!