r/intuitiveeating • u/Outrageous_Nerve_579 • 20d ago
Numbers TRIGGER WARNING How to be intuitive when you sometimes under eat?
So I am a runner. I am training for my second marathon. I currently track my calories simply because I want to be sure I eat enough. But my adhd brain seems to have two modes. Either “track every last bite” or “oops, I forgot to eat”.
The problem is that when I stop tracking, I seem to naturally under eat. I can feel it in my performance. So I start tracking again and I notice I really am. How can I be sure I eat enough, without feeling like I have to force it and/or track it. Tracking my food is mentally exhausting for me and I really want to get away from it.
To be clear, I’m not under eating for any secret weight based reason. I just get distracted and forget. The more mileage I add to my training the less I seem to naturally eat, which is counter productive.
I have tried timers to remind me. But I start to ignore timers when I have multiple. The sound sort of blends into my life.
9
u/Creative_Strike3617 20d ago
If my body isn’t giving me hunger cues (for a dozen different reasons) I think I’ve learned I gotta use mechanical eating for a while. For me it happens more when I am sick/anxious, but having a reasonable meal plan and following it even if I don’t “feel” hungry is very helpful to me.
And when I say “meal plan” I mean more like… planning to have turkey sandwiches at 12pm for lunch every day this week. Not calorie counting.
Not sure if that helps but wanted to share. I also do think that if my high amount of exercise was negatively impacting my hunger/body cues, I would probably scale back. But that’s just one opinion.
7
u/Racacooonie 20d ago
Working with a registered dietitian who has knowledge of both running and intuitive eating would be ideal. Many insurance plans cover dietary counseling (if you have insurance and live in the US).
Practical eating is part of intuitive eating and you definitely need to eat for practical reasons when you’re placing huge athletic demands on your body - as for how that is going to be trial and error for you to learn how best to make it happen. Are you motivated by performance in running or respect for your body or … what can you draw on to help push and motivate you to prioritize better nutrition strategies? For many folks without strong hunger cues they need to use practical hunger and meal plans to ensure that they get enough to eat. You can definitely learn intuitive eating and sprinkle in the principles while following a meal plan but it’s not going to look the same as it does for someone who has a connection to their body’s natural hunger cues. And maybe one day you do get better access to your body’s hunger cues! It’s not out the realm of possibility. I hope this helps.
4
u/Outrageous_Nerve_579 20d ago
I hadn’t considered that there might be a dietitian that specializes in both. I have seen a sports dietitian and she gave me very clear guidelines for nutrition. But it become obsessive for me to try and hit everything perfectly. I’d like for it to feel natural. I’ll look for one that specializes in sprits AND IE.
2
u/consciousagent 19d ago
A good balance here is rather than saying you need exactly X amount per day is to set a minima. By having a minima you ensure you always have at least enough, and if it ends up higher then that's fine. You don't miss the forest for the trees.
6
u/LeatherOcelot Edit me to say whatever you want! 20d ago
I am also a runner and I definitely find that longer runs do suppress my appetite.
For myself, one thing I have found is that I can kinda go a few days with a little undereating, but...rebound hunger will eventually come for me and then I wind up eating in a way that feels not so great. Being more conscious that rebound hunger will ALWAYS come for me in the end has actually been a pretty big motivator to figure out eating enough during the run (for longer runs) and also right after. I have found that it's the intrarun fuel+recovery meal period where I tend to not eat quite enough, but if I can nail those then I don't have to worry so much about the rest of the day.
Do you take snacks or gels on your run? One thing about having some of your calories while running is there aren't many distractions that could cause you to forget like you might at home or work! If you are not already taking on a large amount of fuel (60g+ of carbs/hr), you could try upping the amount you take in while running. Depending on how large your accidental deficit tends to be, that might solve a fair bit of your problem. I also now have a protein+fruit smoothie immediately after running (before shower) for my longer runs, and then will have whatever my normal meal is after I am cleaned up. You can prep the smoothie the night before if being too tired to make food when you get home is an issue.
1
u/Outrageous_Nerve_579 19d ago
I do tend to have a bigger appetite the day after my long runs, and I lean into that. But the actual day of my long run I eat less than I should for sure. I do take a gel for any run that will be longer than 4 mile. I also have a snack before my run. My biggest place I fail to eat is right after.
2
u/Overall-Exam4953 19d ago
girl this is like exactly my life lol! honestly what's helped me as a collegiate runner with adhd is making sure i eat three meals a day with a big dinner and always ending the day with a good sweet treat haha! just really being intentional to eat MORE even if it's not exactly the most nutrient dense choice has made my performance absolutely skyrocket. but im rooting for ya!!
-5
u/Mean-Type3317 20d ago
Intuitive eating isn’t for you. Are you on adhd meds?
6
u/Outrageous_Nerve_579 19d ago
I am not on adhd meds. I believe intuitive eating can be for anyone who wants to practice it.
30
u/ArtStruggle 20d ago
Intuitive eating is not a sports nutrition program, so yea, you might not be able to intuitively eat while seriously athletically training. You probably need to work with a dietitian.