Eight Weight Loss Mistakes Runners Make

Avoid these common errors that can sabotage your efforts to drop a few pounds.

Pop quiz: You just went for a run. How many calories did you blast? Chances are your guess outpaces reality, to the tune of, say, a Frappuccino. Overestimating calorie burn is the Big Daddy of runners' weight-loss mistakes, says Lisa Ellis, M.S., R.D., a nutritionist in Westchester, New York. But it's not the only misstep. Sneaky slipups can derail the weight-loss efforts of even health-savvy runners. Here's how to avoid eight common mistakes.

Oops!
Miscounting Calories
It's true that running eats up more calories than nearly any other activity: The average man burns 124 calories per mile and the average woman burns 105, which means a three-miler nets you a 315- to 372-calorie deficit. But you can easily overspend your calorie deficit with something as simple as a flavored latte and a chocolate-chip cookie.
Correction: Get a better estimate of your calorie burn with an online calculator, like the one at runnersworld.com/calories-burned-calculator, or with a GPS watch that allows you to input your height, weight, and other stats. If you're prone to overindulging postrun, avoid blowing your calorie deficit by finding a couple "reward" foods with easily controllable portions, like bite-size cookies or single-serving chips.

Oops!
Skimping on Fat
Feeling virtuous with your dry toast, naked salads, and splash of watery skim milk in your coffee? Not so fast: Your body needs fat to absorb vitamins like A, D, E, and K, and to regulate hunger; fats are digested more slowly than carbs and protein, keeping hunger at bay longer. It's also believed that fat helps your body sense the appetite-regulating hormones ghrelin and leptin, says Ellis. A no-fat or very-low-fat diet leaves those hormones out of whack.
Correction: Fat should make up 20 to 30 percent of your daily calories. But avoid trans fats (in processed foods) and limit saturated fats (meat, dairy). Rely on mono- and polyunsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, fish); these protect your heart and promote satiety. A recent study found that even the aroma of some fats, particularly olive oil, may prompt the release of satiety-inducing hormones.

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TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Rest Day
Even though it wasn't a very high volume and intensity week, it still seemed like a good day to take a break form any serious activity.

~Feelin' Alive!~