#110 - Running So I Can Eat What I Want (Food Freedom)
Our catchphrase is motivation to “run to the best you” but some people are just trying to run to the best MEN-U. There’s an exercise subculture of foodies who workout hard so they can eat what they want without gaining weight. Let’s dive into this food freedom concept and see if it works!
Mentality of Eating
For decades, women have been held to unrealistic standards of beauty that can be traced back to the Mattel Barbie doll. Men also struggle with overeating and develop unhealthy relationships to food. It’s a common struggle for adults to give in to emotional eating which leads to guilt and self-loathing. Grocery store checkout lines seem to create a perfect storm with an assortment of chocolate candy bars on one side and on the other side, magazine covers displaying perfect bodies and headlines about weight loss. The industry makes a fortune on diet products and gym memberships and even plastic surgery thanks to these unattainable goals, but public awareness is growing. Today we are seeing a fierce pushback against dieting and body image ideals in America. This is what happens when the pendulum swings from one extreme to another.
What Is Food Freedom?
Food Freedom is a new concept that seeks to break the yo-yo dieting cycle of overindulgence and extreme restrictions. Nobody really wants to overeat, obsess and guilt themselves about what they ate, or develop an eating disorder. Food Freedom seeks a healthy balance by placing the control in your hands instead of letting food or feelings control you, according to Melissa Hartwig who wrote the book Food Freedom Forever. The goal of food freedom is to train your brain to listen to your body.
Working Out for Wiggle Room
When you practice Food Freedom, you will start viewing food like it is fuel and critically consider its impact on your body. Does it do you good to eat that particular type of food? What about that portion size- do you feel slow and lethargic when you eat too much? When practiced correctly, Food Freedom aims to honor your body and prioritize wellbeing - not just satisfy your cravings.
Having said that, there is a subculture of runners out there who run so they can eat the foods they enjoy without gaining a ton of weight. Some people enjoy eating at restaurants or having dessert at night or munching on snacks at football games. There is a price to pay, but people can workout for that extra wiggle room. As noted on the Spartan Race website, energy requirements vary but being a runner “earns you about 2,200 to 4,000 calories per day versus 1,500 to 2,500 per day if you don't move much. Endurance athletes can take in a lot more, as much as 7,000 and 8,000 calories a day.”
If you know that you’re going to be running seven miles tomorrow, you might feel free to load up your plate today. Do you agree with this approach? Would you advise runners to keep a diet that supports their running practice? It may seem counterproductive for a runner to eat a lot of junk food in between their workout days, but as it turns out, our friends online are doing just that!
Who Is Running for Food Freedom?
Coach Tadris posted a question on the Running Motivation FB page, asking if people were running extra miles for extra food freedom. Here are some of the responses that were given by other runners.
Marni: Nope, I just want to feel better and look better! I still can’t eat whatever I want to! Otherwise I have to run more
Tonya: Bourbon
Hamilton: Tequila and sunflower seeds
Sara: Why is there a blank? Should be a full sentence for me lol
Ewuniki: Cheese and butter
Gloria: Beer and donuts 😋
Bein: BEER
Mark: Bien Balanquit Jr: beer is actually good for running. There are a couple multi marathoners who drink beer on their water stops
Crystal Rockhold: Queso and chips
Margaritas
Pamela: I do enjoy food but I run to celebrate with what my body can do, not from what I ate.
Alicia: False! I run so that I can have longevity and not be a decrepit old lady.
Pamela DeWitt: Alicia Gibson exercise is definitely a celebration of what our bodies can do and not punishment from what we eat.
Eating Habits That Offer Food Freedom
If Food Freedom sounds like something you would like to implement in your own life, here are some healthy eating habits you can adopt to start healing your relationship to food!
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
As Coach Tadris likes to say, “Delay, don’t deny!” Intermittent Fasting puts the restriction on when you eat, rather than what foods or how much you’ve got on your plate. There are members in our weight loss program who committed to an intermittent fasting schedule for a few weeks and shed pounds quickly, before they even made changes to what they were eating. It was a great way to jumpstart a healthy eating regimen.
The Mediterranean Diet
A delicious and balanced way to lose weight this summer, the Mediterranean Diet provides more food freedom than the other whole food diets that we recommend at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You. Eat a variety of foods cooked in a variety of different ways, much like the “tapas” you can see in restaurant windows along the streets of Barcelona. The emphasis is on balance and portion control. Indulge here and there with dessert or some high quality breads, but you will be mindful to keep it balanced and cook with healthy oils and fresh meats and produce instead of loading up on fattening food products. In 2021, the US News and World Report named this the #1 Best Overall Diet not only for weight loss, but to “ward off chronic diseases and improve longevity.”
Eat-What-You-Want Diet
The Eat-What-You-Want Diet was inspired by Evelyn Tribole, author of the Intuitive Eating books. Her simple method sounds too good to be true, but it’s less about weight loss and more about revamping the mentality behind eating so you can fix your eating habits along the way. This approach focuses on mindfulness and getting a handle on the psychological side of eating. You are giving yourself full food freedom when it comes to what you eat, but you must only eat when you’re hungry but have self-awareness and discipline to stop eating once you’re full.
Get What You Want Out Of LIFE - Not In The Refrigerator
We want to help you get what you want out of life. It’s so much more fulfilling than emotional eating or satisfying a sweet tooth. Instead of looking for comfort in food, let’s love ourselves better by taking care of our health and building up a body we can feel really, really good about!
If your goal is to workout more to enjoy food freedom without gaining, Coach Tadris will get your workout routine kicked up a notch. Train for a 5K, or get into shape for racing a further distance!
Keeping It Real Health Challenge
If your goal is to fix your eating habits and establish a healthy control of your diet and weight, his program will get you on track and you’ll see results even faster than you’d expect!
Surround yourself with friendly people who share your goals, to encourage you and even work together with you on a healthy lifestyle - whether you live in New Jersey or somewhere else!
Join Us July 31st, 2021 @ 8am