012 Amy Stephens - Running for Weight Loss in a Healthy Manner

Episode Summary

Amy Stephens is a NYC-based dietician who specializes in sports nutrition and diabetes. She has been featured in publications such as the New York Times , Martha Stewart Living , and The New York Post , to name a few. With over twenty years of experience, Amy is passionate about health and helping others find realistic solutions with the right, real foods. Her expertise ranges from helping everyday people with diabetes create realistic and science-based eating strategies, to elite professional athletes who are US Olympic Team contenders that approach food as part of their performance and recovery training.

Running for weight loss is generally a topic Whitney tends to steer clear of because running is so much more than losing weight. But so many people start running with that goal in mind, and today, Whitney and Amy want to help set those runners up for success so that they become hooked on this healthy lifestyle. Amy shares some of her experiences with sports nutrition and provides tips and best practices for approaching the goal of weight loss in a healthy manner. This includes recommendations on what foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to know when you’re getting enough nutrients, and why there are no ‘good’ foods or ‘bad’ foods.

Episode Sponsor

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

Key Takeaways

03:48 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Amy Stephens, who joins the show to share how she got into nutrition and the work she does with elite runners

11:39 – Running for weight loss and why it’s such a tricky subject

13:22 – Two keys to running for weight loss

18:45 – Being mindful, not obsessive, over nutrition

22:51 – What a healthy plate looks like

25:10 – Quinoa, sardines and vegetables

28:50 – Signs that you are getting enough nutrients

36:01 – Caloric intake and what meals and snacks should look like on workout days

44:11 – Amy provides her thoughts on fad diets and intermittent fasting

48:34 – What keeps Amy passionate about running and what’s next for Amy

51:01 – Whitney thanks Amy for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

Tweetable Quotes

“Running not only is a lot of work, but it’s not just about the running. It’s about eating properly and fueling your body for the runs and being a little bit more strategic and mindful about your nutrition.” (12:21)

“Diet culture tells us carbs are bad. Well, some types of carbs might not be nutrient dense. I don’t say foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ I think that leads to a lot of confusion. Foods are not good or bad. They are more nutritious and less nutritious.” (18:13)

“The way to know you’re getting enough nutrients is that you have energy, you’re completing workouts and you’re feeling good.” (29:04)

“It takes thirty minutes for your hormones to start to shift and let your brain know that food is coming. So, eating more slowly. Sometimes I’ll have someone have a glass of water before their meal. Or even in between bites, have a glass of water and just think, ‘How does my body feel? Did I eat enough? Am I getting full?’ And, if you ate a plate of food and you want a second plate, wait ten minutes.” (33:59)

“Your body always wants to hold onto those calories. That’s how we’re designed. And so, if you tease it, it’s going to make it harder. Be consistent. Monday needs to look as similar to Saturday as possible.” (38:04)

“Oh there’s so many things about running that I love. I think the one thing that stands out to me is the running community. I think the people that I have come across are awesome and it’s like this subculture.” (48:37)