By Melissa Lasher

Pasta, rolls, and bread have long been the go-to energy source for fuelling workouts.

Runners who stop eating wheat – going gluten-free for health or diet reasons – lose out not only on easy carbs, but on other key nutrients too, such as fibre and B-vitamins.

If you don’t replace those staples with quality carbs, you can end up underfuelled and fatigued, says sports nutritionist and dietician Nancy Clark, author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Thankfully, there are plenty of naturally gluten-free, high-carb options. With a little planning, you can turn these foods into delicious, easy-to-make, gluten-free meals that are so tasty, they’ll tempt even the most devoted wheat-eaters.

Swap your cornflakes for a new hot cereal. “Quinoa is a gluten-free powerhouse food,” says sports nutritionist, dietician and marathoner Katie Davis. One cup packs 39 grams of carbs, eight grams of protein, five grams of fibre, and 15 per cent of your daily iron need. Vitamin C, found in apples, improves iron absorption. Not getting enough of this mineral can cause fatigue and impair breathing – symptoms that won’t help your PB.

To Make It

• Rinse 3⁄4 cup quinoa in a sieve.
• Add quinoa and 1 1⁄2 cups water to a pot.
• Simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes.
• Drain any remaining water.
• Return quinoa to the pot.
• Add 1⁄4 teaspoon each cinnamon and cardamom, 1 chopped apple, 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, and 1 tablespoon walnuts.
• Stir over medium heat till apples are warm, 2 to 4 minutes.

Chicken is an ideal protein source for runners and it’s inexpensive. One serving of chicken contains more than 70 per cent of your niacin and 20 per cent of your B6 needs. These B vitamins help streamline your muscles’ ability to burn body fat and carbs for fuel. Gluten-free wraps made from rice flour add iron, while sliced apple and jam add energising carbohydrates. (Gluten-free wraps available from most health stores).

To make it

• Heat a toaster oven to 180°C.
• Rub two 15cm wraps with water (to prevent them from drying out).
• Spread 1 teaspoon strawberry jam on each wrap and sprinkle with salt.
• Set one wrap on a foil-lined pan.
• Cover with thin slices of cheddar, 4 thin apple slices, and 2 slices of chicken.
• Top with the other wrap.
• Bake until warm, 5 minutes.

While early versions of gluten-free pasta were often gummy and bland, today’s improved products – made from whole grains like rice and quinoa – have a taste and texture closer to the wheat variety. And they provide just as many carbs to fuel your run. Just be sure to read the product label: “Look for gluten-free pasta that’s enriched with iron and B-vitamins,” says Davis. “Otherwise, it provides carbs but not much else.” (Tossing in green beans provides B-vitamins.)

To make it

• Cook 2 cups of penne according to the package directions.
• Two minutes before the pasta is done, add 1 cup trimmed, halved green beans and 230g peeled shrimp.
• Two minutes later, drain the pasta, shrimp, and beans in a colander.
• Return to the pot and stir in 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and 1⁄4 cup pesto.

Potatoes should be a staple in any gluten-free kitchen. They’re cheap, easy to cook, long-lasting, and – despite their reputation as being nutrient-poor – rich in vitamins and minerals.

One medium potato is packed with about as much carbohydrate as a roll, plus more fibre (as long as you eat the skin), vitamin C, and potassium. This mineral helps keep fluid levels balanced, which is key for runners during sweaty workouts. Adding a bit of flavourful bacon and carb-packed kidney beans transforms simple spuds into a full meal.

To make it

• Cook 500g potatoes in boiling water until a knife easily pierces potatoes, 15 minutes.
• Whisk 1 teaspoon each chopped onion and Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin.
• Whisk in 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and a bit of black pepper.
• Drain potatoes.
• While still warm, toss with 4 tablespoons dressing; 4 cooked, chopped slices of bacon; and 425g kidney beans, drained.
• Serve over greens with the dressing.

Opting for brown rice over white makes this dish a nutritional knockout. While both varieties contain an identical amount of carbs, brown rice contains four times as much insoluble fibre and magnesium. A deficit in the latter can hinder endurance.

This meal gets plenty of staying power from the protein in tofu and the healthy fats in seeds. Both provide kilojoules that are digested slowly, “so you are more satisfied than if you were to eat a salad or bowl of veggies,” says Clark.

To make it

• Cut a 400g block of extra-firm tofu into 2- or 3cm cubes.
• Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon each curry and salt, and 1⁄3 cup shredded coconut.
• Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Whisk 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and curry into 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl.
• Add 2 cups cooked brown rice, 1 cup edamame, 1⁄4 cup each sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, 1⁄2 cup halved cherry tomatoes, and a bit of black pepper.
• Stir in the cooked tofu.

After a run, contributing chef Nate Appleman throws together this simple, protein-packed recovery dish, paired with brown rice.

Chicken is a good source of lean protein and the B vitamin niacin. “This dish cooks in minutes,” says Appleman.

Get Cooking:

1. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add one tablespoon oil, then add chicken.
3. Cook until no longer pink.
4. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. In the same pan, add remaining oil and onion.
6. Cook till translucent (3 minutes).
7. Add garlic and ginger.
8. Cook 1 minute.
9. Add green beans, broccoli, cabbage, and mushrooms.
10. Cook till slightly tender (5 minutes).
11. Add soya sauce, chilli sauce, and vinegar.
12. Cook to reduce slightly (3 minutes).
13. Return chicken to pan.
14. Add spring onions and coriander.
15. Turn off heat.
16. Season with salt.
17. Top with peanuts.

Serves 4.

Most people think it takes a nutritional overhaul to lose weight.

Altering just one or two of these patterns can translate into more than 9 kilograms of weight-loss in a year. 21 small changes and you’ll see old habits that kept the weight on replaced by new habits that’ll peel off the kilograms.

6 of these changes include your daily drinks. Here’s a few simple changes:

1. Reach for a bottle of water instead of iced tea or fruit punch.
Immediate impact: Slash 1088 kilojoules.
Long-term loss: Substitute water for one sugary drink every day for six months and you’ll cut enough kiljoules to lose 6 kilograms.

2. Drink a 600ml Diet Coke instead of regular Coke.
Immediate impact: Eliminate 1045 kilojoules.
Long-term loss: Switch to drinking diet soda every day and in a year you’ll consume about 380 400 fewer kilojoules (12 kilograms).

3. Have an iced fat-free latte with artificial sugar instead of an Iced Caffe Mocha.
Immediate impact: Cut 1090 kilojoules.
Long-term loss: Try this every Monday and you can celebrate the summer holidays 680 grams lighter.

4. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking 350ml of orange juice.
Immediate impact: Save 270 kilojoules.
Long-term loss: Dump the OJ permanently and eat the real thing every morning and in three months you could lose 680 grams.

5. Put a 240ml mark on a glass (most people drink 340ml at a time).
Immediate impact: 230 fewer kilojoules per 120ml of sweetened drink.
Long-term loss: Lose 2.5 kilograms per year by drinking smaller servings of sweet drinks.

6. Sip on fitness water instead of sports drink when you’re not running or about to run.
Immediate impact: Save 165 kilojoules per 240ml.
Long-term loss: Trade a bottle everyday and you could lose 2kg by next summer.

Back to 21 Weight Loss Tips

Fresh ginger has long been used as a home remedy to soothe gastrointestinal problems, including nausea and vomiting caused by an upset stomach, motion sickness, pregnancy and chemotherapy.

It also has anti-inflammatory compounds that may help reduce joint pain –- hopeful news for runners with post-run aches.

Get the best

Look for fresh ginger, which as a spicy, peppery, semi-sweet flavor, at any grocery store. Choose ginger that feels firm; softness can indicate it’s old. Store it at room temperature or in the fridge, where It will keep for three weeks if unpeeled. You can also freeze unpeeled or grated ginger for up to six months.

Kitchen simple

Ginger tea is an age-old fix for anything that ails you.

Boil chunks of peeled or unpeeled ginger in water until the water turns golden. Pour the liquid into a mug; add honey to taste. You can also use grated ginger in her soups.

Contains: oleocanthal, which is a natural anti-inflammatory that behaves similarly to ibuprofen.

Eat it: drizzle it on baked potatoes, salads and post-run pasta.

Contains: branched-chain amino acids that work to decrease after-exercise muscle damage and soreness.

Eat it: dress it up with blueberries, walnuts and a touch of real maple syrup.

Contains: curcumin, the inflammation-fighting anti-oxidant that gives this spice its yellow hue.

Eat it: when making rice, add a dash of turmeric to the cooking water.

Contains: Vitamin E, an antioxidant that decreases exercise-induced oxidative muscle damage.

Eat it: mix a heaping spoonful into your smoothie or oatmeal.

Not only do they add variety to your meals, but they also supply vital nutrients to fuel your workouts. So forget those old nutrition taboos and welcome back these banned foods.

Just don’t eat them all at once.

Good News:
That gooey yellow center provides the bulk of an egg’s nutrients, including half of its total protein, vitamins A and D, and minerals such as zinc and iron. Yolks do contain cholesterol, but it won’t necessarily raise your heart-disease risk. In fact, the vast majority of people can eat dietary cholesterol without it elevating blood cholesterol levels.

“If you have high blood cholesterol and a family history of heart disease, the safest bet is to limit yourself to three yolks per week,” she says.

Otherwise, a study in the 2007 Medical Science Monitor concludes that healthy adults can eat up to two whole eggs a day without increasing their heart-disease risk.

Keep It Healthy:

It’s not the egg but the bacon, the butter on the toast, and the greasy hash browns you eat with it that link eggs to heart disease

Serve scrambled eggs on a whole-wheat toast topped with salsa for a more nutritious morning meal.

Good News:
Nuts contain fat, but it’s mostly monounsaturated – the heart-healthy kind. Recent studies suggest athletes need fat to delay muscle fatigue.

According to a 2007 study in the British Journal of Nutrition, almonds actually help you maintain a healthy weight by controlling appetite. They’re also packed with vitamins and minerals, “such as manganese, which keeps your bones strong, and potassium, which helps with nerve contraction to prevent muscle cramps.”

Keep It Healthy:
Eat a variety of nuts and nut butters to get a range of nutrients. Try walnuts with your oatmeal, almond butter on a bagel, and cashews in stir-frys.

Good News:
Carbohydrate-rich potatoes provide easily digestible fuel for your muscles. And they contain more runner-friendly nutrients than many other carb sources, such as pasta and rice,. One medium baked potato provides 4g of fibre, more than a quarter of your daily vitamin C needs, and about 20 percent of your daily needs for potassium, an electrolyte that helps regulate blood pressure and hydration.

And according to recent researchers, potatoes contain phytochemicals that may play a role in diminishing cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and certain cancers.

Keep It Healthy:
For a hearty carb-and protein-rich meal, top a baked potato with salsa, beans, and grated cheese.

Good News
While certain cuts may be high in unhealthy fats, others are as lean as chicken. A 100g serving of flank steak, has the same amount of saturated fat as a skinless chicken thigh.

100g of beef also provide 22 grams of protein to repair muscles, and plenty of iron.

Red meat is especially rich in the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. These are needed for energy production and contribute to overall endurance.

Keep It Healthy
For lean cuts, choose those labeled “loin” or “round.” Grilling or broiling gives lean steaks a caramelized crust and tender center, says Berdan.

Good News:
There’s no denying cheese contains fat, but it’s also a rich source of calcium, magnesium, and high-quality protein. Most cheeses have six to 10 grams of protein per portion. (A portion is about the size of a matchbox.)

He adds that the protein in cheese is readily absorbed and used to repair muscle, and that calcium works with magnesium to maintain muscle function.

Use reduced-fat cheeses on occasion, but runners can budget in one serving of regular-fat cheese a day by having fat-free or low-fat dairy at other meals.

Keep It Healthy
Hard, aged cheeses like Parmesan, sharp cheddar, and Swiss are higher in protein and calcium than soft cheeses, who suggests adding grated aged cheddar to eggs.

View More Dieting Myths

Even the most health-savvy runners can get caught up in diet myths that sabotage their goals.

“Weight loss is so complex and confusing because there is so much conflicting information out there,” says dietician Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at a university medical centre. With our experts’ help and the latest research, we’ve dispelled six myths so you can start slimming down for good.

Most runners who want to lose weight assume they have to ditch the dessert. But not only can you have it, you can have it for breakfast, according to a study published in March 2012 in the journal Steroids: Researchers found that participants who ate a 2 500kJ, carb- and protein-rich breakfast that included dessert – such as chocolate or ice cream – lost more weight over four months (and kept more off the following four months) than a group that ate a low-carb morning meal.

“Dessert for breakfast sounds so sinful,” says Bonci, “but if you allow yourself a tad more indulgent breakfast, you might eat less during the day instead of trying to be really ‘good’ and overcompensating later.”

Make It Work: Eat a 2 500kJ or so breakfast rich in vegetables, fruit, protein, and carbs, and add a sweet if you crave it.

Avoid kilojoule bombs, like mega-chocolate chip muffins, says Bonci; instead, have a shake made with vanilla yoghurt, banana, peanut butter, and a little chocolate, or a banana muffin with almond butter.

High-fibre foods, like fruits and vegetables, take longer to digest and hold more water, which is why they fill you up and aid weight loss. Companies have capitalised on this by adding fibre to everything from yoghurt to snack bars. But does this fibre work?

University researchers allowed study participants to replace two meals a day with a low-fibre snack bar, or one that contained 10 grams of added fibre. The results (published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) show the added fibre had no effect on fullness, and caused more bloating than the low-fibre bars. “Everyone in the food industry is jumping on the fibre bandwagon,” says Bonci, “but as this study shows, not all fibres are created equal.”

Make It Work: To quell hunger, Bonci recommends sticking with foods naturally high in fibre – whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. They tend to be lower-kilojoule, and take up more room in the stomach than processed foods with fibre.

Runners know carbs are essential for training, but many still cut back if they’re trying to lose weight. After all, eating lots of carbs – as you would, pre-race – causes the scale to go up. “Carbs act like a sponge,” says Bonci, “helping you absorb water.” That weight is temporary, and means you’re well-fuelled. But there’s more reason to keep carbs – whole-grain carbs – in your diet.

According to a study published in April 2012, participants who ate a low-kilojoule diet high in wholewheat for 12 weeks lost more fat than a group that ate a low-kilojoule diet high in refined wheat – most probably because the extra fibre in whole grains was more filling.

Make It Work: Whenever you eat grains, make them whole, says dietician Katherine Beals, PhD, a university associate professor. To make this a reality, cook a large batch of grains to eat all week. Add different nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, and meats to vary the flavours.

Fat is the most kilojoule-dense nutrient, so it would make sense that eating less of it would help you lose weight. But slashing your fat intake may have the opposite effect. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers compared participants on three diets – low-fat, low-glycaemic, and low-carb.

Eating a low-fat diet decreased resting energy expenditure (or the number of kilojoules you burn at rest) the most. Cutting back on fat also affected hormones essential to keeping cholesterol and insulin in check. “We need fat for many reasons,” says Bonci. “It’s an important fuel source for exercise. If you don’t consume enough, your body will burn muscle.”

Make It Work: “When people eat a low-fat diet, they add flavour in other ways, such as by eating sugar,” says Bonci. She recommends 30 per cent of your kilojoules come from fat – and two-thirds of that should be the healthy unsaturated kinds from nuts, oils, fish, eggs, and avocados.

For runners looking to shed kilos, using zero-kilojoule sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, and stevia, may be an appealing choice, since swopping out a sugar-packed cooldrink for a diet version is an easy way to cut kilojoules. But according to a joint study statement by the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, the scientific evidence connecting zero-kilojoule sweeteners with long-term weight loss is inconclusive.

Why? One of the main problems is overcompensation. If you save 600 kilojoules by drinking a diet cooldrink, but then reward yourself with an extra helping at dinner, you’ve negated any kilojoule-saving benefit.

Make it work: “If you drink lots of cooldrink or add tons of sugar to your coffee,” says Bonci, “you may want to try diet versions.” However, “if using a zero-kilojoule sweetener gives you licence in your mind to eat whatever you want, then it’s not the right choice for you.

You have to make sure cutting back in one arena doesn’t prompt you to overdo it in another.”

Many runners assume that going longer is always better – especially when it comes to weight loss. But a recent Danish study published in September 2012 found that this isn’t always the case. During the study, researchers asked overweight participants to do 30 or 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day.

Surprisingly, those who exercised less lost more weight during the 13-week study. What’s the catch? The group that exercised longer ended up eating more throughout the day than the moderate-exercise group. In other words, the longer they exercised, the more they overcompensated for it.

Make It Work: Running long is good, but not if you overeat because of it, says Beals. Make sure you pay attention to your diet on days you do run long. On the flip side, beginners should be encouraged to know you don’t need to run for hours to see real weight-loss results.

If your plan is a huge change, you won’t stick with it, says Edward Weiss, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition and dietetics. Write down five changes you’d like to make; choose one you can manage with the least disruption. Once you keep it up for a few weeks, move on to the next.

When you eat in five minutes, it doesn’t give your body time to process and get full, says Dr. Margaret Harris, a university assistant professor of nutrition. By slowing down while you eat you’ll enjoy yourself more, eat less, and feel satiated.

Write down not only what you eat but how it makes you feel, says Harris. This will focus your attention on the choices you make, keep you more attuned to your selections, and steer you towards healthy choices that make you feel energised.

Diets offer a quick way to lose weight, but rarely offer long-term solutions, says Weiss. Looking for the quick fix can lead to see-sawing weight and ill-health. Think of nutritional plans as just that – plans to rethink your eating patterns permanently.

Runners get in jams, too. Long runs loom. Workouts don’t go well. Races leave you depleted. Well, it turns out there are quick-fix foods for these situations as well – and others besides.

We looked at 10 common scenarios that runners face while training and racing, then found ways to literally eat to win. And each fix is backed up by the latest scientific research.

The food: Coffee

The Benefit: A study reported that runners who drank 11/2 cups of coffee (containing about 3 grams of caffeine) prior to running 1500 meters ran faster times and had higher max VO2 levels than those who didn’t drink any coffee.

In addition, related studies have suggested that the antioxidants in coffee can help cut the risk of developing both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Just keep in mind that coffee’s energizing effect is that of a stimulant; it doesn’t provide true energy calories.

The Food: Oranges

The Benefit: Stay healthy during this crucial week by sucking down an orange a day – each one packs 75 milligrams of vitamin C.

For even better reinforcement, eat organic oranges, which according to research from the American Chemical Society, may contain as much as 30 percent more vitamin C than conventionally grown oranges.

The Food: Peanut butter

The Benefit: Peanut butter is super-high in vitamin E, the most potent antioxidant vitamin in foods.

For pre-race energy, spread 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on a slice of toast, and eat it 2 hours before race time. The good fats (monounsaturated) in peanut butter will “stick to your ribs” and help you feel full.

Plus, you’ll be energized with slow-release carbohydrates.

Bonus: Recent data indicates that peanut butter and nuts can help reduce the risk of Type-2 diabetes in women.

The Food: Cottage cheese

The Benefit: Cottage cheese is full of protein for muscle repair, and it’s a good calcium source as well, making it the perfect post-run treat (eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup).

It also contains linoleic acid, which boosts memory and protects against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Bonus: Adding 1 cup of fresh blueberries will give you 19 grams of carbohydrate for recovery fuel. Or, to help with rehydration, mix in melon, both of which are 90-percent water.

The Food: Pasta plus a side salad

The Benefit: Stick with one serving of traditional pasta to carbo-load your muscles, but have it with meat sauce and include a high-protein salad as well.

Mix greens with vegetables, chickpeas, cheese, diced ham, or soynuts for a healthy, protein-rich side dish that will keep you satiated through the night so you’re not ravenous on race morning.

The Food: Tuna fish

The Benefit: Research has shown that runners need about 50 to 70 percent more protein than the average couch potato, which means you should eat 75 to 100 grams a day, depending on your body size and mileage.

This is especially important if you’re strength training, as lifting weights increases your protein needs even more. Eating just 85 grams of white tuna fish will supply you with about 20 grams of protein.

The Food: Honey

The Benefit: An excellent source of carbohydrate, honey has been shown to effectively keep blood glucose levels high for optimal endurance. Three studies report that honey is just as good as energy gels when eaten before and during a workout.

One of the studies showed that cyclists who ate 15 grams of honey before a 60-km race and every 15 km during the race increased their power and speed.

The Food: Seafood over whole-wheat pasta

The Benefit: Seafood contains loads of iron and zinc, while 1 cup of cooked whole-wheat macaroni packs 37 grams of carbohydrates. Since your immune system is weakened after a marathon, the zinc can help boost your immunity, which will lower your risk of getting a cold or the flu.

The zinc will also repair muscle tissue damage that occurred during the race, and the pasta will restock your carbohydrate stores.

The Food: Meat stir-fry

The Benefit: To refortify your depleted immune system the week after the big race, you need vitamin C. And you’ll get this by eating plenty of vegetables such as green and red peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli.

For an added bonus, eat green, leafy vegetables to boost folate levels, which will help decrease cancer risk. Adding meat rebuilds muscle tissue.

The Food: Glucosamine and gelatin

The Benefit: According to several studies, supplemental glucosamine–about 1,500 milligrams daily–helps soothe joint pain, possibly by stimulating cartilage growth.

Most recently, a study from Harvard has shown osteoarthritis improvements with gelatin-based products. Yes, there’s always room for Jelly.

Special thanks to Dr. Kristine Clark, director of sports nutrition at Penn State University, for her assistance with this article.

Setting realistic resolutions can help you shed kilograms for the long run. Follow these weight loss training tips:

A mistake a lot of people make, especially runners, is to skip breakfast to save on calories, says dietician Madelyn Fernstrom.

Even if you don’t feel hungry in the am, eating early kicks your metabolism into gear so you start to burn calories.

Breakfast also curbs your appetite and sets the tone for a structured commitment to eating healthy all day. Try to eat between 150 and 300 calories for that first meal, and get a mix of carbs and protein (like an egg white omelette with toast) for both quick energy and long-lasting fullness.

Real life means planning. This means thinking ahead about what you’re going to have for meals and snacks – during the week and on weekends – so that you have healthy ingredients on hand.

That way you don’t end up ordering takeout or going out to eat when you’re tired and starving.

A study found that the average restaurant diner underestimates his or her calorie count by up to 93 percent, so eating healthy at home can help keep off the kilograms.

On weekends, make a big pot of soup that will last a few days or grill up chicken and vegetables for multiple dinners.

Stock your freezer with pre-cooked meat and pre-cut veggies for quick and healthy meals on any night of the week.

People who keep daily food records lose twice the weight as those who don’t.

No fancy journal necessary – just jotting down “tuna on whole wheat” or smsing yourself “chicken burger” helps you reflect on your meals and find your weaknesses. Even if you don’t think you can keep a food journal long-term, it can be helpful for some after just three days (make sure one day is a weekend).

You’ll find those hidden calories (nibbling at your kid’s unfinished lunch; snacking on cheese and provitas before dinner) and uncover mindless eating patterns (like always having chips when you watch Lost) that can contribute to weight gain.

Do you eat “perfectly” all day only to scoff down ice cream and cookies at 9pm?

You may not be getting enough fuel when you need it.

Weight-conscious athletes often skimp on daytime calories, only to end up craving high-calorie foods late at night. Runners need to spread their calories out, says sports nutritionist Barbara Lewin.

People are active earlier in the day but get most of their calories at dinner, she says. “That’s going to affect your workout, your energy levels, and come evening, you’ll be starving. Eating enough during meals and snacks throughout the day will keep your hunger level on an even keel and prevent overindulging later.

Your friend who “works out” at aerobics twice a week might get away with a meager 1 200 calories a day; you, Runner, cannot.

Depriving yourself of calories will slow your metabolism and sap your energy, damaging your weight-loss and running efforts.

Besides, diets don’t work: A New England Journal of Medicine study set out to find whether a low-carb, low-fat, or Mediterranean diet worked best, and concluded that none were particularly effective. While dieters tend to drop weight fast only to regain it, athletes need to focus on slow, steady weight loss.

This will provide energy for training while bolstering your chance of keeping the weight off for good.

And don’t ditch carbs in an effort to get lean: Doing so will drain your glycogen supply (the energy in muscles derived from carbs), preventing you from running as long or hard as you want. Lewin kickstarted a client’s weight loss by adding a high-quality carb to every meal, plus high carb snacks like whole-grain biscuits and fruit. Her energy skyrocketed, her workouts improved, and she lost weight.

Now that’s a “diet” we can resolve to follow!

Don’t sweat the occasional milk shake. A study found that 71% of successful resolvers said that slip-ups strengthened their efforts to stick to and meet their goals.