Running Lean

I’ve received a lot of comments on my social media posts over the years basically saying that if you are a runner, you shouldn’t need help losing weight. Comments like, “If you want to lose weight, just run more”, or, “I lost all the extra weight when I did the ‘couch to 5k’ training program”, or, “If you’re a runner, you shouldn’t need to lose weight.” The main thought behind these types of comme...

Everyone wants to know how to lose weight, how to get healthier, how to run faster, and how to get there as quickly as possible. We have become a society of instant gratification, from instantly downloading any music or movie ever made, to having whatever we want delivered right to our door the very same day. Nowadays, people have no patience for anything, especially when it comes to something lik...

Just about all of us will eventually engage in some type of self-sabotaging behavior. Most of the time though, you don’t know when you’re doing it. Self-sabotage is often confused with failure, being stuck, or even laziness. It’s actually pretty subtle sometimes, but knowing what it looks like is the important first step in eliminating it from your life. So in this episode of the podcast, I’...

This past weekend I had the privilege to be a part of the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon. Just to be clear, I did not run the race, instead, I was able to be a part of this amazing event from a very different perspective, one that most people don’t ever get to experience. It was a very emotional experience for me. I came away from the race feeling all the feelings and it really renewed my love...

When you think of discipline, what comes to mind? For some, it conjures up images of obeying rules and doling out punishment for anyone who disobeys. But when I think of discipline I think of training myself to do something day in and day out, usually something I don’t feel like doing. I never think of discipline as punishment, but rather a method of achieving whatever worthwhile goal that I want...

If you’re a runner and you’ve ever dealt with a running-related injury, then this episode is especially for you. I recently sat down with Brodie Sharpe, a physiotherapist from Melbourne, Australia and host of the popular Run Smarter Podcast. In this informative conversation, Brodie shares his thoughts on a wide variety of topics related to running injuries and injury prevention. We discuss whether...

Have you ever felt like you just can’t seem to make any progress toward a goal? Have you ever found it difficult to get started eating right or exercising regularly? Have you ever made some progress toward a goal but then you hit a plateau and you just can’t seem to get things going again? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then congratulations…you are normal. It also means you’ve fe...

It’s that time of the year when every weekend it seems there are a ton of races going on all over the world. And a lot of runners who’ve worked really hard over the last few months will inevitably make mistakes on race day. And making mistakes does not just apply to first-time racers. Whether you’re a brand new runner and doing your first 5k or you’re a seasoned athlete and running your 20th marat...

If you want to lose weight and you’re finding it difficult – maybe you’ve hit a plateau and can’t seem to get the weight moving again – this episode is for you. Losing weight is never a linear process, there will always be ups, downs, and even stalls in your weight loss journey. All of this is perfectly normal. But if you’re really struggling to get the weight moving in the right direc...

Lots of factors go into whether or not you will successfully achieve a goal. How bad you want it, where you are in your life, your physical limitations just to name a few. But one of the most powerful indicators of success is a shift in your mindset. Most people do not consider their mindset when they set out to accomplish a goal like losing weight. They just start with, “what should I eat and not...

I talk a lot about carbs here on the podcast, mainly why it’s advised to keep your carbs low if you’re a runner who wants to lose weight and use body fat as fuel for running. I realized I haven’t spent much time talking about the other macronutrients – fat and protein. Fat and protein are essential nutrients that often get overlooked when it comes to low-carb diets and fat-adapted running. I...

I talk a lot about losing weight and eventually getting to your “natural weight” but I’ve never really taken the time to explain what your “natural weight” is. Several people have been asking me about this lately so I thought it would be a good idea to dig into this topic here on the podcast today. Listen, losing weight is a very personal thing, and there’s not one right way to do it. Lots of diff...

If you have a big goal like losing weight and keeping it off, then you know it is going to take a while to reach that goal. One of the main reasons people don’t reach their weight loss goal is that they lose motivation. They do OK for a few weeks or a few months and then all that motivation they had at the beginning is gone and they give up on themselves. The interesting thing is that there are di...

When it comes to weight loss tips, one principle stands out among all the others: counting calories. For decades, you’ve been told that the only way to lose weight is to make sure you count all your calories. Honestly, if this worked as advertised, we wouldn’t have a crisis of obesity here in this country, and no one would struggle with their weight. But the truth is, it doesn’t work. Today on the...

There is so much contradictory advice out there when it comes to losing weight. It’s really hard to know what’s right and what’s just BS. I’ve always taken the approach that you need to ignore most of the info spewed out there on the internet and social media and just figure out what works for you. We are all different and there’s simply not one approach that will work perfectly for everybody. Wit...

A lot of runners believe that when it comes to exercise, running is more than enough. They love running, do it 6-7 days a week, and don’t feel the need to do anything else. Then there are those runners who believe in the power of cross-training. Some believe in it so hard that they find themselves doing some form of cross-training 6-7 days a week in addition to running! Wherever you fall on this s...

When it comes to going after big goals like losing weight and keeping it off or running a faster marathon, it is pretty much a guarantee that you will experience setbacks, failures and disappointments. There’s no such thing as success without some level of setbacks and challenges along the way. The problem is that when most people experience these setbacks, they tend to see them as insurmountable...

There seems to be a lot of misleading information out there about intermittent fasting. People think it will mess up your metabolism, or it’s unsafe, or it’s just plain crazy. The truth is very different. Intermittent fasting is not only safe, but it provides some pretty amazing health benefits, especially when combined with a low-carb diet. Today, I’m going to separate fact from fiction and share...

When it comes to changing your diet in order to lose weight or just be healthier, most people feel like whatever they do is too restrictive. They feel like you should be able to eat anything you want as long as you don’t overdo it. Most people also feel that restricting any amount of food at all is not sustainable long-term. So what’s the answer here? Should you restrict certain foods or not? That...

So many people I talk to about losing weight or running faster tell me they just can’t seem to make any progress because they feel stuck. This is a really tough place to be because when you feel stuck, it’s like there’s nothing you can do to get out of it. You feel like nothing will ever work, you feel discouraged, and you feel defeated. And what do you do when you feel defeated? You give up. You...

Oftentimes when we take on a big challenge like changing how we eat or training for a marathon, we don’t get the results we want fast enough. The weight isn’t coming off as quickly as you want or the training isn’t getting any easier, running is still really hard. When you’re focused solely on the end result, and you’re not there yet, you can begin to hate the process it takes to get you the...

Creating lasting change is hard. It’s uncomfortable, it takes time, and it’s for these reasons that most people will not do it. Also, when most people set out to change, they just start with tactics. Do this, not that, eat this, not that, etc. But there is a critical first step most people miss in the process. So this episode of the Running Lean podcast is all about the important first step in cre...

If you are a runner and you want to improve your speed, endurance, or both, then you’ll want to work on building some lean muscle. The problem is that most runners don’t really know how to build muscle, or they are using an outdated approach that really isn’t doing much for them. Building a stronger body will not only help improve your running performance, it will also help you to lose weigh...

When it comes to creating healthy habits that last, the real key is consistency. You have to take consistent, aligned action if you want to create behavior patterns that get you results. And the key to taking consistent, aligned action is planning ahead. So in this episode of the podcast, you’ll learn the power of planning ahead and why you need to be practicing this right now. Work With Me Intere...

When most people set goals for themselves, they think small. They set goals that feel doable, safe, and comfortable, goals that won’t cause them too much suffering if they don’t achieve them. But is this really what you want for yourself? Not me. I want to set goals that feel scary, uncomfortable, and impossible. In this episode I explain why you shouldn’t be setting small, easily-achievable...