Exercise is very specific on the Fast Metabolism Diet, and cardio is limited to just one day of Phase 1. But what if you’re training for a running event or triathlon?
I have lots of clients who are professional athletes or amateur endurance athletes, as well as those who work as personal trainers, Pilates instructors and Zumba teachers.
And I hear from readers who want to train for a half marathon, marathon or triathlon.
Whether by profession or choice, you’ll need to do cardio work more than one day per week. Here’s how you can do the Fast Metabolism Diet, but still train for a big event. In all cases, be sure to drink lots of water, even going beyond your normal water requirement to replenish fluids. Be sure to maintain your electrolyte balance by eating lots of veggies, adding lemon and lime, and including sea salt in your meals.
Training and sports on the Fast Metabolism Diet
If you’re training for a 5K or 10K
For these shorter events, you can still do the Fast Metabolism Diet as it’s written.
Plan your long runs for Phase 1 days — and it’s okay if you do a run on both days. Then you can plan one or two short, easy runs for Phase 3 days.
You should not need any adjustments to the diet, but you might want to go ahead and include the optional grain at Phase 3 dinners.
Training for a half marathon, marathon or triathlon
Here’s where it gets tougher. If you plan to train minimally for a half marathon, you may be able to follow the same plan as above: Do your long runs on Phase 1 days, with a short, easy jog on one or two days of Phase 3.
However, if you plan to train more intensely, your body will need more fuel to accommodate the extra exercise.
On Phase 1: Plan to make Phase 1 days your long run or hard workout day or days. Add another fruit snack prior to your workout. And with breakfast, add a little protein — an egg white, a couple of turkey slices, or add spirulina to a smoothie.
On Phase 2: If you need to run on P2 days, you’ll need to add a fruit snack before your run. Go for a low glycemic fruit like berries or an Asian pear.
On Phase 3: Include the optional grain at P3 dinners. You may also need to add an additional fruit snack, or add fruit to one of your healthy-fat snacks.
With these adjustments, you should be able to train and still work on healing your metabolism. Avoid sports drinks, which are loaded with sugar. Instead, stick to plain spring water.
Be sure to eat within 45 minutes after a hard workout or long run to aid muscle recovery and rebalance your body’s nutrients.
Listen to your body — if you find yourself feeling weak or more hungry, add veggies and be sure you are drinking your water. If you still feel low on fuel, bump your protein portions up by 25%.
For personal trainers or fitness instructors
If you teach fitness classes, you’ll likely also need to add fruit to Phase 2, assuming you’ll be teaching on Phase 2 days.
If you find you need to add fruit, stick with a low glycemic fruit such as berries, Asian pear or grapefruit.
These guidelines should get you to the finish line while also healing your metabolism!
Print 
PDF
Email
