Am I the only one who still has flashbacks from the fat-free and low-carb eras? Recently, I was putting together a Running Nutrition Strategy Guide for a client training for a 50K, and as I entered her calorie and macro recommendations, I had a moment. Because even though I know what it takes to fuel a body for endurance training, recommending that many carbs can still feel a little daunting. That’s how deep those old food rules run.

When I was growing up, I was called “chubby,” which was apparently a perfectly acceptable word to use in the 80s. I was embarrassed that my jeans were “Pretty Plus” sizes. My mom was always going on a diet, and most of the time, my sister and I went on the diet with her. When I was in middle school, my mom and I went on a road trip with my aunt. My mom forgot to tell her that we were both “on a diet,” so she brought a grocery bag full of junk food for the road. My aunt was so