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.

I have a friend named Matt who is an incredible ultra runner. And when I say ultra runner, I mean the long ultra distances — 200 and 250 miles. Over the years, I’ve heard him drop plenty of little nuggets of ultra wisdom, but one has stuck with me more than the rest: “In ultras, the answer is almost always food.”

If you’re confused about carbs, protein, or what’s actually “healthy,” you’re not alone. Let’s break it down simply. A few weeks ago, I gave a nutrition clinic for a half marathon training group that I volunteer with. I look forward to this clinic every year—sharing practical nutrition strategies with people preparing to run 13.1 miles, many for the very first time. After the session, a few runners came up to ask questions, which is pretty typical. But this time, three differ

A few years ago, a friend showed me a habit tracker she absolutely loved. Each month was written out, with one spot for every day of the month — January had 31 dots, February had 28, and so on. Every day she completed her habit, she colored in a dot. She called it the “Stupid F*ing Dots” (or SFD for short), and it really helped her exercise consistently. She found something that worked for her, and I was genuinely happy for her. But it also made me realize something uncomfort

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