When training for a marathon or other high-endurance sport, it is OK to eat more food because you are depleting your fuel storage. Another way to look at it is if you drive a car faster, it will need fuel more frequently, as it were. Eat more, burn more.

The cornerstone of your diet is the necessary 3 meals a day. Most all people love to snack between meals. My problem is that I get fairly hungry before a meal, so I tend to over eat each meal. My portions are larger and my second servings become thirds. Consequently, I feel food stupid or uncomfortably belt-stretching when it’s time to throw in the towel.

A better choice for big eaters like me is to eat smaller meals more frequently, say, three to five times a day. When you can’t make a meal, keep a meal beverage close by. Supplement meals with mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks of sports bars, fruits, dried fruit, nuts, and juices. These snacks supply the body with added energy and nutrients. And the overall result is a stable flow of energy without all the binging and stuffing.

If food is fuel it is helpful to understand what is on your plate and how it affects your body. Knowing this will allow you to consume more wisely and effectively. Otherwise, you will end up eating hotdogs and sausage instead of energy bars during your training.