Weight Loss For Athletes

[Nanci]

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12207

This article is really good. I think someone mentioned it, or the findings on here. I just ran across the whole thing.

Study: Eat less vs. exercise more

How is it best for an athlete to lose weight? Unfortunately, there have been few studies of serious athletes that looked at this question.

One group of researchers, however, has examined the issue in an interesting way. They compared eating less to exercising more to see which was more effective in dropping excess body fat.

They had six endurance-trained men create a 1,000-calorie-per-day deficit for seven days by either exercising more while maintaining their caloric intake, or by eating less while keeping exercise the same. With 1,000 calories of increased exercise daily -- comparable to running an additional eight miles or so each day -- the men averaged 1.67 pounds of weight loss in a week. The subjects eating 1,000 fewer calories each day lost 4.75 pounds on average for the week.

Ok, so you keep reading and find out the fewer calories group lost muscle mass. But the author, Joe Friel, speculates, based on a study of sedentary women, that the cure for that is to eat an adequate amount of protein.

Nanci

[runnergirl]

Interesting, but if I cut by another 1000 calories, I'd be down to 1000 a day, with an average burn of over 3000-that doesn't sound very smart. I think I'd rather hang on to my 7 lbs of fat than go through that!

[KSH]

I didn't read the article... but I had a "body builder" type nutritionalist make me a "diet" one time.

I basically ate around 1600-1800 calories a day, and worked out. I had to write down everything I ate.

I was light headed, dizzy, and so very HUNGRY! It worked though! I went from 22% body fat to 18%. At 5'4", I went from 124 lbs to 118 lbs.

Do I follow that diet anymore? No. Have I gained back the weight? Yes.

But, whatever... I try to eat healthy... 80% of the time, I watch what I eat and try not to overeat. I stay away from fast food and workout 5-6 days a week (train for tri's... and in the off season I will do yoga, weight lift, etc.).

I still look good for my age (33), and I have a strong, healthy body. I can do a lot of stuff most people younger than me can't even do!

So instead of being a size 2-4 I am a size 6-8, and I am happy. I have fun meals, I don't obsess over everything bit of food that goes in my mouth. Life is better.

Anyhoo... maybe be off topic???? But just a friendly reminder that sometimes being skinny just isn't worth it. It is better to be happy and healthy if you ask me!

[roughingit]

So instead of being a size 2-4 I am a size 6-8, and I am happy. I have fun meals, I don't obsess over everything bit of food that goes in my mouth. Life is better.

Anyhoo... maybe be off topic???? But just a friendly reminder that sometimes being skinny just isn't worth it. It is better to be happy and healthy if you ask me!

At size 6-8 you *are* skinny!

[trigurl]

I ride almost 100 miles a week and I started this at 153-155 lbs. yesterday I hit the scales and was at 158.5 I haven't been that high in over a year! what's up? Fri I was 154.5 and Sat I was 158.5, I did get on the scales a couple more times just to make sure!

I have an idea, maybe if we post our typical meals someone else can see the "problem" foods??? I will go first

6:30 am Coke
7:00 am bagel with pb&j or just pb, banana
10:00am (stomach growling) pb crackers, or granola bar
11:30am (stomach growling) yogurt l/f s/f or s/f pudding or jello
12:30pm LUNCH!!! (starving) leftovers usually, today october beans with new potatos, and onions, used 1 slice bacon for seasoning, squash and red peppers.
3:00pm (growling) crackers or granola bar or yogurt regular with nuts & cranberries, probably a coke, my last one so they are all GONE.
4:30 apple
6:00 pm bike ride - will probably have a shot of hammergel during ride
9:00pm - dinner is always late - I have a turkey burger thawing, spinach salad
and a piece of fruit or popsicle, maybe a couple bites of squash pie.

Ok, I vary sometimes lunch is a sandwich, or some veggie chicken fingers, I only eat meat a few times a week, if that, and lots of veggies. ON the weekends I tend to eat what I want, usually we go for a motorcycle ride and get icecream, I am usually better on the w/e tho.

When I say I am hungry or starving - I really am my stomach is growling, sometimes my head will start hurting and I know I have to eat. OK now, what do ya think?

[anaphase]

trigurl, have you tried using FitDay.com to see what kind of calories you are putting in and what % of them are fat, carbs and protein? I know that when I eat a 20% fat, 60% carb, and 20% protein, I am starving all the time. It might be worth a look to track your food for a couple of days and see where you're at.

Three foods that have helped me feel fuller, longer: (low fat) cottage cheese, oatmeal, and hard boiled eggs.

Also, I don't think you can gain 5 real pounds over the course of a few days. If it takes 3500 extra calories to gain a pound of fat, that's a helluva lot of eating. Are you PMSing? Eaten a lot of sodium over the last few days?

Hope this helps.

[Dogmama]

In both diets, I would like to see some high quality, low fat protein at every meal, e.g., chicken or fish. Even snacks should have something that resembles protein so that your blood sugar stays level.

Another caveat - muscle weighs more than fat. You both say you're gaining weight, but how do your clothes fit? Scales can be misleading.

Finally, writing everything down helps. It makes you think twice before you pop a couple of chips in your mouth (just a couple really add up).

[trigurl]

My veggie burgers and chicken have a lot of protein in them - I was acutally surprised at the amount. Or I have beans instead of meat - my stomach is actually much better feeling not eating meats - and I love my meat!

I have some clothes that are tight and like I mentioned pants that were tight fit but the legs were tight - last thing I need is bigger legs

I am just worrried b/c it took me so long to lose 40lbs and I don't want to gain it back. I do feel like my stomach is a little bigger. I think I will keep my diet similar and add more exercise, per the article. Maybe a 20-30 min run 2-3 times a week?

Oh did I mention I also dring 60-80 ozs of water BEFORE I ride?

[Melodylynn]

Trigirl - try having an egg of somesort for your breakfast to keep you fuller longer. I always feel less hungary on the mornings that I have a homemade egg muffin sandwich. (1 egg in micro, slice of cheese and sour dough toasted english muffin)

I drink my water all during the day, not just right before I ride. I find this helps me feel not so waterlogged when I am riding. I also snack a bunch on raw veggies and friuts with pieces of cheese instead of crackers and PB. I haven't lost any weight yet but I have just started today to write everything down that I eat. I am 5'2 and 160 lbs. I have to start losing some weight at some point in time. I think that I am just mentally blocking out all of those extras that I eat and think a few won't hurt!

So writing things down might be the ticket. I also looked at different websites and found that I have to lower my calorie intake to about 1330 a day. I sit at a desk for most of the day and exersise sometime in the early moring or late at night.

[trigurl]

Thanks, I am not real fond of eggs! I did Atkins for a year and can't look at them w/o feeling kinda grossed out, but I did lose 40 lbs.

I was down to 157 this morning, I didn't exercise at all Sat and Sun, that could have been part of the gain.

This morning I ate a veggie sausage patty with a slice of bread and a banana.

I always eat a lot in the mornings, every couple of hours I seem to feel hungry.

I to drink my water all through the day! didn't look that way from my reply tho

[Dogmama]

Thanks, I am not real fond of eggs! I did Atkins for a year and can't look at them w/o feeling kinda grossed out, but I did lose 40 lbs.

Hmmm, you probably don't want to hear this - but most people gain weight back when they go off of Atkins. Maybe that is what you are experiencing? How long have you been off Atkins?

[AutumnBreez]

Curious of what your height is?

Thanks, I am not real fond of eggs! I did Atkins for a year and can't look at them w/o feeling kinda grossed out, but I did lose 40 lbs.

I was down to 157 this morning, I didn't exercise at all Sat and Sun, that could have been part of the gain.

This morning I ate a veggie sausage patty with a slice of bread and a banana.

I always eat a lot in the mornings, every couple of hours I seem to feel hungry.

I to drink my water all through the day! didn't look that way from my reply tho

[yellow]

I Maybe a 20-30 min run 2-3 times a week?

I'll put my plug in for running. If you can do it (that is, your knees and hips and back can handle it), it is one of the best forms of exercise for weight loss and/or maintenance. The key is that you have to work up to some pretty substantial mileage to get the most benefit. I found that at about 25 miles/week, I could maintain. At 40+ miles/week I had a hard time eating enough to maintain.

I don't run any more and really, really (really, really) miss it. When I ran I was able to maintain my weight about 5-10 lbs lower than now (now I fluctuate a lot) and not even think about it. The deal is that over a number of years my body changed drastically as did my metabolism and appetite. I ended up eating what I wanted when I wanted. Now I actually have to think about how much I eat and it makes me crazy. I still eat pretty much the same things, just less.

I hope to start running again when I complete my move to SLC. If you can run, do it! I'll run vicariously through you!

[trigurl]

Yellow, I was able to keep my weight around 150-153 when running and eat like crazy! I am training for this Century next month so I have laid off running for a while. AFter the century tho I will start training for a 1/2 marathon in October, then in Nov. there is a duathlon - off road Dec. is the Jingle bell run, so I have lots of running coming up!!! I LOVE to run and would like to do more but I want to do well in the century, I believe I can be up to running a 1/2 marathon in 4 weeks

I can run in the cold weather better than bike so most the winter I will be running.

[trigurl]

I forgot to mention, I was at 153.5 this morning