I was so obese as a child that I was put in a special education gym class at age 13. In the book "You Don't Have to be Thin to Win" by Judy Molnar there is a brief mention of my battle with obesity.

I gain weight very easily. I am 165 pounds and 5'8". I have to watch my diet, or more correctly, my eating habits, very closely. Having said that my eating habits are quite poor. Legendary by most standards. Like most people they are mandated by time and convenience. In the past eight weeks my habits have improved somewhat, but not enormously.

To maintain or loose weight I have to:

1. Not eat late, after 6:00 PM or within 4 hours of going to sleep. Very difficult for me.
2. Train consistently. If I stop training I slowly put on the weight.
3. Stay away from "sweets". I recently recovered from a digestive problem I contracted in Northern Africa in 1999 and suddenly could eat ice cream again. I ate a lot of ice cream for a few weeks. I was like, "Wow, this is good!" Then I started putting on some weight. I had to stop. Now that my training mileage is back up I do eat a pint of Haagen Dazs a week, but that is it.

That's about as much as I can think of. At least they are "real world" examples. I still eat McDonald's hamburgers and fries, drink Diet Coke and eat at Taco Bell. Tonight the whole cyclocross crew is going to Tijuana Kitchen to eat too much chips and salsa and tacos. It's just what happens. This is about as light as I will ever be. That's fine with me. I'm still reasonably fast and you can see my stomach muscles.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I have lost 50+ lbs with Weight Watchers over the last year. It's calorie counting for dummies. While endurance athletes are not typical WW members, quite a few marathoners/cyclists/triathletes frequent their online forums. I learned from them how to make the plan work while doing a good amount of training. I will never, ever, ever give up carbs. But I have learned the art of moderation.

IMHO, the off season is the best time to drop weight, combined with a *moderate* training volume. I find it very hard to restrict calories during very high-volume training.

To echo what Tom said, I too (unlike what would seem to be almost everyone else) put on weight far, far too easily. A few weeks of inconsistent training, and BAM, there's 5 new pounds.

For me, what seems to work is to know my weakness (fried foods) and then limit myself to eating it once every two weeks. I also TRY to be cognizant of what I eat on a daily basis. Like Tom, I probably shouldn't eat after 6, but I'm too weak for that.

I did read something recently that I'm going to try: That many times, the feeling of "hunger" is actually a sign of thirst (I know that sounds whacked), and instead of immediately eating, drink 8 ounces of water. If you're still hungry 10 minutes later, then go ahead an eat something.

One last thing that I'm sure you've heard lots of times....eat many small meals per day as opposed to "3 squares", and try to time your eating around energy needs (i.e. breakfast, pre-workout, etc.)



Good luck!

Research has shown that if you make breakfast your largest meal, lunch a mid size meal and dinner your smallest meal and change nothing else you can lose about 2kg of weight. While I don't remember the calorie breakdown the percentages were roughly 50%, 30% and 20% for B,L,D.
I'm 160-2 but about 4 weeks out from a major race I start doing this and can get down to 154. I usually stabilize at 157 for the race season. Makes running and climbing much easier.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Oh, I forgot, I do eat breakfast with my cats now. I didn't used to eat breakfast but now I do.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I've lost 30 lbs over the last three years maintaining a pretty steady loss of approx. 1 lb a month. IMO diets are garbage that doom you to failure every time. What worked for me (and still does) is that I went down to the local gym and had my BMR tested where you breath in the device for 10 min. or so. Seems to be the most accurate approach out there. Once you know your BMR, it's all calorie intake/burn counting. Eat only as many calories so that you stay 100-200 under your burn rate, you lose ~ a pound a month. No food restictions, eat anything you like. You do learn after time where you want to spend your calories, ex: I quit drinking all non-diet soda as it consumed 300-400 of my daily calories. I'd rather enjoy those calories in another form.

I've lost around 15 kg following (mostly) Gordo's tips, cutting out a lot of processed food and increasing the fruits, veggies and lean protein. http://www.byrn.org/gtips/gtips.htm#b No beer since returning from France either, but there will be no giving up wine.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I agree with the person who mentioned Weight Watchers. It is amazing how simple things = weight loss. I have never been over weight but was feeling self concioius when I was 18 and went.

By eating more little meals, of whatever I wanted, and cutting out soda and drinking more water, I dropped 10lbs in 2 weeks. Granted I dropped out of the program after that as I just lost interest but, the little tips they give you really stuck with me.

-Trisha

Al,

I can relate to you in your desire to seek the advice of fellow athletes in creating a plan that works for you. Sitting in the room at Weight Watchers with people who have no clue what lactate threshold even means is an eye opener to say the least, However, I am living proof that Weight Watches does work. I do however feel that their taget audience is really the 5'3", 250LB, sedentary, 46 year old female, not the budding athlete. My wife and I both lost over 33 pounds each and heve kept the weight off for over a year.

Basically you need to eat less and burn more. But, as I discovered, you need to structure it to your activity level. I actually eat 200% of my daily alloted "points". That's bbecause I swim 2000 yards a day and cross train every other day as well. I do blow it off during taper and race day, knowing full well I can return to it later without any problem. I found the program very insightful and structured in a way that made success easy. I encourage you to attend a meeting just to see how you feel afterward. If you have a friend or mate who would like to lose weight it really helps to have a partner in crime.

Just watch the calories in all those energy drinks, they sneak up on you fast.

Good luck.

Karmalator

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Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach

hi al,

It's all about caloric balance. Basically, if you consume more calories than your body uses (basal metabolic rate, activity, etc.), you'll gain weight. The same holds true for the opposite. If you use more energy than you consume, you'll lose weight.



When preparing your meals, simply remember:

- 1g of Protein: 4kcalories

- 1g of Carbohydrates: 4kcalories

- 1g of fat: 9kcalories



As you can see fat (lipids) contain more than double the amount of calories compared to carbohydrates and proteins. So you in order to reduce your calorie intake; reduce the amount of fat in your diet. Also reduce the overall weight of your food intake. But remember that your body needs energy as well. Don't restrict your calorie intake too dramatic since this will actually cause more harm than good. Try to keep your calorie intake above 1200cal a day as lower energy intake will more likely cause break down of muscle tissue (to yield energy...). A reduced weight of muscle tissue will lower your basal metabolic rate.



I've found that most people I've given advise to didn't realize their calorie intake in the form of liquids. Go to the store and check out the energy a soft drink contains and multiply it with the amount you consume...

During your workout, use water or dilute your sports drink.

maybe you should also consider buying an introductory nutrition book. I believe that with the knowledge YOU'll understand the importance of dietary changes and are much more likely to suceed.



hope this helps and good luck,

daniel

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

MoodBoost Drink : Mood Support + Energy.

al, I dunno what your height is, but you sound quite similar to me. I float around between 195 and 205 and race many races as a Clyde. I'd really like to try to get down to 180 - 185 but going any lower than 190 is hard for me. In terms of losing weight, my body reacts very well to a low carb diet. When I cut back on the carbs, I watch the carbs for my meals, but not for my long workouts. When I go for a long workout, I need carbs. That's just the way it is and I've found no way around it. For me it's more important to have energy than to drop weight. What makes me lose weight is when I watch what I eat throughout the day. My trouble is that I just can't stick to a low carb diet. I just love pasta, potatoes, bread, and beer, God I love beer!! This means I'm bound to the fluctuating weight cycles. No biggie. So, If you can do it (and if it works for you like it does for me), I'd try to keep an eye on your carb intake for your meals, but take whatever fuel you need to support your workouts. I just find that most people ingest a hell of a lot of calories/carbs/crap. If you eat a balanced diet with sane portions and you are a triathlete, I've got to believe you will get yourself into good shape.

I am also around 97kg and 6'4 ish (1.97m), i have lost some wieght whilst getting fitter with this sport, but i still maintain a spare tire around my middle that i can't seem to shift. Last week i ate a buffet at work for lunch each day rather than the usual sandwich and i gained a kg despite over 7.5 hours of training. I hope that one day i will see my abs, but it has never happened yet. This year i did a half IM in under 5 hours surrounded by thinner people than me, that made me feel great, but i know i would have done even better with less to carry around. 2004 is to be IM year, i hope i will do it with less fat and that is the plan for the off season, i just don't seem to be able to lose the last 3 hadfuls of spare flesh though.

I'll keep trying and i guess it will go someday, i know i am thinner and more importantly fitter at 29 than i was at 19 though.

William

Wow, fantastic guidance. I had no idea that other Triathletes faced some of the dietary dilemmas I have. I have for the past 25 years battled weight issues, in fact that is how I became involved in Triathlons. Several years ago I started racing as a way to keep motivation through out the year to keep up an active lifestyle, it has been the best thing I have ever done for my health. When I started I was close to 240# and within a year was down to 180 but in the past 2 years my weight has creped up to the 200 mark. At first I attributed this to hitting the big 40 but now it is annoying. I agree with the post on sport drinks and gels the calories sneak up on me. As for loosing weight in the off season, I agree with that also. Thanks for the great advice.Al

Lots of good stuff in this thread. As a youngster, I was always thin. Then, in my mid-20's, I started to gain some weight. I am now about 6'1" and 155, but have been about 20 lbs. heavier at times. I am a diabetic and have therefore been "on a diet" for the past 24 years. Here's my $.02 worth on what works for me:

There are some websites that help you identify your daily caloric requirement. You start with your basal metabolic rate (BMR), then add in calories needed to support your exercise level, then add/subtract to lose/gain weight. Not precise, but will get you in the ball park. Then design a diet to fit that caloric level. There are lots of books and websites that will tell you approx. how many calories are in a serving of anything. Plan to eat a small/moderate breakfast, lunch and dinner, with three small snacks in between and at bedtime. Idea is to try to maintain a reasonable blood sugar profile. Get enough carbs to maintain energy levels, enough proteins to build/repair muscle mass, and sparingly use fats (try to use mono/polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil). Get 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables. Allow for alcohol (1-2 drinks or less per day) if you desire. Stay away from Fritos/Cheetos and that kind of stuff, which are high in fats and therefore calories per gram. Weigh yourself every morning and keep a log. You don't have to count every calorie, just know how many servings of breads, veggies, meat, etc., makes up every meal. Initially, you may want to weigh your portions so you know what a "portion" looks like. A portion of pasta is 1/2 cup. Put that on a plate, and you will see how small that is compared to what you typically get in a restaraunt. This is not a fad diet. This is a life plan you can live with. Initially, shoot for losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week. That will be 1,750 to 3,500 calories per week burned but not replaced. If you do this for a few weeks, and don't lose a few pounds, then either take something out of your meal plan or exercise more. Your initial calculations may have to be adjusted.

Good luck and good health.

Everyone else has had great comments on the eating part, here is one on training while trying to lose weight:

From my experience, the best way to train while restricting calories is with lots of long slow distance. I've found that with plenty of LSD, I can create whatever caloric deficit that I want. I eat a balanced diet, tending towards what Friel and Gordo suggest. However, I do not limit myself when it comes to fruit or vegetables. If I'm hungry I'll grab a bowl of sugar snap peas, peaches, strawberries, grapes, etc. It is pretty hard not to lose weight when eating like this and doing LSD. Most of the time I don't eat enough b/c I'm so sick of always having to eat.

Example LSD week, avg 4500 cals/day:
Mon 1 hr swim, 40' easy bike
Tues 1 hr temp run, 1:30 bike with a 60' interval
Wed 1 hr swim, 40' easy bike
Thurs 1.5 - 2 hr LSD run, 60' - 90' hills on bike
Fri 1 hr swim
Sat 4-5 hr LSD brick
Sun 2 hr easy bike

Here's your answer, al. Sit back and I'll share my knowledge with you.

In a nutshell, you have to make a lifestyle change. Don't consider ANY diets, you may lose weight, but they are temporary they are not healthy. Instead, look at this as an opportunity to reform your body, with a new meal plan - for life. You'll be so happy with the results you'll never go back.

First, instead of thinking about losing 20 lbs., set a goal for yourself of losing 5 or 10 lbs first. This is an easily attainable goal that you can reach quickly - which will keep you motivated. And don't follow a timeline to reach this goal. Let it happen. You want to make small, permanent changes. These take time. Plus, you may need to alter your meal plan and/or training after you reach that goal. After reaching that first goal, make a new one. You may want to take full body measurements monthly to track your progress and make adjustments.

If your goal is truly to lose 20 lbs., you need to drink lots of water, eat small meals consisting of protein, carbs and fat every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Yes, the body needs fat. But the good fat, not saturated junk fat. Don't be afraid of monounsaturated fats like olive oil, almonds, and natural peanut butter. I eat these daily and have a body fat percentage of 4%. This idea of grazing has and still is working for me. I'm 5'9", 149 lbs. And you can't believe how much the weight reduction will improve your run times. Treat everything you put into your mouth as fuel for what workout you're going to be doing. I've ramped down my training at this time of year and cut down my caloric intake accordingly. Remember, if your not using the calories you ingest, they're going to get stored. And you don't want that. You want to burn more than you take in. And there are a couple of ways to do that. Eating less calories than you burn will get you there, although longer than if you took in less calories AND worked out aerobically. You'll burn more calories at a lower HR for longer period of time that going really hard for a short period of time. I do my LSD (long slow distance) training at this time of year for a couple of reasons. One, it's a great calorie burner. And two, it allows me to still w/o at a low intensity while letting my body still repair itself from the past season. Remember to take in some caffeine to stimulate even more fat burning. I use a pill for this. Damn, I can digress...

Anyway, eat many small meals. Eating smaller meals (this is called "grazing") will do a few things. First, it will teach your body to process small amounts of food more efficiently. You see, when you eat infrequently (every 4-5 hours) your body hoards the food, knowing it won't be getting any more for 4-5 hours or longer. If you eat small meals every 2 hours, your body will adjust and burn most of it, knowing another meal is coming very soon. By small meals, I'm talking about apple slices with a small amount of natural peanut butter spread on each slice. This way you get carbs, protein and fat. Second, since you'll be eating so frequently, you will not be as hungry at main meal times. Consequently, you won't overeat. That alone makes a huge difference. Third, make absolutley sure you eat a hearty breakfast. You have all day to burn it off and it kick starts your metabolism. Overnight, your body has been fasting for 12 hours after your last meal so it's waiting and ready for fuel. Breakfast should be your largest meal. And the sooner you eat upon waking the better. And last, never eat carbs after 6 pm. Your metabolism is already slowing down naturally at this time of day (unless you do late PM workouts) so most of those carbs could get stored as fat. Try to eat well-balanced meals with a big glass of water at every meal. No dessert, no candy, no cookies, no chips... You get the picture. You've got to be serious about it if you want to lose it. And after a while, you don't even miss that junk. Every now and then I'll have a donut. Like after a race, when it's OK to eat a high-glycemic food. And that's another thing. WHAT to eat. I could write a book on that subject for you, but go get yourself a glycemic index book or check out the links below. A low-glycemic meal plan will keep your blood sugar level all day long, without those fat-producing spikes.

- http://www.glycemicindex.com/
- http://www.fineform.co.za/GlycemicIndexList.pdf

If anyone has any questions on this subject, feel free to email me.

Alan Badia
"Good health is simply the slowest possible rate at which one can die."

Off the dozens of things I've read on nutrition throughout the years, the chapter on nutrition contained in Gordo's book "Going Long" really stuck out because it is written in very simple terms that help you go through the stages of changing your eating habits.



Paulo

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"Yeah, no one likes a smartass, but we all like stars" - Thom Yorke


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com

When I started training last January I was 185lbs (5'4"), my goal was to be at 165 by september.

The first thing I changed in my diet was to not eat after 6pm. I started losing weight. Next, I cut out eating cookies, I still love oreo's but don't eat them anymore. I needed something to replace that snack and started eating bananas, as many as 4 a day.

A month or so later I cut down the amount of Mountain Dew I was drinking to 1 20oz bottle a day. That helped too. I started drinking more water to replace that habit. After a while I cut out the Dew entirely and replaced it with diet cherry coke. (In my opinion, the best tasting of the diet pops). After that I cut out my weekly McDonalds trip (sometimes 2 or 3 times a week).

I replaced a lot of my meals with leaner chicken and beef and samon, made sure that I had more vegetables with dinner. I stopped eating so much that I was stuffed at the end of the meal. If I was still hungry I drank more water.

All of that combined with Long Slow Distance training got me down to 157 by september. I actually eat more now than I did before but with better food choices. When my coach had me do speed training I wasn't losing any weight.

In addition to me losing weight, my son (yes, I'm a single dad) has thinned out too cuz he has to eat what and when I do. Now I haven't gone crazy with my diet, I still have ice cream every once in a while and will go to McDonald's once a month.

jaretj

Hey JaretJ:

Inspiring story; I'm going to guess that @ 5'4" and 185 you were somewhere around 36-38" waist, and now @ 157 you're more like 32"....is there nothing better than the feeling of putting on those old pants??

Actually, I was a 33 waist and am more like a 30 now. I carried a lot of my weight on my back and chest. I don't think I would ever get below 145lbs unless I lost a lot of muscle mass in my legs. I used to be a speed skater in my teens and early twenties and still have the legs for it. I am currently at 153lbs so I have about 10lbs to go.

Yes, I can wear most of my old pants (and I do cuz I'm cheap) and even some of my 14 year old son's shirts and pants. My old suit fits again but it is terribly out of style. Think of Morris Day and the Time type of suit, skinny tie, big collar, what was I thinking?!!!!

jaret

I went from about 200-lbs. to about 180 this past year for my first IM. Lots of training doesn't hurt, but the big thing for me was a few simple food substitutions:

I only ate ice cream once (maybe twice if I was good) a week, and cut out the chips and brewski's.

I ate fruit and bagels for snacks instead of something bad for me.

I Ate lean meat as often as possible.
Dropped about 2 lbs. a month, 20 lbs. in all, and felt great. Food choices are everything. You can still eat lots, just make sure it's lots of the good stuff.

--Big EE