Eating for better body composition

Jul 14, 04 6:54

Post #1 of 16 (2839 views)

Well, I figured i'd share some tips and tricks that i've tried first hand. This post is for anybody like me who's struggled with their diet and really looked for a breakthrough. I'm 5'10 and I peaked at Christmas at about 184 lbs (I have it in my journal). In the spring I weighed in the high 170's and really took control of my eating for the first time. This morning I weighed in at 169 (before breakfast mind you). And i'm amped for my "A" race this weekend that is one of the hilliest races you'll find. NOTE: Big credit goes to posters here and Gordo Byrn and his website (www.byrn.org)

1. Never skip breakfast! - I always would run out the door grabbing a bagel or granola bar along with a coffee with milk in sugar. Now I wake up early enough to make a breakfast that usually consists of eggs and veggies

2. Carbs are good... But try to make them good Carbs! - I think as North Americans, we have some of the worst bread on the planet! (starch, starch and more starch) One thing i've tried is getting most of my carbs from fruits and unprocessed grains (some favorites: Cous-cous, brown rice, Quinoa... These all make a great bed for stir-fry's)

3. Veggies are your best friend - Salads are great. But make sure you get some nutrient dense veggies in there as well. Do some research... Choices like Brocolli, Green Pepper, carrots have great nutritional value.

4. Limit your drink choices to Black coffee or tea and water - Big credit to Tom D. on this one. I read this on a post and it made so much sense. If you're like me... This is how my drinks went through the day OJ in the morning, Coke or Ice Tea at lunch, Chocolate milk with supper. Oh and Coffee with sugar and cream throughout the morning. If you limit it to water and black coffee... you'll be amazed in a couple of weeks the improvement.

5. Easy on the sports nutrition products - I love CLIF bars. But now I limit the amount I have. Furthermore, don't go crazy with the gels and carb drinks in your training (except for extra long weekend sessions). I personally find that now when I have a gel on a ride... I get such an instant kick.

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you. I've just tried to lose weight leading up to this hilly race... And I thought I'd share how I went about it. Oh, and if you want to try this approach, be patient. If you're honest with yourself. You're almost certain to get results with this approach and the gains will make the cravings easier to manage. Cheers.

Re: Eating for better body composition [eastcoasttri] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 7:09

Post #2 of 16 (2825 views)

Thanks for the info. While I don't struggle too much with my weight, but I've noticed how much faster and easier I run when I'm 5 lbs lighter so I'm all ears.

Anyone know anything about weighing your food like Lance does or did?

Last edited by: bosco: Jul 14, 04 7:28

Re: Eating for better body composition [bosco] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 7:19

Post #3 of 16 (2799 views)

I weigh my food, I have fallen off a bit lately but for the last 2 years more often than not I weigh it. I am not a lunatic about it and don't carry a scale with me or ask waiters for portions and weights but when I eat at home I weigh food. I only eat "out" on weekends so maintaing a stable diet during the week is easy. I bought a cheap scale at GNC that came with plastic bowl so I can use that or put a plate on the top and zero it out. The weighing is the easy part, the effort comes from getting the correct nutritional info so you can calculate the right calories etc. It would be easier to be Lance and have someone do that for you.

The other great tool I use is a website called fitday.com which allows you to track your food online using the standard entries or you can enter your own. I found this was a real eye opener and made my nutritional breakdown measurable and easy to follow.

I think that the biggest problem in general is people don't even think about what they eat, they just eat.

Re: Eating for better body composition [bosco] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 7:20

Post #4 of 16 (2793 views)

Good point,

I've noticed that as I hit the hills (both on the run and bike) I have a bit of extra jump. Maybe part of it is psycological.

As far as weighing your food... Haven't done that. However, I have paid close attention to my serving sizes. I think there have been studies done (I don't have a source) But, on average, we eat WAY too much per serving. An example i've tried is when cooking a large chicken breast for supper... I'll often cut it in half and have the second portion in a salad for lunch the next day.

Re: Eating for better body composition [eastcoasttri] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 7:34

Post #5 of 16 (2772 views)

good point yourself about the portion sizes. Gone our the days on the swim team when I would go to the refectory (cafetaria) and eat as much as I could. Now I really only eat just enough to feel satisfied, which isn't much.

When my girlfriend and I eat out, we get an appetizer and an entree and that is good for both of us, plus it's cheaper.

Re: Eating for better body composition [eastcoasttri] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 7:44

Post #6 of 16 (2744 views)

You should try it, just for the experience. Go to GNC and get a cheap scale and try it for a week. It is a real experience, it is amazing how your eyes decieve you and how far off I was when I would guess at the portion and then weigh it.

Re: Eating for better body composition [5280] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 7:51

Post #7 of 16 (2732 views)

Thanks for the advice,

That might be the next thing to try. I was just so amazed at the results by making certain choices. I really took a "training mentality" towards my eating.

Re: Eating for better body composition [eastcoasttri] [ In reply to ]

Jul 14, 04 8:23

Post #8 of 16 (2694 views)

In Reply To:

4. Limit your drink choices to Black coffee or tea and water - Big credit to Tom D. on this one. I read this on a post and it made so much sense. If you're like me... This is how my drinks went through the day OJ in the morning, Coke or Ice Tea at lunch, Chocolate milk with supper. Oh and Coffee with sugar and cream throughout the morning. If you limit it to water and black coffee... you'll be amazed in a couple of weeks the improvement.

I'm a big fan of skim milk as well. Low glycemic carbs, protein, calcium, vitamins A and D.

_______________________________________________

Re: Eating for better body composition [5280] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 9:19

Post #9 of 16 (2559 views)

ok, so I checked out fitday.com and love it. I don't see myself using it more than a few weeks, but it will be a great tool to let me know how bad my habits are. (so far I'm way above my RDA for fat after being awake for only a few hours and eaten two things) But does the weighing things come into play with this website, because I can't see how it would. I think I have a lot to learn.

Re: Eating for better body composition [bosco] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 9:45

Post #10 of 16 (2514 views)

Weighing things just enables you to created accurate nutritional info for foods you eat. If you measure a chicken breast, for example, then you can track very closely the content of what you are eating. You can add any food you use in the custom field and then you know exactly what you ate. You just have to decide how crazy you wan to be. I find it hard to use EVERY day but it will help you stay focused and see patterns

Re: Eating for better body composition [5280] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 10:26

Post #11 of 16 (2457 views)

i personally think that, unless done by a personal chef/trainer/nutritionist, weighing food, like calorie counting, is generally unhelpful and, more importantly, can foster an "unhealthy" relationship with food. similarly, i find the whole notion of "diet" to be rather absurd. most diet regimes, almost by definition, are abnormal periods aimed at promoting weight loss through sacrifice. what we need, rather, is a commitment to a lifestyle choice that also allows for the occassional concession to human weakness (e.g., the odd bowl of icecream or burrito). i believe that once one begins to follow a choice, e.g., low calorie daily intake consisting of 4-6 small meals with lots of fruits, veggies & lean protein, and sees how this changes the body and positively impacts performace and well-being, fat bombs like big macs become positively nauseous (although i still chow hi GI junk carbs like twizzlers and chocolate covered espresso beans on long rides). also, i like to see food as fuel and the body as a ferrari. junk food is low-grade diesel; my body needs and deserves premium. or think of this: food is what the body uses to completely remake every cell in the body every 6 months. do you want to be made out of big macs?

one other thing - we all know that weight loss requires kcal in < kcal out. what we often fail to realize is how few calories the body actually *needs* when 8+ hours 5 days a week are spent at a desk. try fasting for a day. its an interesting mental and physical experience.

what is hunger? why do we often gorge ourselves to the point of nausea? it is because our genes have been programmed to get our ancestors through lean times. when the source of the next meal was unclear, it made sense to eat as much as possible whenever food was available. this is also why our bodies are so good at storing excess kcal (from any food source, not just lipids) as fat in the body. so IMO what the enlightened triathlete needs in our society of glut is the conscious desire to override this out-dated innate drive that most people are subconsiously governed by except for every third month when they look at their love handles in the mirror and pledge to go on a diet.

Ultimately though, we each do what we want. One person weighs their food, another gorges on twinkies & beer. There is no a priori basis from which to condemn or praise either choice. Each person's journey is their own.

Re: Eating for better body composition [johnthesavage] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 10:40

Post #12 of 16 (2428 views)

I agree. A diet is not helpful or sustainable and I agree it is a lifestyle change. It took me a long time to make that change but I have managed to get my diet (daily intake) to be very clean and stable by average person standards. Weighing food for me started as a way to see how little calories you need to function (and how many I was eating in reality). The problem with many people is, left to guess, they wil consistently give themselves bigger portions than they need and by wieghing food you get a definitive result. It is about moderation of portions and making wise decisions as you say, but weighing just helps people get a reliable and real idea of how much they eat.

I also agree that you can take it to unhealthy levels. I don't freak if I don't weigh food and don't rely on it anymore. I am much less reliant on it then I was in the begining because my idea of "normal" portion has changed since I have trained myself to recognize a reasonable portion, most of the time anyway:) I agree with you though, lifestyle change and calorie in vs out is the basice equation.

Re: Eating for better body composition [5280] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 10:47

Post #13 of 16 (2404 views)

ok - and i'll admit it, weighing food really does appeal to my anal side (the side that spent untold hours developing the ultimate excel training log). and it would be really cool to have a personal nutritionist that could not only weigh your food and enter it into a cool excel spreadsheet, but who could also tailor your diet perfectly based on your triathlon needs.

calorie counting though seems more of a problem because all that time thinking about food and browsing the food counter tables would just make me hungry!!

Re: Eating for better body composition [eastcoasttri] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 11:21

Post #14 of 16 (2354 views)

Great tips! Thank you.

Other grains to add to the list are amaranth and oats. Those and Quinoa are my fave's.

Try to stick to whole grain pastas

Dry Curd cottage cheese is a great addition to most things (shakes, burritos, stir frys etc)

Add Red peppers to the mix.

Use a variety of beans (if they agree with you)

Hot Sauce is a great flavourant

Being a veggie, I utlize whey protein powder shakes. Sure helps after those killer hilly bike rides or big swim efforts.

To save $$, make your own sports drink for the bike ride. A 6-1 mix of water to (real) fruit juice works for me. Cran/Raspberry/Lemon/Grape is what I use now. The lemon is fresh squeezed.

Have one "bad" meal a week. Pizza, hamburger/fries or whatever. Otherwise your body/mind can go whacko on you.

Hope that helps!

Re: Eating for better body composition [faztcanuck] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 11:37

Post #15 of 16 (2335 views)

Biggest help I ever had making better eating decisions was to buy smaller plates. I don't know about other people but doing that really helped me cut back on some of my "unneccesary" caloric intake. I bought a set of the Ziploc salad/lunch size plates (hard to find since then). Worked great and if I cook too much I just make up two plates put the lid on one and stick it in the fridge for my next meal. Also, downsizing in other areas can help too. My lunch today was homemade turkey burritos, I've started buying the smaller (normal) sized tortillas. Used to be I would eat 2 burritos when I used to buy the large tortillas and my recipe made just enough filling for that. Today I ate two of the smaller ones, talked myself out of a third, which I didn't "need" but wanted. End result is enough filling for dinner tonight, and I am not hungry, nor am I stuffed. I rationalized that I had already had two burritos and any more would be gluttony.

Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*

Re: Eating for better body composition [eastcoasttri] [ In reply to ]

Jul 21, 04 11:45

Post #16 of 16 (2326 views)

I eat and drink whatever I want whenever I want it. Luckily I have pretty good eating habits and love salads, fish, chicken, and most of the stuff thats good for me. My only problem is with portions...I would eat until I pass out if I could.

When I'm training my ass off it doesn't really matter what I eat...I'll keep the weight off. I could eat 5 whoppers and fries a day and maintain a steady 135lbs.....that said, I wouldn't want to because Whoppers and fries aren't the ideal fuel for optimal workouts.

When I'm not training 100% like now I still eat like a pig and drink too much beer and wine and my weight pushes towards 150lbs...where my body seems comfortable provided I exercise occasionally.

A very smart runner once told me that if your furnace is hot enough it will burn Big Macs.

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