debated whether or not to post this but it works for me could very well work for you.
I have tired it all and almost gave up!!! I have been racing at 183ish for 5 years. Today i am 173 and in Janurary I was 187 (off season weight). So How did I do it on a frame already pretty fit? COUNTING CALORIES under this forumla It works first two weeks suck like hell but then it works. My wife is doing it as well (actually how this started she is not a triathlete and I was doing this to support her then i realized damm I am eating alot). KEEP A LOG BOOK a pen and book equals lots of weight loss!!! Lastly eat breakfast like a KING, LUNCH like PRINCESS, DINNER like a Papuer (unless you workout in the pm then vary just a little)
your weight mine is 173
plus a 0 at the end
1730 that is my base number to eat that day without workouts
add any workouts like today 974 for my bike ride this morning (polar watch)
2704 if I want to maintain my weight the trick is to take away 500
so 2204 would be what I could eat today and if I do that 7 days in a row IE 500 calories short then I lose a pound sometimes 1.5 pounds.
PS on non workout days eat around 1500 but bottom line (not negative 500 but close) I dont have many complete non workout days even a walk will get you a few calories.
I have done the HIGH PROTEIN diet (did not work) done the eat only healthy whole food stuff (did not work) I ate too much. I now eat GOOD FOOD and DRINK lots of WATER!!! SECERT foods, CHICKEN, FISH, ALMONDS, CARROTS, CELERY!!! LASTLY going out to EAT SUCKS because 70 percent of resturants dont have a calorie guide so only do that once a day!!!
Any diet same results. It’s all about calories in vs calories out. I agree thought that writing things down is huge for weight loss, and there is quite a bit of data supporting this. I went from 222 to 179 in about a year. While there were many phases of the weight loss one thing remained constant, maintaining a deficit of calories in vs. calories out = success!
PS I do count sports drinks and calories as well and I use hammer nutrition for all of that. I also dont eat within 3 hours of a workout or race 99.99 percent of the time. I do drink coffee but no sugar.
I will tell you that in prior years I ate very similar GOOD foods but TOOOOOO MUCH OF THEM. Lastly yes I did lose from 250-183 (in 3-4 years) by just training and eating whatever I wanted but to get to the next level I had to start counting calories. Thank God my wife wanted to count calories and I wanted to support her!!!
“I also dont eat within 3 hours of a workout or race 99.99 percent of the time…”
This seems a bit extreme and I’d be interested in hearing from other people on this one. You’re not taking in any calories 3hrs before a race, or just food?
BEEN DOING THE no food 3 hours prior and it WORKS great. the .001 percent of the time is afternoon workouts and then it is 2 hours prior DO to DESK WORK. I race a sub 5 hour half ironman a 3:08 boston marathon, a 2:10ish olympic distance (and all those where prior to getting into the 170ish range) GO to hammergel.com and look for yourself 3 hours prior no food. I have water. PS anything below a half ironman I race with only water and possibly 100 or less calories for reserve on the run. Most of the time dont use it.
FOR ME it works for you maybe not. I have asked doctor friends about it and yes are gylogen stores are good for at least 2.5 hours. the no food 3 hours before teaches your body to BURN fat and to use it as a fuel!!!
Also if I eat during anything below a half ironman I get sick and have a bad race. YES the last mile of the 10k hurts but it would have anyway. YES i do keep a gel with me for a bonk which has not come yet.
x3 about keeping track of calories. You don’t have to have a PhD in nutrition to understand the concept that weight gain is simply a function of calories consumed - calories expended.
there are two key elements to weight loss.
Be consistent…
Where most people fail is when they don’t have a daily plan or routine! When I dropped from 190lbs to 170lbs a couple of years ago, i was only able to do so because I stuck to a 2-day eating schedule that consisted of a nutritious diet that was easy to prepare. This routine was key for me.
There are few published studies (in birds) showing that birds provided with a routine diet and eating schedule will store less fat than birds who are fed the same amount of calories, but on a random schedule… The take home message is that our bodies respond to consistency.
Weigh yourself (get honest feedback).
My friends, the scale doesn’t lie. If you chose fries for dinner instead of a salad, that’s your choice. Often times we discount these events thinking that it’s an “exception” to our routine. The problem for most of us is that we aren’t aware to the large number of dietary “exceptions” that we make on a daily basis.
…But the scale provides us with an honest indication of how well you are managing those “exceptions”.
Keep at it… Sometimes the first few pounds take the longest!
totally agree to 1. and number 2. Weighing yourself also helps with water loss if you got a scale that does that or you can just guess. I weigh before and after workouts and replace whatever water is lost asap.
I have lost 13 pounds in three months (from 168 to 155) by changing what I eat while keeping calories consistent. Lots of fruit and yogurt, added some fish, and cut out the soda. Also lots of mixed nuts. All stuff I like, just maybe not as much as cheese steaks and pizza! I worked with a nutritionist for the initial analysis and maybe the first month, and by that point everything healthy was a new “habit” for me. The initial accountability helped me stick to it until it became habit.
I am going to meet up with the nutritionist again now that the training volume is going up (Spring!!) to make sure we adjust for increased volume and temperatures, if necessary.
Most importantly, I feel great and am running better than ever!!!
At 36, the weight does not go away quite so fast!!