Random question, How much do you eat every day? I added it up and an average day for me is about 2,400. I’m at 6’ and 183-ish.
I’m trying to lose weight, but that still seems like not enough because I’m dropping weight slightly faster than I think I should… SOOO more food! This is the best part about doing tri’s! hahahahaha
4000 Kcal. But I’m fat and can’t stop eating. Mmmmm icecream.
How fast are you losing now and what is your goal?
As you get lighter your calories needs will go down and you will need to eat less to lose weight anyway.
For me I was able to shed 8 lbs rather easily, the next 4 was tougher and now that I’m trying to lose 4 more it’s even harder. I need to eat to workout but have to be carefull not to go too far.
jaretj
Although I don’t think a comparison is necessarily useful, but I’ll play anyways.
I haven’t tracked in a while, but I would guess I eat anywhere b/t 3200 - 4000 depending on the day while in full on training mode (which I consider 10+hrs/wk). This allows me to maintain my weight at ~160 (6ft tall btw).
yeah, i didn’t mean it as a comparison for where i should be, just wanted to see how everyone else eats!
i’m 6’, and right now at 183 on average. If I don’t consciously eat more than I think I should, I’ll lose about 3lbs a week. I was shooting for just 1lb/week. my ideal weight would be about 175 if i had to guess.
about 1800-1900kcal per day. more if my training that day goes over an hour.
note that I am losing about 2 pounds a week eating this way, to maintain I have to eat around 2500-3000kcal a day.
before I did tri, I did powerlifting and I was taking in 4000-4500kcal a day then, to gain weight.
currently 6’ even, and just barely a clydesdale
About 3500 - 4000 Kcal. Like you, I’m 6 ft, but weghed 186 this morning. According to BMI, 184 is overweight for a 6 footer.
But my collarbones protrude, my cheeks are sunken, and my bodyfat is about 10%!
You might should consider a body fat test now and then to see how much of your loss is muscle mass. Loosing muscle mass may or may not be part of your plan… fast runners often have very little.
My wife conducts clinics for personal trainers and office wellness programs in which she uses an ultrasound wand to determine body composition. It doesn’t require any kind of fasting before hand like a hydrostatic test does. She also does resting metabolic rate but that has some preparations that might cause you to skip a workout.
LOL, I love how everyone is 6’. I must be the only munchkin out there racing tri’s.
5’8" and pleasantly plump at 153 lbs.
Normal daily intake around 2400 calories. Moderately training at about 2 hours per day.
I use to weight lift, so after 3 years I still have some remaining “useless” muscle mass.
I could stand to lose 10 lbs I guess.
Wow, that’s impressive that you have been able to lose that much. Good luck in reaching your goals.
I wouldn’t think 2lbs a week would be unreasonable though as long as you had enough energy to do your workouts.
jaretj
I’m not that big either…5’4" @ 139 lbs trying to get down to 135. My GF laughes at me cuz I still won’t run outside without a shirt on.
I wouldn’t thing 5’8" @ 153lbs is that heavy.
I’ve made a big effort this year and these last few lbs are tough 
jaretj
I at around 3,000 per day plus what I eat/drink during workout (I don’t track that and eat/drink by feel). I’m 6’1" and 175lbs.
Trying for 4000-4500 a day. 5’10, 145 lbs. Training load recently has been around 12-14 hours/week. It’s freaking hard to eat so much and try to stay healthy.
On an easy day, your probably burning 500 cals during exercise. On a long ride, you could burn up to 2000 cal. So basically, you are in starvation mode. No wonder you are losing weight to fast. If you keep it up, very soon something bad will happen.
Go see an expert. For $100, you can probably get a body fat test, nutrition evaluation and proper plan. Less then the cost of a new pair of running shoes.
I to have been trying to loose some weight. I monitor my weight very closely and frankly I think our metabolism rates are very difficult to predict.
I try to train about 10 - 12 hard hours a week. Sometimes more sometimes less. Will be increasing. This does not include stretching, etc. I only take in about 2,000 - 2,400 calories a day. No soda. Stopped eating bread. I am also 6’ tall and did weight 167. Trying to get down below 160. I was at 163 this morning.
What I have found is that doing the math I should be dropping weight easily but I am not. I have also found my weight loss seems to be delayed a couple of days from how much I ate and my workout. I have also found what really causes me to loose weight is stress.
I am also constantly hungry. If I drink tons of water all day it helps with this otherwise I am very hungry most of the time.
One the main reasons I got into Triathlons was weight control. I figured 10-12 hours of hard training I would be able to eat, eat and eat and never gain weight. Initially that was true but then it ended. My weight creeped back up above 170 and could not believe it. I then had to work hard on my diet to get back down. It is really frustrating.
Another issue for me is now eating enough to be able to support a strong workout. It is getting more difficult to manage the balance.
What I really worry about is the day my tri career ends. I will blow up to 200 pounds probably. I pretty much train all year long now and last year my weight fluctuated between 155 and 175. That is 20 pounds!
i know exactly what you mean!!! I swam in college and after it ended I went up to 220 lbs a year later. I’m back down to the same weight i was in college now, just look a little softer. Once you get that appetite going, it’s hard to stop it!
The main thing I’ve focused on is first understanding what amount of calories I need to support what my goals are, and then making sure I fill those calories with the right types of foods in the right proportions. I’m 6’2’ and about 163 lbs, training usually about 15 hrs per week, and probably average about 4000 calories per day (I’m 41 btw…which make a difference). If I consume a bunch of junk to make up that 4000 calories I’ll probably gain weight and perform poorly in training, however if I consume the correct types of foods I’ll keep the weight where I want it and have plenty to fuel my training.
A great resource for me was Chris Carmichael’s book “Food for Fitness”. It taught me a lot about how & what to eat…I highly recommend it.
Jon
5’11", ~160lbs straight outta bed, I eat 3000 cal/day to maintain weight. This is a baseline (not exercising). My weeks are normally 6000-10,000kj (cycling only) so I try to eat to replace those calories depending on the day.
-Physiojoe
Check out the book called “Racing Weight” by Matt Fitzgerald.
If you want to break down your calories, it’s relatively easy. Determine your BMR (basal metabolic rate) = how many calories you burn at rest, no activity. Then, adjust for your daily, normal activity level (not counting training) and add x 1.10 (not active) x 1.15 (medium) or x 1.2 (very, such as a personal trainer or someone who stays on his or her feet all day). Google BMR (not BMI) and you’ll find calculators online that will get you in your general range.
Once you have that figure (BMR + adjusted for activity level), then wear a heart rate monitor to gauge your calorie burn in various trainings that you do. Use one that measures heart rate (and lets you set in your own personal age, weight, etc. settings - such as a Polar…not all Garmins calculate calories as accurately, depends on the model).
An alternative is to get your BMR actually tested, which would also account for your body fat percentage.
Once you have your daily BMR, adjusted for normal activity, and then factor in your calorie burn for your training – then you can do the math.
One pound = 3,500 calories
How much weight do you need to lose? If you lose it too fast, you will lose lean mass, and this is NOT good. It’s easier to lose a pound of fat than to add a pound of lean mass. SO, that’s really the last thing you want to do. UNLESS you are super bulky, and mass outside of certain ranges does not benefit endurance athletes as much. This is personal, body type, and “Racing Weight” I think touches on this.
The overall percentage of fat you are trying to lose will help guide you on how many pounds per week, for example, it may be wise to target.
Studies consistently show that people almost always UNDERreport their calories. The only way to run the numbers is to keep a food journal. Just because you consume X number of calories per day and another guy your general height burns X number is not a great way to reach your racing weight goals in the most efficient way.
Also, appetite will not be the best indicator. Once you know how many calories to target, given all these factors, then eating very healthy and wisely choosing nutritious foods that make you feel more full will help regulate your appetite. Having said that, if your aim is to lose weight, you can expect some measure of hunger to be normal. You just need to be sure you are not either depriving yourself or eating too much and be sure you are making smart food choices for optimal performance.