NOTE: After review it is obvious that my original calorie intake estimate was wrong. I've edited this post to revise it to 2,000 calories. I originally said that it was 1000, which makes no sense.
I am looking for dietary advice in order to maximize my results. Prior to getting into swimming I was consuming about 2,000 calories per day and trying to favor protein. Considering that I was sitting in front of a computer most of the day even 1,000 calories may have been too much. My weight pretty much stayed around the same 220lbs (lean weight target being somewhere around 185lbs).
Now that I am swimming I probably need to change my dietary intake. I do want to get rid of the extra pounds as soon as possible. However, with these 1 1/2 hour workouts and only 2000 calories I felt out of energy for the first couple of days. My lack of conditioning probably had a lot to do with it.
Some of the questions I have are:
Should I try to remain close to 2000 calories in order to expedite weight loss and then stabilize at a higher caloric intake?
My workouts are at 5:30AM. I can't have breakfast prior to the workout. This means that I am working off of energy from dinner and stored fat. Should I favor certain foods for dinner?
Also, what would be the best distribution of caloric intake throughout the day? Should I front load (heavy breakfast) or have a larger dinner to put some energy away for the morning workout?
Any other thoughts/advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
if you don't eat carbs you are probably eating much less calories as well.
Actually, I don't count calories or carbs. (For anyone wishing to do so, fitday.com is an excellent tool.) When I started my new way of eating, seven or eight years ago, I merely tried to go easy on the rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, etc. while increasing my intake of fresh fruits and veg. I also tried to consume the bulk of my carbs early in the day ("No White at Night").
Last year, I stopped eating wheat, as an experiment initially. I was responding to the challenge here: www.trackyourplaque.com/.../wheat-belly.html
Because I liked the effect this had on me, an effect that was noticeable after only two weeks, I have continued to not eat wheat ever since. But I have never figured out whether those effects are directly attributable to the absence of wheat per se in my diet, or to the drastic reduction in calories (and I would argue "bad" calories) I now consume. I am neither celiac nor wheat sensitive as far as I know (so if I eat a slice of bread or a French pastry I suffer no ill effects). My wife, on the other hand, believes that for her, cutting out wheat has cured a number of long-standing medical conditions, from plantar fasciitis to gerd to joint pain (and she has also lost a lot of weight).
if you don't eat carbs you are probably eating much less calories as well.
Actually, I don't count calories or carbs. (For anyone wishing to do so, fitday.com is an excellent tool.) When I started my new way of eating, seven or eight years ago, I merely tried to go easy on the rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, etc. while increasing my intake of fresh fruits and veg. I also tried to consume the bulk of my carbs early in the day ("No White at Night").
Last year, I stopped eating wheat, as an experiment initially. I was responding to the challenge here: www.trackyourplaque.com/.../wheat-belly.html
Because I liked the effect this had on me, an effect that was noticeable after only two weeks, I have continued to not eat wheat ever since. But I have never figured out whether those effects are directly attributable to the absence of wheat per se in my diet, or to the drastic reduction in calories (and I would argue "bad" calories) I now consume. I am neither celiac nor wheat sensitive as far as I know (so if I eat a slice of bread or a French pastry I suffer no ill effects). My wife, on the other hand, believes that for her, cutting out wheat has cured a number of long-standing medical conditions, from plantar fasciitis to gerd to joint pain (and she has also lost a lot of weight).
