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.
When I eat high quality foods, I can eat my fill and maintain a good weight... IF I exercise enough, and I mostly just swim... usually not more than 6-9K yds/wk. I know for most folks this is not easy to achieve, but if you can, it seems to be a healthy path.
I totally agree that exercise in an important component of overall good health. I swim almost every day. In the winter, when my team is in session, it's mostly aerobic sets, and I tend to put on a pound or two because I'm usually quite hungry after a workout. In summer, I swim mostly open water, so it's mainly for endurance, and I usually lose those same couple of pounds so by fall I'm ready to start the cycle again.
True paleo people, like Mark Sisson, don't hold with aerobic exercise. They believe that paleolithic man sat around most of the time, waiting for his next meal to wander by, whereupon he acted with sudden, explosive energy to make the kill. Sisson therefore advocates building strength by "lifting lots of heavy things."
Personally, I couldn't live without the "high" I get from a good hour-and-a-half aerobic workout.
When I eat high quality foods, I can eat my fill and maintain a good weight... IF I exercise enough, and I mostly just swim... usually not more than 6-9K yds/wk. I know for most folks this is not easy to achieve, but if you can, it seems to be a healthy path.
I totally agree that exercise in an important component of overall good health. I swim almost every day. In the winter, when my team is in session, it's mostly aerobic sets, and I tend to put on a pound or two because I'm usually quite hungry after a workout. In summer, I swim mostly open water, so it's mainly for endurance, and I usually lose those same couple of pounds so by fall I'm ready to start the cycle again.
True paleo people, like Mark Sisson, don't hold with aerobic exercise. They believe that paleolithic man sat around most of the time, waiting for his next meal to wander by, whereupon he acted with sudden, explosive energy to make the kill. Sisson therefore advocates building strength by "lifting lots of heavy things."
Personally, I couldn't live without the "high" I get from a good hour-and-a-half aerobic workout.
