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.
175 for your height is considered overweight:
www.everydayhealth.com/.../index.aspx
I know a guy who is 6'2" and weighs 160. Now he's an extreme case, but still out there. I don't understand the, "nothing left to lose," statement. Unless you just have bones and organs left, you can always drop weight.
No doubt I am heavier than most people my height. However, at 15% body fat, there is not much lower for me to go without losing muscle mass, which, actually, I would like to do; but if I am active, I thicken up. It's my genetics. I'd also be willing to bet my waistline is smaller than most guys my age and height, even many with a 'normal' BMI.
I would like to get to where I am stable at 10 percent body fat. IDK what that weight is, but I bet the BMI will still say I'm heavy, and I am pretty sure a part of that 'fat' weight will be replaced by muscle weight.
My point was, if Martin says he should be 185, without knowing him, you can't be so sure he is wrong.
It's good for evaluations of obesity trends among populations because it works pretty good for most people and the only data you need is height and weight. If your BMI is over 25 it could mean you are overweight. It comes with some caveats, but it's better than nothing.
agree w/this but has very little place when it comes to athletic people.
175 for your height is considered overweight:
www.everydayhealth.com/.../index.aspx
I know a guy who is 6'2" and weighs 160. Now he's an extreme case, but still out there. I don't understand the, "nothing left to lose," statement. Unless you just have bones and organs left, you can always drop weight.
What about muscle? That weighs something. BMI is an inappropriate indicator for athletes as it does not account for muscular people.
What does BMI really account for? What is it good for?
Other than collapsing multiple fitness-related variables (height, weight, body type, etc) into a single "figure of merit", not much in my limited experience.
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BMI is an inappropriate indicator for athletes as it does not account for muscular people.
And that begs the question: What does BMI really account for? What is it good for?
I got to tell you though, I still love a nice, fat and greasy chili cheeseburger with chili fries once every month or two...
No reason you shouldn't enjoy a fat, greasy cheeseburger with chili fries whenever you want. As long as the meat is from pastured animals, the greasier the better. As for the cheese, try a Kerrygold (Irish) or New Zealand cheddar, made with milk from pastured cows. Personally, I'd probably lose the bun, but one bun won't kill you. For the fries, try tossing your potatoes in olive oil and baking them in the oven at 500° for 20 minutes or so, turning them once. Or if they absolutely must be deep fried, fry them in beef tallow. If you use ketchup, I highly recommend Trader Joe's organic — no HFCS.
My wife keeps a food diary on Fitday.com. It shows the composition of her daily food intake to be approximately 60% fats, 20% protein, 20% carbohydrates, i.e., a far cry from the recommendations of the USDA food pyramid, now called the food "plate," I believe. Yet her blood chemistry is stellar and she continues to lose weight. She also no longer experiences the extreme highs and lows in blood sugar she got when we both ate SAD (standard American diet). Although I don't keep count, my carbohydrate intake is probably a little higher than hers, especially when I'm swimming, and I also take sugar in my coffee.
Bottom line is, both of us have lost significant amounts of weight, and our doctor confirms that we are both much healthier than in the past (but we knew that). We don't consider ourselves to be "dieting," merely following a diet we have chosen and expect to follow for the rest of our lives. As they say, YMMV.
No reason you shouldn't enjoy a fat, greasy cheeseburger with chili fries whenever you want. As long as the meat is from pastured animals, the greasier the better. As for the cheese, try a Kerrygold (Irish) or New Zealand cheddar, made with milk from pastured cows. Personally, I'd probably lose the bun, but one bun won't kill you. For the fries, try tossing your potatoes in olive oil and baking them in the oven at 500° for 20 minutes or so, turning them once. Or if they absolutely must be deep fried, fry them in beef tallow. If you use ketchup, I highly recommend Trader Joe's organic — no HFCS.
Awesome...this is almost a daily ritual for me. Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc. at lunch. Gotta get some grease in me to stay happy! :bliss:
