Evening all!
I’m 4 weeks into half distance low volume base and really enjoying Trainerroad!
My workout consistency has been pretty good only faultering on the early morning runs due to the obscene weather. My question is that my weight has increase by around 3/3.5kg in the past few weeks despite training consistently. O have noticed that my hunger has gone through the roof however thisnsort of gain is potentially reducing any Wpkg increase I may achieve.
Does anyone have ant tips to drop weight, stave off hunger and maintain performance?
I realised I’m basically asking for the holy trinity but any tips would be appreciated
too much thanksgiving turkey my friend… well thats my excuse anyway cause I’m in the same boat. Just got to keep a check on your calorie intake and deficit.
While you want to make sure you’re fueling your training if you’re always hungry with increased activity, one of the things I’d ask is the quality of the food you’re eating throughout the day, as well as the timing of that intake. Maybe some details on those two points would help narrow things down a bit?
Way to stay consistent through the first four weeks!
Try to start counting your calories with myfitnesspal or some other similar app. It is not because you’re working hard that you can eat anything you want that can be too much if we add all the nutrition that goes along with the workouts.
The idea is not to go on a diet but a to have an idea of your caloric intake so you can gauge things a bit better avoiding gaining weight.
To be honest I probably haven’t always made the best choices. I generally choose fruit as my go to be have been known to tuck into a sweet treat or two.
I found that using MFP for a few weeks was educational. I was able to get a pretty good idea what my avg daily calorie intake was and what the big levers were to adjust that down. And when you are accountable to enter every item you eat it really makes you think about all the between meal snacks. I’ve found that when sticking to lean meat, veggies and fruit and keeping grains in check I’m able to eat plenty of food and maintain a small calorie deficit.
One response already mentioned this, but review the quality of your diet. All food is not created equally.
Calculate the amount of calories you are consuming on a daily basis. Then based on your body type and level of activity determine the amount of calories you think you need to consume to either maintain or decrease your weight and adjust accordingly.
Review your hydration level. I also recommend determining your sweat rate. Weigh yourself before and after training. Maker sure you are naked when you step on the scale. The difference in you weight is roughly how much fluid you lost during the workout. That needs to be replaced slowly before your next workout. Proper hydration is important because many people confuse thirst with hunger.
Protein. The amount varies per person and it is better to error on the side of too little protein versus too much. Depending on which study you read, the amount is 1.4-1.7 g/kg of your body weight. Protein is metabolized primarily in the liver which is why I recommend a smaller amount. Here is a link to a Hammer Nutrition article discussing protein with regard to endurance athletes: https://www.hammernutrition.com/knowledge/essential-knowledge/protein-why-its-important-endurance-athletes/ While I don’t agree with everything in this article, I do agree on the importance of protein. There are two ways of looking at protein with regard to hunger. Either protein decreases the sensation of hunger or carbohydrates do not provide the satiation we are looking for. Please note, I am personally biased because I use carbohydrates in a strategic way during training and racing. For everyday activities, I avoid carbohydrates like the plague. I have learned from experience when I consume carbohydrates in my regular diet, I am constantly hungry while not feeling full. Also from experience, I know my glycogen stores are topped enough to complete my daily workouts or to get me through the first 2-3 hours of most races (It’s all about intensity for determining how long the glycogen will last) even if I only consume a limited amount when I’m off of the bike.
Alcohol. Alcohol is a first priority for the liver which means the processing of other substances is shut down while alcohol is being processed. It also may cause you to binge eat or make poor choices with regard to your diet. Little to no alcohol consumption is great for staying on track with a diet plan.
Planning versus doing. If you don’t have a plan, then you are simply doing. After conducting a basic review of your diet and performing some research, create a plan. Plans help with figuring out your calibration point. In other words, a plan helps you keep track of what you are putting into your body, you can then assess the results and adjust accordingly.
Take notes. Keeping notes allows you to look back in time to see what is working and to notice the stuff that is not. Figuring out your diet for life, training and racing is a learning experience.
The above recommendations are some brief highlights of suggestions. Stay focused on your training, keep asking questions and continue researching what works best for you.
EAT regular but small portions. A few tips worked for me for e.g.Went from having a 4 egg omelette to 2 full eggs and an egg white omelette . That alone is 10g of fat less. Also eating something during your workouts worked for me also, I didn’t have that constant hunger as much afterwards. Nutritionist advised me to eat something small on every workout over 1 hour as well as drinking obviously. Protein shake is a good option for a snack as well.
Did you mean to say error on the side of too MUCH, rather than too little as you stated?
The most recent podcast talked about protein specifically and about more rather than less to avoid muscle being cannibalized during periods of calorie deficit and strength training.
No. I error on the low side of the recommended amount with regard to protecting my liver and kidneys. I listened to the podcast and don’t disagree with the recommendation, but my personal preference is to start with a lower amount and then increase as needed. Hopefully that makes sense.
Matt Fitzgerald recommends in his book “The Endurance Diet” to eat nuts and/or seeds as a healthy snack to stave off hunger. They’re filling and nutritious. It works pretty well for me.
Make veggies and fruits your friends, so much bulk for little calories. Limit carbs on non training days. Low fat Greek yogurt is awesome too. Oats. Don’t stress it. Winter is horrible for weight loss cuz u feel like you want to hibernate all the time if in calorie deficit.
a handful of almonds helps me bridge main meals. I am really enjoying the Endurance Diet approach to nutrition. Ever since tracking the DQS I feel much better nourished with body weight stable or declining.
I wondered about this statement as well. The only downside of having too much protein is that you end up peeing it away - I am assuming you are talking about < 2g / kg of bodyweight and not drinking 8 protein shakes a day. So I would argue it is best to err on the side of caution by taking more rather than less
I do myself, but it’s worth remembering they are calorie dense too. Healthy, good fats etc, but too many is a very quick way to go into calorie surplus.
Ha! Welcome to what is known as ‘compensation’. Some call it hedonic compensation…implying that it’s some form of psychological phenomenon. I disagree. I think it’s a lot more basic than that. Exercise makes you hungry & unless you really freakin’ pay attention you compensate calories expended working out with extra calories consumed.
I don’t have a good solution!
But there is some research out there.
For me, the best way to lose weight is to do very little and sleep a lot. That makes it easier to stay in caloric deficit. I’ve also had luck doing a low intensity depletion-type workout in the morning (like 90-120 minutes Z2 or less), having a normal lunch, having a normal dinner, eating a biggish salad with minimal dressing @6:30p. Do that every weekday. Don’t eat Saturday. Normal eating Sunday.
I’ve never had any luck loosing weight while maintaining a workout schedule with any intensity in it.
When I was competing I walked around at 120 to 125 kilos. I’ve been sitting around 83 to 86 kilo for many, many years now. So, unlike many who talk nutrition, I’ve actually done it.
I’m coming off a knee surgery three weeks ago, and have watched my weight creep up lately. As others have mentioned, tracking your calories is a necessity. I use MyFitnessPal, but please take their daily calorie recommendations with a grain of salt. I’m 6’3", 192lbs and they recommend 1,900 calories to meet my 1lb/week deficit. That definitely isn’t enough with a near full training load, and I’ve been hovering around 2,700 calories daily, with the scale moving in the right direction.
My goal is to be 175lbs by April 1st, 2019. I know I’ll get there, but it will take some serious self control.
Good luck, and let us know how you do in the coming weeks/months.
