Question for Athlete Brides

arwo

Is it possible to eat for weight loss without a drop in athletic performance?

I am a serious athlete, and for the most part, I am completely comfortable with my body. I've always cared more about what I can do than how much I weigh. However, I find myself wanting to lose a little bit of weight (maybe 5 pounds), not just for my wedding but also because I think it would make me a more competive athlete. I am built more like a tank than a race car. Unfortunately, whenever I try to cut calories, I find that my athletic performance suffers significantly; even during easy workouts, I feel weak and low-energy and have trouble concentrating.

Are there any other athletes out there that know how to deal with balancing performance with weight-loss?

miguelhilary2010

I've always had a more athletic build.  Cardio, cardio, cardio is what makes me leaner.  Lifting weights makes me feel good, but does add some bulk to me.  As for diet, try to go very high protein, and very clean.  Try cutting out sodas, alcohol, sodium, unnecessary sugars, and processed foods.  Cooking from scratch at home will help you track what you're eating.  It may take a week or so for your body to adjust to the new diet (you'll feel groggy from less sugar), but it will learn to use the protein for energy instead of sugars or caffeine.

arwo

Well, I don't think lack of cardio is my problem. (I realize that I didn't say what kind of athlete I am in my original post, but I am a serious runner.) Right now, I am running about 40 miles/week out on the roads, and another 10-12 miles/week on the treadmill. I do weights (mostly arms) and do core exercises 3-4 times per week.

Because I am a serious athlete, I am very careful to eat well: I've never eaten a lot of processed foods (it's just not how I was raised) and I do almost  all of my own cooking. I get plenty of protein, but when I don't eat enough (quality) carbohydrates, I tend to lose muscle mass (you actually need carbs to burn fat, and a lack of carbs, which are the body's primary fuel source, will cause you to burn muscle).

My problem is that I tend to eat for performance, rather than weight-loss, and I am wondering if it is possible to do both. Of course, I understand that I will lose weight when I burn more calories than I consume; the question is how to do this without having my race times suffer.

riverjib

If you're worried about race times, dropping your weight should help you, not hurt you, regardless of your current weight. If you've experienced a drop in performance, it's just your body responding to reduced caloric intake and it's temporary while your body adjusts.

My fiance weighs between 160-165 pounds and is a world-ranked swimmer and pro-level triathlete. He presses and squats the same as one of my friends who weighs 220 (at almost the same height) and is a competitive bodybuilder. Weight and even body fat have  little bearing on strength. However, weight has a bigger impact than we'd like to think on race times.

Fact is, leaner is faster. That's just how it works. Losing five pounds may slow you down initially, but that won't last long. Your performance will definitely improve as you get leaner.

arwo

Thanks riverjib, I understand that (I actually mentioned that in my original post) but I guess I was hoping that there would be a way to lose weight without even a temporary drop in performance. It seems unfortunate that eating for weight loss isn't compatible with high performance. What I am getting from all these posts, though, is that it's just going to feel crappy while I lose the weight, and I shouldn't do any serious racing during that time. Luckily, my next target race isn't until September (I'm hoping to run a sub-40 10K), so I have some time.

The good news is, that's about $100 in race entrance fees that I won't have to spend over the next month and a half.

MadTownBride2B

Gradual weight loss will not hurt your performance.

I run approximately the same amount of milage as you do and I have always been athletic. I was a college athlete for 4 years and now I do long distance running to stay in shape and have some kind of competitive outlet. With the amount you work out it is possible to lose weight fast, but then you will feel like crap. Just set a realistic goal and give yourself time to lose the weight. If you give yourself a month or two, you could be at your goal weight and not hurt your performance (really all you would have to do is cut out 200-300 cal/day or the equivalent of one power bar or small snack).

newbiebride83

If you are looking to lose weight without compromising your performance, then you will have to change something about your diet.

Try googling carb-cycling diets for runners.

I've trained for fitness competitions in the past, having to drop 20 lbs in 12 weeks while weight training and doing cardio 2x a day. Carb-cycling was the only way I could make it!