For a number of sports, losing weight, and in particular, reducing body fat, can mean the difference between finishing in the middle of the pack and standing on the podium. Dropping a few pounds may confer an advantage, because it increases your power-to-weight ratio, a term that describes the amount of power you're able to generate relative to the pounds you're packing. For a Tour de France cyclist on a mountain stage in the Alps, having the same or more muscle power while carrying less body weight means faster ascents. For runners, every pound that you're not schlepping around a track or course has a positive impact on pace. Other athletes wish to lose weight to compete in a specific weight class or because appearance is an important element of their sport.
The benefits of shedding a few pounds of body fat are certainly enticing on paper, but anyone who has tried to lose weight knows it's not an easy task. If you take the wrong approach, your performance may suffer, you may get sick more frequently, and the scale may not budge, despite all of your sacrificing.
This article gives you the inside skinny on how athletes can best lose weight. It covers when it's best to begin a weight loss regimen during your training cycle, what approaches to weight loss work most effectively and why, and practical strategies and tips that can make the whole process less arduous and more successful.
Let's acknowledge the obvious
If losing weight was easy, two-thirds of Americans wouldn't be walking around today overweight or obese. So right up front, let's face facts: There is no magic bullet, no wonder drug, and no fad diet that will melt away the pounds or effortlessly trim body fat.
Weight loss is about calories. If you consume more calories than you expend on a daily basis, you gain weight. If the calories coming in balance with the calories you're burning, your weight is stable. And if the calories you take in add up to less than what you burn, you lose weight. So if weight loss is on your to-do list, the latter scenario is where you want to be.
Timing is important
From the rate of weight loss you can reasonably expect within a certain period to the best time during your training cycle to implement a weight loss regimen, timing is key.
A realistic goal is to lose about 1 lb (0.45 kg) of body weight per week. To achieve this, you'll need a calorie deficit or shortage of about 500-750 calories every day. If you want to drop 5 lbs (2.3 kg), plan on taking about 5 weeks to pull it off. For an 8-lb (3.6-kg) weight loss, plan on about 8 weeks.
The time to implement your weight loss regimen is during the off-season, when training demands are less and you're not competing. Take the first 4 weeks at the end of the season simply to recover and take a breather from the rigors and stressors of training and competing. You can focus on losing weight after this much-needed period of rest. In-season is not the time to drop the weight, because the combination of strenuous training and cutting calories is bad for performance and bad for your health. When you're not meeting your energy needs, you're also not getting sufficient carbohydrates to restore glycogen fuel reserves on a daily basis. This can lead to chronic fatigue, poor training sessions, and a decline in performance. Too few calories combined with a tough training schedule also can impair your immune system and leave you more vulnerable to colds. Losing weight is tough enough on the body, so do it during the off-season.
Lose the fat, keep the lean
When losing weight, you'll want to trim fat - not muscle. Most of the time, when you lose weight, only a portion of it is actual fat loss. But you also lose muscle mass. This highlights the concept of power-to-weight ratio again: Your big-picture goal is to return next season lighter in weight, while maintaining or even gaining in power and strength. To do this, you'll want to maintain your muscle mass as much as possible while you trim the body fat.
To pull this off, you'll need three things: control your calorie intake, train aerobically at a moderate intensity, and engage in a program of resistance exercise. The combination of controlling calories in and exercising will create the necessary 500-750 calorie per day deficit for weight loss. The moderate-intensity aerobic exercise will burn mostly fat and not overly deplete your carbohydrate fuel stores, and the resistance training will help give your muscles the stimulation they need to remain strong. Plan to train aerobically for at least an hour daily at about 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate. During resistance-training workouts, focus broadly on all the muscle groups specific to your sport.
Simple strategies for controlling calories
As a seasoned athlete, the aerobic training and the resistance exercise components of your weight loss plan probably won't be hard to manage. But how do you cut back on calories? The following are strategies that, if followed, will make it easier for you to successfully achieve the 500-750 calorie deficit each day:
- Don't skip meals - break the fast
A common mistake when trying to control calorie intake is to skip meals, especially breakfast. The problem with skipping meals is that we humans are pretty good at adapting to a shortage of food. If your body senses that calories are in short supply because of hours of fasting, it readily adapts by reducing your metabolic rate. So, you're thinking that you're melting the fat away by going hungry, when in fact your body is trying to protect you by slowing down the rate it burns calories. So break the fast. Don't skip breakfast - or any other meals, for that matter. In fact, try to spread your caloric intake evenly throughout the day by eating smaller meals more frequently. - Forgo full-fat dairy foods
We all agree that creamy, full-fat dairy products taste good, but if you have pounds to lose, you can't afford this fat extravagance. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy foods instead of full-fat versions. This applies to milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Why pick on fat? Because it has over twice as many calories as the equivalent amount of carbs or protein. So more fat means more calories. Consider an 8-oz (240-ml) glass of milk. If it's whole milk, it has about 150 calories and 9 grams of fat. The same serving of 1% low-fat milk has only about 100 calories and about 2.5 grams of fat. Nonfat milk only has about 80 calories. And when it comes to dairy snacks and desserts like yogurt and ice cream, lower fat and light versions today are often just as tasty, and they can save you major calories. - Get it on the side
Fat calories can quickly add up, so be mindful of sauces, gravies, and dressings that are fat-based. Ask for these on the side. That way, you can choose how much you consume. Don't drink your calories A 12-oz (360-ml) regular soft drink weighs in at about 150 calories. The 20-oz (590-ml) size has 250 calories. And the 36-oz (1065-ml) version you buy at the corner convenience store packs a whopping 450 calories - that's a good portion of your entire daily calorie budget. If you need soft drinks to get through the day, make the switch to diet. Your taste buds will quickly adapt. - Fruit juice may have a few more vitamins, but it has just as many calories as a regular soda. Limit yourself to a single glass of juice daily when you're trying to cut calories.
- Don't think you're doing yourself any favors when having a blended coffee drink. These tasty concoctions are nothing more than upscale milkshakes. However, if you must indulge, think serving size and light. The largest serving size option is typically on the order of 24 oz (710 ml), and made with whole milk: It packs a 530-calorie punch! Cut out the whipped cream, request the light version made with nonfat milk, and downsize to the 16-oz (475-ml) medium-size option instead. You'll still get plenty of yummy at just 180 calories. And if you select the 12-oz (360-ml) serving, your payload is just 140 calories. That's a savings of 390 calories right there!
- If you enjoy a glass of wine, a cold beer, or a cocktail, you need to account for these calories, too. An 8-oz (240-ml) glass of white wine has about 170 calories and red has about 210 calories. A 12-oz (360-ml) beer has about 155 calories, and a 12-oz (360-ml) light beer has about 110 calories. A 6-oz (175-ml) margarita weighs in at about 265 calories.
- Eat foods that fill you up, not out
Starting a meal with a bowl of soup, a salad, or a small plate of steamed or fresh vegetables helps take the edge off of your hunger pangs. People who follow this type of dietary pattern feel satisfied at the end of a meal while consuming fewer total calories. Adding broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, or beans to stews, pasta dishes, or chili is also effective. We are creatures of habit. We tend to dish out a set portion size. So if your portion includes lower-calorie, higher-fiber ingredients like vegetables or beans, you end up with fewer total calories consumed. - Don't skimp on protein
Don't cut your protein intake while you're cutting calories. You need protein to maintain your muscle mass, and for some individuals, protein foods are particularly satiating. Make sure to consume in the range of about 0.7-0.9 g protein per lb body weight (1.5-2.0 g protein per kg) daily. For a 150-lb (68-kg) individual, that equates to about 105-135 g protein per day. Eat until you're satisfied, not stuffed We don't just eat because we're hungry. We eat for all kinds of reasons, including when there's simply more food at the table. Pay attention: Eat when you are truly hungry, and stop when you are satisfied. Avoid eating to the point where you feel stuffed, bloated, uncomfortable, or like you can't eat another bite. Instead, stop when the hunger cues dissipate. By eating a bit slower, your brain will have more time to detect the absence of those cues: You could eat more, but you don't really need to. Find that comfort point, because that's the point where you're eating fewer calories than you're burning - just where you need to be to lose weight. - Avoid mindless munching
We often forage for food just to break up the routine of whatever we're doing. Find another distraction, or bite into something that's low in calories like apple slices, carrot sticks, or pretzels. But when you are truly hungry, eat! Remember that going hours without eating works against you because it tends to slow your metabolism.
Navigating the fast-food lane
Eating on the run can be a calorie disaster if you make the wrong choices. One way to navigate fast foods is to stay out of that lane entirely. If you a have choice between fast food or a sandwich shop, opt for the sandwich: Three slices of turkey breast with jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced olives, bell peppers, and a hefty spread of yellow mustard on a whole-wheat roll adds up to just 325 calories, and it's filling. In comparison, the ¼-lb cheeseburger and French fry combo at a burger joint nails you for almost 900 calories. You can navigate Fast Food Boulevard with your calorie deficit intact, but it requires that you make smart choices. For example, go with a grilled chicken sandwich at 360 calories, or one of the entrée salads - a Cobb salad with grilled chicken comes in at about 400 calories.
Plan for your weak spot Ask anyone who's ever tried to lose weight before, and they'll tell you that there's one time of the day or night where it's absolute torture not to raid the cupboard or refrigerator. For others, food cravings can be overwhelming. Denial and sheer discipline won't work in the long-term. Don't disown the foods you can't seem to live without; instead, have less of them.
For example, if chocolate-covered peanuts are your weakness, by all means, don't buy them in bulk from the area warehouse store. Instead, buy the single-serving bag - and then hold yourself to no more than a single bag. A small bag of chocolate-covered peanuts has 250 calories. That's not necessarily a deal breaker in terms of calories, but what does break the bank in a hurry is three heaping handfuls of the little goodies, which clock in at 750 calories!
And don't make this harder than it needs to be: Staring at the box of cookies or holiday fudge on the kitchen counter qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment. If others in the house have the green light for that stuff, ask that it be kept out of your line of sight whenever possible.
Calorie-smart sports nutrition
It's not at all uncommon for an athlete focused on losing weight to head off to the gym on an empty stomach, to push through a workout, and to then head for home completely famished. This scenario is a dieting train wreck waiting to happen, because when you feel starved, it's extremely difficult to control your calorie intake. Avoid putting yourself in that position. You do need to fuel in support of your training. The trick is to do it without consuming extra calories needlessly.
It's not at all uncommon for an athlete focused on losing weight to head off to the gym on an empty stomach, to push through a workout, and to then head for home completely famished. This scenario is a dieting train wreck waiting to happen, because when you feel starved, it's extremely difficult to control your calorie intake. Avoid putting yourself in that position. You do need to fuel in support of your training. The trick is to do it without consuming extra calories needlessly.
Rather than heading off to the gym on an empty stomach, provide your muscles with the carbs and protein they need - while controlling calorie intake.
Recovery enables you to rehydrate, replenish muscle fuel stores, and repair and build muscle protein in response to your training. Your body is ready to start the recovery process as soon as you finish your workout, but you need to provide the nutritional components.
Weight-cutting: What not to do
Weight-cutting or making weight is the practice of rapid weight loss just before a competition. It's sometimes practiced by athletes involved in sports that have weight classes, such as wrestling, boxing, martial arts, weight lifting, and rowing. It's worth noting, because it's definitely not the way to lose weight. Weight-cutting typically involves some method of dehydration just prior to the weigh-in for a competition. Athletes may dehydrate by some combination of food and fluid restriction, exercise, spending long periods in a sauna, steam room, or heat room, use of diuretics, and use of laxatives.
Weight-cutting or making weight is the practice of rapid weight loss just before a competition. It's sometimes practiced by athletes involved in sports that have weight classes, such as wrestling, boxing, martial arts, weight lifting, and rowing. It's worth noting, because it's definitely not the way to lose weight. Weight-cutting typically involves some method of dehydration just prior to the weigh-in for a competition. Athletes may dehydrate by some combination of food and fluid restriction, exercise, spending long periods in a sauna, steam room, or heat room, use of diuretics, and use of laxatives.
This approach to weight loss has virtually no effect on body fat. Instead, the weight loss stems from loss of body water. But athletes may also suffer from a depletion of carbohydrate muscle fuel (glycogen stores) and a decrease of muscle mass. This practice not only can have a detrimental effect on your performance, it can have very serious effects on your health as well.
Putting it all together The goal for a safe weight loss of about 1 lb (0.45 kg) per week is to expend 500-750 more calories than your consume on a daily basis. The best way to create this calorie deficit is through a combination of burning more calories - from aerobic and resistance exercise and cutting back on calories consumed. The best time to implement your weight loss regimen is during the off-season, when you don't have the stringent demands of training and competition.
To fill up on fewer calories, put these strategies to good use:
- Don't skip meals Replace full-fat dairy products with low-fat or nonfat varieties
- Get gravies, sauces, and dressings on the side
- Start a meal with soup, salad, or a small plate of steamed or fresh vegetables
- Add veggies or beans to your mixed dishes
- Eat some protein at each meal Have smaller meals more frequently
- Avoid sugared soft drinks and have no more than a glass of juice daily
- Beware of blended coffee drinks: Go light and smaller in portion size
- Opt for sandwiches or salads when food needs to be fast
- Eat until you no longer feel hungry, not until you feel stuffed
- Avoid mindless munching
- Eat that to-die-for treat, but adjust the portion size
- Take advantage of PowerBar calorie-smart sports nutrition products
- Weigh yourself weekly to track your progress
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