I’m a long and triple jumper and also a sprinter. I’m coming off an injury and want to lose the body fat I put on. I’m going to sprint train but that’s not going to be the only thing that will get me back in the shape I was once in. Diets these days have been elaborated to such extremes, like the Atkins, and South Beach diets. I know as an athlete I need a lot of the things that non-athletes don’t. I eat well as it is, I just would like to get some feedback as to what you guys think would help
Remember, the way to lose body fat is to burn more calories than calories consumed. A pound of fat = 3500 calories. When cutting calories it is also important to increase protein intake so muscle is not lost. There is so much info on this site regarding diet and so much more we can offer but I think it would first be best to post what your diet currently looks like so we can get an idea which will allow us to take it from there.
The diet many atheltes follow is 40-30-40 which means proteins and carbs are 40% of total calories and fats are 30% if I am not mistaken. I’d say keep protein up around 1 gram per pound of you bodyweight and try and consume 4-5 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large. Avoid simple sugars as much as possible and keep foods with high glycemic index for after training.
A pound of fat = 3500 calories
this is mention quite frequently in bibliography though i really dont get it.
if a gram of fat is 9kcal, shouldn a pound of fat be 4050 kcal?
Great advice. I’ll add my thoughts as well. Remember that simply burning 3500 (or whatever the actual amount is) calories does not mean that you have burned 3500 calories of fat. The 3500 cal. will be a mix of carbs, fats, and sometimes protien.
Also, as far as carbs are concerned, simple sugars should be avoided, but they should be the main type of carbs digested before a workout. They break down easily and are a quick source of energy. Throughout the rest of the day they should be avoided as QUICK said.
Firebird,
While simple sugars break down easily and are a quick source of energy I am not so sure you would want an insulin spike leading to a rise in blood sugar before a workout followed by a drop in blood sugar shortly after. This may lead to feeling mental fatigue. Moderate glycemic index drinks during exercise however may help out energy levels or are a quick source of energy as you put it. Post workout is when simple sugars (high glycemic index) drinks should be ingested since the insulin spike will cause the uptake of glucose and you post workout meal or shake directly to your muscles to aid in recovery.
Best secret ever is grapefruit.
Can you please elaborate?
Just eat one grapefruit a week (nothing else) and the pounds will fall off! No jokes! I used to sell a diet juice that was similar. Grapefruit juice was one of the main ingredients.
Jumper-girl, how old are you and are you being realistic about things? I have coached many female athletes and most of them are just unrealistic about food and dieting and their body image. Keep training, eat healthy (use common sense!!), and do your tempo work on your off days and you will be fine. It isn’t tough, it just takes consistency.
a grapefruit a week? what how is this accomplished just eat regular foods during the day but add one grapefruit a week, adn the pounds fall off? i have a perplexing mind so you have to elaborate how this works. Oh and the L-carnitine work,i heard it was good for losing weight?
To answer one question, I’m 18. And to answer quick’s question… here’s my diet (it changes a bit every day but for the most part it’s the same stuff)
Breakfast: eggs (omlette/over easy)
wheat toast
milk or water
Lunch: Some kind of sandwich on wheat
(tuna, turkey, or ham)
Apple/banana
Dinner: Large salad with hard boiled egg
pieces,grilled chicken, tomatoes and no
dressing
Milk
Never really thought about it that way, thanks. My nutrition class in college was an evening class, so I didn’t attend many of the lectures.
It was a joke.
To answer one question, I’m 18. And to answer quick’s question… here’s my diet (it changes a bit every day but for the most part it’s the same stuff)
Breakfast: eggs (omlette/over easy)
wheat toast
milk or waterLunch: Some kind of sandwich on wheat
(tuna, turkey, or ham)
Apple/bananaDinner: Large salad with hard boiled egg
pieces,grilled chicken, tomatoes and no
dressing
Milk
im no expert (though i have lost almost 90 pounds:P) but the three times/day thing does not work. You are an athlete. Eat 5-6 meals distributed throughout the day. Eat lots of protein but dont neglect carbs. Pay some attention to post work out nutrition. After very intence work outs use some high G.I food acompanied with some form of protein (most of us prefer a protein suplament but its not mandatory). After regular work outs do the same without the high G.I
john berardi sugest breaking down meals to protein+fat and protein+carb. P+C are the meals after work outs P+F the rest
well definately eliminate the dairy (milk, not the eggs, which are actually protein see notmikl.com) also put some fat in your salad. use salad dressing, olive oil and maybe some avacado. be careful with wheat bread. if the first ingredient says “enriched” it is basically white bread with dye in it. i would maybe even rotate in some rye or pumpernickel bread. the other important thing is that you should try to rotate meals. if you eat the exact same thing every day you will not got all of the nutrients your body requires. the only food i could see eating every day are eggs, which are the most comple source of protein
damn you herb.
Jumper girl,
From your sample of a day’s food, I would say that your body thinks there is a famine happening. You’re simply not eating enough nor are you eating often enough. Without doing any in depth calculations, it looks like you’re short on calcium, fiber and iron. You’re doing sprints, LJ, & TJ, so you probably have about 110-120 lb. of Lean Body Mass. I like to use this number, in grams, as the minimum daily protein intake. A rough estimate for you would be about 110-120 gr of protein a day. Looks like you’re short in this category also. For approximately the last 5 million years, when there is a famine, and the body is not getting enough protein to repair and maitain the existing L.B.M., it will not build more L.B.M., instead it will store fat and cannibalize the existing muscle for fuel.
Try this analogy: The are 15 people in a lifeboat adrift at sea, with only enough food for 10 of those people. What is the solution.???
Eat 5 people, the 5 will not only provide nourishment, but then there will be enough food for the 10 remaining. It’s about survival of the species.
TNT
The best analogy, EVER!
Just stay away from me…
I did some quick numbers on your sample daily intake. It came to about 1650 calories. You can’t train on that and repair/build L.B.M. or loose fat. Eat at least 6 times a day. Add some variety. Get a bigger fork. I650 cal. is O.K. for about a 10-11 yr. old girl.
TNT
Everyone is taking protein supplements now, what would you guys recommend to be the best out there for athletes? Are potein bars good for post-workout meals? Should they be taken as a substitute for the other? (ex. if a protein shake isn’t taken, can a protein bar take it’s place)
TNT- you’ve really put things in perspective for me with all the numbers, THANK YOU! I’ve been looking for someone to help me understand exactly what/how to eat.
You say eat 6 times a day… meaning I have to actually eat MORE or just split up my meals now throughout the day? What should i add to what I’m already eating to get me where I should be? It just seems like a lot of food to eat (probably because according to the numbers, I’m not eating hardly anything). I DO snack though, on things like saltless peanuts, apples, grapes, hard-boiled eggs. There are days where I substitute my eggs with oatmeal too.
I find trying to keep track of my calorie, fat, and carb intake is hard being that I’m eating campus food. It’s not very easy to find out how much I’m consuming because i can’t simply look on the nutrition facts to find out. What do you suggest I do to get a better feel for what I’m taking in?
One more thing: With all this talk about eating, it’s making me think more about training. What types of training work outs do you suggest I do? In HS I used to run distance for an endurance base, and gradually work my way into faster training. Is it ok to jump right in to high intensity sprinting workouts with tempos of off days?