Eating healthy, low carb, but having enough energy for sports...help me
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Anonymous
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In the past two months I have lost about 15 lbs - going from 157 to 142 (I'm 5'7). I'm thrilled with the weight loss and have done it by counting calories on MFP (1200 a day) and staying away from processed food and grains most days.
I play a sport recreationally and on the days I play (usually mid-morning) I make sure to have protein and healthy carbs before and after I play. Breakfast will often be oatmeal with berries or a whole wheat english muffin with eggs. However, the last few times I've played I've felt lower-energy than normal. When I play, it is often several hours of exercise and according to MFP can burn anywhere from 700-1200 calories depending on how long I play. Do I need to be eating healthy carbs the night or day before as well? I try to stay away from carbs at night as much as possible, so I'm not relishing adding in pasta or bread. A typical meal the day before I play would be something like this: 2 eggs at breakfast, coffee or non-fat latte, lunch is a salad with protein, dinner would be a lean protein, vegetable, and maybe some black beans or fruit and yogurt. I do drink a lot of water and try to stay very hydrated all the time. I'd love some nutritionist or nutrition experts advice on this! Thank you! |
Anonymous
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1200 calories is probably not enough at your size. I'm 5'8" and 155 (used to be 140 until I hit 40 and my thyroid went wacky) and it wouldn't have been anywhere near enough for me. at my thinnest, I was eating 1,500 calories PLUS replacing the calories I burned off during exercise. (I'm a runner and a weight lifter who exercises daily.)
If I were you, I'd add back a few calories and let yourself have some (more) whole grains. Keep doing the portion control thing, but let yourself eat a bit more. It's great that you've made changes and lost weight, but I think your body might be telling you that this isn't sustainable, given your activity level. |
Anonymous
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I add branched chain amino acids (BCAA) to my water right before I start working out. It gives me an energy boost and helps maintain muscle mass. You can buy them at GNC, Amazon, Vitamin Shoppe, or any similar stores.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-bcaa |
Anonymous
| Are you still trying to lose or just maintain your weight? If the latter, you can go back to eating at maintenance, not at a deficit in whatever form you want. |
Anonymous
| OP here. I should say that I stay at 1200 calories but am given extra calories for exercise through MFP. So if I burn 500 calories doing exercise, I will go up to 1700 calories for the day (1200 + 500). |
Anonymous
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Why are you starving yourself with only 1200 calories?
You need to eat. |
Anonymous
Because 1200 calories a day is leading to .5 - 2lbs weight loss per week, which is a reasonable weight loss pace. If it takes me two weeks to lose .5 lbs, I get discouraged and blow it all to hell. I know myself. I need to see progress and movement towards the goal to keep me going. |
Anonymous
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Well, if you insist on eating at a deficit, yes, you may experience some tiredness/lethargy. Nothing abnormal about that.
You can try adding electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. And coffee, lots of coffee. |
Anonymous
How much more do you want to lose? At some point you will have to start eating at maintenance. |
Anonymous
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GU gels
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CSCRHY/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_1_s_it?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=9ddc66f6-9fc0-49ff-b2fa-06a39d9859e6&pd_rd_wg=c6Z3P&pf_rd_r=CKX1TG3EW5F8EE3GC0VE&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B000CSCRHY&pd_rd_w=mu56J&pf_rd_i=gu&pd_rd_r=563bc9b8-569c-4647-89f6-71c3882b6cb5&ie=UTF8&qid=1538740862&sr=1 Go to REI and get a few to see which you like before you buy in bulk. I also think you need to go to maintenance instead of losing more weight. Don't chase your college days weight, it's mentally unhealthy,,, good luck! |
Anonymous
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I think it's just not possible to be losing 2lbs a week and think you can play such intense sports at an optimal level. Something's got to give! Also, some of the weight you have lost is muscle mass. What percent of fat vs muscle you have lost is highly dependent on your own biology, but with that level of exercise, your body may be cannibalizing your muscle much more than you think. That muscle loss could be impacting your performance. 2lbs is a lot for someone who is not overweight and is trying to maximize athletic performance...
Also, regarding your question on feeding strategy.... so much of that depends on our own biological/genetic makeup. Some endurance athletes do better on a low carb diet, but for many, it just doesn't work. why don't you up your calories so you are not loosing weight at such a rapid rate?? |
Anonymous
So you have a history? Is it pregnancy weight gain? Because if you had to diet to lose weight outside of pregnancy more than a couple times, clearly what you're doing is not working. Slow weight loss is frustrating but it's more likely to stay. |
Anonymous
This. Two pounds a week might not seem like a lot, but it is if you're expecting to perform athletically at the same time. Top athletes aren't typically trying to lose weight AND train at their max simultaneously, and you don't have to be a top athlete for not eating enough to affect your workouts. |
Anonymous
OP here. I'd like to get to 140 and maintain that. At 5'7 I think there's a very healthy weight, not too low at all. So I'm very close to maintenance. |
Anonymous
So, OP, here's the trade-off: you get to lose weight at a rate you prefer and which keeps you motivated, but you are tired in your workouts. OR you can lose weight more slowly and have more energy for them. That's your choice. |