University of Georgia Athletics
Basics For Weight Loss
August 09, 2006 | General
The Dos and Don'ts of Weight Reduction
To lose weight, athletes have to burn off more calories than they eat. However if an athlete severely under-eat, athletes can actually slow down their body’s rate of fat-burning (metabolism), lose muscle mass, increase the storage of fat, and increase the risk of injury and illness!! Thus, being counterproductive to the athlete’s sports performance! When trying to lose weight, consult with the Sports Nutritionist first. Follow these tips to fuel the body for sport and academic challenges while promoting weight loss:
WHAT WORKS:
Lose weight gradually! One pound per week or 1% of your body weight per week is a good goal. Otherwise, athletes may lose muscle during rapid weight loss.
Train aerobically and do weight training. The cardiovascular workout can help the athlete burn calories, while the weight training will help the athlete maintain muscle mass and metabolism. Consult with the strength and conditioning coaches.
Eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks each day! This will help prevent hunger which is the number one cause of blowing a diet. Also by eating meals on a regular schedule the body’s metabolism will remain constant.
Eat smaller portions. Eat smaller portions of the foods than are currently enjoyed.
Limit sodas, sweet tea, alcohol, some fruit juices, Kool-Aid, Hi-C, etc. These drinks offer a lot of calories but have little nutrient value. Replace with water, skim milk, small amounts of 100% fruit juices, or Crystal Lite
Limit fried foods fried chicken, french fries, fried fish, etc frying adds unnecessary calories from fat! Replace with baked, broiled, boiled, or grilled choices.
Limit sugary snacks and desserts These are often high in calories, but low in nutrients. Replace with non-fat fruit yogurt, fat-free chocolate pudding, sugar-free jello, or fruit.
Drink 8-11 cups of water each day it’s thought that in the evening we mistake thirst for food cravings. If craving a late-night snack try drinking water first, wait 20 minutes, if still hungry, then chose a low-calorie snack.
Eat slowly the brain needs about 20 minutes to receive the signal that the stomach is full and the body satisfied. Practice chewing slowly, pausing between bites, and savoring food.
Keep away from food sources that tempt you. By keeping food out of sight, athletes will be more likely to keep it off their mind, and out of their mouth. Encourage athlete to avoid buying the foods that they know they will overeat.
Lose weight during off-season. Ideally, athletes can lose weight gradually over months before their most competitive time. That way athletes can keep their concentration on academics, aerobic conditioning and resistance training while managing weight.
If an athlete tends to eat because they are bored, stressed, tired, or lonely, encourage them to make a list of ten activities they can do other than eat. If an athlete eats because they are stressed, provide alternative ways to handle stress and anxiety without overeating. Take steps to resolve the real problem and recognize that no amount of food will satisfy anxiety-hunger.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
Starvation starvation is sports sabotage!! Starvation is counterproductive to sports performance athletes will drag through bad workouts and fatigue early in competition. Chronic starvation will slow down metabolism, induce muscle loss, increase percent body fat and increase risk of injury/illness.
Skipping meals skipping meals limits the energy that athletes can put towards exercising and the ability to burn calories. Athletes will not gain weight by eating a substantial breakfast or lunch. But may gain weight if they skimp on these meals, get too hungry, and then overeat in the evening.
Diet pills or laxatives there are no NCAA approved and/or 100% safe dietary supplements that an athlete can take that will help burn fat! Most pills or supplements on the market act as diuretics which cause weight loss from water, not fat, and can lead to dehydration and decreased sports performance. Other diet pills or supplements contain high amounts of caffeine and can be dangerous to an athlete’s health. Most dietary supplements are not FDA regulated and may be contaminated with NCAA banned substances. Dietary supplements are not recommended. Laxatives do not decrease the amount of calories that are absorbed from food! Laxatives cause excretion of waste product quicker with increased fluid loss, and disrupt the vitamin and mineral absorption.
Drinking caffeine the caffeine content in coffee, teas and other caffeinated beverages can act as an appetite suppressant, and many athletes will use that appetite suppressant to skip meals. The caffeine can also act as a diuretic and cause increased urine production and fluid losses if not replaced with water. Both skipping meals and dehydration will negatively affect performance and decrease the energy an athlete needs to exercise their best.
Trying to lose weight during in-season - Changing an athlete’s diet to cut weight during season can be counterproductive to the sport.
Adapted from Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Handouts and Georgia Beef Board Sports Nutrition Reproducible Handouts. Prepared by The University of Georgia Athletic Association Sports Nutrition Office
