Metabolic Efficient Weight Loss article

kariduane
kariduane Posts: 27 Member
Hi Everyone! It was nice seeing so many new folks on the bike ride this morning! Loved the smiles upon return and a big shout out to Stacy and Mellanie for doing 13 miles on their first outing! WOW! Some of you were a bit alarmed at the calorie count provided by My Fitness Pal when you entered your goal weight. Those that seemed the most frustrated had put in an aggressive goal of a 2 lb. weight loss each week of the challenge. You MUST understand that a 2 lb. weight loss is appx. a 7,000 calorie deficit. That is alot for 7 days. Actually it is a 1,000 calorie daily deficit. I suggest you enter a 1 lb weight loss weekly. And keep in mind you will be able to add calories to that base number each day by exercising.
Here is an article that I wrote last year during the winter months. Thought it may help break things down even more in terms of keeping it simple.

The Starting Place for Weight Loss by Kari Duane

Winter. The weather is bad, days are short, and that extra holiday weight is firmly entrenched. With triathlon season on the horizon, you may be asking, “What should I do?” Have no fear. It’s not too late! Priority number one, if you have extra pounds, drop them! Here is a simple, step by step guide to get back in the saddle and ready for tri season.

Weight management. 1:1
1 gram of carbohydrate for each gram of protein. Research ideal body weight for your height/age and begin to live your life at that ideal weight. Here is a link to a reputable height/weight calculator

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598

If you are a 185 pound male and have now calculated that 165 is your ideal body weight, how many calories a day does a 165 lb male need to consume to be within a healthy body fat percentage? Begin living like a 165 male or a 140 lb female if that is your reasonable goal weight. Make sure to reference a reputable source when researching “ideal body weight”: Mayo clinic, Livestrong and My Fitness Pal all offer easy calculations based on the numbers you provide. And it’s free!

After gleaning your ideal weight you MUST log what you eat as well as daily exercise. As a general rule calorie counting with a Garmin, Timex, Nike fuel belt, treadmill reading at the gym or other device is not accurate. With the same data entered; male age 37, current weight 182 lbs, each device will produce a different reading of calories burned dependent on what protocol they have used to set the device. It can be very frustrating, to say the least, as devices can range for a single hour workout by 800 calories. Crazy!
When coaching athletes that are wanting to drop weight (and this is different from those simply wanting to balance their diet and achieve metabolic efficiency for best racing practices) I use 300 calories per hour of exercise. It is the still winter and most triathletes are not doing 4 and 5 hour workouts. A solid hour is good with maybe a longer bike ride or small brick on the weekend. For weight loss allow 300 calories to be added in to your daily caloric intake. So, here is the simple formula.

185 lb male, 5’10” with 26% body fat wants drop to his healthy weight of 165, decreasing body fat by 11%. He needs 2600 calories daily to live his life as 165 lb. person. By weeks end he must have a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. With exercise, prescribed by a coach, he is able to eat more based on the number of workout hours at 300 calories per hour. It is simple math with a simple solution.
As the weight drops (about every 5 lbs.) revisit the calorie calculator as the intake number of calories change as weight decreases.
There are many variables to this; vitamins, fat, cholesterol, minerals but folks in need of weight loss now have a starting place. I highly recommend seeking a registered dietician or nutritionist for consultation and planning.
What to eat? Weight loss is simple: 1 carb to 1 protein and 10% fat. Period. Within that ratio foods should be the color of the rainbow with lots of variety. Eating every 3 hours is a must and best practice is to eat some protein with some carbohydrate to avoid spikes in blood sugar levels. Make sure everything you eat is a 1 to 1 ratio for weight loss and to balance blood sugar. If you want pretzels for a snack, add a few almonds. Make sure to log these calories. Planning a big salad for dinner, make sure to have protein with the color rich vegetables. For more information on how to simplify, drop weight, be lighter on the bike or run and have an amazing triathlon season, or to simply feel confident in summer beach attire contact kariduane@epictri.com
Remember the starting place for weight loss is easy! Have no fear. You can do it!