My meeting with a Sports Nutritionist
wonderwoman234
Posts: 551 Member
I had a great meeting with one of the top Sports Nutritionists in the country today. I went in expecting to discuss how many calories I should be eating, macros, etc. Here are the highlights of the meeting:
- weight loss of more than 1 lb. per week is 97% likely to be regained and lost muscle tissue is replaced by fat when regained
- people who KEEP weight off do the following: eat breakfast, don't allow themselves to get overly hungry, eat everything in moderation, exercise, weigh themselves regularly and keep a food journal.
- when ovulating, women can need an additional 300-500 calories, so instead of feeling like you have no willpower when you are PMS'ing, you should eat more.....your body needs it
- eating protein AND carbs after working out is essential - carbs fuel, protein rebuilds....we need both
- saving all your calories until dinner causes you to gain weight; you are supposed to fuel during the day and lose weight while you are sleeping - so eat the majority of your calories throughout the day and SPOIL YOUR APPETITE for dinner and then just have something light
- you CAN gain muscle on a deficit for the first 6 months of starting a weightlifting program and then you plateau
- using a scale as the only method to assess your progress is a BAD idea, especially if you are weight training; instead, use your mirror, tape measure, and how your clothes fit. if you see less fat, you are losing fat, even if the scale is not moving much.
- sustainable weight loss is about managing your intake and NOT allowing yourself to get overly hungry is really important. When you allow yourself to get overly hungry, your body has a physiological response that causes you to overeat, and you ultimately take in more calories than you would have consumed if you had just kept up with your hunger
- you should eat when your body is showing signs of hunger - it is a sign that all the energy you gave it has been used up and it needs more fuel to keep going. You should stay in the 4-5 range, where 1 is starving and 10 is stuffed and 5 is content. Most dieters stay in the 3 range, are always hungry, and "blow" their eating because their body rebels eventually and they overeat. That is why managing your hunger is hugely important.
- you need to eat just as many calories on your rest day as your workout days to rebuild your muscles, so go ahead and eat when you are hungry on your off day....it's beneficial
- metabolic damage is a REAL thing, but you have to eat very little to cause it - and you will know it's happening because you will be hungry all the time, day in and day out.....and that is not sustainable. Most people underestimate the calories they are consuming....for example, my 80 calorie apple I was munching while we met was really 140 calories, she told me!
- You DO NOT need to eat when you aren't hungry just to meet a calorie goal (unless you are underweight). Your body is the best calorie counter there is, she said. And apparently I am right on track!
Her name is Nancy Clark, in case anyone wants to check out her credentials and website. Hope this is helpful. The meeting has changed the way I've been looking at my weight loss, for the better! The diet industry has made all of us afraid to trust ourselves...and they make billions as a result.
- weight loss of more than 1 lb. per week is 97% likely to be regained and lost muscle tissue is replaced by fat when regained
- people who KEEP weight off do the following: eat breakfast, don't allow themselves to get overly hungry, eat everything in moderation, exercise, weigh themselves regularly and keep a food journal.
- when ovulating, women can need an additional 300-500 calories, so instead of feeling like you have no willpower when you are PMS'ing, you should eat more.....your body needs it
- eating protein AND carbs after working out is essential - carbs fuel, protein rebuilds....we need both
- saving all your calories until dinner causes you to gain weight; you are supposed to fuel during the day and lose weight while you are sleeping - so eat the majority of your calories throughout the day and SPOIL YOUR APPETITE for dinner and then just have something light
- you CAN gain muscle on a deficit for the first 6 months of starting a weightlifting program and then you plateau
- using a scale as the only method to assess your progress is a BAD idea, especially if you are weight training; instead, use your mirror, tape measure, and how your clothes fit. if you see less fat, you are losing fat, even if the scale is not moving much.
- sustainable weight loss is about managing your intake and NOT allowing yourself to get overly hungry is really important. When you allow yourself to get overly hungry, your body has a physiological response that causes you to overeat, and you ultimately take in more calories than you would have consumed if you had just kept up with your hunger
- you should eat when your body is showing signs of hunger - it is a sign that all the energy you gave it has been used up and it needs more fuel to keep going. You should stay in the 4-5 range, where 1 is starving and 10 is stuffed and 5 is content. Most dieters stay in the 3 range, are always hungry, and "blow" their eating because their body rebels eventually and they overeat. That is why managing your hunger is hugely important.
- you need to eat just as many calories on your rest day as your workout days to rebuild your muscles, so go ahead and eat when you are hungry on your off day....it's beneficial
- metabolic damage is a REAL thing, but you have to eat very little to cause it - and you will know it's happening because you will be hungry all the time, day in and day out.....and that is not sustainable. Most people underestimate the calories they are consuming....for example, my 80 calorie apple I was munching while we met was really 140 calories, she told me!
- You DO NOT need to eat when you aren't hungry just to meet a calorie goal (unless you are underweight). Your body is the best calorie counter there is, she said. And apparently I am right on track!
Her name is Nancy Clark, in case anyone wants to check out her credentials and website. Hope this is helpful. The meeting has changed the way I've been looking at my weight loss, for the better! The diet industry has made all of us afraid to trust ourselves...and they make billions as a result.
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Replies
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LOL I would like to see scientific evidence that woman needs extra calories when they release a microscopic egg during ovulation. 300 to 500 extra calories? I'm sorry but I call bull *kitten*. Pregnant women don't even need that many extra calories until their thir trimester and they are literally making a person.0
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weight loss of more than 1 lb. per week is 97% likely to be regained and lost muscle tissue is replaced by fat when regained
Good to know I can expect 134# to return, probably while I'm waiting for supper since I have that as my largest meal.0 -
The only thing I might add is that women (generally) ovulate halfway through their cycle, not at the end, so you don't ovulate when you're PMSing, but I get what you're saying...too, for an apple to be 140 calories it must have been MASSIVE lol0
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LOL I would like to see scientific evidence that woman need extra calories when they release a microscopic egg during ovulation. The rest of this is common sense. Hope you didn't pay too much money for this "consultation".
Well, she is a scientist and nutritionist who trained at Mass General, so I do think she is basing this on research, darlin'.....just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true.0 -
Thank you for sharing this helpful information.0
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LOL I would like to see scientific evidence that woman need extra calories when they release a microscopic egg during ovulation. The rest of this is common sense. Hope you didn't pay too much money for this "consultation".
Well, she is a scientist and nutritionist who trained at Mass General, so I do think she is basing this on research, darlin'.....just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true.
Pregnant women don't even need extra calories until their 3rd trimester, and they are literally building a person. So I doubt a single follicle releasing a microscopic egg is going to necessitate 300-500 extra calories.0 -
The only thing I might add is that women (generally) ovulate halfway through their cycle, not at the end, so you don't ovulate when you're PMSing, but I get what you're saying...too, for an apple to be 140 calories it must have been MASSIVE lol
Yes, women ovulate mid way and that is when they begin having PMS (pre-menstrual.....). That's when PMS starts - at ovulation.0 -
As a I am a Registered Dietitian/ licensed nutritionist, Nancy Clark is on my bucket list of people to meet. Or at least take one of her sports nutrition classes. Glad you gained some perspective on things. I am def going to look into that extra calories during menstration thing! But if Nancy Clark said it, I tend to believe it! Thanks for the summary!0
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OMFG! I read Nancy Clark a lot! Congrats on the opportunity!!0
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Oops, I mean during ovulation. Yes, I know the difference.
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LOL I would like to see scientific evidence that woman need extra calories when they release a microscopic egg during ovulation. The rest of this is common sense. Hope you didn't pay too much money for this "consultation".
Well, she is a scientist and nutritionist who trained at Mass General, so I do think she is basing this on research, darlin'.....just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true.
Pregnant women don't even need extra calories until their 3rd trimester, and they are literally building a person. So I doubt a single follicle releasing a microscopic egg is going to necessitate 300-500 extra calories.
Just curious - are you sure you don't mean menstruation instead of ovulation? Or did she mean the entire cycle? I can see a woman needing more food at that point to replace blood and tissue loss?0 -
Really interesting and useful. Thanks for taking the time to post
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weight loss of more than 1 lb. per week is 97% likely to be regained and lost muscle tissue is replaced by fat when regained
Good to know I can expect 134# to return, probably while I'm waiting for supper since I have that as my largest meal.
Yeah how is that true at all .-.
That doesn't even make sense.
And what a randomass percentage.
I see red.0 -
No she just said midway through your cycle, around ovulation when PMS starts and women tend to get hungrier....and it's because they need a little more calories. I don't know why, but this woman is very legit, so I am trusting her. She consults with all the Boston sports teams, marathon runners, etc.
People can take what they want from my notes. I'm just passing it along and not everyone will believe, or want to accept, what she's saying. In the end, folks will believe what works for them.
Here is the answer:
When an egg is released but isn’t fertilized, the body secretes progesterone to start the menstrual flow. If no egg is released, the surge in progesterone doesn’t occur. Progesterone has a thermogenic effect; in other words, it makes heat. To produce the heat, energy — in the form of calories — is burned.0 -
No she just said midway through your cycle, around ovulation when PMS starts and women tend to get hungrier....and it's because they need a little more calories. I don't know why, but this woman is very legit, so I am trusting her. She consults with all the Boston sports teams, marathon runners, etc.
People can take what they want from my notes. I'm just passing it along and not everyone will believe, or want to accept, what she's saying. In the end, folks will believe what works for them.
Here is the answer:
When an egg is released but isn’t fertilized, the body secretes progesterone to start the menstrual flow. If no egg is released, the surge in progesterone doesn’t occur. Progesterone has a thermogenic effect; in other words, it makes heat. To produce the heat, energy — in the form of calories — is burned.
So the body's mechanism is in response to the cycle, not just the ovulation. Man the human body is an incredible machine.0 -
I am skeptical of a few of her points...
Like 97% will regain
Must eat breakfast
Need more calories when ovulating
weight themselves regularly then says don't if you are a weight lifter...
eating specific things after a workout...
last but not least only eat when you are hungry even if you have calories to fill...hunger is not the best way to tell what the body needs.
Some are fine tho like eating the same on a rest day as an exercise day, not using the scale only but measurments etc...and yes you can build muslce if you are NEW to lifting...or obese.0 -
Thanks!0
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I am skeptical of a few of her points...
Like 97% will regain
Must eat breakfast
Need more calories when ovulating
weight themselves regularly then says don't if you are a weight lifter...
eating specific things after a workout...
last but not least only eat when you are hungry even if you have calories to fill...hunger is not the best way to tell what the body needs.
Some are fine tho like eating the same on a rest day as an exercise day, not using the scale only but measurments etc...and yes you can build muslce if you are NEW to lifting...or obese.
Yes! I agree! The problem with nutritionists is that their advice is mostly based off personal experience. But every body, and every person, is different.0 -
LOL I would like to see scientific evidence that woman need extra calories when they release a microscopic egg during ovulation. The rest of this is common sense. Hope you didn't pay too much money for this "consultation".
Well, she is a scientist and nutritionist who trained at Mass General, so I do think she is basing this on research, darlin'.....just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true.
75% of it is general knowledge and 25% broscience darlin' , get your facts str8 before acting smug 0 -
bump to read after work!!0
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"- saving all your calories until dinner causes you to gain weight; you are supposed to fuel during the day and lose weight while you are sleeping - so eat the majority of your calories throughout the day and SPOIL YOUR APPETITE for dinner and then just have something light "
*kitten*, I blow that one every single day. If only I could lose weight...
Seriously, being a sports nutritionist just means you have some kind of qualification. It doesn't mean you necessarily know what you're talking about.0 -
- saving all your calories until dinner causes you to gain weight
:noway:0 -
What is broscience? I'm assuming it's the same as psuedoscience?
I posted my notes to be helpful and folks can take what's helpful and leave the rest.
The stats she gave me are based on research and are widely available. People need to remember that while the vast majority of people who lose weight quickly regain it plus more, there are plenty of people (that 3%) who don't.
I am hoping this post is helpful for those of us who are losing slowly - that research supports that slow loss is easier to sustain. It's not meant to bash anyone's success.0 -
"- saving all your calories until dinner causes you to gain weight; you are supposed to fuel during the day and lose weight while you are sleeping - so eat the majority of your calories throughout the day and SPOIL YOUR APPETITE for dinner and then just have something light "
*kitten*, I blow that one every single day. If only I could lose weight...
Seriously, being a sports nutritionist just means you have some kind of qualification. It doesn't mean you necessarily know what you're talking about.
Very true. Plenty of folks will have a very different experience. She did not say that was the only thing that causes weight gain, it just helps with weight loss to eat more earlier in the day. There are plenty of things you can do to offset it, as you have clearly done.0 -
If breakfast helps you control hunger and helps with adherence, and aids with performance then eat breakfast. Otherwise I'm not sure you need to care about breakfast.
Scratch that, If any particular habit at all:
-helps you control hunger.
-helps with adherence.
-supports performance goals.
while:
-creating a deficit (assuming weight loss is the goal)
-meeting macro and micro nutritional requirements.
Then great.
Making a more qualified generalization than that frequently seems to miss the point.0 -
- people who KEEP weight off do the following: eat breakfast, don't allow themselves to get overly hungry, eat everything in moderation, exercise, weigh themselves regularly and keep a food journal.
:laugh:
I've been significantly underweight all my adult life (I'm 50 now) and I haven't eaten breakfast since I was about 11 or so. In fact, on a normal weekend day, I don't eat until the supper meal... too busy.
I've done no regular exercise until recently when I started experiencing menopause symptoms three years ago and became concerned about loss of muscle and bone density.
Nor have I adhered to any of the other aspects of the guru's "prescription".0 -
Thanks for the post, great information that has all been out there in research results. Sadly we tend to buy in to the quick, the easy, or the newest fad of the week diet "facts". These reminders from the best research available are actual research facts and while it is amusing to see the comments after such a post, it just highlights the seriously poor state of health in our country, and why the diet fads produce millions of dollars in sales each year.0
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I think the point of the meal timing suggestion is that if we eat lightly throughout the hours we are most active, we may not have enough fuel to optimize our activities. Then eating a large meal not long before we rest for several hours, is putting fuel in our bodies when we really don't need it.0
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Thanks for sharing, very useful info!0
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Thank you for your post. As you probably know, people are very passionate about their "diets" moderation and exercise just isn't for everyone:)0
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