Shifting from losing to feeding an athlete's body...help?

summersherbek

A girlfriend and I started a health challenge in January. She was 5' 7", 200 pounds, so had a lot to lose. I only had about 15 pounds to shed from baby #4, and have successfully lost a collective 170 pounds following four pregnancies, so have been coaching her and supporting her along the way. In addition to boot camps two or three times a week, we started running 5 days a week, early mornings.

She lost 60 pounds in 6 months, and now weighs 134 with 10% body fat (which continues to decrease). She will be running her first marathon in a month. While she has done amazing things in a short amount of time, making the quick switch between eating to lose and now having to eat to fuel an athletes body that pretty much has nothing left to lose has been hard for her.

We are well aware of how to do the math to determine how much she should be eating to maintain and fuel her body, and logically, she understands that this isn't about weight loss and pounds anymore. But its the emotional/mental side of it she continues to struggle with. While she was losing, she was fixated on the number on the scale, and understanding that the number on that machine is no longer really relevant is hard. It is also very hard for her to emotionally understand she has eat the amount of food required to fuel a body that is running 45-50 miles a week, and doing cross training for a couple hours.

Has anyone been through this? Any recommendations for helping her through the emotional/mental hurdles, or does it just take time? I think I've finally coached her away from the scale (she steps on once a week for a maintenance check), but getting all the food is a daily battle. I don't know what to do, so I keep putting the numbers/logic in front of her, but having the numbers make sense and being able to actually do what they say are two very different things.

Thanks in advance!

TavistockToad

10% bodyfat? that is VERY low for a woman. presumably she doesnt to have kids or her period any more?

jenneal89

I don't have experience but maybe it would help her to talk to a training coach, dietician, therapist if she needs. It takes a while for your brain to catch up with processing changes to your body which is probably making her anxious. Congrats to both of you btw!

JossFit

I'm in the same boat as her, and it is difficult! Bumping to see what advice folks may have...

jasonp_ritzert

I found it helpful to switch the focus of what numbers are important while realizing that my weight will fluctuate several pounds in either direction. It does take time because of how fixated we become on the scale numbers going down. Here are some new number goals that I strive to meet and help me with the NSV's that may help her:

1. Keeping my heart rate in a certain zone for gradually longer periods of time
2. Trying to improve my mile times running/biking
3. Adding weight/reps to exercises

Lastly, maintenance of an athlete's body is a numbers game by making sure she is getting enough calories, carbs, protein, etc. to make her body work as efficiently as possible.

CakeFit21

How are you determining her bodyfat%?

flynnfinn

yeah, i was gonna say...10% body fat???? is that right? i'm 5'6", fairly lean, i weigh 125-128 and i'm still just shy of 21% body fat. based on your friends weight of 134 and height of 5'7", i don't know where you get that she is only 10% body fat. is she like a body builder? i don't even think female body builders have 10% body fat...maybe in the low teens.

anyway, sorry to lurk in your post but i'm curious to what others have to say. i myself am trying not to get so fixated on the damn scale. i don't know what it is but i feel my best at 120...and that is just nearly impossible for me to maintain. i was there before but a lot of heartache and headache came with trying to stay there.

if your friend is truly 10% body fat, i'd say eat up! 10% is a dream for women...and even most men! lol!

CakeFit21

No, 10% is not a dream for women. It's the lowest possible amount of fat your body needs to SURVIVE. 10-13% is ESSENTIAL for life. I think you have made a mistake in your calculations. The leanest female elite athletes compete between 14% and 20%.

kennethmgreen

Maybe before this:

10% bodyfat? that is VERY low for a woman. presumably she doesnt to have kids or her period any more?

We should start here:

How are you determining her bodyfat%?

LelliAmi

That's low, but it's not unhealthy. That's actually really impressive.

What I did when I was super active last year (gym every day, sometimes in between dance classes or after, and 3 different kinds of dance and a stretch class) is I made sure that I packed a lunch that contained lots of whole grains and vegetables and at least one fruit so I could count on having energy til the end of school, and then I'd pack a snack for later (because I was in an after-school acting class and couldn't go home) which had protein and whole grains. Usually something like cheese and multigrain crackers or a kashi granola bar. I also always had a water bottle with me, which I kept full at all times and sometimes put lemon slices in for a little bit of a pick-me-up.

I also took a vitamin B complex, vitamin C, two vitamin D's and an omega 3-6-9 every morning with breakfast, which was usually 1 cup of cereal in half a cup of skim milk, 1/2 a cup of yogurt and one piece of fruit. When you're very active it's important to keep your energy up, but it's also very important to make sure you're getting that energy from a good, healthy source. (ie, no protein/power bars or energy drinks).

Lots of whole grains, at least 1 piece of fruit a day, lots of veggies and lean protein like chicken and turkey are staples in an active lifestyle.Congrats to your friend for her amazing accomplishment, and I hope this helps!

marekdds

Since we are all obsessed with numbers,change the numbers. Set goals of how many grams/oz of protein she should eat a day. How many servings of cups/oz of fruit & vegetable for a day. good fats, servings of whole grain. dairy, depending on what she eats, etc. Set the calorie goal to very active, so she doesn't see red on mfp. Anyway focus on # of servings instead of calories, just a thought. Good luck to you both.

myofibril

I found it helpful to switch the focus of what numbers are important while realizing that my weight will fluctuate several pounds in either direction. It does take time because of how fixated we become on the scale numbers going down. Here are some new number goals that I strive to meet and help me with the NSV's that may help her:

1. Keeping my heart rate in a certain zone for gradually longer periods of time
2. Trying to improve my mile times running/biking
3. Adding weight/reps to exercises

Lastly, maintenance of an athlete's body is a numbers game by making sure she is getting enough calories, carbs, protein, etc. to make her body work as efficiently as possible.

^^^^^ Spot on.

Transition from a weight based measure to a fitness measure of success. It's a much healthier and more reliable mindset.

Yanicka1

First I call BS on the 10% bf

Second, her problem is psychological so no amount of arguments will help her. She should see a therapist and a nutritionist. The fact that you are the one asking the question is indicative of a problem.

flynnfinn

No, 10% is not a dream for women. It's the lowest possible amount of fat your body needs to SURVIVE. 10-13% is ESSENTIAL for life. I think you have made a mistake in your calculations. The leanest female elite athletes compete between 14% and 20%.

there ya go! i stand corrected...although i apologize for spouting out numbers...i didn't know what the exact percentages were. if 10-13% is essential for living, then i think the friend in question here needs to get accurate BF% measurements or talk to her doctor or some other professional to guide her in the right direction.