Athlete Who Can't Eat Much During Day, Eat Junk at Night

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lavender101
lavender101 Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I know this is probably a "just eat more food, you fool!" kind of topic, but honestly it's an actual problem for me. I'm a cheerleader, and while I do have a history of an undiagnosed, but still very much there, eating disorder, (which I am now just about recovered from. I still fight the thoughts occasionally, but I DO NOT act on any negativity anymore) I am at a healthy weight, and would actually like to HEALTHILY lose maybe 5 pounds. My problem is, during the day, I'm all about healthy eating. My school's campus has a fantastic cafeteria, and everyday I get a salad filled with feta, carrots, cucumbers, hardboiled egg, craisins, edamame, with an apple and a little fruit salad on the side. However, I have 2 hour practices in 95+ degree weather a day, along with twice a week weight training, and I know that's not enough food for lunch. However, I'm never hungry at lunch because I go home and suddenly want a bunch of junk food. (when I say a bunch, no not a full out binge, but definitely more chocolate and caramel corn after dinner than a person needs at one time. I basically go to bed slightly uncomfortably full) The next day, the same thing happens. It's basically become a cycle. I'm not starving myself at lunch, because I'm honestly not hungry for much, BUT, that comes from eating a lot the night before. My question is, how can I regulate my eating habits to where I'm eating a moderate amount all the time, and not too little at once, and way too much another time, while also being able to lose a couple pounds correctly?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,639 Member
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    Calories in/out are what matter for weight loss. Meal timing or amount of calories per meal don't matter IF you're staying within your calorie allotment.
    That said, nutrition does matter. Eating the correct macro/micro nutrients are still needed to fulfill essential needs. So a ratio of 30/40/30 seems to work well for the general population.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
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    Calories in/out are what matter for weight loss. Meal timing or amount of calories per meal don't matter IF you're staying within your calorie allotment.
    That said, nutrition does matter. Eating the correct macro/micro nutrients are still needed to fulfill essential needs. So a ratio of 30/40/30 seems to work well for the general population.
    I agree
    My wife eats like 2.5 meals per day and I eat around 5-6...neither one of us eat our specific amount of meals for any particular reason...except that i get irritable when I havent had food in a few hours...haha. We both lost around 20% of our body weights in 6 months of eating this way so I totally agree that the amount of food per meal and timing of food doesnt matter near as much as how much you are eating per day/week
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I don't see anything wrong with your lunch.

    Are you eating anything before/after your 2 hr practices? Me personally, I would eat a banana before practice and some almonds or something after practice (and plenty of water, of course). Otherwise, I would lose energy during it and want to gnaw my arm off after it. But that's more about fueling and satiety than weight loss.

    For losing weight, all that matters is that you end up with a calorie deficit at the end of the day. It could be entirely made up of junk food, but you would still lose weight. However, nutrition is important for health and super important for you as an athlete to perform well. So pay attention to your macros (fat, protein, carb at the bottom of the diary). As long as you are close on your macros daily, you should be ok.

    There is nothing wrong with having some chocolate or caramel corn at the end of the day. Especially if it helps you hit your macros. I usually end up with some ice cream many nights, and it's healthy for me because it helps me hit my fat and carbs macros!

    Basically, pay attention to your nutrition, but if it fits, treats are A-OK.

    Edited to add: As far as the hunger issues you are asking about, try to work more protein earlier into your day. Lots of protein is important for retaining your muscles while your losing and supporting performance. It also helps you stay fuller for longer.
  • jennbuck22
    jennbuck22 Posts: 17 Member
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    I have the same problem!

    I work in a school, way too busy to eat much for lunch, then eat a protein bar 30 minutes before practice(I coach right after school ends)

    I get home around 7p and am starving..............It is everything I can do not to eat everything in sight.

    The only thing that has been working for me is to have cut up veggies waiting. This way I can start snacking right away while I make a reasonably healthy dinner.

    I've found if I have nothing waiting, I'm too hungry to wait to make dinner and just start snacking on everything in sight until I'm too full to eat an actual meal.

    I agree with the above posters that you can totally lose weight even if you eat the majority of your calories at night, just as long as you count them all and don't go over your limit:)

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