Eat Like an Athlete to Lose Weight

By the vTeam, Kamau Austin Publisher

Exercise is excellent for weight loss, but it is most effective when it is combined with a proper diet. If you are trying to lose weight and are exercising regularly, you may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts by not eating properly. Even the most strenuous exercise regime can be rendered ineffective if you not eating properly. Failure to eat properly hurts you in two ways. First of all, if you are not fueling your body properly, you may not have the energy for long or intense workouts. Secondly, if you are eating too much, you may not be going far enough into calorie deficit to promote weight loss. This article will discuss how carbohydrates, proteins and fats can also be part of a healthy weight loss program. However, before starting any weight loss program, you should consult with your doctor about your fitness and diet plans as well as the use of supplements in your diet.

To lose one pound of body weight, you have to expend 3500 more calories than you consume. This means you can lose one pound of body weight per week by creating a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day of the week. This can be accomplished by cutting 500 calories out of your diet, keeping your diet the same and burning off an additional 500 calories each day through exercise or by a combination of reducing your calorie intake and increasing your exercise to equal a 500 calorie deficit. The combination of reducing your calorie intake and exercising is ideal, especially if you are already consuming too many calories per day. This can help you to return to a healthy eating pattern while the exercises you perform will help to improve your cardiovascular health and tone your muscles.

Carbohydrates Fuel Your Workouts

Despite the popularity of diets high in protein and low in carbohydrates, most athletes do not follow this type of eating pattern. This is because low carbohydrate diets are often not sufficient for athletes who require increased amounts of energy to fuel their daily training sessions. If you want to train like a seasoned athlete, you should be mindful that you also need to eat like an athlete. This means you should be consuming healthy carbohydrates daily so you have enough energy to complete your workouts.

Choosing healthy carbohydrates such as multigrain breads, whole wheat pastas, oatmeal and other whole grains in addition to fruits and vegetables will help your body stay fueled throughout your workouts. However, over processed foods such as white breads and pastas made from white flower may result in weight gain because your body cannot use these nutrients as efficiently. They will help to fuel your workouts effectively, but because they are so highly processed, they do not cause your body to work very hard to digest and utilize these nutrients. As a result, you will not be enjoying the metabolic increase which accompanies the digestion of whole grain foods.

Consume Enough Protein Daily and at the Right Times

Protein consumption is very important for weight loss. You should be consuming enough protein each day to help you feel full, fuel your workouts and help your muscles to grow. Those who are trying to lose weight are wise to incorporate a source of protein in each meal and snack because protein helps them to feel more satiated. This feeling of satiety will keep you from feeling the urge to eat shortly after a meal or a snack. Proper protein consumption is also important if you are exercising to lose weight because the proteins you consume will help you to repair muscles damaged during high intensity workouts. Small muscle tears are an indication of an effective workout, but to enjoy the muscle growth which accompanies these types of workouts, you must consume the protein necessary to repair these muscle tears. The amount of protein you require will vary according to your current weight and lifestyle. If you live a relatively sedentary lifestyle, you should consume 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you live a rather active lifestyle and exercise regularly, you should consume 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

Protein consumption is important during a fitness and weight loss routine, but it is not simply important to consume protein, you also need to ensure you are consuming protein at the right times. Protein should be a part of each of your meals and snacks, but it should also be a part of your post workout meal or snack as well. Ideally, you should consume a protein rich meal or snack within the first 90 minutes after your workout to facilitate muscle recovery.

Incorporate Healthy Fats Sparingly

Athletes realize that healthy fats are critical to an ideal diet. You should strive to consume moderate amounts of healthy fats. You can find these fats in items such as olive oil, avocado, salmon and nuts. The unsaturated fats found in these food items are considered healthy, but they are also typically high in calories, so it is important to only use these products sparingly to maintain a healthy diet. This will help you lose weight. It is generally recommended that no more than 20% of your daily calorie intake come from fats.

Consider Adding Supplements to Your Diet

Most seasoned athletes realize a healthy diet sometimes includes chemical supplements. If you are striving to eat more like an athlete to tone up your body, you might want to consider Meltorin. Meltorin is designed to bolster your metabolism. You can learn more about Meltorin at the following web address: www.Meltorin.com.

The Variety in Triathlon Training Can Help You Lose Weight

by the vTeam, Kamau Austin Publisher

Training for and competing in a triathlon is an excellent way to help you lose weight. A triathlon consists of a swim, a bike ride and a run. Participants complete each leg of the event starting with the swim leg and concluding with the run leg. The distance of each leg varies. There are very short events for novice athletes and longer events that are ideal for well conditioned amateur and professional athletes. Typical triathlon events include sprint events, Olympic distance events and Ironman distance events. Sprint events do not have set distances and may vary from one course to the next. The distances for an Olympic distance triathlon are 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run, and the distances for an Ironman distance triathlon are 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. This article will focus on how tri-athletes enjoy an improved metabolism because of the cross training and speed work that helps them prepare for triathlons. While the information in this article will provide insight into the type of triathlon training that best facilitates weight loss, be sure to consult with your doctor before beginning your training program or taking supplements. This will help ensure you are fit enough to undertake this type of training and that any supplements you are taking will not interfere with prescribed medications.

Cross Training Keeps Your Metabolism High

One of the key reasons training for a triathlon is such an effective way to lose weight is the cross training that is necessary to prepare for competitions. Cyclists often focus solely on biking during the competition, while swimmers or runners likewise focus almost exclusively on their sport of choice. However, since a triathlon involves all three of these sports, tri-athletes have to concentrate on training for all three disciplines during the racing season. If you opt to train for a triathlon, you will find yourself enjoying the benefits of cross training while you prepare yourself for the swim, bike and run portions of the event.

As part of your triathlon training, consider training for an endurance cycling event such as a century ride. A century ride is a 100-mile bike ride, and most participants who are planning to participate in this type of event spend the vast majority, if not all, of their training time cycling to prepare for this event. While this might be good for your weight loss goals initially, as your body becomes accustomed to your workout schedule, you will begin burning fewer calories each time you ride your bike. This is due to improved muscle efficiency. This efficiency is ideal for improving your performance and your cardiovascular health, since as your muscles become more efficient, they require less fuel, but as a result, your weight loss will plateau, and you may become frustrated with your fitness routine.

Now consider training for a triathlon. You will have to prepare yourself to complete the swim leg, bike leg and run leg of the event. As a result, you will likely split your training time among the three disciplines to ensure you are adequately prepared for the event. By cross training and preparing yourself for three different events, you will prevent your muscles from becoming overly efficient. This will cause a significant metabolism boost during and after each training session. This metabolic boost will help you continue to lose weight while you train for your triathlon.

Speed Work Can Also Boost Metabolism

If you are training for your first triathlon, you will likely select a sprint or Olympic distance event. These races are significantly longer than the Ironman distance triathlons that many people associate with the sport. Shorter events such as these are ideal for novice athletes who are hoping to lose weight and enjoy participation in a competitive sport. Danskin even hosts a series of sprint distance triathlons for women entirely to encourage participation in the sport of triathlon. For more information on the Danskin Triathlon series, visit: Danskin.

Since you will likely be training for a shorter event, you will also likely incorporate some interval training into your swim, bike and run training sessions. Interval training essentially involves alternating short sprints with recovery periods where you are swimming, biking or running at a moderate pace that allows your heart rate to return to a more manageable level of approximately 50%-60% of your maximum heart rate. During the sprint intervals, you will be working at closer to 90% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can be roughly calculated by subtracting your age from 220. However, there are more effective ways to determine this number and you may wish to attempt them if you are not satisfied with the number determined from the basic formula. If you own a heart rate monitor with advanced features, it may include a fit test to help you determine this number. While you are training at a higher intensity, your metabolism increases greatly both during and after the training session. This increased metabolism can help you lose weight.

Supplement Your Diet to Keep Your Metabolism High

While triathlon training can help to keep your metabolism high, your diet can also have an impact on your metabolism. Making wise nutritional choices such as choosing fruits, vegetables and whole grains over processed foods, and incorporating supplements into your diet can also improve your metabolism. Visit www.Meltorin.com for more information about Meltorin, a metabolism-boosting supplement that can help you achieve your weight loss goals.