Beth Shutt RD, LDN, CNSC
www.bethshutt.com
I was lucky enough to work with Dan on his diet as he works towards his goals of losing 100 pounds, training for and running the Chicago Marathon and of course, inspiring others along the way to do the same!
Dan was a dream to work with. He was always willing to make changes in his diet and quickly and easily took on the challenges that I presented him with. His dedication to his training and diet are obviously seen in all his success thus far! He continues to lose weight week after week!
When Dan asked me to write a "guest" blog I wasn't quite sure what to
write about. Nutrition of course! But what about nutrition? It's a
large topic to say the least. J Talking about appropriate weight loss
for athletes seemed like a good option though as this is the goal (Dan
included) that most athletes come to me with.
So I came up with a list of my top 5 tips or things to consider when (as an athlete) your goal is to lose weight.
#5 Don't sacrifice proper fueling before, during and after training in the name of weight loss.
Remember, your body isn't superhuman! And if you don't fuel it
properly before and during workouts your chances of having a successful
training session are minimal. On top of that, not eating properly
after a workout (protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes of
finishing) will adversely affect your recovery and actually put a
damper on your metabolism. So eat before training, during training
(when appropriate) and afterwards too and cut back on calories during
your evening meal/snack so that your calorie deprivation is over night.
#4 Eat early and eat often.
Many people in "weight loss mode" skip breakfast, eat a light lunch and
swear snacks off for good! But this usually results in an overwhelming
hunger that is too much to bear and they OVER compensate by eating a
huge dinner meal or binging. This is exactly what we are trying to
avoid! One big way to boost your metabolism is by eating breakfast and
eating small frequent meals. Like your mom always told you, breakfast
really is the most important meal of the day! So start with a hearty
breakfast and taper caloric intake as the day progresses. This means a
small dinner which most Americans don't adhere to. But it's a change
worth making to achieve your weight loss goals.
#3 Weigh yourself regularly and keep a food log.
Food logs are one of the most important tools available to help you
achieve your weight loss goals. Just as you write down your training
in a log, keeping track of your food intake is also very important!
They help you keep accountable to yourself and open your eyes to what
you are doing on a day to day basis. Logs can help you notice patterns
of poor eating behaviors that you can then set about fixing and they
can help you see what is working and what isn't! And on top of that
you need to weigh yourself regularly as a means of monitoring your
progress! When trying to lose weight you should aim to weigh yourself
once a week, on the same day, wearing the same clothes and under the
same conditions each time. Dan has his "weigh-in Wednesdays", perhaps
you'd like to follow suit!
#2 Portion control is key.
Remember, there are no bad foods, just bad portions! Many people have
a basic understand of WHAT they need to eat but still have trouble
losing weight. Why? Simply because they have no concept of HOW MUCH
to eat! Our country suffers from a severe case of "portion distortion"
in that we have all lost sight of what a proper portion size is. For
example, a serving of pasta is ½ cup. Do you think that is the serving
size when you go to the local Italian restaurant and order spaghetti
with meatballs? NO WAY! So yes, focus on eating lots of fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. But pay just
as much attention to your serving sizes. Measure your foods out for a
week so you get an idea of what ½ cup of pasta looks like on your plate
or 1 cup of cereal looks like in your bowl. I think you will be
surprised!
#1 Don't give up, never give up!
And finally, my number one tip for weight loss is to BE PERSISTANT. In
my experience the top reason people do not succeed at their weight loss
goals is because they give up too soon. So persevere! Remember, you
will have bad days and the scale will not go down every time you get on
it. But keep at it. One bad day does not have to morph into a bad
week. One bad day is just that - ONE DAY! And the next day can be
better. Weight loss isn't easy (if it was, everyone would be at their
ideal weight!) and it's not fast (if you do it the right way) but the
end result is worth it! So hang tough and keep grinding it out and you
will be rewarded! Good luck!
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tags: cubicle dad, guest post, nutrition, RD Beth, weight loss
AWESOME BETH! Thanks for all your support of Dan and his weight loss...."it takes a village!" YAHOO!
I agree! Jen, thanks for recommending Beth!
Great advice for everyone!