Hi Tara :), I wouldn’t consider myself an Expert, but I have done a lot of research on how to lose weight, since I am always battling it myself š
Note: The reason I put k/calories instead of calories, is because technically, 1 nutrition Calorie (what everyone calls a Calorie) is actually a kilocalorie (4,186 joules). But the word “Calorie” has pretty much replaced Kilocalorie as the “proper” word to use.
I just didn’t want there to be any confusion š
One thing you will want to do, before anything, is talk with a Dr. and rule out any conditions, such as a Thyroid condition.
Assuming that everything in your body is “working as normal” here is some advice I can give you.
In my opinion, especially with the pretty signifigant amount of training you are doing, I would try to get closer to a 50% protein ratio, 30% carbs (complex, no simple sugars), and 20% fat (and no more than 35 grams a day on 1,800 k/calories).
This is hard to do, unless the only thing you ever decide to eat again, are chicken breasts and tuna :). But the other alternative is to add 1 to 2 high quality protein shakes into your diet between meals. This will add a healthy portion of protein (40+ grams) per day without adding a lot of extra k/calories or fat.
Eat 5 to 6 smaller meals a day, instead of 3 large ones. You can count the shakes as meals, or as snacks, since the protein vs. calorie ratio is definitely worth it. They key is to always keep your stomach working. So make sure you are eating something at least every 3 hours. That is where the shakes might help. The other nice thing about protein and protein shakes, is that protein is a natural appetite suppressant.
Find a protein shake and not a “weight gain” shake. For each scoop of protein powder, you want no more then about 140 k/calories, 20 to 25 grams of protein, almost 0 carbs, and at the most 2 grams of fat.
If you use milk with the protein powders, definitely use skim milk. Myself, I just use water, the taste isn’t great at first, but you do get used to it š
You may also want to drop your k/calories down to about 1,500 per day. At least for a few weeks, to sort of “shock” your system. As you lose a little weight, you can slowly add a few more k/calories. But always make sure your k/calories are not at the expense of protein. You will probably notice quite a bit of lethargy for the first few weeks, so it is important to get plenty of rest and fluids (water) during this time.
It really boils down to a simple “list” of things that work.
-If you burn more k/Calories then you intake, you will lose weight.
-Get sufficient amounts of protein, so you don’t lose muscle. Studies have shown, that crash diets, usually cause people to lose lots of muscle mass, and the scale shows them losing “weight”, and people get excited by this. Losing muscle, is never a good thing. The scale is not your friend (more on that below)
-Get plenty of rest. Hard to do with people being so busy, but your body really only loses weight, and gains muscle while you are sleeping.
-You want to retain, and if possible gain muscle mass while dieting.
-Drink plenty of water 12+ 8 ounce glasses a day. Sip water throughout the day.
One tip, that I would also stick with, is DO NOT use a scale. Once every few weeks, measure yourself, and keep a log of your measurements.
After a few months, then maybe step on a scale. If your measurments have dropped, but your weight is the same, you have put on muscle, and that is a good thing, because overall your fitness and appearance are definitely going to be improved š
Muscle will burn k/calories while you are sitting still, so having even an extra few pounds of muscle can make a large difference in your resting weight loss.
One other thing, and this is purely a head trick, is try not to think of it as a diet, try to think of it as a new way of eating. Diets, over the long term, NEVER work. You have to change your eating and exercise habits, permanently.
This doesn’t mean that you can never have a big steak, or spaghetti with extra cheese again, it only means that you have to limit that to a “treat” day. Hopefully no more than once every few weeks š
“Good health is not a destination, but a journey”, is what I always have to tell myself, and “Eat to live”, not “Live to eat” is another one that I tell myself when my cravings get out of control.
Also, if you can skip coffee out of your regime (if you even drink it) and drink Green tea, with no sugar, just use some liquid honey instead. Green tea will speed up your metabolism, without causing cortisol levels to rise (which coffee does).
Coffee is a killer, and the very first thing it does when it enters your body, is tell it to store body fat. The extra “kick” you get from the caffeine, unfortunately does not counter-act the cortisol effect enough. If two twins did nothing else different, and one of them added 6 cups of black coffee a day to their diet, that twin would gain weight.
Supplements I would suggest, if you don’t mind vitamins: A good multi-vitamin (centrum for example), a good quality omega 3-6-9 (one that has fish oil, not pumpkin seed oil), Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Co-q10, a B-12/6 vitamin,
And as a disclaimer, I am not a health professional, so before you do anything, always speak to your doctor first š
Good luck Tara, and remember, Slow and Steady wins the race š
If you have any questions, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” and again, best of luck to you, its not easy š