Nutrition articles that you can use.

[abhi]

1. Preparing yourself for endurance sports - By Nestle Nutrition (.pdf)
   Submitted by: RNair
2. Advantages of Coconut Oil - Train Right
   Submitted by: RNair
3. The Nut Case - Runner's World
   Submitted by: RNair (Imp: PLEASE LOOK AT THE SERVING SIZE, DONT OVER DO IT!!)
4. Dropping weight not performance - Active
   Submitted by: RNair
5. Lean Mean Race Machine - Active
   Submitted by: Sudipto
6. Calculate everything you eat, to the ounce! - Daily Plate
   Submitted by: RNair

If you would like to add to the list, just post! But please remember only the best, well research articles, will be added to this list.

[RNair]

Here is another one I find interesting as I assume that coconut oil is used a lot in south India.

http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?uid=3357

[RNair]

I really like this article and follow it rigourously. I personally benefited from it. I mostly stick to Almonds, PLEASE LOOK AT THE SERVING SIZE, DONT OVER DO IT!!

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/pri ... -0,00.html

Cheers!

[sudipto]

Good article, though I was looking for something like "Nutrition and weight gain" (!), but I think I will try this out.

Thanks!

[RNair]

Hello Sudipto,

This may interest you.

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/ ... rmance.htm

This actually works pretty well, My weight has gone from 74 to 68 kilos and my performance is nearly 50% better compared to last year.

Enjoy!

[sudipto]

RNair, thanks again. I just scanned through the article - will have a detailed read after getting back from work. By the way, my weight has been within +/-2kgs over the last ~10 years I have been cycling regularly and my performance consistently poor! Both weight and performance need upgrading.

[RNair]

I am glad you like the articles. Lot of times it is not how much miles you add rather it is how you add those those miles that matters.

[sudipto]

Wow! I never knew people went into those kinds of calculations (http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Maintain-Your-Lean_-Mean-Racing-Machine.htm) in diet planning! And it seems most articles are about weight loss. I suppose being underweight is almost as bad as being overweight.

Anyway, I'm not complaining - I've never been a very active person and the only physical activity I have is cycling and that too when commuting and when I feel like it - never for training. But it does not hurt to keep tabs on what you eat and making sure you burn off most of it.

[RNair]

As strange as it may sound I do calculate everything to the ounce I eat everyday. I use the website www.dailyplate.com for keeping track. What alarmed me initially was how harmless looking food was hurting my body and my performance. These days whatever I eat is very much calculated but I am not thinking too much about it as it has become an active part of my lifestyle. It is quality over quantity. You can eat 2000 calories of food easily consisting of 1000cal of fat or stick to 2000 cal consisting of good carbs, proteins, vitamins and unsaturated fat.
Most times people are accumulating unnecessary calories unintentionally as they do not know what it comprises of.
For example I used to love my frappuccinos, I discovered it was 450 cal and that too bad calories. It takes me 35 mins of intense cycling to burn that off and imagine if you are not active that 450 cal turns to easy fat!

[pranavnegandhi]

I have been digging through the forum for advice on weight control. Amongst other things, I was wondering if it actually takes time for the body to begin losing fat. I have been creating a deficiency of about 1000 calories a day since a week now with nay a sway on the weighing scale, whereas the material all over suggests that a deficiency of 3500 calories brings weight down by one pound. I was expecting at least one kg off by now at this rate. Somebody shed some light here?

.p

[RNair]

Pranav,

The way to create a deficiency successfully should be by working out and not depriving yourself of food. Fasting is bad in my opinion. I eat really well but burn most of it by being active. I was told recently by an expert body builder that the more you deprive yourself of food, more the body feels the need to accumulate fat. I am not a medical expert. I have found a way that works for me. Also weight loss is not so simple. You want to lose fat and not muscles. Starving yourself will get rid of the muscles and not fat. But these days when I put on a few kilos of weight ( for example during my stay in Bombay) I do not get alarmed as I know I can shed that in 2 weeks.

For example for me at 35 years ( weight 150lbs, height 5' 10) I may consume about 1,644 calories a day to lose one pound per week. This is for someone like me who's work activity is mostly limited to sitting on the computer. I eat around 2000 cal a day but I work out and burn atleast 1000cal a day. So I do create a deficiency of calories but it is done by working out and is more effective. Secondly here is where HR zones also come in. I work mostly in the efficient fat burning zones when I am in need of losing weight.

Pranav,

I also observed during my visit that lifestyle in India is getting very close to or worse than the Americans. Cut all snacks and stick to healthy main meals. Just watch what you eat. In my own household in India I was shocked at some of the stuff that was being served.

[prabuddhadg]

Sudipto and I are on the other end of the spectrum. We can eat red meat, ghee butter and all the wrong kinds of food all we can, with- to quote you, Pranav, 'nay a sway on the weighing scale'.

For over 20 years, my weight has fluctuated between 63 and 68 kgs. Only last November, it touched 70 for a week. The past few days, people have been saying I seem to have lost weight.

[RNair]

Prabuddah,

At times being lean does not always reflect good health. My brother is as lean as one can get, bikes and looks fit and recently he had high levels of cholesterol due to intake of coconut oil in his diet!

Dont be deceived Stay away from excess fat and ghee is refined butter and a good candidate for cholesterol.

[RNair]

Just to throw further light on it... from wikipedia!

Indian restaurants and some households may use hydrogenated vegetable oil (also known as vanaspati, Dalda, or "vegetable ghee") in place of ghee for economic reasons. This "vegetable ghee" is actually polyunsaturated or monounsaturated partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, a trans fat. Trans fats are increasingly linked to serious chronic health conditions. Not only is "vegetable ghee" implicated in causing high LDL, it also lacks the health-promoting benefits claimed for "Shuddh" (Hindi for Pure) ghee. The term Shuddh Ghee, however, is not officially enforced in many regions, so partially hydrogenated oils are marketed as Pure Ghee in some areas.

I agree with the above based on my eating and shopping experiences in India.

[pranavnegandhi]

I have read up quite a bit before I began on this program and I know a bit about how fat loss works. But I'll elaborate on what I have been up to so that people here can critique it further. I have read up earlier that incorrect training can cause muscle loss while not affecting any of the fat. Which is why I am seeking help early on in the program. I wouldn't mind consulting a qualified instructor, but I haven't met any so far. The two physios I have met were more interested in their arthritis-ridden patients (steady income stream!) than helping me get a training program up.

I ride for more than an hour five mornings a week at a vigourous pace, enough to burn between 800-900 calories. This is my primary tool for burning up the calories. During this ride, I keep all the regular good advice in mind - pacing myself, warming up, stretching. I make sure to load up on the carbs from Sunday to Thursday, just enough to keep the muscles primed up for the next morning. This is in addition to the usual commute (10 kms total, light intensity).

Secondly, food. Everything in my plate gets logged. This has been happening since about 2 weeks and I have been consuming carbs, fat and protein in the ratio of 65:20:15 percent. I avoid going hungry by splitting up my meals into 5-6 parts (to some rather incredulous stares from colleagues when I fish out the lunch box at 12, then 2 and again at 4!). The only thing I have been unable to avoid is eating too many calories late in the day. Dinner is my heaviest meal and changing that will take effort on my wife's part who does all the cooking. So that will take time to change.

We actively avoid outside food unless absolutely necessary. The only time we eat that stuff is when we go exploring the city (on bicycles, of course) and can't get back in time for lunch. During those times too we try to choose healthier options - idli's and pasta (without cheese and some fiery pepper sauce for flavour!) are favourites. And dessert is shared between the two of us.

Lastly, I sleep a full eight hours of sound sleep. And I listen to my body. If I don't feel like pushing the pedals to breaking point, I take it easy. It doesn't affect me much - I take just a little longer than usual time and feel much happier at not having punished myself.

My question still remains the same. Does the weight loss take some time to actually kick in? Bodies have different responses, but is this a known, common pattern? A few weeks of exercise before the body finally realizes that something's up and begins to burn off the flab. I'm curious.

.p

[pranavnegandhi]

@Prabuddha - I forgot to reply to your post. I have been in the same boat as you for all of last year. I could pig out on pizzas, sweets and ice creams without worrying about weight gain because of my riding. I tipped the scales at a steady 82 kgs for all this time. But this year I'd like to lose the flab around my middle. It isn't much, but I long for the sleek look I had 10 years ago again. And the passion that cycling has evoked makes it seem possible that this year I will make it again.

.p

[prabuddhadg]

Rajesh. Don't worry. I am quite focussed on what I eat. What I said about eating fatty food was more in a way of saying: I just can't get myself to gorge on any kind of food, particularly fats.

[RNair]

See the problem with this thread is that it is difficult to give out advices as much of it is medical and most people here do not have the expertise for it. I have seen a lot of medical advices for sore knees and elbows and I am always vary of them

That is one reason why I prefer to give out personal experiences rather than advices. If anyone gets something out of it then great. From what I understand Pranav, it does take a little bit of time before the results start showing in. I remember it took me almost a year for my weight to consistently come down and settle where it is now. During all this time I kept a close eye to what and where I was losing. As a cyclist, weight loss has a direct effect on performance. I also used my performance on the bike as a parameter to figure out exactly how much I wanted to lose.

Two important factors that has helped me is my breakfast and dinner. I never had breakfast till a few years ago. Now the most important meal of the day is my breakfast. Dinner is light and I keep a time frame of 3 hours between my dinner and sleep. If my dinner gets late then I limit myself to a salad or fruits. To me this has significantly helped me in getting my weight down.

There are many theories around how many meals one can have. It comes down to your metabolism and only a doctor can figure that out. I avoid having snacks between my big meals or if I do they are usually very light.

Now coming back to a lean body, my goal too is get lean and muscular by this summer and build strength without putting on weight. So my training is still a lot of cardio ( biking and swimming) combined with 3-4 hours of weight/strength training a week. You will need to get to the gym to tone up!

Sorry if i cannot your answer in full

[pranavnegandhi]

I understand your reluctance to give advice, Rajesh. It is just such a terrible ordeal finding a good sports physio here that people like me who want to move up from self-prescribed training, but are not quite ready for serious pro involvement have nowhere to go. Things are still better these days with the internet. Ten years back the only resource I had was the local gym instructor and some books from the library.

I think I should be able to limp through for a bit with the articles you've posted here. Thanks.

.p

[RNair]

The problem with Indian physios are that they have no clue about sports at least from what I have read and experienced. Their work is more related to arthritis patients. A good dietician perhaps?

Go trial and error Pranav till you find what works for you. I am more than willing to share ideas! Actually it is not all that difficult. Just remember it is Nutrition and Exercise 50%-50%

[bikeyvenky]

The only thing I have been unable to avoid is eating too many calories late in the day. Dinner is my heaviest meal and changing that will take effort on my wife's part who does all the cooking. So that will take time to change.

My question still remains the same. Does the weight loss take some time to actually kick in? Bodies have different responses, but is this a known, common pattern? A few weeks of exercise before the body finally realizes that something's up and begins to burn off the flab. I'm curious.

.p

Two important factors that has helped me is my breakfast and dinner. I never had breakfast till a few years ago. Now the most important meal of the day is my breakfast. Dinner is light and I keep a time frame of 3 hours between my dinner and sleep. If my dinner gets late then I limit myself to a salad or fruits. To me this has significantly helped me in getting my weight down.

There are many theories around how many meals one can have. It comes down to your metabolism and only a doctor can figure that out. I avoid having snacks between my big meals or if I do they are usually very light.

Pranav,

My two cents from my experience of weight loss(Feb08 I was 92kg and now Iam 76). I've seen first hand how combining the changes in eating habits with exercise consistently over a period of time will result in weight loss. I lost about 2kilos per month on average over a period of 8 months and have been maintaining the weight loss just by cycling.

As quoted above by Rajesh, I have seen the great difference the timing and the content of dinner made to the weight loss. I eat before 7pm and try to keep it light. Some times just fruits when it gets a bit late. You can take it slow if you like by not implementing too many changes but this one you will observe will help a lot. Its not that difficult once you get used to it.

[pranavnegandhi]

Thanks for sharing that Venky. Losing 16 kgs sounds very good. I presently have dinner around 8:30-9:00 and sleep after an hour. I'll leave it at that for now, because just keeping track of my food itself is hard enough for now.

Does anybody have a book to recommend about nutrition for sportspersons? I could browse through the local Crossword but if there's something someone has used out here, that will be good.

.p

[bikeyvenky]

Yes, its important that we do not start with too many changes that will end up overwhelming us. Its better to start slowly and be consistent in implementing those and then try to make small and incremental improvements over them.

For me, it all started on my last birthday (Feb) when I went out with my wife and checked weight in one of those digital weight machines that give out your BMI et all. It showed 91.8kg and told me that I am 20kg overweight for my height. My wife was carrying at that time and I felt like at this rate I would not see my kid grow up and be somebody. Thats when I decided that I have to start losing it. Although I was highly determined, I did not go all out as I used to do on umpteen previous occations when I started and gave up the same endevour. I started with 5-10 mins of badminton then increased it to 20-30mins and then to 1hr over a period of 4-5months. As I started thinking about building up my stamina for badminton, I started jogging(which I loathed previously) and yoga on alternate days. Again the same strategy of starting with 5mins of jog and built it up to 25-30mins over a period of time. I looked to diversify my activities so that I would not feel bored by any one thing for too many days. When I didnt feel like playing badminton or when i did not find partners, I used to feel the breeze on my face as I jogged or listen to my own breathing while doing pranayama and yoga. As I began to see results by checking weight regularly, I made changes to my diet in content and timings. The same slow and consistent approach here again. One little change at a time. All this helped me a lot. Now this year my target is to lose a little more flab that is staill hanging on to my waistline and reach 72. I want to then maintain it there and train my muscles for endurance.

All the best with your pursuit Pranav. I am sure you are will achieve what you set out on. Have a quantifiable goal to be begin with.

[pranavnegandhi]

My first goal is simple as it gets - losing 2 kgs by the end of February. I'm not overweight at 82kgs for a 6'3" frame, but flab is never good and I intend to get rid of it by the end of the year.

I have been active all my life since the teens - soccer, jogging, athletics, basketball. I have even quit a job that was sucking time away from these activities. And I have been a very hard gainer. Till my 23rd birthday I was underweight at around 60 kgs. Then I quit my job, and began working out consistently and increasing my food intake for 6 months to bring my weight up to 70. It took me another 5 years to go from there to my current weight. I now realize that if I don't begin bringing the upward swing in check, then it could get difficult to control it later.

My endurance has already rocketed up drastically in the past year or so with by cycling. My earliest rides in 2007 were quick 20 minute jaunts, covering 10 kms, every alternate day. Since then, I have gone onto being able to ride 40-50 kms a day easily everyday, and the occasional metric or imperial century thrown in for variety. I don't play any other sport, although I do some basic workouts at home such as squats, crunches, stretching and push-ups.

Reading experiences of people here has further boosted my enthusiasm for leading a healthy lifestyle. I'd rather reach the end of the line with a body bruised and battered by sport and yet fighting fit than handing back a spongy pile of pristine quality blubber. This thread seems to be turning into another motivator, the way the smoking thread is going. I'm hoping more people start posting up their weight loss stories or plans here.

.p

[bikeyvenky]

My first goal is simple as it gets - losing 2 kgs by the end of February. I'm not overweight at 82kgs for a 6'3" frame, but flab is never good and I intend to get rid of it by the end of the year.

.p

Yes, your weight looks ideal for your height but yes replacing the flab with some toned muscles makes sense. My height is 5'10" and at 92 I was way off the mark but I never looked fat(thats what my friends and family say when wondering why I thought it was necessary for me to lose weight)