Lose weight, not energy
by Donna Marlor 
| Nutrition
with DONNA MARLOR |
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April is typically the month I try to inspire readers to get a jump-start on losing weight before the summer season hits.
Last year Greg Marr surprised me with this e-mail:
"You're not going to like this, but I've lost 25 pounds already on the Atkins diet."
Psychological pain is as tough as physical pain. I haven't really been ready to "talk" about Greg's passing, but I think I owe this one to Greg. Lord knows he knew extra weight was bad for his physical and mental health.
So he did something about it.
And he shared his experience with others, including myself. His message? It's hard, but you can do it.
Greg took the high protein, extra workout type of approach for weight loss and he had a lot of success. We exchanged regular e-mails on his progress and his enjoyment of his newfound vigor was evident in his messages.
"I am sticking mostly to chicken and fish," he assured me. I pushed for more vegetables and kept encouraging him to be patient.
Was it all for naught? The missed pizza and sweet rolls? I don't think so.
For what can be better than feeling good about oneself? So good, in fact, that you can spread your good mood around to others. That was Greg.
If spring weather has got you thinking about Lycra biking shorts and big hill climbs, then the issue of weight may be surfacing. Is it time to lose a few? Here's how.
For optimal performance, an athlete ideally will have his energy guns loaded. For prolonged endurance events, this requires two things: 1)
topped off glycogen stores, and 2) filled intramuscular stores of fat.
But what about the bulge around the belly? Not intramuscular. And that is the target for dietary intervention. Is high protein the way to go?
High protein: the benefits High carb has always been recommended to optimize sports
performance, but when an athlete needs to slim down, then a high-protein diet has some advantages. Let's take a look.
Benefit No. 1: There seems to be some evidence that protein-rich foods keep hunger pains at bay. That means less chance of going on a binge and loading up on high-calorie foods.
Benefit No. 2: Protein has the advantage when it comes to raising metabolic rate. Nutritionists call it the thermic effect of food (TEF),
which is the energy cost of digesting and assimilating food. When compared to a high carbohydrate diet equal in calories, a high-protein diet increases metabolic rate following a meal by about 80 calories in 24 hours. Obviously, that's not enough to drop a pound of weight in a week, but over a year's time it adds up to about an 8-pound weight loss.
Benefit No. 3: One of the problems associated with quick weight-loss diets is that muscle is also lost along with fat. Research done with male
athletes performing resistance training (weight lifting) while on a very low calorie diet show that less muscle strength is lost following a high-protein diet than a moderate protein diet.
High protein: the negatives
The most obvious drawback to high-protein/low-carb diets is you're
more likely to bonk during events lasting longer than an hour. That brings us to the first negative.
Negative No.1: Research shows that very low-carbohydrate diets limit the performance of endurance exercise. Based on available evidence, a guideline of 4.5-5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight is the minimum recommended per day when an athlete is on a calorie-reduced diet. For example, a 70 kilogram male (154 pounds)
who consumes about 2,000 calories per day would need 300 grams of carbohydrate (63 percent of total calories). The popular Atkins approach to weight loss limits carb to less than 90 grams per day.
Negative No. 2: Failure to select the very leanest sources of protein can result in a high percentage of calories coming from saturated fat. An 8-ounce serving of sirloin steak contains 456 calories and 8 grams saturated fat. The same portion of chicken breast is 371 calories and 2.2
grams saturated fat.
Negative No. 3: Muscle growth requires two things: stimulation (through exercise), and available building material. Protein in the form of amino acids is the building material for muscle, but without carbohydrates to stimulate insulin production, not much of that protein will be taken up by muscle cells. The most effective way to gain muscle strength is to follow exercise with a snack of carbohydrate and protein together.
Simple is not always better
Perhaps the reason why Atkins' high-protein diet has enjoyed such popularity is because it is simple. Beef? OK. Bread. No. Most people don't need a book or recipes to understand the basic guidelines of the diet. And once cookies, pizza, potato chips and super-sized bagels are
removed from the daily calorie count -- isn't it amazing? -- weight loss occurs.
The positive aspect of a high-protein/low-carb approach to weight loss is it gets people fired up with some initial success. But simplicity has its limitations.
Take cross-country skiing as an example. If you've never skied before and just want to get started, then waxless skis are often recommended. No problem with kick, no hassle with wax. Simple. The problem with
waxless skis becomes evident, however, as you become a better skier. They are slow. No matter how hard you try, your kick and glide will not improve. It's time to learn how to wax and master the technique of diagonal stride skiing.
And so it is with diet. Simplicity is OK for a short time. But if you have aspirations of running half marathons or doing the Fat Tire this fall, then you'll have to train regularly.
That means learning to balance your diet.
Individualize weight-loss approach
No matter what approach you use to try to lose weight, the bottom line is there are going to have to be some cuts in calories. Like trimming a budget, this is never without sacrifice. Here are some suggestions to make it less painful.
1) Cut the fourth meal. Nighttime snacking is often the culprit behind weight gain. Nix the crackers, cheese or beer. Typical savings: 200 to 600 calories.
2) Balance carbs and activity. Not every day is a workout day. If you are sitting at your desk or in a car for the majority of your waking hours, your muscles aren't rapidly depleting glycogen reserves, so you don't need to eat as much carbohydrates for fuel. That means no need to be
sipping on colas or munching between meals on pretzels, bagels or other snack foods.
3) Check portion sizes. In restaurants, the average baked potato is 7.2 ounces, nearly double the standard 3.9-ounce portion defined by the USDA. Grab a wholesome bran muffin at your morning coffee break, and you'll probably be served a 5-ounce portion, which is just over three servings based on USDA standards.
4) Minimize saturated and transfats. These fats are less readily oxidized
by the body for energy and can damage arteries. Look for them in prime cuts of meat, crackers, cereal products, bread and sweet baked goods.
5) Increase protein to 25 percent to 30 percent of your total calories. Stick with the leanest cuts of meat, low-fat dairy products; small portions of nuts and nut butters.
6) Limit fat intake to 20 percent of total calories. On the table, this means avoid adding fats oil, margarine, mayo and absolutely no fried
foods. Since all protein naturally contains some fat, the majority of fat in your diet will come from meat, nuts and dairy products.
Success at weight loss begins with a decision. A decision that it is worth it worth the sacrifice of second helpings, extra cheese pizza, chocolate chip cookies or a few beers after a race.
Feeling good. Having renewed energy for the activities you love. It's hard, but you can do it.
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