Triathlon and UNDER eating

Champion

5529

Nashville, TN

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

jsklarz - 2009-07-02 9:19 AM

Daremo - 2009-07-02 8:56 AM ADollar is the OP ...........

Fine, I'll be serious:

ADollar: eat almond butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Calorie and nutrient dense (AB is higher in fiber than PB). Add a glass of skim milk and an apple or banana. There is about a 400 cal. healthy snack. Salmon and high oil fish are also good as the Omega oils are high in calories but obviosuly good for you too. Snack on dried fruit and nuts (again high cal, high nutrition - 1 dried apriot has like 100 calories)

Alternatively, come hang with me an eat pound cake and ice cream and wash it down with beer.

Much better.

The point of the OP wasn't necessarily to pick apart my diet. As mentioned, I am going through a period where I am the heaviest I have ever been during training season. The last three years, I consistently raced 157-162. This year, I am frequently 164-168. I do think it is odd to have my weight UP and my calories so low. I am putting myself out there as an example...and know that I can take the criticism.

Instead, I wanted to start a discussion about UNDER eating. A few people chimed in that they suffer from this problem too. I know it is hard for most triathletes to fathom but if you begin counting calories, the results are sometimes shocking. But I suspect that this is a bigger issue than most think. I am not doing this to lose or gain weight. I am just trying to fuel my body properly. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't splurge and hit up a Moe's, Chipolte, Pizza or Cracker Barrell after a hard workout (My Saturday calorie intake was 4100). I have NO problem reaching my calories on those days. But as I see it, I am making decisions that I would rather not make (eating less than ideal foods).

I try to live a healthy lifestyle and in doing so calorie dense foods aren't as easy to come by as diets full of processed, fast and ready to go meals. The diet I posted was just one day. That changes from day to day. In my case, and I can probably speak for Arnett too, we eat all throughout the day. When I am hungry...I eat. It just doesn't add up to much. Grapes, apples, strawberries can fill me up for a while...but not have much to them. So when I began tracking it and I realized I was only getting 18000-2000 calories a day it required me think about where I could get extra calories.

The answer isn't as easy as saying eat an apple, zuccini bread, etc. I don't want to FORCE more food into my body if I am not hungry. Instead, I want to have a healthy relationship with food. I want to make good choices that refuel my body, allow me to recovery properly and prepare me for the next workout. In my case, I don't suspect that is happening. By not getting enough calories, I am probably doing my body a disservice.

As mentioned, in a sport where weight can and does matter, I suspect there are many who suffer from this similar problem. I look at my core group of triathlete friends and would be willing to wager that we all under eat. But I don't expect many men to ever come forth and admit to a problem in their diet.

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Edited by wgraves7582 2009-07-02 8:50 AM

New Haven, CT

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

ADollar79 - 2009-07-02 9:44 AM

jsklarz - 2009-07-02 9:19 AM

Daremo - 2009-07-02 8:56 AM ADollar is the OP ...........

Fine, I'll be serious:

ADollar: eat almond butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Calorie and nutrient dense (AB is higher in fiber than PB). Add a glass of skim milk and an apple or banana. There is about a 400 cal. healthy snack. Salmon and high oil fish are also good as the Omega oils are high in calories but obviosuly good for you too. Snack on dried fruit and nuts (again high cal, high nutrition - 1 dried apriot has like 100 calories)

Alternatively, come hang with me an eat pound cake and ice cream and wash it down with beer.

Much better.

The point of the OP wasn't necessarily to pick apart my diet. As mentioned, I am going through a period where I am the heaviest I have ever been during training season. The last three years, I consistently raced 157-162. This year, I am frequently 164-168. I do think it is odd to have my weight UP and my calories so low. I am putting myself out there as an example...and know that I can take the criticism.

Instead, I wanted to start a discussion about UNDER eating. A few people chimed in that they suffer from this problem too. I know it is hard for most triathletes to fathom but if you begin counting calories, the results are sometimes shocking. But I suspect that this is a bigger issue than most think. I am not doing this to lose or gain weight. I am just trying to fuel my body properly. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't splurge and hit up a Moe's, Chipolte, Pizza or Cracker Barrell after a hard workout (My Saturday calorie intake was 4100). I have NO problem reaching my calories on those days. But as I see it, I am making decisions that I would rather not make (eating less than ideal foods).

I try to live a healthy lifestyle and in doing so calorie dense foods aren't as easy to come by as diets full of processed, fast and ready to go meals. The diet I posted was just one day. That changes from day to day. In my case, and I can probably speak for Arnett too, we eat all throughout the day. When I am hungry...I eat. It just doesn't add up to much. Grapes, apples, strawberries can fill me up for a while...but not have much to them. So when I began tracking it and I realized I was only getting 18000-2000 calories a day it required me think about where I could get extra calories.

The answer isn't as easy as saying eat an apple, zuccini bread, etc. I don't want to FORCE more food into my body if I am not hungry. Instead, I want to have a healthy relationship with food. I want to make good choices that refuel my body, allow me to recovery properly and prepare me for the next workout. In my case, I don't suspect that is happening. By not getting enough calories, I am probably doing my body a disservice.

As mentioned, in a sport where weight can and does matter, I suspect there are many who suffer from this similar problem. I look at my core group of triathlete friends and would be willing to wager that we all under eat. But I don't expect many men to ever come forth and admit to a problem in their diet.

Here is the problem: like over eating (me) your body craves what it knows (for me that "full" feeling). You have trouble remembering to eat or not feeling comfortable when you over eat. Those are GOOD things... I suspect you are much faster at 165 than I am at 220 (although my max bench and squat may be higher WTF good is that in triathlon). Our respective struggles are opposite sides of the same coin.

Question: Are your really "under eating" or are you just looking to add lean muscle? If you are looking to add lean muscle, weight training is a good way to do this. In law school I worked with a friend of mine who was relatively skinny and he put on about 20 pounds of lean muscle.

An alternative to 10 PB&Js a day is to add several shakes since liquid is easier to take than solids. I am not a fan of frankenfoods so I would be careful with some of the supplements but there are good ones out there. In college we used a lot of Ensure to add calories during off season (football) weight training. I suspect there are better products out there now. It really depends what your goals are.

Just remember being lighter means gravity has less of an affect, your body has to work less hard to power your muslces and there is less power loss when running. No, you may not be able to lead block for other runners down the chute, but that is not a very useful talent.

Edited by jsklarz 2009-07-02 2:52 PM

My Race Log

Expert

697

Northern CA

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

I am struggling with this too. After losing around 110 pounds, I want to stop. But I've also recently increased my training which actually sped up my weight loss! In an effort not to become skin and bones, I decided I had to change something.

What I ended up doing was wearing my HRM for most of my workouts for a week or two to get a feel for typical calorie expenditure during them. Then, I make sure I consume that many calories right before, during and just after the workout. I call this "fuel" and I don't count it as part of my normal eating... The rest of the time, I just eat small healthy meals about 5-6x a day. That eating is designed to meet my RMR and the light activity I do outside of workouts.

People tell me that I don't need to consume a sports drink for a 1 hour workout and, technically, that's true. But treating each workout like an endurance race works out better for me than trying to fit in an extra 300-600 calories per workout somewhere else. Plus, on my really intense days I need to replace 1000-1200 calories over and above my normal eating and I don't think I can do that just by adding PB to a snack and having a couple of handfuls of nuts here and there. Though I do stuff like that too. But without the liquid nutrition and the gels, I'd never fit enough solid food into my body.

I really do feel like I'm eating all the time and, after a lifetime of struggling with obesity, it's very strange and hard for me to get used to. I don't really trust myself to just listen to my body either. It's always lied to be me before and I'm worried that it will keep lying to me now (even though preliminary indications are that it's not).

I can see some people here whose bodies lie to them too... either telling them they aren't hungry when they are underfueling or telling them they are hungry when they clearly aren't so they are gaining. I think if you don't have this problem, then this entire discussion may be mystifying.

My Race Log

Extreme Veteran

445

Sioux Falls, SD

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

Thanks for posting this!!!

It is a good reality check that there are a lot of people out there that deal with something... and it helps people get good ideas on ways to get nutrition in!!

I have been stuck and with IM training and trying to get stuff in, I am tired of eating...and the same food is old... But I got a lot of good ideas with reading some of the others posts.

Any other ideas for liquid mix - I use carbo-pro and like it a lot...easy way to get in calories but anyone have another way?

THanks a bunch!

GJ

My Race Log

Not a Coach

11473

Media, PA

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

ADollar79 - 2009-07-02 9:44 AM

The answer isn't as easy as saying eat an apple, zuccini bread, etc. I don't want to FORCE more food into my body if I am not hungry. Instead, I want to have a healthy relationship with food. I want to make good choices that refuel my body, allow me to recovery properly and prepare me for the next workout. In my case, I don't suspect that is happening. By not getting enough calories, I am probably doing my body a disservice.

I can understand people not eating enough and this being a problem. But the way to address it is the same way you would if you were overeating. See where your nutrition is coming from and make adjustments. The answer IS as easy as eating some more. And there are plenty of healthy choices with which to do so. Many have been mentioned in this thread. If your body needs it to remain healthy, then force it if necessary. The same way someone overweight might "force" themselves not to eat even if they feel hungry.

I don't see anything wrong with the discussion you opened. But it does seem as if you are closed off to the answer.

My Race Log

Expert

966

Decatur

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

aquagirl - 2009-07-01 4:16 PM I struggle to keep from losing weight when my training volume is high. I stuff my face to no avail. I eat well, love to cook, and love to eat but still I lose. So I supplement with chocolate. Lots of it. Buy it by the case at Costco. Want some? I am currently working my way through the Reese Peanutbutter cups........

I hate you.

New Haven, CT

Subject: RE: Triathlon and UNDER eating

latrina - 2009-07-03 10:22 AM

aquagirl - 2009-07-01 4:16 PM I struggle to keep from losing weight when my training volume is high. I stuff my face to no avail. I eat well, love to cook, and love to eat but still I lose. So I supplement with chocolate. Lots of it. Buy it by the case at Costco. Want some? I am currently working my way through the Reese Peanutbutter cups........

I hate you.

x 1,000,000

gj50: Really anything you like can be ground up in blender and ths become a liquid. Just add yogurt or milk for some creaminess and protein. Adding a few tablespoons of wheat germ and/or flax powder will add good fat and some calories. For more calories than food will typically provide you will need to look at supplements. I am definitely out of that loop so I can't recommend any but I think various posts by "Mike The Bear" have contained recommendations as to various supplements. Just be careful as weigh gainer supplements can have a high crap content (i.e. saturated fat and HFCS)

Edited by jsklarz 2009-07-03 9:41 AM

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Triathlon and UNDER eating (Page 5)

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