Student Athlete

[[old] ccat113]

I'm a student athlete with my university's crew team. Unfortunately, my body fat content is higher than usual because of the holidays, and I need to loose about 5% body fat to get down to 7 or 8% (where I should be). I've never really had a problem with staying trim before, and I've heard that getting below that 10% margin is extremely difficult. Does anyone have some suggestions for a student who practices 6 days a week with occasional afternoon practices, but doesn't have the healthiest food selection here at school?

[[old] Cran]

2-3 hours a day of cardio and eat loads of carbs...<br><br>Take CLA, and apparently calcium and green tea will help as well (if you don't mind green teeth).<br><br>Do 3-4 hard sessions a week of 30 mins (ish) AT/AN rowing or weights as well as the cardio.<br><br>The easiest way to drop body fat is eat loads and train it off with cardio. Whatever you do don't try and diet it off!!!

[[old] ccat113]

I thought that I should stay away from a lot of carbs? I understand the cardio thing but wouldn't I want to eat fewer calories than I was burning off? That's what my coach for cycling always said, so maybe its different for rowing

[[old] Almostflipped]

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> </td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I thought that I should stay away from a lot of carbs? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br><br>Yes this is the latest fool hardy trend, but for an endurance athlete it is pointless. Carbs are the fuel that creates glycogen and glycogen is what fuels your muscles. You don't eat carbs, you won't pull hard; simple as that.<br><br>Forget these supplements and fad diets, they are extra and really don't do much. The point is to create a caloric deficit, and that is what will cause weight loss. Start a food diary over the next week and record everything you eat/drink and a rough estimate of the size of the portion. After one week find a website or nutritional book that can provide estimations of calories per serving for food (in other words, calculate how many calories you are eating). Next calculate the number of calories you burn in a day. Methods of calculating Basal metabolic rate can be found online (this is how many calories you need for basic life functions) and you can make estimates of caloric burn from exercising using either your erg monitor (which is standardized for 170lb males, check with C2 for conversions) or general estimate from websites/books. <br><br>Once you have this info you will know how much food needs to be cut to lose half a kilo a week (ie: roughly 3850 calories), maybe if your schedule can handle it you can add an extra SS piece or two (for uni athletes that really depends on how hard you are training to begin with). I believe it is safe to lose up to a kilo a week, but personally I always capped myself at half a kilo.<br><br>Edit: After looking back at this post I know it looks like a lot of work, but it doesn't take very long at all. The diary is maybe 10 minutes a day and to find info on the website may take an hour total. As for what foods to cut, if you want to cut carbs some its ok but keep it above 60% of total intake. Increase your protein percent a little and cut down on fats (but don't eliminate) and sugars (ie: candy, soda, junk food, but not necessarily eliminate them).

[[old] ccat113]

that diary thing sounds like it might help. thanks for the advice!

[[old] dadams]

I need to know (sorry for the question, but your forum name doesn't clarify this question), are you male or female?<br><br>If you are a female, I would advise against getting your body fat that low.<br><br>Dwayne

[[old] ccat113]

Male. Sorry about that, I'm aware of the dangers of getting your body fat content too low which is why I don't want to get much lower than 7 or 8%.

[LindaM]

Yes carbs/no carbs - both are right. All carbs are not created equal. Vegetables and fruit are carbs. Beans and pulses are carbs. Whole grains and brown rice are carbs. These are the good ones. Eat lots of them. <br><br>Sugar, white flour, pretzels, chips, white pasta, enriched bread - these are carbs too. Shun them.<br><br>

[[old] Mr. Bun]

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> </td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Sugar, white flour, pretzels, chips, white pasta, enriched bread - these are carbs too. Shun them.<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br><br>Pasta too?

[LindaM]

White pasta is made from enriched flour which has most of the good nutrients stripped out and then vitamins (and less good stuff) added back in. It is very low in fiber and has a high glycemic index, which means it causes a big swing in blood sugar fast. It can fill you up and then drop you hard so that you feel very hungry and you overeat at your next meals too. Also, our tendency is to eat about 4 - 6 servings at a sitting. Whole wheat pasta doesn't have the same taste or texture but it's much better for you - higher fiber. It takes longer to digest, delivers more nutrients, and doesn't jack up blood sugar as much. If you like it, WW pasta should be used as a side dish along with a piece of lean protein and veggies at dinner, not as a huge main course. <br><br>But hey, we all make our own choices about foods we can and can't live without. I'm just sharing information. If pasta is where you put your foot down, so be it. I found I miss it much less than I expected.

[[old] gorow9]

I wouldn't strive too hard for weight loss because if you're a rower then you're wonna be working you butt off no way around it, but I'd make sure that in the "off season" (stupid to call it the off season, I swear I "row" just as much during the winter as when there's no ice on the water) you train almost as much as you would during crew season.<br><br>BALANCE is always good if you're going to cut calories or something. Maintain a balanced diet and eat enough calories and you should be good... don't be too scared of the green food although it can be a little creepy. Especially school food. My highschool's "salads" are mostly frozen lettuce.<br><br>Well taht's my suggestions<br>~Sara~<br><br>"Life's short... row hard"<br>"Row till you die, THEN POWER 10!"