Weight management – advice from elite athletes

Weight management for athletes and active individuals is unique because of their high daily energy expenditure; thus, the emphasis is usually placed on changing the diet side of the energy balance equation. When dieting for weight loss, active individuals also want to preserve lean tissue, which means that energy restriction cannot be too severe or lean tissue is lost.

Which foods should I eat to help strip fat, which ones should I avoid completely?

The most important thing in weight management is to avoid losing weight really fast. There are foods that are more likely to be stored as fat and some that work as partitioning agents directing calories to muscle and increasing metabolic rate but the big losses require some calorie reduction. Think of carbohydrate calories as fuel for a workout, if you are going to sit in the office all day have a smaller protein based breakfast. Try a mid-morning, mid-afternoon protein shake rather than a carbohydrate based snack, eat your fish oils, swap a creamy latte for green tea and don’t be scared to be hungry.

What is the best low calories option for drinks?

Try SiS GO Hydro. It keeps you hydrated and replenishes electrolytes lost during sweat, but without the carbs. You might also consider doing some ‘fasting rides’ before breakfast which could help you in weight management.

how whey20 could be used for weight management purposes?

A quick glance at the full nutritional profile shows that a Whey20 gel doesn’t include much in the way of carbohydrate – still key to replenishing energy stores after exercise and, therefore, maximising the body’s ability to recover. For elite athletes on a calorie-restricted diet and all receration athletes,  88kcal per gel is a great message. It contains almost zero calories coming from carbohydrates. Whey20 is incredibly convenient – especially if after a sportive you quickly need to get back into the car and start a long journey home, or simply don’t have much space in your gym bag after an intensive session, or want to pay closer attention on weight management. Regardless of texture, the taste is still pretty important and it’s pleasant, according to reviews, the lemon flavour tastes slightly bitter like Greek yoghurt, while the strawberry tastes slightly sweeter. Both are palatable, and don’t take forcing down, and they don’t need to be stored in the fridge to stay fresh.

What’s the best way to lose weight but keep the carbs up for training?

You might question whether you want to keep your carbs up ALL the time and how much you want to keep them up. However, probably the simplest answer is to think of carbs as fuel for training so gauge your carbohydrate consumption according to the training you are about to do or have just done. If you are not training close to a meal then leave out the pasta and have a little salad or similar with some good quality protein. Follow these weight management principles day-by-day. Be consistent!

How do I lose my baby weight quickly but safely?

Weight management shouldn’t be that complex as it might feels in the beginning. Think nutrient density rather than quantity, remember you are eating for 1 now, unless feeding. Don’t expect to do it in 6 weeks but give yourself realistic targets over 6 months. Healthy food with lots of fresh vegetables and clean protein should probably be the focus. Exercise too if you’ve got the time!

I have been struggling with diet recently, do you have any tips or weight loss strategies?

Fasted training is a great way to stimulate fat burning, complete moderate intensity exercise, no longer than 60 mins in duration before breakfast rather than after. Don’t forget to hydrate during the session, SiS GO Hydro can help. From weight management perspective, try to increase protein intake which improves satiety levels, stick to low GI carbs and avoid high sugar snacks, especially late at night.