Helpful Tips to Make Athletes Stay on A Healthy Weight

Athletes Should Resort to Gradual Weight Loss in A Healthy Way

Certain sports need adding weight while certain other sports such as rowing and wrestling demand the athlete to reduce a few kilograms to be competition-ready. Weight loss in very short time durations is not healthy and is never recommended for young athletes.

Few athletes believe in increased performance with weight loss, but rapid or very fast weight loss actually decreases the performance. Extreme exercising hours or dieting uses the stored muscle fuel and there is no energy left out in the athlete when it is time for the competition. Extreme dieting also leaves you with insufficient levels of certain nutrients such as carbohydrates. Fasting too makes you dehydrated with loss of strength and stamina.

Short-cut ways of losing weight such as wearing a rubber suit, sweating it out at the sauna or taking diuretics can lead to dehydration. Dehydration, along with weight loss, has a negative effect on the performance of the athlete. Studies prove that an athlete weighing 68 kilograms who loses 1.4 kilograms through sweat experiences cramping, early fatigue and blunted athletic performance.

Eat Right to Manage Weight
Ensure to stay at a healthy weight all the time to make weight cutoffs. Embark on these tips to stay ready for competition at any point of time.

• Be disciplined about eating habits: Schedule your breakfast, lunch and dinner timings and try to stick to the scheduled time every day. Eat nutritious snacks between meals and never skip any meal as it may promote hunger and lead to overeating during the next meal.
• Balance foods from all the food groups: Make it a point to include a variety of foods from all food groups such as fruits, veggies, dairy, protein and whole grains in your meal every day. Fill at least half your plate with colorful produce to decrease calorie intake. A balanced diet delivers all the essential nutrients, helps you feel more satisfied and helps to bring out your peak performance.
• Get rid of unhealthy fats: Cut down the intake of fatty and greasy foods such as French fries and potato chips that are filled with empty calories. Rather, snack on a baked potato to give you maximum energy for the calories consumed.
• Treat or Trick: Foods such as candies, soda and desserts that contain added sugars do not contain enough nutrients and it is advisable to avoid such foods. Although one or two of these items can fit into an athlete’s every day needs, if the athlete is planning on losing a few extra kilograms, he/she needs to stay away from the treats totally to reach his/her target weight.
• Snack Wisely: Carbohydrate and protein-rich foods help to fuel your energy needs. Avoid snacking more than twice a day as it may pile up your calories. Snacks are just a topping on your energy tank and be careful to never let them take over your diet. It is healthy to snack on an apple and peanut butter; Greek yogurt; whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk; raw veggies and cheese or protein bar.
• Eat to satisfy hunger: Never wait until you are too hungry as it can lead to overeating. Keep track of your hunger cues while eating and focus on food rather than what is going on in the screen. Take care to eat appropriate portions to just meet your calorie requirements and not go past it. For an idea on portion sizes and the comparisons used for the different portion sizes, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com.

Athletes who are slightly overweight should work diligently to lose weight gradually through the season instead of trying to lose it all at one go before a competition.