Best endurance diet?

[Tri Girl]

Howdy -

So I did a couple triathlons last summer and just ran my first marathon in December. I have 5 tri lined up for this coming season - possibly adding more (1 sprint, 3 Olympic, 1 1/2 ironman)

The thing is - despite all this hard core training I haven't lost any body fat. I haven't been doing weights regularly, which I'm in the process of changing.

Basically, I want to hear some opinions regarding diet. I need high complex healthy carbs, and most endurance nutrition plans are based on 3,500 - 4,000 cals a DAY, with 60% cals from carbs, 25% protein, 15% fat.

I train 6 days a week, with stacked workouts on 3 days, only doing one sport on the other three days.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Welcome!

Chances are, if you haven't lost any BF with your activity level, it means you are really undereating. Basically ytou are doing HOURS of cardi oa week, which cataboizes muscle. That, coupled with no weight training, means your metabolism is probably hibernating. Muscle helps keep the metabolism going, so when you sacrifice muscle, you sacrifice your fat burning potential.

I undertand the need for high complex carbs, VERY necessary in your sport, but don't sacrifice too much protein. Protein will help keep the muscle on you.

I wish I could help more with diet, but this is REALLY not my area of expertise! I hope someone else can help - maybe try to psot this in the Training Section too - there might be someone there who can help.

Again, welcome!

 

[Raina]

Wow. I wish I knew anything about that sort of diet but I don't. I agree with Daisy that you might want to post this on the training board but someone on the diet board would probably know too. Good luck!

 

[rrwwdd]

What does your diet consist of? Regardless of the diet, calories in versus calories out still applies and longterm training as you described would yield fat loss and could effect muscle deterioration as well. Post a breakdown and I'll see if I can help.

 

[Tri Girl]

thanks for all of your replies

On a typical day I eat:
1. 1/2 oatmeal mixed with plain non fat yogurt and blueberries or raisins/figs
2. Apple with cheese or natty pb
3. Salad with tuna or egg, walnuts, tomato, & 2 rye crackers with hummos
4. An apple or berries, sometimes spelt or rye toast with natty pb & fruit only jam
5. Steamed veggies and tofu with b rice
+ gallons of water, gatorade, emergen-C

add cliff bars and lots of coffee when I'm training intensely, and the occasional (ahem) dip into Ben n Jerry's and you have my diet.

 

[wilson6]

Every client that I've trained, male or female that were runners, always get fatter when they stop lifting and prepare for a marathon. You'd think with all the distance work that they'd be ripped, but it just doesn't seem to work that way. One of my clients even said, "I've run myself into obesity". Sounds really strange but when all she did was lift with me she was about 20% bodyfat. Stopped lifting and starting training for a marathon, had to keep the carbs up for endurance and ended up at 27% bodyfat. May have to do with the carb intake and usage.

Sprinters on the other hand are almost always ripped but don't do distance and generally lift.

Guess you have to decide what is most important. Performance or looks. Start cutting calories/carbs and your performance will suffer.

W6

 

[faller]

When I was a marathon runner, I had a similar problem. I am leaner now despite not doing any cardio for months, and nothing serious for a year (lots of lifting though). You might want to try up'ing your protein some and/or adding meals/snacks (so maybe eating every 2 hours instead of three). Your workouts sound a little excessive, are you sure that you are not overtraining?

 

[Tri Girl]

eh, I hope I'm not over training. I'm following a program from the book "triathlete's training bible" which is, as the title suggests, gospel among endurance athletes.

I'm trying to work in more protein. Problem is, I pretty much eat a vegetarian diet and I don't want to over do cheese and hard boiled eggs as my snacks.

 

[jenscats5]

If you're a vegetarian try some of the meatless products, TVP in chili or with beans, salsa & rice & protein shakes in addition to eggs & cheese. Also there's seitan & tofu.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

eh, I hope I'm not over training. I'm following a program from the book "triathlete's training bible" which is, as the title suggests, gospel among endurance athletes.

It may be the gospelk to endurance athletes, but that doesn't mean that it fits everyone. Every body is different and what is overtraining to one, is not overtraining to another. That is why "catch all" books like that can be deceiving - it is hard to write ONE way of training to fit everyone in the market.

It may be that you are overtraining, but you also are probably undereating....as previously sugggested...especially protein. Jencats listed some good protein sources for vege's.