A good diet for training.

[JacquelineKay]

I've been told I need to "Eat to train, and train to eat."
How do I do that?
I know that I need a lot of protein and complex carbs, but does anyone have an example of a good diet? I need to loose a few pounds.

I'm five foot and around 119.
=D

Thanks so much.

 

[I-Heart-Beam]

Do not do anything extreme to lose weight, just follow a good diet and with gym you will start seeing a difference. If you're in training starving yourself will not do any good.

OK, so you have to have a good breakfast. Granola, cereal, porridge, bananas. Wheetabix is fantastic for people in training but I don't know if you can get it outside of the old country.

Snacks- fruit or veg, like carrot sticks etc. Yoghurt is very good for you. But don't deprive yourself- you need fats/oils/sugar too.

Lunch: pasta, chicken, salad. Again, you have to eat enough to get you through school and gym. Cereal is good too.

Dinner: Meat, veg, some salad maybe as well.

This is what I would have eaten. Hope this helped!

 

[Linsul]

There's lots of people that can give AWESOME general advice for sure. There's so much that goes into the individual nutritional needs of an athlete...their age, lifestyle, current eating habits, weight goals (if any), current and target weight/BMI, training schedule, training goals, current health issues, etc.

To really get into what's best nutritionally for you the advice and knowledge of a pro is second to none. If that isn't feasible I'm all for google research, common sense in food choices, organic food based vitamins, and a good probiotic!

Putting google where my keyboard is. This is what Dr. James Denito has to say about training and nutrition. He's the meet doctor and trainer for WOGA gymnasts, the article is titled 'Nutrition and training for the Elite gymnast.' I figure it can't be a bad place to start for some gymnastics related general physical knowledge.

Link Removed

 

[aimee]

First off, don't overdo it! That can mean less energy and it can be dangerous because after all, you burn a LOT of carbs during workouts. I'd say just try to choose fruits and vegetables, a lot of color on your plate, with plenty of all the food groups. You can do lots of little things that make a difference like no dressing on a salad or choosing wheat bread over white. Don't eat fatty foods early in the morning or late at night, and pack yourself snacks if you're hungry. That way, you can fill yourself up on, say, a granola bar instead of splurging on candy at home. Don't feel like you have to be a certain weight because, as they say, muscle weighs more than fat Good luck!

 

[Linsul]

I keep forgetting there's a time limit to edit. This is the part of the Dr. Denito authored article I linked above that has to do directly with food and nutrition. I'm only pasting this because the article is very long and includes stuff about injury, stress, recuperation, and all that as well. Again, it's meant to be generally educational. For individual needs a personal doctor is best.

The dedicated gymnast often doesn't have a diet with many bad foods in it, but rather a diet with too limited an amount of good foods. The greatest area of deficiency is in the fats/oils, followed by the proteins. This is likely under the premise that the dietary fats will make them fat. The fats they need more of are not man-made margarines, fried foods or beef and chicken in nature. They need more fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. These sources of fats/oils are critical at controlling inflammation and balancing their ever challenged steroid hormones, as well as promoting bone and muscle regeneration. They are the main sources to help the body maintain levels of Vitamin A, D and K. Fish should be consumed 2 times a week, and a fistful of nuts and seeds consumed daily. The better nuts include almonds, macadamias, pine nuts and walnuts. The better seeds include pumpkin, sesame, sunflower or flax. These foods are also good sources of protein. Eggs (free of hormones/ antibiotics) should also be eaten (if no sensitivities) about 4-6 per week. You can always use a protein shake made from a mixture of rice and whey protein to stabilize mid-day blood sugars or blended with fruit as an easy breakfast.

What about fruit? Eat at least 2 fruits per day. Use no fruit juices, unless diluted with water 4 to 1. Dried fruits are also excellent to consume during meets. Girls especially will benefit from dates and figs. Sugars to use are xylitol, mannose, ribose or honey (unfiltered cloudy quality). Stay away from using only commercial sports drinks. Make your own by using the diluted fruit juices of either Noni, Acai, Pomegranate, Goji, or Blueberry, with a splash of lemon juice and a tiny pinch of sea salt added.

Vegetables should emphasize the dark green and bright orange colors. The cruciferous vegetables (cabbages, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower) are excellent sources of sulfur needed by the connective tissue, as well as the liver to maintain hormone balance. The cruciferous group generally digests better cooked. Overall, 1-2 cups of vegetables per day minimum should be consumed.