Since this seems to be such a common concern, we’d like to share our response to this frequently asked question. If you have any questions, please post them below or contact us privately.

Question:

I am only 16 years old and I am a very active person involving myself in sports such as swimming, running and bicycling, as well as my rifle team, I am also 5″4 in height, and I believe I weigh at least 130-136 the most, my main purpose right now is to lose 15, 16 lbs, but I’m mostly concerned with helping my metabolism increase, so that way I can be able to maintain a healthy diet at my age, and keep that healthy diet when I grow older. But I also want to know if this is the right place for me to start? Thank you.

Answer by: Cindy Marasigan– Skinny Gene dietetic intern, nutrition counselor, fitness instructor, and culinary chef

It sounds like you are very active with sports and you are also concerned about your health and nutrition. The best way to start in your case is nutrition therapy for endurance athletes. Since you do a lot of sports that are focused on endurance it is very important that you get the proper nutrition.

Why Was Nutrition Therapy Prescribed?

With endurance training, the main goal is to provide calories for daily activity and those expended through exercise in addition to replenishing glycogen (energy) stores and repairing lean muscle mass. Focusing on eating often as well as nutrition pre-exercise, during exercise, and post-exercise is key to training and performing at an optimal level and keep you metabolism functioning properly.

Meal Planning Tips:

• Eat frequent meals and snacks throughout the day
• Do not skip meals
• Include a whole grain carbohydrate and a lean protein/healthy fat with all meals and snacks to increase satiety.
• Include non-starchy vegetable and fruits with meals and snacks
•  Carbohydrate intake should range from 5 g/kg to 7 g/kg for moderate-duration and low intensity training, 7 g/kg to 12 g/kg for moderate to heavy training, 10 g/kg to 12 g/kg for extreme training.
  • Choose whole, high-fiber grains as your carbohydrate meal choices (breads, bagels, tortillas, cereals, oatmeal, granola bars, crackers, pastas, rice, potatoes, etc.)
• Protein intake should range from 1.2 g/kg to 1.7 g/kg
  • Choose lean proteins such as chicken or turkey without skin, lean cuts of red meat, fish, low-fat dairy, eggs, beans, tofu, edamame, or whey or soy protein powder
• Fat intake should range from 0.8 g/kg to 1.0 g/kg
  • Increase intake of healthy fats (peanut butter, nuts, seeds, flaxseed, olive oil, salmon/tuna) and decrease intake of saturated fats (fried foods, baked/packaged goods, and white, thick, creamy sauces/spreads)
• Hydration should be adequate so that urine color is pale yellow throughout the day
  • Rely on water throughout the day and water/sports drinks during exercise
• Consume post-exercise snack as soon as possible (within 45 minutes) after training

Recommended Foods

Pre-Exercise Eating

• Meal timing: 3-4 hours before exercise
•  Meal composition: High in low-glycemic carbohydrate (200 g to 300 g) and lean protein, low in fiber and fat.
• Meal hydration: Four hours before activity, consume 5 mL/kg to 7 mL/kg (2 mL/lb to 3mL/lb) or 17 oz to 20 oz water or sports drink

• Snack timing: 30 minutes to 1 hour before exercise
•  Snack composition: High in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, low in fat and fiber
•  Snack hydration: 5 oz to 10 oz water or sports drink

During-Exercise Eating

• Carbohydrate intake should begin shortly after the onset of activity
• Timing: Consume 30 g to 60 g carbohydrate/hr spaced every 15-20 minutes
• Composition: High-glycemic carbohydrate such as sports drinks/gels/blocks/beans, fruit, high-carbohydrate bars with moderate protein, crackers, etc.
• Hydration: Dependent on sweat rate
  • Average: 5 oz to 10 oz water or sports drink every 15-20 minutes
  • Sports drinks should contain 6% to 8% carbohydrate
  •  Replace electrolytes lost via sports drink or foods high in sodium/potassium

Post-Exercise Eating

• Snack timing: Within 30 minutes post-exercise
• Snack composition: 4:1 ratio of high-glycemic carbohydrate to lean protein
  • Recommended amount: 1.0 g to 1.5 g carbohydrate/kg
• Meal timing: 2 hours after exercise (Continue meals in 2-hour intervals up to 6 hours)
• Meal composition: High in low- to moderate-glycemic carbohydrate and lean protein, low in fiber and fat
  • Recommended amount: 1.0 g to 1.5 g carbohydrate/kg
• Hydration: 16 oz to 24 oz water or sports drink for every pound lost during exercise

Foods Not Recommended

Pre-Exercise

• High-fat foods (high-fat meats, heavy sauces/creams, fried foods, buttery foods, desserts)
•  High-fiber foods (cruciferous vegetables, whole grains extremely high in fiber, beans)
• Carbonated beverages
• Sugary beverages
• Alcohol

During Exercise

• Low-glycemic carbohydrates (high-fiber whole grains)
•  High-fiber foods (cruciferous vegetables, whole grains extremely high in fiber, beans)
• High-protein foods (meats, dairy, high-protein energy bars)
• High-fat foods (high fat meats, heavy sauces/creams, fried foods, buttery foods, desserts, large quantities of nut butters, nuts, seeds)
• Fluids containing more than 8% carbohydrate (juice, soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, etc.)
• Alcohol

Post-Exercise

• High-fiber foods (cruciferous vegetables, whole grains extremely high in fiber, beans)
• High-fat foods (high-fat meats, heavy sauces/creams, fried foods, buttery foods, desserts, large quantities of nut butters, nuts, seeds)
• Fluids containing more than 8% carbohydrate (juice, soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, etc.)
• Alcohol

Sample 1-Day Menu

(2,500 calories, 60% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 20% fat)

*Important Points to Remember!

• Puberty usually starts when you’re between 9 and 13 years old. But it can start earlier or later. Thanks to hormones like estrogen, you’ll notice changes like your breasts starting to grow and new curves forming on your body. You might notice that you start to get taller, and eventually you’ll get your period.
• During puberty, your body will change and continue to grow — and sometimes the growth happens quickly. This is called a “growth spurt.” During this time you can grow as much as 4 inches in a year. Growth spurts usually start between ages 9 and 11. Most girls reach their full adult height by 18. But just like everything else in puberty, you might grow faster or slower than this. Your nutrition needs will change as you get older.

Growing and Gaining Weight

• Most girls experience growth spurts early in puberty, while most boys have them later in puberty. That’s why many girls are taller than boys in middle school.
• Increased body fat is also a normal part of puberty. “You may go from 8% to 21% body fat,” says Kathy McCoy, MD, a psychiatrist who co-wrote The Teenage Body Book and who was a columnist for Seventeen magazine.
• Don’t go on a diet to try to lose this weight. “It’s not bad fat,” says Melisa Holmes, MD, who co-wrote the Girlology book series. “Women just have to have a certain amount of body fat for reproduction and the health of our menstrual cycles.”
• So don’t make losing weight your main focus. Just try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, follow the guidelines for nutrition for endurance athletes, and keep a positive attitude on self-image.

Hope this helps! Best of luck on your journey to a healthier you!

References:

1. Charney P, Malone A, eds. ADA Pocket Guide to Nutrition Assessment., 2nd Ed Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-88091-421-5
2. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition Care Manual. Sports Nutrition. Available at: http://www.nutritioncaremanual.org/topic.cfm?ncm_heading=Nutrition%20Care&ncm_toc_id=8580. Accessed May 14, 2012.

Since this seems to be such a common concern, we’d like to share our answer to this frequently asked question. You may also want to check out our previous post – Getting Rid of the Jiggle Around Your Middle

If you have any additional questions, please post them below or sign up for a free nutrition session.

Question:

I have been working out two times a week in karate, one day a week with football, and some of my time I spend lifting weights and doing sit-up excercises used by navy seals.

Nothing is getting rid of my body fat, I have been nearly starving myself, drinking only water, and only eating breakfast and dinner. Along with the fact I haven’t lost any weight I have gained weight, mostly muscle. The weight I’ve gained totaled 20 pounds, 55% of which is fat.

I’m getting angry. Nothing is working!

Answer

 By Cindy Marasigan–Skinny Gene dietetic intern, nutrition counselor, fitness instructor, and culinary chef 

I can see your frustration on losing body fat. It sounds like you are very active and you do a variety of sports and exercises. 

There are plenty of ways to quickly drop pounds, but to keep it off for the long term — plan to lose weight slowly. If you have struggled with losing weight and keeping it off, it’s probably time you revisit weight-loss basics.

Make smart food choices from every group

• Your body needs the right fuel to stay energized and strong. The best way to get the nutrients you need is to enjoy a wide-variety of foods from all of the food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy.

Get the most nutrition from your calories

• You can make a big difference in your calorie intake by eating and drinking smaller portions and limiting foods that are high in sodium, solid fats and added sugars.

Balance food and physical activity

• To reach a healthy weight, make sure to include physical activity in your day. The minimum for good health is 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, but some need to be physically active for longer to reach a healthy weight.

Eating Right for a Healthy Weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthier weight will contribute to your overall health and wellbeing.

The following tips are for adults who want to make changes in their lifestyle and move toward a healthier weight.

Start with a Plan

• Develop a plan for lifelong health, not just short-term weight loss. Don’t lose sight of the big picture: achieving overall good health. By putting more emphasis on your health, experts agree that you can raise your overall self-esteem, resulting in healthy eating, weight loss and improved health. Set healthy, realistic goals.
• When you make changes step-by-step and set realistic goals, you are more likely to succeed in reaching them. Start with two or three specific, small changes at a time. Track your progress by keeping a food and activity log. When you’ve turned a healthy change into a habit, reward yourself with a fun activity.
• Get a personalized eating plan at www.mypyramid.gov. Your MyPyramid Plan will give you the amounts of each food group you need daily. If you have special dietary needs, consult your healthcare provider or contact us for a customized plan.

Healthy Eating Tips

• Eat at least three meals a day and plan your meals ahead of time. Whether you’re eating at home, packing a lunch or eating out, an overall eating plan for the day will help keep you on track.
• Balance your plate with the right portions of a variety of foods. Half your plate should be filled with vegetables, one fourth with lean meat, poultry or fish and one fourth with grains. To round out your meal, add a glass of fat-free or low-fat milk and a serving of fruit for dessert. Try changing from a large dinner plate to a smaller one. It may help you feel satisfied with reduced portions.
• Start your meal with low calorie foods like fruits, vegetables and salads. Then move on to the main course and side dishes.

Muscle vs. Fat:

• If you only have a small amount of weight to lose, then you may feel like the weight training is not helping you move down on the scale. In fact, the number may even go up, but you will look thinner. This is due to an increase in lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood volume) and a decrease in body fat. In other words, even if the scale doesn’t change much, you will probably see a difference in how your clothes fit.
• On the other hand, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you will also experience an increase in lean body mass and loss of body fat. But the results on the scale will probably be more dramatic.

Exercise Basics:

• At its most basic, losing weight is about burning more calories than you eat.
• To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. That sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn’t want to try to burn 3500 calories in one day. However, by taking it step-by-step, you can determine just what you need to do each day to burn or cut out those extra calories. Below is a step by step process for getting started.

Important Steps:

•  Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing and digestion. This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day. Keep in mind that no calculator will be 100% accurate, so you may need to adjust these numbers as you learn more about your own metabolism.

Example:

• My BMR is 1400 calories and I burn about 900 calories with regular exercise, walking around and doing household chores. To maintain my weight, I should be eating 2300 calories (1400 + 900= 2300). However, after keeping a food journal, I find that I was eating 2550 calories every day. By eating 250 more calories than my body needs, I will gain about a pound every 2-3 weeks.
• This example shows how easy it is to gain weight without even knowing it. However, it’s also easy to lose weight, even if the process itself can be slow. You can start by making small changes in your diet and activity levels and immediately start burning more calories than you’re eating. If you can find a way to burn an extra 200 to 500 calories each day with both exercise and diet, you’re on the right track.
• Calculate your activity level. For a week or so, keep an activity journal and use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, etc. throughout the day. Another, easier option is to wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you burn each day.
• Keep track of how many calories you eat. For at least a week, enter and track your calories online (e.g., with Calorie Count) or use a food journal to write down what you eat and drink each day. Be as accurate as possible, measuring when you need to or looking up nutritional information for restaurants, if you eat out. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you eat each day.
• Add it up. Take your BMR number and add your activity calories. Then subtract your food calories from that total. If you’re eating more than you’re BMR + your activity calories, you’re at risk for gaining weight.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your weight loss goals!

Since this seems to be such a common concern, we’d like to share our answer to this frequently asked question. If you have any additional questions, please post them below.

Question:

Hello….I need HELP with my current weight situation.  I have been doing really intense workouts for the past 1 1/2 months, watching what I eat, lots of protein, etc….with absolutely no results.  My metabolism is so off and it is so frustrating.  Any suggestions?

Answer by: Cindy Marasigan– Skinny Gene dietetic intern, nutrition counselor, fitness instructor, and culinary chef 

It sounds like you’re doing positive changes on achieving a healthy lifestyle. Here are some weight loss tips and exercise tips that I found to be helpful. Pick the tips that will work for you.

 Weight Loss Tips:

• Eat at least three times per day.
• Pay attention to your body. When you feel like you have had enough to eat, stop. Quit before you feel full, stuffed, or sick from eating. You can have more if you are really hungry.
• If you still feel hungry or unsatisfied after a meal or snack, wait at least 10 minutes before you have more food. Often, the craving will go away.
• Drink plenty of water and other calorie-free drinks  ( tea, coffee, diet soda- in moderation). You may be thirsty, not hungry.
• Pick lean meats, low-fat or nonfat cheese, and skim (nonfat) or 1% fat milk instead of higher-fat/higher-calorie choices.
• Get plenty of fiber. Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are good sources. Have a high fiber cereal every day.
• Cut back on sugar. For example, drink less fruit juice and regular soda.
• Limit the amount of alcohol (beer, wine, and liquor) that you drink.
• Keep all food in the kitchen. Eat only in a chosen place, such as at the table. Don’t eat in the car or the bedroom or in front of the TV.

Food Preparation

• Plan meals ahead of time.
• Try cooking methods that cut calories:
  • Cook without adding fat (bake, broil, roast, boil).
  • Use nonstick cooking sprays instead of butter or oil. You can also use wine, broth,or fruit juice instead of oil when cooking.

• Use low-calorie foods instead of high-calorie ones when possible.
• If you do make extra portions, put them away as soon as they are ready so you can save them for other meals. Store the leftovers in containers that you can’t see through.
• Cook when you are not hungry. For example, cook and refrigerate tomorrow’s dinner after you have finished eating tonight.
• Make fruits, vegetables, and other low-calorie foods part of each meal.
• Drink water while you cook.

Mealtimes

• Divide your plate into four equal parts. Use one part for meat, one for starch (such as pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread), and two for nonstarchy vegetables.
• Do not put serving dishes on the table. This will make it harder to take a second portion.
• Put salad dressing on the side instead of mixing it with, or pouring onto your salad. Then dip your fork into the dressing before you spear a bite of salad.
• Change your usual place at the table.
• Make mealtime special by using pretty dishes, napkins, and glasses.
• Eat slowly. Take a few one-minute breaks from eating during meals. Put your fork down between bites. Cut your food one bite at a time.
• Enjoy fruit for dessert instead of cake, pie, or other sweets.
• Remove your plate as soon as you’ve finished eating.

Snacking

Snacking can be part of your plan for healthy weight loss. You can eat six times per day as long as you plan what to eat and don’t eat too many calories.

• Plan ahead. Be sure to have healthy snacks on hand. If the right food is not there, you may be more likely to eat whatever is available, such as candy, cookies, chips, leftovers, or other “quick” choices.
• Keep low-calorie snacks in a special part of the refrigerator. Good choices include the following:

• Reduced-fat string cheese, low-calorie yogurt, and nonfat milk.
• Washed, bite-size pieces of raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery, pepper strips, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower. Serve with low-calorie dips.
• Fresh fruit.

Eating and Emotions

Do you use eating to deal with feelings other than hunger, such as boredom, being tired, or stress? If you eat for these reasons, here are some other things you can try:

• Call a friend for support.
• Use inspirational quotes to help you avoid the temptation to eat.
• Take a warm bath or shower.
• Listen to music or a relaxation CD.
• Take a walk.
• Try activities that keep you from eating. For example, it’s hard to eat while you’re exercising. If you are gardening, you probably won’t eat while your hands are covered in soil.

Exercise Tips:

A successful weight-loss program includes an exercise regimen.  Adding a combination of strength-training, cardiovascular exercise, and a nutrition plan helps burn calories and reduce extra weight.

• The American Heart Association suggests aiming at the lower end of your target heart rate zone, about 50 percent, and gradually building up to the higher end, 75 percent, within the first few weeks of a new exercise program. After about six months evaluate your progress to see if you can comfortably raise your intensity to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
• Include strength-training in your program. To lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. Strength-training adds lean muscle mass. The lean muscle mass acts like a furnace that will continue to burn calories throughout the day even after you’ve finished working out.
• Relax. Stress knocks the body’s hormone system out of balance. In order to regulate the system, the body releases cortisol (a hormone) to get it back on track. “Cortisol demands the most readily available sources of energy: high-fat, simple-carb foods that your body can use quickly,” Try meditation techniques or stretching exercises to help unwind from tension.

References:

1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition Care Manual. General Nutrition/ Weight Loss Tips. Available at: http://www.nutritioncaremanual.org/topic.cfm?ncm_heading=Nutrition%20Care&ncm_toc_id=8580.

Accessed May 19, 2012.

2. American Heart Association. Heart Rate and Exercise. Available at: http://www.heart.org.  Accessed May 9, 2012.