A weight loss diet is not an easy challenge, but when we survive it, learn how to lose 10 kilos and see the first results then many of us no longer want to stop it and return to bad and harmful habits. In such a situation, some stick to the set rules and maintain the diet, while others want to go to a higher level. We are talking about sports activities, which, however, require a more complex diet. Below we will tell you what to pay attention to during such a diet.
Diet only for specialists?
Any physical activity is like a natural fat burner, which uses up the energy produced in the body from nutrients just from food. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the quality of what you put on your plate affects the process of energy production, and therefore the workout itself. Moreover, training causes damage to tissues, the subsequent regeneration of which depends on the quality and quantity of nutrients. Hence, no matter what kind of physical activity we undertake, a weight loss diet should complement our training plan. Calorie requirements and specific nutrients for a frequent exerciser.
It is worth remembering that an inadequate diet can cause difficulties in rebuilding tissues damaged by training. The result can be, for example, loss of muscle mass. An inadequately balanced diet can also cause a decrease in endurance to exertion, worse tolerance of exertion and fatigue, for example, for a runner or a person who regularly goes to the gym, differs from the recommendations for a person who is not very physically active. Therefore, the weight loss diet for active people is more caloric, while richer in carbohydrates and slightly poorer in fats and proteins than in the average diet.
Diet for an athlete, meaning what kind of diet?
Every active person knows that sports and activity are the best product for weight loss. However, it should be remembered that the diet of a physically active person should be based on the principles of healthy nutrition. At the same time, it should take into account the increased energy (caloric) requirements, the distribution of meals tailored to training sessions and their composition before and after training. In the diet of an exercising person, it is extremely important to eat meals regularly. There should be 4 to 6 of them per day. Ideally, they should be consumed every 2.5-3 hours.
The increased caloric demand of people who exercise regularly generates the need to eat more food. This means that sports is an effective fat burner, which generates the need for more fat. More frequent meals help to reduce their volume and avoid unnecessary strain on the digestive tract. A very important aspect of meal planning should also be the time separating meals from workouts. It is a good idea to eat the last meal 2-3 hours before the start of the training session. This will help avoid gastrointestinal discomfort (overflowing, abdominal pain, belching).
It is also worth remembering the variety of products and foods. After all, there is no single product that can provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals. The greater the variety, the more essential components for health will be delivered to the body. This is extremely important in physically active people, as they lose much more minerals such as magnesium, sodium and potassium with sweat. The diet of a person who exercises regularly, like the diet of any healthy person, should provide an adequate amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Also worth mentioning here are supplements in the form of slimming patches, which are a source of important vitamins and minerals.
How to prepare?
In order to balance the diet well for an active person, it is necessary to start by calculating the daily calorie requirements. The higher the level of physical activity, the more kcal we need to provide for our body. In addition, when calculating the daily calorie requirement, you need to take into account gender, age, weight and height. To easily calculate your daily caloric needs, it is worth using the so-called calorie calculator.
The calculated number of calories is supplied from the diet according to the appropriate proportions of nutrients. The optimal nutrient requirement for a person with increased physical activity is shaped exactly as follows: about 60-70% of the daily caloric intake is carbohydrates, about 10% should be calories from protein products, and 20-30% remains for fat products. Another important element of nutrition for athletes is the fluids taken in. Water seems to be the best for most physical activities, but if the training takes place in extremely warm conditions and the body has a special capacity for excessive sweating, it is worth using special drinks for athletes. An important component of an athlete’s diet should be macro- and micronutrients, especially iron.
People who are exposed to constant stress, not only mental, but also physical stress (associated with frequent and intensive training) are particularly vulnerable to a decrease in blood iron levels. It is therefore necessary to include in the diet products that provide heme and non-heme iron, and possibly supplements containing this component. It is also worth remembering that people who train intensively lose much more fluid than those with sedentary lifestyles. These losses should be replenished on an ongoing basis with water (when training for less than 60 minutes) or isotonic drinks (when training for more than 60 minutes). During the day, women should drink min. 2 L of fluids (preferably in the form of water), while men should drink min. 2.5 L of fluids.
Sports activity undoubtedly acts as the best product for weight loss. But … without a well-balanced diet and proper hydration, it is very difficult to achieve the desired results during training. Sometimes it is simply impossible. So it is worth taking care not only of a properly selected set of exercises, but also of the selection of products and preparation of healthy meals that will support you on the way to your goal.
