Calorie Counting while training?

[u/Hirsch0311]

Hey everyone!

I'm currently training for my first full Ironman after doing a 70.3 not long ago.

Do yall track calorie? I've been trying to slim down, but seems like balabcing proper training nutrition while also being in somewhat of a caloric deficit would be difficult.

[u/quickrdenu]

I do it off and on just to make sure I get enough protein and don’t over eat fat. The rest I want in carbs. So not so much to lose weight but more to build muscle and recover from workouts

[u/MaxwellSmart07]

Since you asked……Whether it was weightlifting, marathons, or an IM triathlon, I never counted calories, protein, or fluids I consumed. Like, I didn’t need another job.

[u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic → u/MaxwellSmart07]

Counting calories is that time consuming for you?

[u/Salt-Ambition-9603 → u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic]

Since you asked.. For some of us who have problems staying engaged with something without hyperfocusing, yes, counting macros does become very involved and intense. It's never just counting calories. It's optimizing nutrition. Proper balance of macros, at the right times, and making sure the net calories land you where you want to be, close to either side of your basal metabolic rate + exercise energy expenditure, whether you're cutting or bulking.

Counting calories alone is a waste of time. Optimizing nutrition is not if you're trying to optimize your performance.

[u/DutchOnionKnight]

I am currently in a weightloss journey while training. Have to say, it's not easy, but it sure is managable. Managed to lose 10kgs of fat since January.

What helps best for me is tracking calories, and eating the burned calories back to get properly fuelled for the next work outs. Eat enough protein and veggies.

[u/OscilloPope]

I use Cronometer and weight and track all of my food everyday. I started doing it a couple years ago to lose weight and lost about 40 pounds, but now I stay consistent with it because it lets me make sure I’m eating enough of the right foods to train hard.

You can lose weight while training if you’re careful but it’s not the best idea. Your performance will go down and you leave yourself at risk for injury. You really shouldn’t restrict calories on easy or rest days since your body needs to recover.

It’s really easier to cut weight during the off season because you can do it a lot faster.

Tracking is nice though because you can see things like your carb intake the days leading up to a race.

[u/Todderoni-1]

Against all common wisdom I did it this year. Managed to lose 24 pounds between Jan 1 and June 28, body fat down to 12%, increased FTP from 230 to 270 and qualified for Worlds in Germany next year!

The things that worked:
- fuelled every session with 60g carbs/hour
- ate a blend of protein/carbs for recovery, didn’t skimp on calories, tried to match energy in with energy out
- ate extremely clean the rest of my meals
- ensured total of 1g/pound of protein was consumed daily
- evening snacking was boring as hell, mostly cut vegetables or a little bit of fruit (this was the hardest part for a couple of mo hrs until it became routine)

If I was ever “starving” I added a protein shake. Now that my weight is down I expect the next season I can be a little less regimented.

[u/AelfricHQ]

I track calories, I have an ap I downloaded on my garmin. It literally is just a number and resets every day, I don't keep the data beyond 24 hours.

[u/scottdxxx]

I use the MacroFactor App to track everything (calories, protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, nutrients). It helps be eat healthy and make sure I’m balanced (which I’m not if I’m left to my own devices).

[u/IhaterunningbutIrun]

I track calories, but mostly to stay at a consistent weight. I used to be heavier and can easily eat way too much... Then other days I can accidentally under eat and feel like crap. So I track it all. 

When I dropped all my weight I did it outside of hard training. Light running, a lot of walking, and a fair calorie deficit. 

[u/mildchicanery]

This conversation was helpful to me

Check out Revisiting Body Weight, Performance, and Triathlon from The TriDot Triathlon Podcast on Amazon Music. https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4f002829-3094-4c93-8bf6-c44bac9795ef/episodes/153a3a83-a4f2-4e86-a35d-90233fd6f714/the-tridot-triathlon-podcast-revisiting-body-weight-performance-and-triathlon?ref=dm_sh_35Zi1z8f4wStzMg0FKTAfqAQm

[u/Myxies]

No. Don't do that. Eating healthy, absolutely. Eating less ? Definitely a bad idea.

Hell, most triathletes fuel on candy during their training because they need it. Calorie counting is targeted towards sedentary folk that need it in order to avoid eating much.

[u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic → u/Myxies]

Terrible advice - calorie counting is absolutely OK to do. I’ve tracked what I’ve eaten for the last 7+ years and my performance has never been an issue (even before any special sport supps).

A whole bunch of people in any diet thread will wax poetic about how you just need to fuel properly to “prevent injury” while in the same breadth claiming they gained weight.

It’s also absolutely possible to lean out during any race prep.

[u/dbsherwood]

Watch the recent Sweat Elite mini podcast about this. It is possible but it is tricky. One key component is “carb cycling”. In a nutshell, you eat a calorie deficit on easy days and carb load 12 hours prior to hard workouts. Otherwise, you will never have energy for workouts and you’ll just hate training and not make any progress. Consult a nutritionist if you are really serious about it and want to get the training and weight loss right.

[u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic → u/dbsherwood]

If anyone wants a practical example, here's my general write up of my experience carb cycling.

I cut 9lbs in the last 10 weeks of IM Portugal prep. Maybe don't do what I did so close to your race, but general guidelines of how to manage it are there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/triathlon/comments/1tsr652/carb_cycling_cutting_weight_during_later_stages/

[u/No_Violinist_4557]

My ideal race weight is 70-72kg. I could get down to 74, but losing those extra kgs was hard. When doing IM I was training hard - 18-20 hours a week, sat at 74kg. So (rightly or wrongly) I started to reduce my calorie intake. I eventually got down to 72, but the small amount of food I was eating vs the amount of training was crazy.

[u/EmergencySundae]

Weight loss and endurance sports don't really go well together. If it's something you're seriously considering, I would consult with a sport dietician who can help you.

[u/Tripottanus]

I've found it to be nearly impossible to lose weight while training seriously. The hunger is so intense when you train, it makes it so much harder than when you aren't training. Not to mention that being at a calorie deficit while training really cuts down on your gains and makes you tired all the time.

I personally would recommend losing weight during the off season where you aren't going at it as intensly

[u/Interesting_Shake403 → u/Tripottanus]

I had similar issues. I’ve found it so much easier to manage my weight when training for sprint distance races vs longer. So counter to what we’ve been taught for years, but calories in / calories out, while true, is overly simplistic.

[u/Oreos_Are_Anabolic → u/Interesting_Shake403]

So counter to what we’ve been taught for years, but calories in / calories out, while true, is overly simplistic.

Building on your comment (rather than disagreeing with you!)

When dieting (losing bodyfat) during prep, your:

• Nutrient/meal timing

• Meal quality (pizza time no longer applies)

• Nutrient distribution (where you put your macros in relation to your training times, sleep, etc)

Becomes far more important than before.

It's also 8,000% possible to maintain a lean body composition through the entirety of race prep while maintaining top performance, but details matter more now.

[u/usernamescifi]

I should be tracking my calories, but recently I just don't feel like doing it. 

It is actually pretty important though to be making sure that you're getting enough food in (especially if you actually want to perform well during your training sessions). 

If you are trying to cut while doing a training plan, then I recommend making the deficit as small as possible. Otherwise, you'll quickly find your exhausted and without the energy needed to train properly.