Perspectives on Nutrition – Is Learning How to Lose Weight Fast a Good Idea?

Is learning how to lose weight fast a good idea? This is a controversial topic because for many people it is an important goal. In reality, rapid weight loss is often unsustainable.

Re-contexualising the goal of weight loss in relation to optimising health, happiness, recovery and performance is a much better way to approach and think about this subject. Below are several examples from top athletes including BK Gudmundsson, Lauren Fisher and Annie Thorisdottiron how they approach their nutrition in regards to weight loss, body fat percentage, performance, long term health and self acceptance.

Read them and let us know if you agree, or if you find these approaches helpful.

BK GUDMUNDSSON ON NUTRITION

How does your nutrition change during different periods of the year? Do you have phases where you will look to build more muscle for example? Or to cut weight before a major event such as the CrossFit Games®?

Source: CrossFit Inc / BK Gudmundsson

It doesn’t change much throughout the year since I train twice a day all year around. What changes the most is how I’m training.

For me the most important thing is to get enough of food and in the right proportions. I never try to cut weight but with higher volume in training the weight comes down a bit.

Does your nutrition change from day to day depending on the type of training that you are doing that day (i.e. a recovery day versus a training day for example)?

Yes, the nutrition or the proportions change slightly on a recovery day versus training day.

Do you have a natural bodyweight that you feel most comfortable at when it comes to performing?

I’m usually around 84-85 kilos but before the Games® it might come down a little because of the way I’m training. I feel very good at that weight. The heaviest I’ve been is 86-87 kilos so I don’t really feel the changes much.

Source: Renaissance Periodization

On an intensive training day, how many grams of protein and carbohydrates do you have to eat?

I’m eating around 175 grams of protein, 75 grams of fat and 360 grams of carbohydrates daily.

(Editor’s Note: Please be aware that these figures are rough estimations based on Bjorgvin’s requirements and training history. Simply emulating them will not work in exactly the same way for your body)

How does your nutrition change during an important competition?

It can be hard sometimes to get solid food down during competition day so after the day I try to make that up by eating a lot of food. If I can’t eat more I try to drink to get more calories in.

LEARNING HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST – UNDERSTANDING CALORIE BALANCE

Calorie balance is the ratio between calories taken in and calories expended in any one individual at any given time. This is the MOST IMPORTANT factor when it comes to changing your weight. What you actually need on a daily basis will be individual to you based on your age, lifestyle and fitness habits.

There are 3 states of calorie balance:

• Negative calorie balance (hypocaloric diet)
• Calorie balance (eucaloric diet)
• Positive Calorie balance (hypercaloric diet)

It is impossible to be in more than one of these states at any one time.

• A negative calorie balance will always result in weight loss. “Even though body water alterations may occasionally mask this loss of tissue, it is always going to occur, with ZERO exceptions so far discovered.”
• A eucalorie balance means that the athlete will not gain or lose weight because they expend as many calories as they consume.
• A positive calorie balance means that the individual is consuming more calories than they are using.

When it comes to learning how to lose weight fast, this is as important factor. But it overly simplifies a complicated process.

Addressing Why We Eat: It’s More Than Just Hunger

CrossFit Games athlete and qualified Nutritionist Meredith Root shared her thoughts on the way that the industry often focuses disproportionately on this aspect of learning how to lose weight fast…