I think I need to increase my calorie intake or supplement my diet...

Davittdr

History:

I am a 43 year and male

Jan 08: Height =5ft 8.5in, Weight = 15st (came down from 15st 7lbs in previous 6mts) BMI = 31.5, smoked 20 cigarettes/day. 3 years ago I completed a few sprint triathlons, so I was moderately fit but then I had a bad attack of vertigo and this put pay to any training as I couldn’t even walk in a straight line and the habit of training was broken.

May 08: Height = still 5ft 8.5in , = 13st BMI = 27.3 (still overweight category), haven’t smoked since Jan 4th. Training 5-6 days a week.

Target: Height 6ft (tough to attain), Weight 12st 7lbs, BMI 26 (not too worried about this) Complete this year, Dublin Marathon plus all Adidas training races (5ml, 10ml and 13.1ml), 3 of the Dublin Duathlon series (2ml run, 10ml bike, 2ml run), 4 triathlons, 2 Olympic, 2 sprint.

I am keeping a detailed calorie intake log and also a training log to chart my progress. I watch that I eat during the week but enjoyed meals out and a few glasses of wine/beer at the weekend. I reckoned my calorie intake should have been around 2000 and to get any weight loss I needed as my wife says when asked how she has lost 2+st “ eat less, move more” so I keep my intake to between 1300- 1800, at the weekend it would hit 2500+. My approximate calorie saving per week is around 2500.

Training started with just getting a few hundred meters on the threadmill completed and an easy weights program, now with the good weather I am training a lot more and in a week would cover the following:
Bike = over 240km - Mainly commute to work (only started this week) and a weekend run of about 60Km)
Run = between 40 -50 KM – at least 3*11km and one longer run of 16-20km
Swim = 6000m, three 2000m sessions
Weights – nothing too strenuous, but would do around 20-30 mins of lightish weights 3 time a week


Usual daily routine when cycling to work

6am up and ½ fresh grapefruit + banana
Cycle to gym – 30Km
5 km run
8:30am Get to office and have a very large bowl of porridge with a handful of raisons and a handful of mixed seeds – use slimline milk (200mls)
10:30 – Apple or a 80g tin of tuna.
12:30 – Chicken wrap with sweetcorn, peppers, onion. – no spread or sauces
15:30 - Apple or a 80g tin of tuna.
18:00 – cycle home – 30KM (one evening I did a 3km run off the bike as I need to work on my running coming off a long bike ride)
20:00 – dinner, usually lean meat/fish with salad or veg (no potatoes)
21:30 – Swim 2000m
23:00 – tea with a treat (either purple snack or kitkat)
23:30 – bed

On days I don’t cycle to work

6am up and ½ fresh grapefruit
7:00am very large bowl of porridge with a handful of raisons and a handful of mixed seeds – use slimline milk (200mls)
10:30 – Apple or a 80g tin of tuna.
12:00 – 11KM run followed by 30 mins in the gym
14:00 - Chicken wrap with sweetcorn, peppers, onion. – no spread or sauces
15:30 - Apple or a 80g tin of tuna.
20:00 – dinner, usually lean meat/fish with salad or veg (no potatoes)
21:30 – Swim 2000m
23:00 – tea with a treat (either purple snack or kitkat)
23:30 - bed

I would usually have 3-4 large Americano coffees during the day, black with no sugar.

Problem: Obviously I am delighted with the weight loss and fitness increase but I still have a few lbs to go and I know to sustain the amount of exercise I am doing requires more calories, I don’t particularly feel hungry but yesterday I didn’t feel a 100% in work and as the amount of biking increased this week as I only started to cycle to work this week (3 times, 30KM each way) I was wondering if the two are related. I know I need to increase my calorie intake but I am wondering if I need to change when I eat (i.e do I need to eat more before cycling to work or going for a run?) or should I add a high nutritional drink/supplement to my diet after training?

Any nutritional advice would be welcomed.

Thanks

Faith

Davittdr wrote: »

Target: Height 6ft (tough to attain),

You know that you can't get taller, right? No amount of exercise or food is going to make you grow 4 inches at 43.

cozmik

Davittdr wrote: »

I don’t particularly feel hungry but yesterday I didn’t feel a 100% in work and as the amount of biking increased this week as I only started to cycle to work this week (3 times, 30KM each way) I was wondering if the two are related.

Without a doubt and believe me if you don't start eating more it's going to get worse.

Al_Fernz

Davittdr wrote: »

I am a 43 year and male

Target: Height 6ft (tough to attain),

Unless you have come up with a scientific breakthrough, change tough to impossible.

Fair play on the results so far.

However, way too much volume + too little cals =

Your programme is not sustainable.

TBH I would look at getting a coach or joining an athletics club if you're training for triathalons and such like. A coach would help you structure a more well thought out training programme.

I also think you need to re-vamp your whole diet. IMO you need:
-more calories
-more protein
-more healthy fats
-more starchy carbs
- less caffine

I would read all the stickies here and on the fitness forum regarding this. They should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Also have a look at your sleeping. Six hours a night is going to catch up with you pretty soon too.

mack1

Lads, I think he was kidding about height thing!

Otherwise, I agree with the above, looks like very little kcals for somebody who does as much endurance exercise as you do. I know you are losing weight and that's great and all - and congrats on the hard work so far - but you want to be careful not to undereat too.