Sports Nutrition Help

[twisted]

OK guys i've seen quite a few workout threads around here but this one is more specific to get me to my goals.
I'm 5'10" and 183 lbs(down from 197lbs).
I'm rather athletic built with decent sized arms and shoulders.

But my bodyfat is kinda high and covers the decent muscle underneath. MY attemps are to loose the same. I am now doing the following to help me with this:
-Lots of Elliptical
-Running 5Ks at least 2 times a week and another 2.5k once a week

I am noticing decent results but I am wondering if there is anything on the nutrition side that will help me get to that lean body faster.
Please note that i DO NOT want to get BULKIER/BIGGER. I already am as bulky as i wanna be. I need to trim bodyfat and the muscle that exists underneath will do the rest.

So food-wise I am aiming for low carb and more fruits n veggies but any supplements that will help me safely loose the body fat and mke the muscle lean FASTER?

Also my target weight is 165-170lbs
Thx

[badfish11]

If you don't eat as many calories and you should burn the fat right off. No need to mess with those supplements. Don't eat within a few hours of going to sleep. No beer, just water. Make sure you a descent breakfast early when you wake up.

Low carb is okay, not necessary if you are active. Fruits and Veggies are great, high protein is good, high fiber is good.

I'm not a fitness professional in any way, these are just my own personal experiences/thoughts.

[Scotty]

First off, you are doing the wrong types of workout to lose fat. The workouts you are doing gets your heart rate too high to burn fat. Jump on a bike or exercise bike and do LSD. Not the drugs. Long, Steady Distance. Go at a pace that you can maintain a full conversation without running out of air. Do that for a few hours, a few times a week.

[panamajack]

I dont think you have to run for hours at a time. 45 mins should be good enough. You could also try aquajogging. Dont eat crap food. Dont eat crap for breakfast.

[heightsgtltd]

^^ pro athlete, listen to him :)

[magnus617]

i agree with most of the posts the others have shared, and am on a similar track as you are. i think that there are some supplements that can help, but the problem is that most are for weight training and increasing muscle mass, not what you are really looking for. there was a product that i used before that helped me train longer called bio-burn, but it seems that you don't have trouble with running long distances. i would suggest mixing up your cardio routine to include swimming, stationary bike, and other low impact exercises, to ease some of the wear and tear on the joints. try throwing in some sprints in when running, or on the bike, to keep your body guessing, and getting onto a rut. good luck!

[panamajack]

^^ pro athlete, listen to him :)

:redface: Im just gifted. I wouldnt take any of those "supplements" that make you train longer or whatever. If all you are looking to do is lose weight and stay in shape do something that you wont have a problem being consistent at. It may not come as fast as you would like, but it will be easier to sustain once your body and metabolism get into a nice cycle naturally. Dont be affraid to eat, just dont eat crap.

Maybe Heights can start a healthy choice thread on his F/D sub forum

[magnus617]

:redface: Im just gifted. I wouldnt take any of those "supplements" that make you train longer or whatever. If all you are looking to do is lose weight and stay in shape do something that you wont have a problem being consistent at. It may not come as fast as you would like, but it will be easier to sustain once your body and metabolism get into a nice cycle naturally. Dont be affraid to eat, just dont eat crap.

Maybe Heights can start a healthy choice thread on his F/D sub forum

that's why i said i used to take them. i agree that most of weight loss occurs when you simply eat right, and exercise regularly. it may take a while but you well just have to be patient. trust me you'll fell better in the long run for not taking that stuff and doing it on your own. sorry if i wasn't clear before. once again good luck

[twisted]

Thx for the advice guys.

I'm trying to eat right by doing a mix of:
- calorie count (trying to stay under 1100)
- more fruits and veggies
-less quantity + more frequency of food
- No coffee and one diet soda a day and only 2 alcoholic drinks per week
-breakfast everyday (i used to skip this all the time)

Besides losing body fat, my other objective is to condition myself to be a good runner and take my range to 10K (each run) and more. I am mixing some light weight training 2-3 times a week as well.

[badfish11]

Again I'm no expert, but if you are moderately active I don't think 1100 is enough cals for a day. Especially if you're going to run. Eat more, just earlier in the day so you burn it off.

If you're eating very little make sure you get enough fiber too;)

[mbcracken]

1100 calories is definitely not enough and what you want is to change your daily living/eating habits to a new standard that you can live with forever. This will reduce the urge to go on big reward meals once you reach some goal.

My recommendations (just my .02 cents):
1. Make it fun...
2. Plan out a wide range workouts of running (mix up the running course for the day) & weight lifting that will result in good cross training between the two. Plenty of on-line workout plans for simple running programs. Here is one of my favorite sites I used years ago for training.
http://www.halhigdon.com/10ktraining/10kintro.htm
3. Eat & drink right. The right foods & amounts for what your body needs. There are several on-line calorie calculators online. That means eating right for your workouts for that day and have them be foods you enjoy or learn to enjoy. I usually eat 4-5 times a day of smaller meals.
4. Rest. Get plenty of rest. Most endurance pro athletes get 8-9 hours of sleep a night for recovery. It works...trust me.
5. Find some local folks to run with. They may be faster then you or slower but it is helpful to find a group to run with. Something I learned long ago...Someone will always be faster then me and someone will always be slower then me. This even happens with a daily running group.
6. I like using my Heart Rate monitor for my training. Some people don't like them, but it has helped me train hard on some days & help me train long & slow (intentionally) on other days.
7. Don't expect results tomorrow...good solid training and weight lose takes time.

Good luck and keep us up to date on how your training is going.

Cheers,
Mike