Making Weight Continued
Safe weight loss is gradual weight loss, about two pounds per week, with a focus on attempting to lose body fat. Those that had the foresight to adopt a sound weight loss strategy during the off-season and/or early pre-season should be commended, but I’d also like to extend caution to those attempting quick weight loss.
The difference in your athlete’s weight before and immediately following a training session, for the most part is a reflection of how much fluid was lost, rather than how much fat was burned. As the person drinks fluids, a lot of that weight will come back, as it should. One of the more dangerous quick weight loss methods is to deprive a person of fluids before exercise, and then further deny fluids during and after exercise. This can even lead to death! Important factors in how much harm is done, are how much and how fast the dehydration. Individuals differ, and no one can identify with certainty when an athlete is entering the danger zone in regards to dehydration! Plastic suits, extra layers of clothing, and other practices that don’t allow the body to properly cool can also be very harmful; as can diuretics, which increase urine output and can affect electrolyte balance.
One safe weight loss tip concerning water weight is to examine the sodium intake of the athlete. Sodium is very import for the maintenance of our health and certainly should not be eliminated, but consuming too much sodium can lead to excessive water retention. The average American consumes far more than the 2300 mg that the USDA sets as the standard for our maximum intake. Processed foods like fast foods, frozen foods, and salty snack foods are typically very high in sodium. So start reading labels and add up your milligrams, but I repeat; sodium is very important to the maintenance of health, and you should consult your doctor with questions about specific needs of the person in question, and about the appropriate minimum sodium standards. I would also suggest that you consult the appropriate doctor for any quick weight loss strategies.
At the end of the day; please be open to the possibility that a higher weight class may be best for your athlete. This may be what is necessary so that the athlete is able to eat properly throughout the season, and to build muscle instead of losing muscle because of inadequate nutrition.
The safest long term strategy for weight loss in overweight people is to focus on attempting to lose fat by a modest restriction of calories, trying to simply burn more calories than is taken in. The use of the “Food Guide Pyramid” and the help of a licensed dietician can help you plan for a balanced and health enhancing diet.
