Eating For Performance Vs. Weight Loss

[munchkinette]

I've been working out A LOT lately. I joined a boot camp program in the mornings, and I'm planning to run a 12K in a few weeks. I'm trying really hard to lose weight, so I've been cutting calories.

I lost about 5 lbs in July, I haven't lost anything since the middle of August. I was totally gluten-free during that time. Then I got glutened about two weeks ago. I haven't been able to lose at all for nearly a month. I noticed that a few people in the Diet and Weight Loss threads said that people who have malabsorption issues go into starvation mode when cutting calories, so their metabolisms slow. Could this be happening?

I guess my question for the athletes is: Has anyone decided to stop dieting and start eating for performance in order to lose weight and get in shape? There are articles in Runner's World about having to pick building muscle vs. diet because both don't work at the same time. Thoughts?

[Laurad-]

You might be right that you've stopped losing weight because of being glutened; I don't know. But I do know that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are building muscle with your new workout program, it is more than likely that you are still shedding fat (and turning it into muscle) even though the scale says you aren't getting any lighter. ...And that's ok because you're body is still getting more toned.

Personally, I eat for performance as opposed to weight maintenance: a lot of protein for muscles, fluids for hydration, etc.

[lorka150]

Yes, definitely focus on performance vs. weight loss. It is quite likely you're not eating enough if you're second guessing if you are are. I can help you out if you want; I'm a personal trainer.

[munchkinette]

Thanks for the offer. I just talked to my brother, who is also a trainer and gluten-free. (He's not as sensitive as I am, so I can't always just ask him with the food.)

He seemed to think I was overdoing it and needed more of a break, and more calories. That's so frustrating though- I feel like the fitness is so slow for me already, so upping calories seems counter-intuitive. I decided to try it for a couple of weeks though, at least until running my 12K.

[lorka150]

Good luck with your training! Feel free to PM me if you want a woman's point of view (although I am sure your brother is well-versed in all areas). Again, good luck!