To Keep Pounds Off, Lose Slowly

If you are planning to reach your own “playing weight,” both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Assn. recommend losing no more than 2 pounds per week. Dropping pounds at a faster rate typically means you are losing water weight and breaking down muscle mass; neither outcome will boost your energy levels. Besides, pounds you lose too fast will be hard to keep off.

To lose 1 pound each week, subtract 500 calories a day by consuming less and being more active. The best food targets are saturated fats (mostly in animal fats and processed foods) and trans fats (often called partially hydrogenated fats/oils on the label). For activity, use a combination of aerobic exercise (walking, running, cycling) and resistance training (weights, bands, isometric exercises--push-ups, crunches and other moves that use your own body weight for resistance).

“Trying to do it all either through food or exercise is not the answer,” said Barbara Day, a Louisville, Ky.-based sports nutritionist. “Making both changes will have the greatest impact.” If you intend to lose weight to play a specific sport, Day said, there are accepted ranges of body-fat percentage according to sport (and sometimes by position). Women’s ranges tend to be a bit higher than men’s.

Some examples: Ideal weight for softball players is 12% to 18% body fat for women and 8% to 14% for men. Female golfers should aim for 12% to 20%, while men tend to play best at 10% to 16%. Women on a weightlifting program will be hitting optimal body-fat range at 10% to 18%, while men do the same at 5% to 12%. Remember, those are ideal weight ranges. For starters, losing a pound or two of undesired weight a week will make a dramatic difference in whatever game you choose.

*

Bob Condor