Exercise & Fitness FAQ

by Joanne Larsen, Ask the Dietitian

My two goals seem more and more conflicting. I have been working out for years, but only within the last six months have I seriously examined my food intake in relation to my exercise goals. I do one hour of aerobics each morning and lift for about 1 hour each night. On weekends I usually only do one or the other, but not both.

I started six months ago at 145 lbs. and am 5'6". I then decided to increase my caloric intake to gain muscle weight. I also dropped my fat intake to less than 15% of my diet. I made the mistake of increasing calories too much. I gained 15 lbs. in 4 months, but too much of it was fat.

Just a month or two ago I changed course to focus on getting rid of as much fat as I can. I switched to a caloric deficit of 100-200 calories less than my required caloric intake daily. I also dropped my fat intake to less than 8% daily. Now I have visibly lost the fat that I gained. However, I worry that I'm not eating enough to gain muscle.

What can I do? Must I work on my dual goals individually?

For a female of your height and activity level, 145 pounds is a healthy weight! It sounds as though you are in very good shape and are not at all overfat, but you goals appear to be change your fat and muscle percentages. Why not maintain your weight at 145 and increase your exercise program to decrease body fat (aerobics) and increase muscle (weight training)? As you decrease body fat, you will see more muscle definition and the results of your hard work.

You experienced what the average American has, eat very low fat, disregard calories and guess what? You gain weight, some of which is body fat because the rate of gain exceeded your body's ability to put on muscle which is determined by your weight training. Calories still count and when you exceed your body's calorie expenditure through metabolism and exercise, your weight goes up no matter how low fat you eat.

Have you tried the Healthy Body Calculator to see how many calories per day you need to maintain your weight versus gain? Use this as a starting point. I would also recommend you visit an exercise physiologist or certified trainer to help you design a weight training program to trim fat and increase muscle. I would also suggest you get a baseline body fat analysis first so you can monitor your success towards your goal.

Eating only 8% of calories from fat is extremely low and can be dangerous. Although it is healthy to follow a low fat eating plan, low fat is considered about 30% of calories from fat. Fat is essential to carry fat soluble vitamins in food, produce hormones in the body and to synthesize essential body compounds. We need the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic in our diet to perform these vital roles. I do not recommend that you eat only 8% of calories from fat.

I exercise often and am therefore concerned about taking an appropriate amount calories, which I know in turn supplies me with more nutrients. I try to eat a healthy diet, but I'm just not sure if I am consuming enough nutrients. Is there any way that I can determine how many nutrients I consume and possibly how many calories I burn when I exercise?
 

Well calories are easier to assess than nutrients. The bottom line is if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight or if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But that takes some experimenting and you may not achieve your weight goal unless you know how many calories you are eating before you start. A better approach would be to know how many calories you are eating to maintain your present weight and then adjust your calories up or down based on your weight goal.

Another problem comes when you are trying to gain muscle and don't know how many calories to add. Or if you exercise regularly, what nutrients are you lacking so that it effects your exercise performance.

You could take 2 approaches. First you will need to write down everything you eat or drink as well as any supplements you currently take.

Next, either have a Registered Dietitian analyze your food records or do it yourself with nutrition analysis software.

A Registered Dietitian will provide you with reports of what you are currently eating with and without your supplements. They can even examine the amino acids and fatty acids in your diet over a 7-day period, which is more accurate since it combines weekday and weekend eating patterns. Your Dietitian can even provide lists of good food sources for the nutrients that you are lacking.

We were wondering what foods we should eat before and after exercising?
 

The when to eat also effects what to eat. It is best to eat more than 2 hours, but less than 4 hours before exercise. When a person chooses to eat after exercise is a personal choice.

A balanced diet of all 6 food groups from the Food Guide Pyramid would be OK to eat 2 - 4 hours before exercising. High fat or high sugar foods would not be recommended nor would a large meal be a good idea. Blood pools around your stomach and intestines for up to 2 hours after a meal, helping your body digest and absorb the nutrients from the food you ate. During that time, there is less blood in your legs and arms to power physical activities. Large meals can also make you feel sleepy. Have you ever felt tired after eating a big meal, especially one with turkey?