How To Lose Weight For Triathlon But Still Race Fast

Finding the perfect weight isn’t easy at the best of times, add in training for and racing triathlons throughout the year how do you find that balance your body needs? Is preseason the ideal time or should you wait until race season? Does it even make a difference? Heather takes a look.
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[@gtn]

Is this something you think about when prepping for race season?

[@julianwarmington1267]

Yep, ... but it's a hard ask, giving up all those newly available veggie burgers around town these days!

[@georgephilip6622]

Is there a recommended BMI that would work best for an IRONMAN 70.3 ? How many months of training do you recommend for a absolute beginner who is never done a triathlon ? Is 1 hr of cardio a day okay for preparation ?

[@lisapet160]

@@julianwarmington1267 ​ Find the eatery with burgers that are made with freshly grounded beef and made medium rare. Have one per week with salads, eat whole vegetables in between, not highly processed "burger" sublimations.

[@SimoneChiaretta]

Eventually the question was not answered: how to determine my ideal race weight?

[@jaydesimone4297]

I don't think there is an ideal race weight, honestly. Once you're fit, your weight becomes less of the issue than your body fat percentage. Having more lean muscle and less fat (within a healthy range) is ideal, whereas the number on the scale doesn't matter so much. Two people with the same height, same body weight but one at 15% body fat and the other at 10% will compete very differently. The trick is finding a way to get and stay lean without becoming too lean or underfueling training.

[@sk1ppercat912]

Definitely a battle. Being lighter objectively makes you faster. But if you loose to much weight you can run into all kinds of health problems. I’d just recommend loosing a chunk. Hanging out there for a while (3+ month) and if you’re not constantly getting sick/injured then it’s probably safe to try and loose a little more. I just lost 8kg (less than 10% of my body weight) to get back down to my old race weight (covid ruined me 🤣). If I can stay here for a year I’m planning on going lower by another 5kg or so then I’ll hang out there for a year and go from there.

[@makemebadfan95]

I find that my weight fluctuates +/- 5 to 7 lbs throughout the year. As my activity picks up during end of winter to end of summer, my body optimizes my weight where I feel strong/snappy and not deprived (calories actually go up dramatically and I start losing). I'd say if anyone was trying to lose weight for race season, best to do it in the winter months when you're doing easy base work. That way you don't kill yourself at a caloric deficit while trying to hit hard intervals/sessions.

[@devidia]

It might be a good idea to actually answer the questions you pose in your titles. As usual it's just a summary of some do's and don'ts but nothing more than that

[@jamiefuhrman403]

Would appreciate a more detailed discussion of what ideal weight looks like, potentially incorporating thoughts from the pros. Also wondering about energy deficit since that can plague many triathletes.

[@mattd744]

Just weight myself this morning 😂 perfect video merci !

[@jc74435]

I gained 7 kg during winter. Just started my weight loss plan. Goal of 0.5 kg per week. Should be in race weight in about 3 months

[@LarsRR]

Around 4,000kcal weekly deficit sounds like quite a lot during hard training...

[@jc74435]

@@LarsRR its pre season. But yes it’s considerable. Would you do it differently?

[@thenerdymamil8557]

@@LarsRR It is about 1h of exercise per day more at the same food intake- or 100g of chocolate per day less at the same level of exercise. Seems reasonable to me.

[@theademerckxfiles9967]

I did the same - lost 6 kilos in 6 weeks - no alcohol, no deserts, portion controls, 2 meals a day m, fasted bike rides! Job done - 73-67KGS

[@mattfrischman2508]

Hermione Granger instructing you on triathlon= 🔥🔥🔥

[@blaquaman1739]

I swapped my pb&j w/chips for salads everyday for lunch, hopefully it works

[@markwilson4535]

Would be good to have a perspective from people who have a harder time getting to and maintaining race weight - great that Heather just drops weight off in race season, but what tips are there for people like me who don't, I'm more the opposite, as when racing, I find I am hungrier and want to make sure I have enough fuel?

[@itsbarnardperalta]

Haha! Yes! Especially asking, am I gaining enough with the right body composition.

[@sonjavanstek7038]

Yes, video needed on how to maintain and/ or gain weight.

[@LitNews]

Try reducing refined sugars and starches, and replace the volume with healthy fats (eg cheese, nuts), non-starchy vegetables and fruit. Fats help satiate you, reducing hunger. Lowering refined sugar and starch consumption will increase insulin sensitivity (which will contribute to reduced hunger and increased fat burning).

[@jaydesimone4297]

Race weight isn't as much of an issue as body composition. If you're gaining muscle during your peak season and that's increasing your weight, but your body fat % goes down, it's good (within reason). If you're so hungry that you're overeating and putting on fat, that's a concern.

[@markwilson4535]

@@jaydesimone4297 thanks - I tend to comfort eat when 'not looking', which is the issue for me - takes a huge amount of motivation to just eat only what I need - so any weight gained is not muscle sadly! For me, the aim would be race body fat % and the weight would follow. Working on it currently with a couple of events to look forward to :-)

[@cally2011]

For men. Min, 16% body fat before training season. Ironman race day, min 12%. My experience is that a calorie deficit and strength training is difficult during training season

[@DeanPattrick]

Been between 81Kg and 83Kg for the past several years (53 years old), no matter what I do I cannot get lower than 81Kg... thanks for the good video.

[@lwittrock1]

I'm 56, and what I found is that you need to do more strength training vs. cardio to lose that weight that's been nagging you. Specifically, use your own body weight and not a bunch of dumbbells or weights to strength train. For example, proper pushups, leg ups, using bands, etc. you'll want to target upper vs. lower body on alternate days, but it's about getting your body to burn fat continuously after your workout. Remember that cardio burns calories and strength training burns fat, and that's your goal. Best of luck to you.

[@LitNews]

Cycling is an excellent way to burn calories and lose weight. If you cut refined sugars and starches at the same time, you will lose weight efficiently.

[@DeanPattrick]

@@lwittrock1 That'a an excellent idea as I mainly do cardio: SwimRun, Trail running and cycling. My physio (only this week) has given me a band for ankle and knee work, so will explore the band training. Cheers.!

[@DeanPattrick]

@@LitNews Thanks Lit, I've a pretty good diet, but I agree cutting out the refined sugar is something I can always do better on. Thanks

[@jacklauren9359]

Curious if its better to focus on getting stronger in the gym on top of swim bike and run? There’s a trade off on putting on weight - strong on the bike but then can bite you on the run for being heavy. Anyone care to educate me?

[@makemebadfan95]

All relative. Being a bigger athlete isn't necessarily a bad thing. Andrew Starykowicz has the fastest recorded bike split for IM, and he's 187 lbs/84.82 kg. 4w/kg for him is 336, versus someone like me who is 156 lb/70.76 kg where 4w/kg is 284'ish. He'll be ridiculously fast on flat sections, but slower on hill climbs as it requires more energy to move him up a hill. This is similar to running, which is a bodyweight exercise. More energy for him to move forward versus someone lighter like me (we're the same height at 6'2"). It's all about finding the right balance of what you want and what works for you and optimizing your size. I find being lighter makes me faster, so I try to stay that way. Some of my friends lose a ton of power if they lose any weight. They're not fat, they're just naturally bigger.

[@Kelly_Ben]

Personally I shaved quite a bit of time off my running by hitting the weights. I did lose fat, but also gained a lot of muscle.

[@Punitmeena666]

Keep on making videos on how we should train fpr running.

[@atmphotog]

More 'race weight' obsessed videos just because they get clicks.... forgot about weight, eat a balanced healthy diet, lead a non sedentary lifestyle and enjoy what you do..... simple.

[@katy4822]

I agree! This video is quite disappointing. The idea of having to be an optimum weight is so problematic and I was quite shocked to see this sort of video from GTN. The best athletes are good at what they do because they love it, put in the work, and eat a balanced diet, not because they obsess over calorie intake.

[@LitNews]

@@katy4822 The best athletes typically follow highly regimented diets.

[@jamiefuhrman403]

@@katy4822 Agree completely and was really hoping this video would target some of the misconceptions around maintaining an "optimum weight" and perhaps some tips on how to focus on a holistic approach.

[@atmphotog]

@@LitNews the best athletes don't get their advice from GTN 🤣

[@theademerckxfiles9967]

No! Lose weight - makes you faster - simple