A fitness coach explains two rules for athletes losing weight: don't do it during competitive season because a calorie deficit tanks performance, and cut gradually by eliminating one or two snacks rather than drastic diets. Sustainable matters more than fast.
I've got two rules for weight loss with athletes. Number one, never do it in season, and here's why. In season, your main goal is to be able to perform really well. Whether you're a football player, basketball player, runner, you need to have a lot of the gas in the tank to be able to perform at your highest level possible. If you are trying to lose weight, that puts you into a calorie deficit, which means that you are eating less calories than you are burning, which will mean that your body will not be able to perform very well. Because it won't have enough gas in the tank. So never in season. Rule number 2 is start slow. Lots of people when they're trying to lose weight, they just say, okay, I'm cutting it down to 1,200 calories. I'm cutting everything out. I'm going to just intermittent fast. Not for you guys. Okay. Year round, you guys are probably doing some type of competition. And so I'm going back to rule number 1 is you're going to have to be in some performance type shape. So start slow. There's a lot of different information. On losing weight and calorie deficits and stuff. My recommendation would be start by cutting out 1 to 2 snacks a day and see how that goes, and then you can get even farther into it if you're trying to lose even more.
