You are here:

Nutrition & Dieting/Calorie Intake for Weight Loss

Advertisement

Expert: Kent C. Sasse, M.D., MPH, FACS - 7/16/2007


Question
I am trying to lose weight while training for triathlons.  I currently weigh 160
and am 5'8 with a BMI of 27.8.  I work out 5-6 days a week doing cycling,
swimming, running, or a combo of them.  How many calories should I be eating
to lose weight?  I have tried 1800-1900 from a trainer suggestion for 2 weeks
and haven't lost a pound.  I haven't gained any..I am just stuck.

Answer
Great question, and congratulations on your goals of triathlons - that is inspiring!

In answer to your question, almost everyone will lose weight with a diet of 1800-1900 kcal per day intake, especially with significant sustained exercise as you are describing.  Even if you have an unusually low basal metabolic rate, an hour a day of exercise will usually consume well over 500 additional kcals.  You are probably burning over 2200 kcals per day now total, so you are in a great position, if you can sustain an 1800kcal per day diet, to win over time: both in losing weight, and in becoming fitter and healthier.

It is a slow process, however.  It might take 1-2 weeks to lose a single pound.  And studies show we all underestimate our calorie intake.  Another interesting fact that studies have shown is that we tend to eat more after we have worked out hard, partly because we let ourselves loosen up our own dietary restrictions.  So guard against those potential lapses that might cost you a few hundred calories.

So, my advice is to keep sharp daily focus on your goals.  Eat protein at breakfast every morning, don't skip breakfast, continue your workouts, set a date for your first triathlon and compete even if you do not like the weight you're competing at, and never give up.  It can take a long time to show results, but even with a very modest 250 daily kcal deficit, you would lose 26 pounds in 12 months.  You can do it.  I think you have already taken several major steps toward accomplishing your goals.

Nutrition & Dieting

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Kent C. Sasse, M.D., MPH, FACS

Expertise

I look forward to answering questions in many areas of weight loss, weight loss prescription medications, weight maintenance, surgical weight loss, Low Calorie Diets, exercise and behavior aspects of weight loss, and dieting. Lots of exciting new research has led to new thinking in the fields of nutrition and weight loss. As Medical Director of a large, comprehensive medical weight loss center, my focus is on scientifically-based weight loss solutions that work.

Experience

I am fortunate to serve as the Medical Director for a medically-based weight loss center called iMetabolic. You can learn more about the center's philosophy by visiting iMetabolic.com. I am a physician and surgeon specializing in the field of medical and surgical weight loss. Our centers treat patients with a comprehensive evidence-based approach, whether the person seeks to lose 20 pounds or 300 pounds. My interest is in providing straightforward reliable science-based information and finding solutions that work.

Organizations
American Society of Bariatric Physicians American Society of Bariatric Surgeons American College of Surgeons Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

Publications
Numerous journals and regional publications

Education/Credentials
I earned my MD and completed my surgical residency training at the University of California San Francisco where I focused on complex gastrointestinal disease management. I later completed Fellowship training at the Lahey Clinic just outside Boston, MA. I founded Western Bariatric Institute, a nationally recognized surgical weight loss center, and later founded iMetabolic, a comprehensive medically-based weight loss center with a staff of physicians, psychologists, fitness trainers, dietary and health coaches. I am a member of both the American Society of Bariatric Physicians and the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons and gain from the perspectives of both of these growing organizations by attending and speaking at their meetings.

Awards and Honors
Alpha Omega Alpha

Past/Present Clients
Our clients range from people seeking to lose ten pounds, to those with serious health problems arising from obesity. We seek to serve this wide range of clients with state-of-the-art scientifically-based weight loss solutions.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.