certain amount of body fat is essential for good
health. Finally, the inherent error of body compo-
sition assessment, 1–3% under ideal conditions,
must be considered (Wilmore 1992a).
Weight loss goals
The following outline offers some criteria and
questions that may be helpful in determining an
athlete’s optimal body weight.
1 Put emphasis on personal health and well
being, and fitness and performance goals—not
only weight.
- Set realistic weight goals. (What is your
current weight goal? Is body weight reduction
necessary? Is there any indication that weight
loss will improve performance? Have you ever
maintained your goal weight without dieting?
When was the last time you were at your goal
weight? At what weight or body-fat level do
you perform well, do you feel good and are
you injury free? What was the last weight you
could maintain without constantly dieting?) - Place less focus on the scale and more on
changes in body composition and lifestyle,
such as stress management and making good
food choices. - Pick the appropriate weight loss technique
that works with your training schedule.
Weight loss should be gradual, at approxi-
mately 0.5–1.0 kg · week-^1. - Mark progress by measuring changes in
fitness level and performance levels (personal
record times, level of fatigue at the end of a
workout, level of energy at the end of the day,
strength and power changes), and general
overall well-being.
2 Make changes in diet and eating behaviour. - Do not starve yourself or restrict energy too
severely. Do not go below 5–6.4 MJ (1200–
1500 kcal) daily for women and 6.4–7.6 MJ
(1500–1800 kcal) daily for men. - Do not constantly deprive yourself of
favourite foods or set unrealistic dietary rules. - Make basic dietary changes that moderately
reduce energy intake, that fit into your
lifestyle, and that you know you can achieve.
478 practical issues
- Reduce fat intake but remember, a lower fat
diet will not guarantee weight loss if a nega-
tive energy balance is not achieved. - Eat more whole grains, cereals, fruits, and
vegetables, and get adequate fibre (>25 g ·
day-^1 ). - Do not skip meals and do not let yourself get
too hungry. Eat something for breakfast. This
will prevent you from being too hungry and
overeating later in the day. - Reduce or eliminate late night eating.
- Plan ahead and be prepared for when you
might get hungry. Carry healthy snacks with
you. Always eat high carbohydrate foods im-
mediately after strenuous exercise. - Identify your dietary weaknesses; plan a
strategy for dealing with these difficult times.
Are you eating when you are bored,
depressed, upset? Do you overeat when you
are around food or eat out? - Do not go into a training session or competi-
tion without eating adequately. Be sure you are
well fed both before and after you exercise.
3 Make changes in exercise behaviour. - If you do not already do aerobic exercise and
strength training, start and maintain an exer-
cise programme that includes both of these
components. This is an absolute requirement
for burning fat and the maintenance of a
healthy competitive body weight. Strength
training will help maintain FFM while you are
working to lose body fat. - Plan regular exercise into your day (outside
your training sessions) and add additional
exercise by walking instead of driving, or
using the stairs instead of the elevator.
(Adapted from Burke 1995; Manore 1996.)
Optimal body weight should be a weight that
promotes both good health and performance,
and is ‘reasonable’ to achieve and maintain. If an
athlete has never been able to achieve or main-
tain his or her goal weight, then this may be an
unrealistic weight that places them under unnec-
essary psychological stress. Determination of an
athlete’s optimal weight must also consider the
genetic background, age, gender, sport, health
and past weight history. For the female athlete,