Physical exercise and a proper diet is all you need to shed a few extra pounds without putting your health at risk. Varied foods, eliminating those that add too many calories and few nutrients, are the basis of healthy diets for athletes from which you can choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.
If you do sports and want to lose weight, controlling your diet is essential to achieve your goal. Completely rule out the idea of skipping meals, training on an empty stomach or trying any of the “miracle diets” that promise to lose weight quickly in just a few days. Sports activity requires balanced menus, which provide you with all the nutrients and energy that your body needs.
A diet for athletes must include all the macro and micronutrients provided by food, in a balanced way and in the right proportion. Proteins, carbohydrates and fats cannot be missing. Playing sports and losing weight in a healthy way is possible by following the correct guidelines of a diet that takes care of body and mind while allowing you to get rid of excess kilos. It must be remembered that the diet must always be personalized. Adapting it to your physical condition and the caloric expenditure that your sports activity implies is essential to lose weight with health. The four diets that we present can serve as the basis for preparing yours.
The best diets to lose weight if you are an athlete
There are no secrets. If you want to lose kilos, exercise and choose a healthy diet for athletes with which to take care of yourself while maintaining all your energy. Do not forget to learn to combine exercise and a diet to lose weight in a healthy way when you propose:
1. Mediterranean diet for athletes
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet are known. Protect our cardiovascular system with varied foods in which fruits and vegetables should predominate. In addition, it is not lacking in cereals, dairy products, legumes, meats and fish and, of course, olive oil, which also provides the necessary healthy fats.
The Mediterranean diet is not restrictive and you can adapt it to the type of sport you do. For example, if you practice aerobic activities, you should control the intake of enough slowly absorbed carbohydrates. Taking the right amount, you will have the essential energy avoiding being overweight. If strength training is your thing, protein should be the basis of your diet: lean meats and fish along with fruits and vegetables will take care of your muscles, allowing you to lose weight in a healthy way. Remember that in your diet, the intake of fats (always healthy) should not exceed 30% of the total nutrients.
2. Dash diet for athletes
The Dash Diet, still little known, emerged in the United States thinking mainly of people with hypertension, but it has also been more than effective for athletes who want to lose weight with health. It is a varied and balanced diet, which is based on reducing to a minimum the consumption of salt and the foods that may contain it, such as sausages, smoked meats or pickles.
The excess salt in the diet contributes to fluid retention. If you do sports and reduce your intake, you will notice that your body increases its diuretic function, helping you eliminate toxins and fats. The Dash diet also limits foods rich in carbohydrates, making you eat fewer calories and totally suppresses sutured and Tran’s fats along with sugars and refined flours (industrial pastries). It is therefore an ideal diet to lose weight practicing sports and a good way to improve your diet as an athlete on a daily basis.
3. MIND diet for athletes
Combining the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the Dash diet is the goal of the MIND diet, which includes rich and balanced menus to which more and more athletes are joining. It is not only designed to maintain an adequate weight but also to take care of our brain including foods that slow down cognitive decline, preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Eating whole grains three times a day (pasta, rice, oats …), legumes two or three times a week, red fruits, rich in antioxidants , fruits and vegetables and also a handful of nuts daily are some of the guidelines of the Dash diet.
Do not forget to consult with your doctor, nutritionist or personal trainer any questions you have about the recommended weight loss diets for athletes.
