Current Goal: Maintain 

I lost 8 pounds going into the marathon. I took the starting line at 182 lbs. I have gained a few pounds on the last coupe of weeks and hit the scale between 188 and 190. This feels right and does not take the same level of sacrifice. I continue to use the book Racing Weight as my guideline between Training Weight and Racing Weight.  

Trim down for Gasparilla Marathon

Racing Weight, How to Get Lean for Peak Performance

By Matt Fitzgerald

I have been reading this book to help dial in my weight and body fat percentage. I have read a lot of books in my weight lose adventure but put this at the top of the list. Anyone trying to lose weight, regardless of your goal, this is a must read. 

Racing Weight Vs. Training Weight

Slow and Steady (Weight Loss) Wins the Race

·         Schedule: 6 small meals per day + dinner

o    Eat at 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. Calories: 225 per meal

o    Dinner 6:30-7pm Calorie:1000 -1400

Current Daily foods are:

      7am:   Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt w/ melon. I love Cantaloupe & Honey Dew. 
9am:   Myoplex Lite Nutrition Bar & large coffee w/ cream and sugar

      11am: EAS Protein Shake, 1 banana & 4 almonds.

      1pm:  EAS Protein Shake, 1orange & 4 almonds. & diet coke

      3pm:  South Beach Living Cereal Bar

      5pm:  Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt w/ Kashi Go Lean Cereal bites or Cliff Bar Mini

Dinner: I eat a variety for foods for dinner. I could write a whole page on dinner.   
Dinner will be a ongoing topic. For now I will cover the basics.

1.     Most everything I buy is “low calorie”, “reduced fat”, “fat free” or “sugar free”. Examples reduced fat cheese, fat free half & half, fat free salad dressing…

2.     White meat chicken is my favorite. I could eat some form of chicken most dinners.

3.     Seafood, mainly fish and scallops with some shrimp every now and then.

4.     Ground turkey, I use this a lot in place of ground beef or mixed. Turkey burgers, turkey hotdogs, turkey taco, turkey meatballs, turkey sausage, you get the idea.   

5.     Side items are where I could get in trouble and try to go with a small portions and stay away from a lot of things. Example Wholegrain breads, but low calorie. Brown rice, potatoes

6.     Salads, lots of salads. Always with fat free dressing, light on the toppings if at all. Ex: crotons, cheese, ham, etc….. I stick to the greens.

Notes:

·         I drink lots of water all the time. At least a large cup every hour.

·         I was a big coffee and diet coke drinker and have cut it back to 1 large coffee in the morning. 1 diet coke with my 1pm meal.

·         I drink 1 cup of caffeine free hot green tea at night

·         Days with early morning training, 5am-6am, I add additional meal of fruit/melon w/ Dannon light & fit yogurt.

·         I always try to get fresh foods and stay away from the processed stuff.
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Year 3 to 3 ½

Goal: 199 lbs, lose 20 pounds

Game Plan: 2200 calories, 6 meals

·         Schedule: 5 small meals per day

o    Eat at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. Calories: less than 190 per meal

o    Dinner 6:30-7pm. Calorie:1000 -1400

Daily foods:

      9am: Myoplex Lite Nutrition Bar & large coffee w/ cream and sugar

      11am: Myoplex Lite Powder

      1pm: BodyTech Pro-Pudding & diet coke

      3pm: South Beach Living Cereal Bar

      5pm: Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt w/ Kashi Go Lean Cereal bites.

      7pm: Dinner

Note:

·         I again increased my calorie a little to keep up with my work out schedule.

·         I would use GU sport gels for training sessions over 2hrs. 100 calories each, 2 per work.
I would also drink the new Gatorade G2, the low calories. Depending on the workout I mixed with water to cut the calories. 
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Year 2 to 3

Goal: 220 lbs, lose 35 lbs

Plan: 2100 calories, 6 meals

• Schedule: 5 small meals per day

• I added the banana to help get my through the afternoons.
• Keep in mind I was bike 3 times a week _______________________________________________________________

Year 1 to 2

Goal: Lose 4 to 5 pounds per month. I finished the second year losing 50 lbs

Plan: 1900 calories, 6 meals

• Schedule: 5 small meals per day

·         Eat at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. Calories: 170 at 9am, 100 for the rest per meal

·         Dinner 6:30-7pm.Calorie:1000 -1400

Daily foods:

      9am:  Medifast Bar & large coffee w/ cream and sugar

      11am: Medifast Shake

      1pm:  Medifast Shake, & diet coke

      3pm:  Medifast Shake

      5pm:  Medifast Shake

      7pm: Dinner

Notes:

·         This was the year I cut down the coffee and diet cokes. I was drinking 3 large coffees until lunch and 4 or 5 diet cokes in the afternoon.

·         I added the nutrition bar as my first meal to give me all day to burn off the extra calories.
_________________________________________________________________

First Year: 1

Goal: Lose 4 to 5 pounds per month. I finished the first year losing 50 lbs

Plan: 1900 calories, 6 meals

• Schedule: 5 small meals per day

o    Eat at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. Calories: 100 each

o    Dinner 6:30-7pm. Calorie:1000 -1400

Daily foods:

      9am:  Medifast Shake

      11am: Medifast Shake

      1pm:  Medifast Shake

      3pm:  Medifast Shake

      5pm:  Medifast Shake

      7pm: Dinner

Notes:
I stuck with the basics and I believe that’s why it worked for me. I only had to stay focused on 5 shakes. When I had a craving I would make that my dinner. Example, if I wanted French toast, I had it for dinner with light syrup and no butter.